"Are we there yet? Cause I'm seriously tempted to blast a laser in someone's face out of boredom."

Shortfuse was wondering why he had bothered to come with everyone out into the boonies. Or as they called it, the Hilltop Zone. In practice, it was more of a mountain range, with blue and black checkered hills and cliffsides. Much like Green Hill, only somewhat moodier. The totems were nowhere to be seen, but there was the occasional seesaw. Though as for why they were there, they could only fathom. Though Sticks had a few ideas.

Oh Gaea, run! It's the SEESAWS OF THE DAMNED! All it takes is one turn on that seesaw and a bug-eyed alien from nowhere is gonna sit on the other end and stick his pointy nose thing into you and turn into a gorilla, a ZOMBIE GORILLA, and force you to do such unspeakable things as CLEANING THE TOILET! I have issues.

Shortfuse shuddered. Just the sheer act of remembering that bit of insanity made him wonder if he should have just dropped all pretences of normalcy and joined in on the fun. At least then he wouldn't be pinching the bridge of his nose every five minutes.

In any case, Sticks, Manic, Amy, and Tekno were all trudging up the mountain path with Johnny leading the way. Both Shortfuse and Tekno weren't allowed to fly due to apparently needing to stay incognito, and the only reason why he hadn't slapped someone was that they were probably right. Instead, they'd taken some souped-up motorcycles Rotor had built as far as they could into the zone. They weren't quite as zippy as being dragged around by Sonic or Mina, but it beat being tossed around like a Mobian sausage. Of course, once the terrain got rocky, there wasn't much they could do but step out under the bright fall sun and hoof it. And hoofing it they were.

"You do that," said Johnny to Shortfuse, "and I'll knock you down the nearest incline. Just so we understand each other."

"Touche."

"Oh, come on, Shortfuse!" said Amy. "This is kind of fun! Still, I just wish Sonic were here."

"Same here," said Manic, "but it's not like he can be there all the time."

"I know. Though even if he were here, I doubt he'd give me the time of day. Half the time, he just pretends like I don't exist!"

"Honestly, I cannot blame him." Tekno had since dispensed with the striped black and red sweater and was instead wearing a purple tanktop, though more out of practical reasons than anything else. Or at least that's what she kept telling herself. "You aren't exactly giving him room to breathe, are you?"

"Okay, so maybe I can be a bit pushy…"

"You stalked him right to the stalls," said Johhny. "In a cardboard box. And everyone could STILL tell it was you. That's going beyond pushy."

Amy threw her hands to the heavens as if the whole world was against her. Not that it was. And not that she cared. "FINE! I'm nuts about him! Gaga! Happy?!"

"I'm not happy," said Sticks. "And do you know why I'm not happy? Because being happy just makes you cannon fodder for the emotion eaters! They sneak in when you least suspect it, hiding behind every rock, every mountainside, every nook and cranny, and when your back is turned, WHAMMO! You're a goner! And they're no-good pinko-commies to boot! The only thing pinko-commies are good for is breakfast! And I already ate."

Shortfuse was this close to having a stroke. "Oy. Look, lady, can you knock it off with the paranoia bullcrap already?! I mean, no-one can be that delusional—"

"HOLD IT!" Sticks stopped dead in her tracks. She stood stiff as a board, her eyes fixating on a cliffside right in front of her, her eyes filled with sheer and utter hatred. "It's the emotion eaters," she whispered. "I'm onto you."

Shortfuse was not amused. "DID YOU HEAR A WORD I JUST SAID?!"

"Hey, cool it, Shortfuse," said Johnny. "She didn't do anything wrong. Even if she's nuttier than nutmeg."

"I RESEMBLE THAT REMARK!" said Sticks.

"YOU'LL RESEMBLE THE PAVEMENT WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU!" Shortfuse started to lift up his gauntlet, his laser readying to fire. Sticks for her part was ready to throw down at a moment's notice, but it wasn't to be. Johnny stopped dead in his tracks, raised one deft hand, and said in no uncertain terms, "We're here."

That was all he needed to say. Everyone's eyes turned toward Johnny, but by now, he was pointing towards the right. Right where his finger was aiming was a large tunnel. There was a faint glimmer of light at the end, but it was still going to be a long trip.

"This is the way to your village, I presume?" said Tekno.

"Yup," said Johnny. "If anyone knows anything about the vibrations, they'll know. With them and those doohickies you've got in your satchel, we should be able to sort this mess out and get out of dodge faster than we can say 'amscray.'"

"You don't seem particularly pleased to be here," said Tekno. "Forgive me for asking, but is there something we should know?"

