"Freedom Fighters, this is Sally Acorn. I know what I've said about reuniting in Knothole as soon as possible, but something quite important had come up. Thus, I would like our rendezvous point to first be in the given coordinates in Emerald Hill. We'll be sure to debrief each other on our missions when we meet up, so make sure you're safe. And that an enemy isn't following you. Sally out."

That was the message she sent out to Sonic, Tails, and Bunnie. And was they managed to swiftly drop off the generator over at Knothole and immediately make a go for the coordinates she set in Emerald Hill; they really did wonder what could have caught her attention so much to the point of altering the 'return home as soon as possible' part of her plans. Sonic himself wondered what she could have taken seriously enough to warrant such a change and hoped nothing was wrong.

Of course, he first had to seriously deal with the fact that the trio had been given quite a beating, and that they would have to address that with Sally, especially with Tails.

Sonic eventually stopped on a dime, with Bunnie and Tails right behind him. Waiting for them patiently, was Sally, where she said for them to meet. Filled with relief that they were safe and sound, she moved up to Sonic and Tails first, embracing them both in a hug. She wasn't surprised to see that they were hurt, despite wishing it wasn't so.

"Are you three alright?" Sally asked, before also turning towards Bunnie, who had hauled the generator over her head with a thumbs up.

"Mighty fine, Sally-Girl! Got that generator Rotor asked for! Took it right outta Robotnik's hands! Kicked his precious tin-can to the curve while we were at it!"

Sally narrowed her eyes. "You saw him...and fought him?"

"Easy there, Sally-Girl. He wasn't there in person. He ain't see us worth that much work." Bunnie lightly scratched her head. "Although after the stunt Tails pulled back there, he's definitely gonna want our hides mounted on a wall, now. Hoo-Wee! He ain't gonna appreciate that, no ma'am!"

"I've heard chatter from feeds Nicole picked up on. Every single Badnik Processing Plant shut down, thanks to the virus that she sent you that she analyzed from Vermin." Sally turned towards Tails. "You managed to do that with the virus?"

"It wasn't the most well put together programming, but I did manage it somehow." Tails winced while rubbing his arm. "I still had to beat the Witchcarters, first..."

"You managed to beat the Witchcarters?" Sally blinked in astonishment. The Witchcarters were Wendy Witchcart's top enforcers, they were not easy opponents in the slightest. Yet Tails managed to defeat them single-handedly? A part of her wanted to scold Sonic and Bunnie for leaving him alone with them, given his injuries. But it seemed like it was more a fight he just happened to come across, so she kept that slight irritation buried.

"He handed them their hides, alright! By himself, no less!" Bunnie chirped while shaking the kit's shoulder. "You've proven your mettle out there, Tails!"

"Hehe. I'm a lot tougher than some people think." Tails lightly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Our tough and reliable little man!" Bunnie slid an arm around Tails and ruffled his head fur.

"Of course he is. I coulda told ya that!" Sonic chuckled while rubbing his nose with a cheeky grin. "Got something to add to this pot, Sal?"

Sally stuck out her tongue and gently pushed him aside, before turning towards Tails. "It looks like you're getting quite capable and strong, Tails. And reliable, if Bunnie is to be believed." She sent him a warm smile. "It looks like you're really coming into your own, Tails. I suppose I didn't have to be too worried about you, after all."

"Simply put, you've pulled your weight like a champ, Big Guy." Sonic grin ex while ruffling Tails' head fur. He smiled at them both.

"Does mean I can go on missions even more often?"

Sally's smile wavered, but only a very tiny bit. She ended up lightly scratching her cheek. "Well, I suppose you did manage to prove that you can hold your own, now or then ever. I'm still not entirely comfortable with the idea of seeing you anywhere on your own. I feel this way about all of my Freedom Fighters, but I get especially worried about you and Sonic."

"As always." Sonic huffed while picking his ear slightly.

