4. When Good Plans Go Bad

Knuckles appeared when they were loading SWATpod. They'd stolen it months ago and Rotor had outfitted it with sensor disruptors so other SWATbots couldn't tell there were living creatures inside. It carried them all and was perfect for sneaking into Robotropolis, provided you didn't mind being a sitting duck in a tin can. While the pod was perfect camouflage, if the SWATbots did figure out their ruse there was nowhere to hide and no way of exiting it without putting themselves directly in their line of fire.

Still, Sally had planned the mission so they wouldn't have to spend too long out of the pod, which lowered their probability of being caught. While it wasn't completely laser-proof they'd lined the armour on the inside so it could stand up a little longer to get them clear. Sally just hoped they wouldn't have to test it.

The first they knew of Knuckles's arrival was Sonic's outraged cry.

"No way!"

Sally stuck her head out the door. "Sonic, we're ready to leave now. Is there a problem?"

"You might say that." Sonic jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Knucklehead here wants to come along."

"Knuckles?"

"He's correct," Knuckles said flatly.

Sally sighed. "Not that we wouldn't appreciate the back-up, but it's a little too short notice to change things-"

"I'm not requesting permission."

Involuntarily Sally's hackles rose. She liked and respected Knuckles, but he was treating this like it was some sort of game. "Good, because I'm not giving it. You've never been into Robotropolis before and I don't have time to brief you. We need to leave, and we need to do it five minutes ago. C'mon, Sonic."

"See ya," Sonic said, cocking a mock salute. "Wha- hey!"

Sally turned to see Knuckles marching up the pod gangway. "I said no, Knuckles -"

"If you don't take me along in this contraption then I'll glide in by myself and find you."

Sally's irritation increased, brushing against outright anger. A glider would be sensed in no time and put them all in danger – maybe even alert Robotnik as to their interest in his factories.

She'd never encroached onto Knuckles's duty as Guardian. The least he could do in return was respect her role as leader of the Freedom Fighters, but instead he was clomping all over her wishes with his own. Even Guardianship didn't give him the right to disregard her like that. This was her territory, not his. For the frist time, Sally felt a twinge of resentment towards him.

"It's too late, Knuckles. If you wanted to come you should've said something earlier. I can't be held responsible for your inexperience, and I won't have you putting everyone else at risk with it, either."

"Fine. So I'll stay in the pod and be your emergency back-up. You can carry one more, can't you? I'm coming along whether I get out of the pod or not."

Sally opened her mouth to send him away, but was cut off by Bunnie's voice.

"Sumthin' wrong, Sally-girl? We're hot to trot an' – Knuckles honey? What the hoo-ha are you doin' here?"

"I am to believe he is come to kissy you au revoir," said Antoine, who also appeared in the hatchway. "Ah, l'amour est si doux et beau pour voir. It is so sweet, is it not, my Princess?"

"He wants to come with us," said Sonic.

"Ah, well this is more the merrier we are being, oui?"

"I don't think so, Sugar-twan." Bunnie stepped past them all to stand in front of Knuckles, effectively blocking his path. "This sounds to me more like someone tryin' to prove a point."

Knuckles's knees and back were ramrod as ten pegs anchoring him to the spot. "It's dangerous."

"Which is why you shouldn't go, Knuckles honey."

"The same could be said for you."

"I got me experience with this sorta thing. It's kinda insultin' you don't think I can handle it when you're standin' in need of some serious trainin' 'afore you can come on any mission."

"It's only recon. You said it yourself. You're even letting the fox cub come along," Knuckles pointed out, as if this supported his argument more than hers.

"Tails has more experience than you at bein' a Freedom Fighter."

"Is there an entrance exam or something?"

One half of Bunnie's mouth quirked upward. "Cute, but no cigar. You ain't comin' along, honey."

"You say that like you can stop me."

"Who says I can't?" She folded her arms, turning the conversation into a full-blown stand-off. It was impossible to ignore her strength when her metal arm caught the dying light like that.