Everyone's eyes were on Johnny. After all this time, the spotlight was finally on him. And he didn't care for it one bit. "You'll know when you know. If you know. It's not important."

Amy thought otherwise. "Johnny, if there's something you want to tell us…"

Johnny didn't even bother to look Amy in the eye. Or anyone else for that matter. Instead, he turned towards the tunnel and began walking into its' depths, as if he hadn't even heard her. Though Amy and everyone else knew he had. "We've got a job to do, people. Come on." And 'come' on they did.

They started making their way through the dark tunnels, with light being a scarce commodity. Johnny was about to shine a flashlight, but Manic had something else in mind. "Hold it, guys! I got this." He pulled a small green ring out of his satchel and slipped it on his middle finger. He concentrated, doing his best to form a single image; something tangible, something concrete. Until…

"BOOYAH! Beat that!"

…until a bright, shining, green light spontaneously popped into being from the aether. Naturally, everyone was impressed in one way or another.

"WOW!" said Amy.

"Nifty," said Johnny.

"As I predicted," said Tekno.

"What the hell is that?" said Shortfuse.

"EVERYONE!" said Sticks. "LOOK AWAY FROM THE LIGHT! LOOK AWAY FROM THE LIGHT! IT'S GONNA STEAL YOUR SOUL! AND THEN CHEW IT UP AND EAT IT FOR BREAKFAST! WITH SCONES AND TEA! LITERALLY!"

"Whoa there!" said Manic. "Relax, Sticks! It's okay! You see this ring? This one right here." Manic pointed toward the ring on his finger, shining as brightly as ever."

Sticks looked carefully at the ring like her life depended on it. "I don't believe it. You're married?!"

"Course not! I mean I can do this."

The ring on Manic's finger grew ever brighter, shining like a crazy diamond until it let out another flash of light and another ball of light formed near the tunnels' end."

"Oh. You're a soul-sucking light-bringing techno-mage? DOWN WITH THE SOUL-SUCKING LIGHT-BRINGING TECHNO MAGE!"

"Allow me," said Tekno, stepping it when no-one else would. "Do you see that ring, Sticks? That ring is quite unlike anything you've ever seen. Like Porker's gloves, it's based on Cream's energy signature, only once again modified to produce a different effect and you don't understand a word of what I'm saying do you?"

"Does it make hot tamales?"

Tekno shrugged her shoulders. "It can. Or create recreations thereof. Anything Manic can think of, it creates. Not that it doesn't have his limits, but for his purposes, it still does nicely."

"Oh! Still don't get it."

"Oh for the love of…" Shortfuse seemed about to blow a gasket. Literally. "Look. He thinks something up, he can make it. It's not hard to understand. Course, I'd be saying you're all off your rockers just over a month ago, so who am I to talk?"

Sticks stared into space crosseyed as though she were a complete doofus, but slowly but surely, the pieces came together, and it wasn't long before Sticks could finally say, "GOT IT! IT'S MAGIC! RUN FOR THE HILLS!"

Johnny was about to talk some sense into her when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. "We're here."

They all proceeded to walk out into the bright light which almost seemed to pierce their eyes like a flashlight as they came out of the tunnel. They found themselves in a large enclosure. Tall grass grew with wild abandon, and small wooden huts were scattered across the landscape. Non-Mobian sheeps and cows grazed the plains, and various workers tilled the fields and picked the crops with vim and vigour. And as Johnny grasped his pendant, he couldn't bear to look.

"You okay, Johnny?" said Amy.

"Gotta say," said Manic, "this place ain't half-bad. Still, give me the city any day. No offence."

"No kidding," said Shortfuse. I bet even Genocide City beats this dump."

Johnny snapped out of his stupor and whirled around to give Shortfuse the evil eye, as though his very honour had been insulted.

"Whoa, hey!" said Shortfuse. "Sorry! Didn't know what I saying. Won't say it again. If only so I don't have you looking like you want to strangle somebody."

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" said Manic. "I mean, that was a hell of a crack, but still."

"I"m fine," said Johnny. But as was clear by the trembling in his voice, he was anything but. "It's just, I haven't been here in years. Honestly, I don't really know what to think."

"Wowie!" said Sticks. "Now this is more my style! Wouldn't mind livin' here for a bit! That is if it weren't for all those evil mole-men lurking around every corner. Seriously, that's just rude!"

"You know, Sticks," said Amy, "I'm sorry, but I've got to ask. Just what in the world is up with the whole paranoia thing? Because, I hate to say it, but it's getting real old real fast."