Sally rolled her eyes as she moved closer to Tails, placing her hands on his shoulders with a nurturing smile. "That being said, I can't deny that you're becoming a more competent and reliable Freedom Fighter every day. So, as long as you don't allow yourself to be on your lonesome for too long, I think I can trust you with more active field missions."

Tails blinked as his namesakes waved about. "So for real? I really can?"

"You bet."

Tails pumped his fists. "Awesome!"

"You've officially graduated from Fledgling Freedom Fighter to Full-Fledged, Big Guy." Sonic grinned as he and Tails high-fived. Sally could only sigh at the decision her mind scolded her for, but she pushed it down.

It was going to happen sooner or later. That didn't mean Sally had to like it in its entirety, but Tails increasing his competence and reliability now rather than later, with the talent and skills that he had, will be beneficial in the long run. Of course, Sonic wouldn't let anything happen to Tails if he could help it. Neither would she or any of the others. But if Tails was going to keep improving, she had to ease off her coddling of him. Just a little bit at a time. Not every situation would accommodate everyone's desires to keep him out of harm's way, so they might as well prepare him for when harm attempts to come for him.

And of course, she was well aware of how much Tails didn't want to be a burden upon everyone simply for being one of their youngest members. If they're fussing over him too much, they can't focus. And if they can't focus, they can't do their jobs. And that simply wouldn't do, it wouldn't do at all. So, Tails sought self-improvement as soon as possible due to wanting to help everyone else. She didn't want to hold him back from being able to help.

So, she would let him keep contributing however he could. She just preferred he be in the company of someone who would have his back. And the best way to do that is to keep him paired up with Sonic for the most part, with a few mix-ups to help with his ability to adapt to the situation. She can't stall this forever. She needs to let Tails do his thing. Sonic has all the faith in the world in Tails, yet she still hesitates.

Well, she should stop that soon. The last thing she wants to do was hold him back. It's been five years since they met. He's a growing boy, and he wanted to help and do his part. He had the ability, and he was gaining more and more courage to use it. She simply had to let him do so, mindful of the dangers but faithful in his ability to overcome them.

This latest mission was just a hint of his potential.

Sally gently palmed her cheeks and shook her head. She's thinking in decided to take a page out of Sonic's book, and keep things simple.

Be protective, yet supportive.

She took a breath and sighed. One of them definitely needed to be someone who thinks before they act, but she'll think on so much that she completely stops in place when it's time to move. She'll have to work on that.

Though in a way, it's always going to be a bit of an instinct for her to fuss and worry over the boys. She didn't want to lose them, is all. Not like she lost-

Sonic randomly appeared in front of her, leaning face to face as he tilted his head. "Yo! Mobius to Acorn! Do you copy?"

"O-Oh! Sorry." Sally muttered, turning away as she readjusted her hair with a small blush. "I was just thinking."

"Just thinking? For that long? You do that enough as it is, Sal!"

"Hm, coincidence. I was thinking about exactly how much I tend to think."

"You were thinking about thinking? Won't that become some sort of neverending circle or something?"

"You know what I mean, Sonic The Hedgehog."

"Probably. But just to be on the safe side, tell me anyway."

Sally folded her arms with a smirk. "What if I don't feel like it?"

Sonic smirked back. "I have my ways of makin' ya talk, Sal."

"I doubt that."

"You doubt that?!"

Sally brought a hand up to her ear. "Is there an echo?"

Alright, so they were in good enough mood to banter. Bunnie took this as a good sign. "While I wouldn't mind watchin' this go on for a wee bit longer, you said we needed to meet back here in Emerald Hill rather than back at Knothole. Is there something else important here, Sal?"

"Did something happen?" Tails asked, flying around them for a little bit while adjusting his scarf.

"I suppose in a way, you can say that there is." Sally soon moved forward. "In any case, it's about time we go over the results of our missions. Nicole will help me organize them better as we go over them."

Two things were for sure. This debriefing was probably going to get very much complicated.

And Julian wasn't going to keep taking their defiance lying down.


