TCT MOBIUS UNIVERSE - PART TWO
"FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM"
WRITTEN BY: CHRISTIAN RICE
KNOTHOLE VILLAGE. TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING THE END OF THE WAR.
A week has passed since the battle in Sunset City, and now, the newly formed team of Kris Bynd and Whisper the Wolf were walking through the town of Knothole. Knothole Village was a quaint little town in Westside Island's Wood Zone. "So…, have you ever been to Knothole before?" Kris asks her, and she nods "no".
" Oh, well, I'm sure there's something we can do together," Kris responds.
Whisper, however, doesn't answer. Kris looks disappointed by this. Since the two left Sunset City, Whisper has barely talked to Kris. Or to anyone else for that matter. The only person she really talks to her Wisps, and that mainly happens when Kris isn't around. Kris wants to get to know Whisper, since she saved his life. However, she seems to just let him tag along. But, he tends to do the talking to other people. "Hey, what's this?" Kris says, noticing something on the door of a building.
He runs to the door, and Whisper sighs, following after him. There, on the door, is a flyer. On it, there is text that reads:
ATTENTION!
THE ROYAL KINGDOM OF MOBOTROPOLIS IS HOSTING A RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR IT'S MILITARY!
THE DRIVE SHALL BE HELD IN THE TOWN SQUARE TODAY AT NOON!
The two read over the flyer, and Kris is intrigued by it. "The kingdom is recruiting soldiers? That's odd…," Kris thinks to himself, "The War only ended two months ago. Why would they need a recruitment drive?"
" What do you think, Whisper?" Kris asks.
" It seems like they're taking precautions," she responds, "Eggman hasn't appeared since he was defeated by Sonic, so they should gather an army just in case. The Restoration isn't the Resistance anymore, and the Kingdom's team can only do so much."
" Kingdom's team?" Kris thinks to himself, but then he remembers.
A week after Sonic was kidnapped, the Kingdom of Mobotropolis put together a team, led by the Princess. This team was called the Freedom Fighters, and they were able to help take down many Eggman bases on their own, which helped the Resistance focus on more important locations, such as Metropolis. "That's right," Kris mutters, "The Freedom Fighters…"
" Hey, why don't we go check it out?" Kris suggests, and Whisper scoffs at this.
" Negative," she answers, "I don't work well in large groups."
" Oh, I know that," Kris responds, "I just meant that we could watch it, see what they have planned. It might be helpful in our fight against the Empire."
Whisper stares at him, amazed by his understanding. "This boy is too kind," she thinks to herself, "He doesn't know me at all, yet he still follows me around the world? I could be a double agent for all he knows…"
" Uh,... Whisper…?" Kris mutters, catching the wolf's attention.
She turns away, muttering, "Y-Yeah?"
" Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable," he says, "I just… You saved my life, and after that, I felt like I needed to improve myself. I told myself, if I want to thank my savior, then I need to get stronger. And I did! Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well."
Kris thinks back to his time in the Resistance.
A WEEK FOLLOWING KRIS' FIRST MISSION.
Kris was resting in the Resistance fortress he was stationed at. He had just sent his mom and sister a letter. He was nervous about telling them what happened in his first mission, but he felt like he needed to let them know. At least he was safe. He was checking his cell phone, looking to see what was going on with the world while he was stuck here without a mission. Though, the lynx couldn't stop thinking about his first mission. Every member of his squad, except for him, was killed in battle. And he was saved by that mysterious figure. Just who were they? "Hey there, new guy. You doing okay?" a voice asks.
Kris jumps in fear, but sighs in relief when he sees the figure asking the question. Before him was a young wolf, who is twenty-three, compared to Kris, who is eighteen. The wolf looks to Kris, a smile on his face. "H-Hello…!" he says, bowing to the wolf.
The wolf chuckles, saying, "There's no need for that. I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I heard about what happened to your squad…"
Kris sits there, as his face changes, a frown now on his face. "I'm fine…," he mutters, and the wolf smacks his head.