"Hey, it's not paranoia if they're really out to get ya! And they are! I can't tell ya how many times they've tried to stick microscopic cameras up my arse…"

"That! That right there! Seriously, it's like you're compensating for something!"

"I'm not compensating for nothin'!" said Sticks. "I'm just telling it like it is!"

"Oh, come on! You can't seriously be telling me that's all there is to it!"

"Knock it off, Amy," said Johnny. "We—"

Right then, as if announcing its' presence from below, it happened. It was small at first. Just big enough to be noticed. Just enough of a vibration to shut everyone up. Then there was another. A bigger one. And an even bigger one. Each time the vibrations came, they were stronger and louder than the last, and even the farmers and workers had stopped their daily chores as they noticed what was unfolding around them.

"Stick together, people!" shouted Johnny. "Shortfuse, Tekno, get airborne! The rest of you—

But before anyone could do anything, the last and final one hit, and it was a doozy. Everyone was thrown flying off their feet and to the four winds like being tossed in a frying pan. Shortfuse and Tekno managed to get themselves airborne, while everyone else had had enough training to protect themselves as best they could.

But the farmers weren't so lucky. All across the fields, they had been tossed to and fro like ragdolls, and while most didn't have anything serious, others had major concussions, or perhaps the odd fractured rib. And that wasn't the worst of it. As the vibrations raged on, cracks started to rip open in the ground as it began to shift and turn, and it stopped just as a sliver of steam had started to pour forth.

Johnny, Amy, Manic, and Sticks were all lying on the ground like playthings but were able to pick themselves up and get back on their feet before long. "Good Gaea!" said Amy. "What in the world was that?!"

"Probably the vibrations we heard about," said Manic. "I didn't think they were THIS bad."

"Indeed," said Tekno, fluttering down from the sky and landing exactly where she had stood before the vibrations. Shortfuse landed right beside her. "It's obvious that things are worse than we hoped. It doesn't exactly bode well, does it?"

"Maybe not," said Johnny. "But we still need to try."

Just then, an older rabbit started to hop over from the field and through the long grass and wheat fields towards Johnny and the others. He wore a straw farmers' hat and a pair of tattered blue overalls, but that was it. And as he grew ever closer, Johnny started to wince as though a sharp thorn had just been stuck up his rear end.

"You know him, Johnny?" said Amy.

Johnny didn't say a word, but from how he couldn't afford to keep his eyes off of him, it was clear that he did. The rabbit in the overalls grew closer and closer, and before long, it was standing right in front of Johnny.

"So," said the rabbit. "Johnny. You're back."

"Uncle Clarence. Nice to see you." Though from the way Johnny said it, it was clear it wasn't nice at all.

"Likewise." And it was the same with Clarence. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. "I see you've got some friends with ya. Including a rather strange fella in the armour there. So. What brings you to our neck of the woods?"

This is gonna take a while. You got somewhere we can talk?"

"Follow me." And as Clarence hopped on back to the houses, stopping every now and then to make sure Johnny and the others were following his trail, it was clear that he'd rather be anywhere else. And Johnny would more than agree.


"That's quite a story."

Clarence and Johnny were sitting across from each other in a small hut along the walls of the enclosure. It wasn't a particularly glamorous abode, but it still had a personal touch. It was filled with portraits, baubles, and even the odd piece of jewellery, which a farmer like Clarence would have had to pay a pretty penny for. Both Johnny and Clarence were seated in two hand-crafted wooden chairs in the middle of the living room, though even as Johnny tried to get things rolling, they both knew that this wasn't going to be pleasant. Everyone else was either standing about or sitting in any other chairs that happened to be around, watching the two with most vested interest.

"It is, ain't it?" said Johnny. "Either way, it's the truth. Sooner or later, Eggman's gonna be waging war on the whole island. Only reason he hasn't so far is cause he's waiting till everything's the way he wants it, which won't be long. That, and we've set him back a bit."

"So you say. So what, you're like some resistance or something?"

"Something like that. Someone needs to do it. And I guess I'm one of those someones."

"Funny. Never figured you were one for taking responsibility. Must be something you've picked up."

Johnny and Clarence glared at each other as though a gunfight were going to break out any moment. Which Amy, being perceptive as she was, desperately didn't want to happen. She knew she shouldn't have stepped in unless absolutely necessary, but as far as she was concerned, this was as necessary as all get-out. "Uh, maybe it'd be a good idea to talk about something else for a minute? Just a thought."