Geoffrey could tell that from the truly incensed look on Julian's face that things didn't work out all too well for him. And as he casually watched him storm off, he could also tell things didn't particularly pan out for Wendy Witchcart, either.

Except, while Julian was silently fuming with cold fury, Wendy was much more vocal.

"WHAAAAAAAAT?!" She screeched as she slammed her foot down on the ground, crystals shattering around her. "My beloved Witchcarters were defeated by some punk little fox?! How is that even possible?!"

"It appears your posse isn't very effective." Geoffrey deadpanned.

"Can it, skunk! I have to go and tend to my Witchcarters so that they be prepared for battle next time! And they won't lose again!" Wendy roared as she stomped off with a snarl. "I'm not going to let that little punk get away with this humiliation! I'll destroy him with utmost impunity if I ever see him in person!"

"You do realize you're swearing vengeance on a child, due to him defeating your brainwashed minions." Geoffrey pointed out while tapping his staff on the ground. "Surely you don't think you can claim the higher ground in this situation, right?"

"I said can it!"

"Your minions are the ones who failed after you've built them up so much. I think I'm entitled to a little bit of criticism."

Wendy paused in her stride, before she turned towards the impudent skunk with a twitching eye just barely hiding the madness within them. "I wouldn't be mouthing off so recklessly if I were you, Geoffrey. After all, out of all of us, you're the only one who's not entirely committed to this, and that's definitely going to be the thing that trips you up." Wendy sneered viciously. "Keep saying the wrong things to me, you can say goodbye to your precious kitty cat. And you wouldn't be able to do a single thing about it, not even retaliation."

That managed to pierce through Geoffrey's sarcastic indifference, and he furiously shot Wendy a glare from where he stood. She could only smirk in response.

"Know your place. Remember that I'm higher on this hierarchy than you are. The only one higher than you, in fact. And thus, the only other person who only needs a couple seconds to completely shatter your spirit. And I would get away with it, with naught but a laugh. It would be oh so tragic for you to become a widower as young as you are. Hahaha!"

Wendy soon walked off, leaving Geoffrey alone in the room to stew in his ever-increasing sense of fury, anger, rage...concern...helplessness...

...Shame.

He clutched his staff tightly as he forced himself to regain his composure. But his sense of shame didn't go away.

Hershey...

Meanwhile with Julian, he was storming down to his portion of quarters, where he was passing by Grimer's lab. The green man gasped as he was busy working on Vermin's suit.

"A-Ah! Master! I didn't think you'd be down here so soon! I assure you; Vermin will be up and running again b-"

"Silence." Grimer immediately muted himself at the order. "I lost control over every single facility I had in Metropolis. They're being taken apart by the masses as we speak. And do you know why?" Julian stopped and glared. "They turned the computer virus that Vermin's tail is capable of directly sending into machines, and those pests used that to expand that signal all around Metropolis. I lost nearly all control over an entire city in the span of mere minutes, and there's little doubt that getting it back will prove incredibly difficult. Annoyingly difficult. Difficulty that could have been avoided if this pathetic waste of materials did his job."

"I-It wasn't my fault, Robotnik!" Vermin shivered at Julian's glare. "I h-had Shortfuse right where I wanted him! Tekno too! But then Freedom Fighters came in and-"

"Save it. I don't want excuses. Grimer. Get him back in fighting condition. He will rectify this, or he will suffer." Julian soon progressed onwards without another word, descending even deeper.

Grimer blinked where his Master just left, before turning towards Vermin with a smile. "He's in a better mood than expected!"

"I dread to think what his worse moods look like..."

Julian descended deeper, further into his dark chambers, where he mostly resided to progress on his works. His own personal space. Course, it wasn't personal enough that the likes of Naugus couldn't enter it whenever he pleased, but it had its purposes.

And as Julian Robotnik continued to descend, he opened another door, walked through, and slammed it shut. No ahead, he glared hard at his personal prisoner, glaring at him with all the hatred he could muster at the moment, a part of him hoping that it would cause the recipient to spontaneously combust.