" Damn it!" the wolf thinks to himself, "Why did I say that?! Of course he's feeling bad! His whole squad died except for him!"
" H-Hey," he says, "Sorry about that. I didn't think there."
The wolf holds his hand out to Kris, who is surprised. "My name's Ren," the wolf says.
Kris stares at the wolf's hand, and then, he smiles. He accepts the hand, and shakes it, saying, "Kris."
KNOTHOLE VILLAGE. THE PRESENT.
" I made friends," Kris explains to Whisper, "Because of you, I found confidence in myself. Thank you, Whisper."
Whisper stands there, just bewildered at the story she was told. She couldn't believe it. She helped this guy step out of his shell? And here she was, afraid to make any connections with other people. "Anyway, let's check it out, shall we?" Kris repeats.
Whisper stands there, thinking to herself. "It wouldn't hurt, would it?" she thinks, "I don't have to join in, and if he does, that'll get him off my back, and I don't have to worry about him getting injured… or worse…"
" Sure," she mutters.
" Really? You mean it?!" he says, excited.
Whisper nods "yes", and Kris cheers in excitement. "Oh, thank you, Whisper!" he says, "You won't regret it…"
The two head off in the direction of the town square. Kris has a smile on his face. And Whisper, she's starting to show one on her face as well. Kris doesn't notice this, however.
TOWN SQUARE. THIRTY MINUTES LATER.
Thirty minutes have passed, and the two are now in the Town Square, watching along with many others. There's a stand in the center, with steps on both sides. There's a flag perched on the stand, displaying an acorn, the symbol of the kingdom. Around the stand, there stands a nervous coyote, who seems to be practicing something, likely a speech. He is dressed in a red cloak, with a sword and shield symbol. He has on white gloves with red cuffs, and red boots with white socks, both pairs featuring metal pieces on them. He had a sheathe on his waist, and in the sheathe was a beautiful sword. "It's okay," he mutters to himself, "Just breathe. Think about what Bunnie said."
The coyote walks up to the podium, and breathes in. "H-Hello, ladies and gentlemen. I am Antoine D'Coolette, a member of the Kingdom of Mobotropolis' protectors, the Freedom Fighters. I thank you for coming today," the coyote says, a nervous smile on his face, "The War Against the Eggman Empire may be over, but evil never rests. So, the Royal Military would like to recruit as many soldiers as we can. I have applications that you can pick up and fill out. I'll take them back to Mobotropolis, and we'll sort through them."
Kris turns to Whisper, asking, "What do you think?"
" It's alright," she responds, "Now, let's go."
She turns around, ready to leave. Kris stares at her, and is about to say something.
KA-BOOM!
Civilians scream in terror, and everyone looks around. "What the hell?!" Kris thinks to himself.
" Alright, everyone! Listen up!" one voice calls out, and another says, "If you want to live, give us all of your expensive possessions!"
Two men appear in front of everyone. They are a pair of weasels, with their arms being replaced with weapons. One of them has red fur and blue eyes, and his arms are replaced with a pistol and a rifle. The other, meanwhile, has blue fur and red eyes, with his arms replaced by a sword and mace. "I'm Protile," the red one says, "and my brother's Meylee."
Protile points his pistol hand at a random civilian, and says, "Now, let's get to business!"
Meylee, the blue one, walks up to the woman, and holds his sword arm against her throat. She yelps in terror, and Meylee says, "Hand your necklace over, missy."
" B-B-But,... it's the only thing I have left from my mother…," the woman mutters.
" You think I care?!" Meylee yells, before he pushes the woman down, "Hand it over!"
Kris and Whisper scowl at the two thieves, and Antoine says, "We have to do something…"
" Hey!" the coyote calls out, "As a member of the Royal Kingdom's Freedom Fighters, I order you two heathens to cease your thievery at once!"