"Maybe," said Clarence. "Look. I'll buy your story for now, if only because I don't know what else to do. Every so often, there's some large vibration or some such, and the more it's popped up, the closer it's gotten to what we consider to be dangerous levels."

"I could imagine," said Tekno. "This Zone is home to the occasional pit of lava, is it not?"

"Yeeup. Can't tell how those things popped up, short of a volcano or something, but they're there. They're scattered all across the upper Hilltop Zone, and while they're usually harmless to anyone with a brain, if we got a big enough tremor…"

"Then lava could spill over from a close enough pit — or series of pits — to destroy everything in its' path," said Tekno.

Sticks gasped as though she were struggling for air, not that it lasted long. "It's gotta be the work of the troglodytes! They live underground, making troglodyte weapons out of troglodyte metal and doing troglodyte shannigans, all for the sake of world destruction! And they also just tunnel underground and cause earthquakes and stuff whenever they feel like it. Or whenever they're trying to make new buildings and things. No joke."

"Are you sure she's alright?" said Clarence to Johnny. "She hasn't hit her head or anything, has she?"

"Well," said Sticks, "I have, but I honestly don't think that's either here or there. SOGGIES MAY RULE!"

Everyone looked at Sticks as though she had something of a screw loose. Not that it stopped Johnny and Clarence from getting to business. "So," said Johnny. "First order of things is to figure out where those vibrations are coming from and then get ourselves over there to stop 'em. Manic, think you can handle that last part?"

Manic's ring briefly lit up like a lantern, as if to give the obvious answer. "Sure can. Or at least I think I can. I've still got my limits, but I should be able to whip up something."

"Good. And as for the first part…" Johnny looked at Tekno. Pulling out a device from her satchel, she already seemed to be working her magic.

"Already on it," she said. "This device should help us locate the source of the vibrations. I already turned it on prior to arriving just in case, so I've already collected some adequate data from the last occurrence. Unfortunately, it's not perfect. I still need to get close enough to it to accurately pinpoint it. And we also need to make sure that we won't be digging over an underground lava pit. Still, we should be able to find it given time."

Shortfuse revved up his arm, as if all of this sitting around was starting to make him restless. "Yeah, well, time ain't something we've got. Something like this could happen again whenever we'd least expect it. And if it does, we'll all be sitting ducks. Whatever we do, we've got to do it quick."

"Agreed," said Johnny. "Though I think I've got an idea of where to start searchin'. Though it's the last place I'd rather look."

Sticks started to move away from the others towards the door, as though something else were on her mind. "Yeah, well, have fun with that. Me, I've got somethin' else to do."

"Hold on a minute!" said Amy. "Don't tell me you're just gonna walk out on us?!"

"She's not a Freedom Fighter, Amy," said Johnny. "She can do what she wants. Though seeing as an entire village is on the line, I would've thought she'd be a bit more considerate."

"Hey, I'm not a totally heartless bastard," said Sticks. "At least not after I ripped one out of that 'gater. I'll be there, don't worry. But this is somethin' I gotta do. If there's anything here about my folks, I gotta know!"

"Hey," said Shortfuse, "if she wants to go do her own thing, let her do it. Saves us the trouble of having to put up with her."

Manic got up and started to walk over towards Sticks. "Honestly, I don't think we should be too hard on her. I didn't know my dad for the longest time. I mean, I think he's a dirty rotten deadbeat, but he's still my dad. So if I had the chance to know more about him, maybe even find him, I would've taken it. I'll look after Sticks. Second we find anything or we take too long, I'll fly us over to where you guys are. Shouldn't be too hard to spot up there."

"Fine," said Johnny. "Just don't take too long. If and when we find out whoever's doing this and why, we'll need all the help we can get."

"Got it,' said Manic. "So, you wanna start asking around, Sticks?"

At hearing Stick's name, Clarence's ears suddenly shot up as if remembering a forgotten name from long ago. "'Sticks'? I remember. Sticks. Is it… no! You can't be…"

Like a ruffian, Sticks lifted Clarence up by the shirt, her teeth gritting as she hoisted him into the air. Short she may have been, but lightweight she was not. "Do you know somethin' about my parents?! Spill it! Before I sic the troglodytes on ya!"

"STICKS!" yelled Johnny. Everyone quickly had their weapons at the ready and were all that close to whipping them out. "Put him down!"

Clarence for his part didn't seem to be afraid. Not to say he wasn't nervous if his heavy breathing wasn't an indication. "Don't worry, Johnny. Sticks, is it? Look, if you'll just put me down, I'll tell you what you want to know! But I don't think you'll like it..."