Alas, it didn't do any such thing. As behind the electric cage, his prisoner slowly raised his head, nonchalantly tilting it.

"...You seem to be in a bad mood, Julian. Then again, when aren't you in a bad mood?"

Said mockingly, by Sir Charles the Hedgehog.

"You..." Julian snarled as he stomped up to the light blue hedgehog. "Even when I have you trapped behind this cell, you've still found a way to impede me."

"Have I? I don't really know what you mean by that."

"You know EXACTLY what I mean, you inferior creature." Julian glowered down at him. "One of the Freedom Fighters has bionic abilities. Powers specifically given via the merging with a Power Core's energy. That isn't something that can be easily done with organic beings, and I know only of a few who could do so with a high chance of success."

Charles chuckled silently. "Ah. Good to know that Bunnie is doing well."

"You've given her the means to oppose me."

"My first and foremost priority at the time was saving her life." Charles firmly corrected. "It's not always about you, Julian. Me saying Bunnie's life was for the sake of not letting her die. Her opposing of you was entirely her own choice, for the sake of helping the others stand up to you. I have no control over what they do. Everything they decide is their decision alone."

Julian glared harshly at Charles, before be scoffed and turned away. "It doesn't matter. They cannot dodge my reach forever. And once ice finally cornered then, they will be destroyed, down to the last. Then we'll see how hopeful you'll look then before you follow them into oblivion."

Charles was still undaunted, and quietly tilted his head. "It must really be twisting you up inside that Ivo is the biggest menace gracing Mobius, and not you."

...

Charles found himself being slammed against the hard metallic wall, a cybernetic hand tightly clamped around his throat and threatening to crush it outright.

Julian looked him dead in the eyes. His own red and black eyes glared at him as his slowly seducing hatred suddenly skyrocketed once more.

"Don't. Compare me. To Ivo." The sheer amount of frigid ice in his furiously quiet tone could outdo the worst of blizzards. "I could kill you right now. You're weak. You wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. Break your neck with this hand of mine, and leave you crumpled on the floor, gasping for breath until you painfully expire, all while I stand over your dying broken body and watch. So, tell me, what's stopping me from killing you right now and be done with your mocking?"

"...Nothing." Charles muttered. "Nothing could stop you from killing me right here and now. You're right. I wouldn't be able to do anything about it. It'd be easy for you. So why not?" Charles slowly raised his hands. "What is stopping you, Robotnik?"

Nothing would make him happier. He was almost tempted. He would just need to apply a bit more pressure, and this old fool would be dead weight. It would bring him peace of mind; it would bring him relief. Heck, it would bring him joy.

But then he felt the shadowy presence of Naugus hovering over his shoulder, and he shuddered at the thought of his reaction when he finds out-which will be instantly-that he's killed one of their most important assets in a fit of anger over being insulted. Because as much as Julian would never, ever admit it, Naugus considers Charles to be the greater intellectual asset, and intends to use him in that regard as much as he could get out of him. Wendy, who was more excited about technology than Naugus, unhesitatingly supported the idea.

Thus, Julian's hands were tied, and he didn't feel confident enough to try his luck in dealing with the consequences of defying the choice. Charles knew this. He could tell by the expecting look in his eyes. Because he knew that whether he went with it or not, he was not going to walk away feeling content. And only one of those paths would not lead to great suffering on his part.

This horrid hedgehog...!

With an irritated grunt, he threw the elder hedgehog against the wall, reactivated his cell, and left the room, the electronic door slamming shut behind him. Once again leaving Charles alone in the dark.

If only for a few moments.

The doors reopened, and Geoffrey steps into the room, listening to the door close behind him. He walked up to Charles' cell, noticed the crack in the metallic wall, the hedgehog in question wincing slightly in pain, and immediately figured what happened. He grunted and shook his head.

"Tch, this is no way to treat prisoners..."

"You sound like you had no idea he's that spiteful."

