" Stop lying!"
"We're not! Eggman's left us in the dark. Our company hasn't been in contact with him ever since this stupid storm started!" Trace yelled, annoyed at Tangle and Whispers attempts to question them. They had left Neptuneville a little while ago, now on their way to a weak, but trackable signal of some kind of Restoration facility. The two mercenaries were being held as they are good for intel on the Eggman empire and their whereabouts.
" Do you take us for fools?" Whisper asked." I overheard your conversation yesterday. You said something about Eggman making this storm. Are you sure you know nothing about that?"
The fox looked towards her partner.
He looked back silently." What?" He blurted ignorantly.
" What do you mean, what?" Trace retorted.
" What, how was I know about that?"
"Was I supposed to?"
" What- yes! It was on the contract!"
" Well I didn't read it."
" Trace for the love of-"
" Hello? We're still here!" Tangle said snapping her fingers in their faces.
" Listen, just tell us what we want to know."
" Why should we?" The tan hedgehog asked, much to the expecting, but still present anguish of the lemur.
"Ha, just what I- kinda guessed! You guys have just been acting on wime."
Whisper Sighed, reaching down she grabbed her Wisp-rifle." Listen, Tangle might not want to hurt you, but I am far less forgiving."
Tangle wasn't infused about Whispers methods of getting information and was about to protest, until she was interrupted by Trace.
" Okay! Okay! Sabot over here will tell you. Like I said. I know nothing about Eggman. I'm just here to get paid." The fox said, caving into the Whispers threat.
Sabot groaned before speaking.
" I'm not sure about the exact details. Again we're just hired guns, but from what I do know, these storms are controlled and actively target high importance areas. We were supposed to reserve guides and dates of when the storms landed, but we haven't. I'm guessing it was far more powerful than he expected. Other than that we are completely in the dark, we haven't been able to contact Command, because of the storm and even if we did have contact. I highly doubt they'd know anything more."
"See? That wasn't so hard!" Tangle said mockingly." Very funny, can we go now?" The mercenaries asked collectively. Tangle looked at Whisper. A mischievous smirk growing on her face.
"Seriously?" Was all Trace could say as she and Sabot watched the microbus drive way, leaving them on the side of the road.
"So where now?" Whisper asked the lemur.
The spoke with a dash of uncertainty
" Uh, we can try and find where that signal came from."
" Sounds good." Whisper replied mildly confused. There was a short silence between them. The sound of the wet road becoming more apparent only feeding into the awkward moment.
"Tangle, listen I-"
" No! No! It's fine. I wouldn't have done that, but it worked so-" the lemur trailed off. The silence came once again.
Whisper had a feeling that the rifle trick would anger her friend.
" I'm sorry, okay? But- you can't get everything by being nice."
" I know, it's just -"
The lemur trailed off again before asking." Why?"
" Why what?"
" Why is violence the first thing you do when you want to get something?"
Whisper thought for a second before replying, wrestling with what she thought.
" They were our captives, POWs."
"That doesn't -"
" I know you haven't dealt with a situation like this and to be honest. I haven't either, but what I do know, in situations like this.We do what we must."
" That doesn't answer my question though?"
" Why is violence the go to? That's- one I can't answer."
The conversation came to an end. As the two continued down the road. Whisper took this moment to look at the world around them, the sky cloudy and grey, while it's origin may be man made, she could not help, but indulge in the beauty it brought. Her wondering was interrupted however by the sound of a radio screaming from behind them.
Tangle emoted "What the-" before the radio began to speak.
"...does-...I repeat-...Night Carnival…...over." it shrieked before cutting off.
" Did they get their radios working?" Tangle asked reaching towards it. Whisper shrugged. After picking up Tangle proceeded to dial Restoration.
" I think it might have to do with the weather." Whisper guessed." It is weaker around here."
Finally getting the station just right, the radio shrieked loudly again.
" Well if you're right, this might be our only chance to talk to them, stop the van!" Tangle demanded. Slamming on the brakes, the microbus skid across the wet road before finally coming to a stop.
"Hello? Hello!"
"...hey-... Read..."
"This is Tangle! I'm with Whisper we're a couple kilometres out of Neptuneville. Who is this?"
"Lan-... Lanolin-."
" Who?"
" Restoration-... I'm with the..."
" Okay, got it! Listen, if you can hear me properly, we just overheard a Eggman frequency. I think they're still able to communicate with one another."
"... okay-... frequency?"
Tangle was Lanolin the frequency before the radio cut off. Despite her and Whispers efforts, they were unable to get up again. However, that didn't quite matter. They had given the Restoration a large advantage against Eggman and his mercenaries.
" Well, where now?" The lemur asked. Finally jumping into the front seat and attaching the seat belt
" They said something about Night Carnival. It isn't too far from here."
" Sounds like a plan!"
With that they set off, sliding across the wet road. While they didn't know what they would find at Night Carnival, but whatever it may be, they had each other and Tangle hoped they'd be enough.
It wasn't.