Antoine pulls his sword out, and points it at the two. Protile chuckles at this order. "The Royal Kingdom?! You think we give a shit about what the Kingdom wants?!"
" If you don't cease your actions, then… then…," Antoine mutters, before shouting, "I WILL TAKE YOU DOWN!"
Everyone is amazed by Antoine's response. The coyote charges at Meylee, swinging his sword. Sparks fly off, as the two swords meet. Antoine turns to the woman, yelling, "Run!"
" Right!" the woman mutters, before running off.
Protile groans, saying, "I'm not through with you…"
LASER!
He aims at the woman, but suddenly, a cyan blast hits the weasel's arm, which makes him jump back. "What the hell?!" he growls, turning around towards the source of the blast.
There, with her Wispon smoking, was Whisper, a scowl on her face. Kris looks at Whisper, amazed that she would do this in the open. "You bitch!" Protile yells, "I'm gonna kill you."
" Shit! It looks like we're gonna have to fight!" Kris thinks to himself.
" Not if I can help it!" Kris says, Whisper turning to him.
Protile chuckles at Kris' declaration, saying, "Oh, really? And what are you gonna do,... girly-boy?"
Kris' face turns red, and he says, "O-Oh… That's the best insult you got? Girly boy? I've heard worse. Besides, I'm proud of my appearance. At least I'm happy with myself, and not having to resort to crime to feel good about myself."
This angers the two weasels, with Meylee knocking Antoine away. "What the hell did you say, you brat?!" he yells.
" You heard me," Kris says, "The reason you two are thieves is because you have no real talent to feel good about. Me? I'm an artist. I'm happy with myself."
Meylee yells furiously, and charges at Kris. The lynx is shocked, and thinks, "Oh no."
Whisper then pulls Kris back, saving him from getting his head knocked off with Meylee's mace arm. "Whoa! Th-Thanks, Whisper," Kris mutters, before Whisper says, "Focus on the enemy."
CUBE!
Whisper's Wispon transforms into a hammer, which she swings at Meylee, knocking him backwards. Protile catches his brother, saying, "Bro! Are you okay?!"
Meylee coughs as he stands, saying, "Y-Yeah… She just caught me off guard."
The two look over Whisper's Wispon. "I must say," Protile comments, "I've never seen a Wispon like that. Where'd you get it, missy?"
Whisper's eyes suddenly open a bit, surprising Kris. All the time he's been around her, he hasn't seen her eyes open like that. "It's none of your business!" she snaps, firing shots at them.
She charges at the duo, delivering a kick at Protile. "Holy crap!" Kris mutters, "Where did that come from?!"
Antoine runs up to Kris, saying, "Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!"
Kris turns to Antoine. "Y-Yes, sir?" he asks, and Antoine says, "Can I request your assistance with these thieves?"
" Y-Yes!" Kris says, "Whisper and I will do our best!"
Antoine bows, saying, "Thank you!"
The two turn to Whisper, as she fights against the thieves. "We should help your friend then," Antoine says.
Kris nods in agreement, and the two charge at the thieves and Whisper. Kris throws a punch at Meylee, but it does nothing. The weasel chuckles, saying, "Wow, is that all you've got? Your friend hits harder than you."
Meylee swings his mace arm at Kris, who jumps back just in time. He then swings his sword arm at Kris, who ducks from the swipe. Kris then looks around, thinking, "I can't fight these guys without a weapon! I need something!"
Then, his eyes catch a nearby armory. Kris looks at the villains, saying, "One sec!"
He then runs in the direction of the armory, surprising the thieves. "Where the hell are you going?!" Maylee shouts, only for Whisper to punch him in the face, distracting him.
Antoine swipes at Protile, who jumps away, firing his rifle at the coyote, who blocks it with his sword. "I sure hope that lynx knows what he's doing," he thinks.
Meanwhile, Kris runs into the armory, where he sees someone watching from the counter. "I need a weapon to fight those thieves outside!" Kris says, and the worker nods in agreement.