"No, I knew that. I just thought he'd at least be..." The skunk facepalmed in irritation. "Tch. Who am I kiddin'..." He soon phased through the cage in a puff of smoke, then seats himself down next to the older hedgehog. Charles didn't seem to deny his company. "You sit in here, he comes in here and wails on you, and you both know he won't kill you because Naugus won't approve of that at all...and you just put up with it."

"I'm not exactly in much of a position to do much about it than grit my teeth and bear it." Charles shrugged. "And besides, even if he were to kill me as a result of his life complete loss of patience with me, it'd be safe to say that I'd make sure he wouldn't feel fulfilled. My fate is something he has complete control over, but he can't act on it without severe consequence. For now, I'll keep that as my victory over him."

"Your quiet defiance is astounding, considering your age."

"It's the same immense spirit that's instilled in much of the youth. You just learn to control it more and utilize it better as you grow older." Charles soon turned to the skunk. "Now, I'm quite sure you didn't come down here just to keep me company. What less than pleasant news might you aim to tell me?"

Geoffrey sighed while scratching his head. "There's no denying Naugus's orders on this one, in any way. I'm to head out as soon as I'm able to. I'm going on a bit of a treasure hunt, so to speak."

"A hunt for..." Charles already pierced it together.

And it was confirmed when Geoffrey reached into his pouch, and pulled out a glowing purple gem, glowing with great power.

A Chaos Emerald.

"He's ready to step things up a bit. I'll be out gathering these as he makes more preparations. He has no doubt that I'll be running into the Freedom Fighters as I do so."

"Are you here to apologize about having to fight them?"

"I... well..." Geoffrey groaned aggravation while scratching his head. "Grrgh. It's not like I wanted things to be this way! I just-!"

"So long as Honey is within their clutches, their control over you can't be broken." Charles muttered, and the quickly darkening expression on the skunk's face, one filled with shame more than anger, more than made his accusation clear. "And the ones you're setting out to fight are both your only hope of undoing that, yet they're also your greatest obstacle."

Geoffrey sighed dejectedly, hugging his knees and pocketing the Emerald. "I've found myself in a pretty pathetic position, huh...?"

"It would be more pathetic if you didn't have any doubts about this path at all." Charles assured him.

"What good will that do me?"

"It means that despite everything, despite evil having you by the throat from nearly every direction, you're still determined to hold onto your soul, however you can." Charles closed his eyes. "That resolve will mean something someday. But unfortunately, today is not that day. For now, you endure. Just like I am. That is all I can do from here. What you yourself can do, is for you to decide."

"...Even though I'm...?"

"You are acting on the behalf of someone you care for dearly. That in of itself, I can't possibly condemn. It's simply unfortunate that the situation overall is forcing you to clash against those who might be your only hope of freeing the both of you." Charles shook his head. "May you soon be freed, and embrace your wife happily again without your fears in your way."

Geoffrey stared at the elder in slight shock after his earnest declaration. Unable to muster up more to say to him, he sighed and phased through the cage again, closing the doors behind him.

Thus, truly leaving the solemn Charles alone again. He took a deep breath, and sighed.

Solitude. He was getting far too used to that for his liking. And yet, even so. This was the best he could do in this situation, the best he could do at all with so much restrictions and restraints on him. Especially with Julian itching for an excuse to kill him without consequences. For all intents and purposes, Sir Charles The Hedgehog was trapped in more ways than one. But that wasn't enough to make him give up.

All he could do, the best way to help the Freedom Fighters, the best way to help Sonic...

Was to endure.


This one is a bit on the short side. It's more of a cool down in-between period before the gang gets into a rather detailed conversation with potential new friends.

Meanwhile, the baddies fume over the near monumental defeat which was made possible by Tails.

Julian Robotnik takes a bit of his mounting frustration out on a helpless Charles, but he's hanging in there despite his best attempts to frighten him. He's not afraid of what he'd do to him at all because Naugus needs him alive and intact. Geoffrey is meanwhile seeped in regret, but turning away is currently not an option for him.

Thus a clash with his only hopes of getting out of all this, becomes inevitable.