Sally didn't know what the outcome might've been had Rotor not chosen that moment to emerge from the cockpit. "Guys, I don't know what the hold-up is, but I'd suggest finishing up quickly because if we don't we're going to miss our window in the security schedule."

SWATpods regularly had to go to checkpoints to make sure they weren't carrying Freedom Fighters or explosives. Rotor had figured out a way of interrupting the system and slotting in their stolen pod's unique serial number so they could be checked without actually being checked, but it meant they had to be past the checkpoints before their number was due up so as not to arouse suspicion by turning up for a check that was already listed. They had a small window of opportunity, and it was shrinking by the minute.

Sally bit her lip. It was a ridiculous idea to let Knuckles come along. She'd planned and replanned this mission; everything was organised, timed and depended on those involved knowing what they were doing. The slightest hitch might put them all in danger.

Yet she recognised that determined stance – mainly because it reminded her of herself. It was obvious Knuckles had wrestled with himself before coming to this decision, and now he'd reached it he wasn't about to back down. Fighting him would be lengthy and possibly useless anyway. If he stayed inside the pod at all times, then maybe … Having his strength in an emergency would ease her mind … if they got into a fix and did need to call on him it would probably be a case of strength over finesse …

"All right, you can come."

"Sally-girl?" Bunnie looked over her should in surprise.

"But you stay in the pod with Rotor and you don't complain or try to play hero when we're there, got it? I am in charge of this operation, and as of now you are not the Guardian, you are just another body under my command. You will listen to my instructions, you will not argue if you don't like them, and you will do as you're told by the other Freedom Fighters in charge. Are we clear on those conditions?"

Knuckles nodded brusquely. "Crystal."

Sonic was aghast. "Sal! You cannot be serious."

"I am serious, Sonic, and we seriously need to leave. Right now." Sally gestured that they all get inside.

Sonic stamped his foot. "No way! The guy has no training and no clue. He's just doing this to tick me off."

"Contrary to what you believe, hedgehog, not everything revolves around you," Knuckles said as he made to enter the pod, but Sonic blocked his way.

"I'm just as much in charge of the Freedom Fighters as Sal, and I say no. I … I veto this! Yeah, that's what I do. I veto you coming along on the grounds that you'd just be dead weight."

"Sonic, we don't have time for this," said Sally.

"Exactly. You wait inside while I toss this fish back in the water."

Instantly Knuckles dropped into a defensive posture, claws raised and all the weight on the balls of his feet. "Just try it."

"My stars, will you two knock it off?" Bunnie planted herself between them and jabbed a finger in both their chests. "Y'all are actin' like lil' kits again. Now I don't know what problems y'all got goin' between your two egos, but it stops now, y'hear? This ain't the time nor the place. I ain't exactly happy about this neither, but if Sally-girl reckons it's okay for Knuckles to ride shotgun then that's good enough for me. I trust her judgement, an' you two would do right to do the same."

"But -"

"No buts, Sugar-hog. I reckon I know why Knuckles is doin' this, an' believe me, it ain't just to cause you trouble. Now get inside an' concentrate on your own job. An' as for you," she rounded on Knuckles, "while I'm touched you're worried about me enough to stand on your responsibilities, I'm also mad as all hell you'd do sumthin' this tetched. The Emerald needs you safe an' sound, an' you're out here playin' war-games?"

"You need me too," Knuckles said quietly.

"I've been doin' this for years! Just because I been on Angel Island for a few weeks don't mean I've forgot how to be a Freedom Fighter. I don't need you to hold my han-" She was cut off by Knuckles pressing a kiss to her lips.

"I need you safe and sound," he whispered when they broke apart.

"Ooh la la," said Antoine. "Things are being got quite chaud, uh, hot under my collar out here. Does their display inspire such from you, my Princess?"

"Antoine, get inside and belt up."

"Oui, my Princess. I am being at your commanded." Both he and Rotor vanished.

"Sonic, that means you, too."

Sonic glared at her.