" Take this!" the worker says, before tossing Kris an odd-looking whip.
Kris looks over the whip, which he notices has an odd lining running through it. "What is this?" he asks, and the worker says, "It's a prototype whip I made. It can use different items for abilities, including Wisp Capsules."
" Thank you," Kris says, bowing before running out.
Kris sees Antoine and Whisper continuing to fight against the thieves. "You nobodies stand no chance against the Morph Bros!" Protile shouts.
WHAK!
At that moment, a snap is heard, as Kris swings the whip towards Protile, which catches him off guard. "What the hell?!" the red weasel shouts.
" Whisper!" Kris shouts, his partner turning to him.
" Toss me one of your Wisps!" he shouts, and Whisper freezes. She looks at her Wisp capsules, and then, her Orange Wisp pops out.
It begins to talk to her, and she sighs. "Really?" she asks, and it responds in its language.
" Okay then,"she responds, as the Wisp re-enters its capsule.
She grabs the capsule off her cloak, and she throws it at Kris, who catches it. Meylee is angered by this, shouting, "Oh no you don't!" he charges at Kris, who loads the Wisp Capsule into the whip.
POWER: WISP!
The whip's lining glows orange, and it takes on a rocket's appearance, with fire coming out of its exhaust. "Take this!" Kris shouts, as he swings the whip at Maylee.
ROCKET!
The whip hits Maylee with the force of a rocket, sending him flying, before he crashes into the ground. Protile turns to his fallen brother, shouting his name. At that moment, he turns back around, saying, "You're gonna-!"
THWACK!
He can't finish his threat to Kris, as Whisper delivers a powerful hit with her Whispon's Cube power. The impact knocks the weasel out, sending him down. Whisper looks at him, and turns to Kris. He gives her a thumbs up, a smile on his face. She sighs, before turning away.
THIRTY MINUTES LATER.
The battle has now ended, and the Morph Bros, as they called themselves, are in police custody. Antoine has been making sure that everything is in order, and takes applications for the army. Kris and Whisper watch from a distance, Kris having a smile on his face. She watches him, thinking to herself. "He had trouble at first, but that whip… It really suits him…" she thinks.
" Excuse me, sir," a voice calls out.
The two turn around, and there is the armory worker, who gave Kris his whip. "Oh, it's you," Kris says, "Thank you for letting me use your whip. It was helpful."
Kris holds the whip out to the man, who nods against this. "Oh, thanks for returning it…," the man says, "But, I think you should keep it. You should be able to get a lot of use out of it."
Kris is amazed by this offer, and he bows in gratitude. "R-Really?!" he asks, "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
" You're welcome," the man said, "I trust you'll use it well."
" What is it called?" Kris asks, and the man responds, "I never picked a specific name, but its codename is the OmegAlph."
" Well, I thank you for helping out," Kris says, and the man says, "No problem."
The man walks off, and then, Kris turns to Whisper. "So, what now?" Kris asks her, and she is about to answer.
" That's what I was wondering," a voice says.
The two turn, where Antoine is standing. "Commander D'Coolette!" Kris says.
" I thank you two for helping me in stopping those two thieves," Antoine says, and Kris responds, "It was no problem, sir! As a good citizen, it's our duty."
Antoine chuckles, saying, "Well, anyway, I'm glad you were here. In fact,... I had an offer for you two. How would you two like to join the Royal Army?"
Kris is shocked by this, and he has a smile on his face. "R-Really?!" he asks, and he turns to Whisper.
She has a look on her face, which Kris notices. He then turns to Antoine, and says, "Um… We appreciate the offer, but we have to politely decline. We have our own mission to fulfill…"
Antoine sighs, and nods in acceptance. "I understand completely," he responds, "I wish you luck in your mission then."
Antoine walks off, leaving the duo there. "So, wanna head out?" Kris asks, and Whisper nods yes.
The two then run off, leaving Knothole behind.
FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM - END.