"I know it's not ideal," Sally admitted, "but we're short on time and he's long on perseverance. Remember how long he spent alone on Angel Island. Patience is his forte."

"I still don't like this, Sal."

"We'll deal. It's what we do. Now let's go."

Sonic finally relented. Knuckles and Bunnie followed him in, and Sally brought up the rear, pressing the button to raise the gangway as she did so. It clanked shut, sealing them all in. Sally found her seat and pulled the newly installed safety restraints across her midriff.

"How come you're here?" she heard Tails ask.

"Sometimes it's harder to do nothing than to do something," Knuckles replied.

And then they were lifting off and she was too busy going over the plan in her mind to listen to anything but her own thoughts.

"I still think this is nuts."

"Not the time, Sonic. NICOLE, what's the status on the SWATbot patrol?" Sally consulted the little computer.

"TRACKING, SALLY. SENSORS INDICATE THREE XLR MODEL SWATBOTS IN THIS PATROL. DISTANCE: TWENTY FEET."

That was what she'd expected. They were guarding just one door, so that was two sentries and one chaser, the idea being that the door would never be left unguarded if Freedom Fighters turned up. This, coupled with the dozens of other SWATbots sentries, made her even more apprehensive of what lay in the factories. The other Freedom Fighters had been stationed at each with clear instructions on what to do: go in, find out what they could, and get out again. They had half an hour if they were lucky, and they'd already used four minutes.

She hunkered down behind the clapped-out shell of a bus she and Sonic had picked for their cover. "This is all about stealth, Sonic, but we need to get in fast. Ready to do it to it?"

"I was born ready. But I'm not done being mad at you yet."

Sally rolled her eyes. She knew exactly what he meant. That didn't mean it was an appropriate time to talk about it "What was I supposed to do?" she hissed. "Knuckles is just worried about Bunnie. He promised to stay with Rotor in the pod."

"And you believe him?"

"Yes," she said emphatically. "If it weren't so foolish, I'd even think he was being quite sweet."

"Yeah, sweet like toothache is sweet."

"NICOLE, how's that opening coming?"

"OPTIMUM WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY IN … NINETY SECONDS, SALLY."

Sally nodded, even though it made no difference. "What's your problem with Knuckles, anyway? You two have never hit it off."

"I got no problem with the dude."

"Pfft, sure. That's why you and he butt heads every time you're in each other's company for more than eight seconds."

"That's not a problem. That's just him being an antisocial bag of grouch. It's hard for a bundle of sunshine like me to deal with a guy like that without the occasional witty remark."

"Oh brother. Talk about clash of the egos." NICOLE beeped and Sally stood. "Time's up."

Sonic grinned and revved his feet. "Spin and win time!"

Knuckles bounced his foot up and down. Rotor regarded it with apprehension. He didn't know Knuckles all that well, but what he'd heard led him to believe the echidna was high on patience but quick on temper. He also possessed incredible strength and abilities, which made Rotor all the more nervous about being stuck in a pod with him while the others – especially Bunnie – were out risking their tails. He didn't even smile at the unintended double meaning.

"How long will they be?" Knuckles … not demanded, since his voice remained steady, but definitely headed n that direction.

Rotor had already outlined the mission stats, but chose not to mention it. He was nervous around people more physically powerful than him.

As a walrus, it was expected that Rotor would be burly and strong. While his father had been runty and given to brainier interests, his mother had been a decorated Admiral in King Acorn's naval fleet – the only female ever to do so. When, after the Great War, she was released from active duty through injury she became a trainer at a première military school, and had always regarded her only son with disappointment when he took after his father. This left Rotor with the constant feeling of letting people down, especially with brute force. He had his mother's size but not her ferocity, and spent a great deal of time wishing he'd been born a mouse or a vole so he could justify his dislike of violence. He knew Sally and the Freedom Fighters valued him for his technical know-how, but on some level he found it difficult to get over the nagging feeling that he should've been able to do more hands-on stuff like they did.

Knuckles grunted. "Do they always leave you behind?"

"Not always, but this time it's more important for the pod to keep moving so it doesn't arouse suspicion."

"Just as long as you're there to pick them up."

"Don't worry. Everything's timed precisely. Sally and I made sure of it."

At mention of Sally something flitted across Knuckles's face. "Sally's a good leader." It wasn't a question, but it wasn't quite a statement either. The last syllable lifted like the lid of a pot.

"She's the best. She and Sonic," Rotor quickly amended. "I don't think the Freedom Fighters would be half as effective without those two."

Another grunt. "But there still would've been Freedom Fighters?"

"Oh, totally. I mean, just look at all that Robotnik's done. Who could just leave him to destroy the world unchallenged? You might as well lay down in front of his tanks – it'd be faster and more merciful. We may not always be successful, but I sleep a lot better knowing I'm not just sitting back and hoping he doesn't come to get me like he got my folks."

Knuckles looked across at him. "Your family…?"

"Yeah, they were roboticised in the first wave. My dad worked at the palace – he was Sir Charles Hedgehog's lab assistant, so when they came for him they took my dad as well. My mom led a battalion against the SWATbots, but they were all cadets who hadn't been in training five minutes. I'm told she did some serious damage before she was captured, though." There was a note of satisfaction in his voice. Just because he didn't like the same things as his mother didn't mean Rotor couldn't be proud of her.

Knuckles nodded thoughtfully. "Was everyone … the families of the Freedom Fighters – were they all roboticised?"

"Mostly. Nearly all of Bunnie's were in the South, so we were never sure what happened to them, but her dad was one of the first – Antoine's, too. Robotnik got the King to summon them to the palace for his inauguration as Minister of Science, but it was really just a ruse to get all the most loyal fighters in one place so he could wipe out those most likely to fight back. You know about Sally's father, right?"

Knuckles nodded. "She told me, a long time ago. I assume nothing's changed since."

"Well, we got access to the Void, and Sally, Bunnie and Sonic made contact once, but we haven't been able to get him out safely yet – though we did get one guy, Ari, out and he was okay, so it proves it's possible."

"I imagine Sally takes a lot of comfort in that."

"Yeah. Of course, it wasn't long after that Ari set off to find out if there were other Freedom Fighters not on the King's list who might want to make contact with us since we're, y'know, Ground Zero." Rotor remembered seeing Ari set out with a pack, a staff and a mission. His actions were often questionable, but Ari had been an okay dude. They hadn't heard from him since, though sometimes they got reports on his progress from other resistance groups. The last they'd heard, Ari was making his way up the coast towards the northern border. "We thought we'd have to all stick together to deal with Robitnik's Doomsday Project, but for some reason that all went quiet after Sonic, Sally, Antoine and the Wolf Pack destroyed the test pod."

"The coyote destroyed the Doomsday Project?"

"I guess Bunnie was sparse on details, huh? It's hard to believe, but yeah, Antoine played a pretty big part in that mission. He may not seem like it, but he's actually a pretty good Freedom Fighter. His fear hasn't kept him away from the fight yet, and he's totally devoted to Sally."

"And the fox cub?" Knuckles cut across Rotor's thoughts.

"Tails? He's a pretty good Freedom Fighter too, I guess, but Sally hates letting him on missions, even though he's smarter than we were at his age."

"No. His family."

"Oh. Actually, nobody's sure what happened to his parents. We found him when we first started going into Robotropolis. He was only a tiny kit; barely sitting up on his own and couldn't chew solids for the first couple of months because his jaw was broken. We found him in a pile of sewage and chemical waste. Sally reckons his folks hid out in the old underground subway system beneath Robotropolis and tried to hide him when the SWATbots finally flushed them out. Maybe they planned on coming back for him, but we went back to the spot loads of times and there was never anybody there."

Knuckles pondered this for a moment. "And despite risking the same fate as your families, you all still return to the city?"

"Of course! How else are we going to get them back?"

"I'm trying very hard to understand the mentality of you Freedom Fighters. I admit I find it difficult sometimes. Your courage is commendable, your motives even more so, but your sanity … that I find questionable. Your forces are so small while Robotnik's are so vast."

Rotor gave a barking laugh. "Man, it's not like we go running into danger half-cocked. That's what I mean when I say the resistance wouldn't be even half as strong without Sally and Sonic. He pulls off all the daring missions and gives us that edge over Ro-butt-nik, but Sally makes sure we all play a real part in the fight and we all come back safe at the end of it. She understands we don't have to go into Robotropolis every day to be effective, we just need to pick and chose our battles to take the biggest chunk out of Robotnik's power-trip with minimum risk to ourselves." He glanced sidelong at Knuckles. "She still blames herself for what happened to Bunnie, you know. And she'll probably go on blaming herself until the day I perfect the de-robiticisation process."

"Are you close?"

"To perfecting it? Um…" Rotor flushed. "Not really. I thought I was a couple of times, but even Uncle Chuck isn't really sure how to undo the Roboticisor's effects. It'd be a lot easier if he wasn't camping out in Robotropolis, but we have to make the best of a bad situation, and he's been invaluable out here as our spy. That's how we knew to check out these factories."

"Yes, I heard Sally say so at the meal."

"Oh. Uh … mealtimes aren't usually like that."

"I know. I stayed in Knothole quite a while last time." Knuckles rested his chin on a fist, positioning it between the two claws that seemed no less sharp for being gloved. "You mentioned everybody's families except one: the hedgehog."

"Uncle Chuck is pretty much the only family Sonic ever had. He never talks about his parents, and we don't pry. I guess they died when he was real little." Rotor shrugged. "The Freedom Fighters are kind of one big family now. We look out for each other."

"It sounds…" Knuckles trailed off, leaving Rotor to guess what the last word would've been. "How long until we pick up the others?" he finished in a sharper voice.

Rotor checked the timer. "Not long now."

"Just make sure we're there when we're supposed to be."

"Don't worry about it. This is just recon, and because Tails is along, Sally planned her brains out to make sure nothing can possibly go wrong. Now Bunnie's out there too we're safe as houses."

Knuckles glanced out the pod's windshield at a row of devastated homes. "Just make sure we're there."

Bunnie crouched low. The wind was up, so it was the only way to keep from blowing off the factory roof while she made sure everybody's bolts and prusiks were secure. Antoine had tangled his prusik, so she quickly untangled the steadying cord and applied the proper weights to it, threading the abseiling rope through the bolt and yanking to ensure it didn't give and send him plummeting to his death on the ground far below. Tails, on the other hand, had attached everything correctly. She gave him a brief smile before attaching herself. Then they all pushed off and rappelled through the window into the belly of Robotnik's factory.

They'd chosen the only spot in this factory that was shielded from the security cameras. Robotnik never used stealthbots indoors because they got in the way of his machinery. Bunnie, Antoine and Tails stopped just before the cameras' view became clear again and dangled, hiding in plain sight.

"I am to be not looking down now," Antoine mumbled, sweating. "Here, Tails, vous can do the honour of snoozing the peculiars."

"Huh?" Tails understood only when Antoine passed him the binoculars. "Oh, you meant using the binoculars."

"Oui, oui, is what am I saying."

Tails pressed them to his eyes and stared down at the operation on the factory floor. Huge machines reached up the walls, but towards the centre everything was built lower, and seemed to converge on a focal point in the very middle of the huge space. The hum of equipment made Bunnie's ears ring and her teeth grind.

"You see anythin' peculiar, sugar?"

"Nu-uh, I don't think so. But I'm not sure what exactly I'm supposed to be looking for."

"Just anythin' outta the ordinary, pumpkin. These factories are usually for buildin' SWATbots, weapons, vehicles and suchlike. Does it look like that's what they're all after doin'?" Bunnie strained her eyes to see. Things would've been a lot simpler had Antoine not dropped the other two pairs of binoculars when they jumped from the SWATpod onto the factory roof. Though there were three of them they had the easier of the two raids – Sonic and Sally had to access their factory from the ground, which made it more difficult for the SWATpod to pick them up at quitting time.

"I don't think so. I can't see any conveyer belts, and there's a big platform type thing that everybody's gathered around. There's lots of Robians down there, but they're just fetching and carrying, I think. I can't really make out what's going on. Here, Aunt Bunnie," he passed her the binoculars, "you take a look."

"Don't mind if'n I do." Bunnie refocused the lenses and looked. "My stars, now what the hip-hop-howdy are they all up to?"

There was indeed a large round platform that formed the heart of the activities, set in a recessed pit in the centre of the room. While it was raised above the floor at the bottom of the pit the entire structure still sat below ground level, meaning anything and anyone standing on it would have to crane their neck to see out. Robians scurried like worker ants around several larger robots, clearly operating the gigantic machines. There was no sign of actual life anywhere.

"It don't look like there's nobody here 'cept these poor creatures," said Bunnie. "But this don't look like any regular factory I ever been in. Where's the final products? Where's the shipment area, or the loadin' bay? An' what's that platform for? Sumthin' smells fishier than a tuna sandwich on trout bread."

Tails snorted. "Um," he said quickly, "so what should we do?"

"First off, I'm gonna readjust these here binoculars so's I can get a closer look at what's goin' on. Sally'll want details, not a gut feelin'. Tails, make sure nobody's after watchin' us."

"Aye, aye, Aunt Bunnie."

"I am to be thinked that one 'aye' is enough, Tails."

"Sugar-twan, button it an' keep lookout too."

Antoine huffed but complied.

Bunnie honestly didn't know what to make of Robotnik's operation. She wondered whether the other factory had the same set-up. Banks of monitors showed various digital readouts, but she couldn't read binary and so had no idea what they said. Instead she concentrated on memorising the shape of the machines so she could describe them to Rotor. With all his technical expertise he might be able to figure it out.

Suddenly Tails hissed, "Aunt Bunnie, look! Over by the main doors!"

Without taking the binoculars away Bunnie swivelled her head. "Oh, snap!"

In a display of superb ironic timing Robotnik marched into the factory, flanked by a posse of SWATbots and Snively. His mere presence seemed to lower the temperature. Bunnie shivered down to her nuts and bolts.

"What do we do now?"

Bunnie felt an old and familiar fear rise like the taste of sour milk in the back of her throat. Yet she couldn't falter. She had, as it were, her own polished limbs to live up to. Her reputation and Tails's gaze kept her from freezing up, acting like a beast who knew exactly what she was doing and why she was doing it. Ironically, Tails was holding up better than Antoine, who was already shaking at the sight of their greatest enemy.

"I am to think I will be vetting me myself if he is to spot us."

"We can't risk stickin' around with Buttnik here, it's too risky. We don't wanna alert the dumb palookas that we're interested in these here factories – though I doubt as much I'd call 'em that," said Bunnie. Tails nodded, and she continued, "Climb back up the ropes, gentle-like, like y'all done practised. Sooner we're outta sight, the better."

"Oui, oui," Antoine agreed, grabbing at his rope and hauling himself up it. "It is being a strategic retreat, n'est pas?"

"Though I do dearly wish we could've figured out what he's up to 'afore we left," Bunnie muttered. She could hear Robotnik bellowing, but above the hum of machinery his words were impossible to make out. She heard Snively squeal once, which made her think that whatever they were doing here, it wasn't going as well as Robotnik wanted.

Quickly and quietly they made their way up and out of the window in the roof. Tails went first, and then Antoine, with Bunnie bringing up the rear. Her robotic arm made it easier for her to climb, so she went last in case anyone fell so she could catch them. Not that she expected that to happen – rappelling into and down the sides of buildings had been one of the first tricks they mastered as Freedom Fighters. Even Antoine was competent at it.

Tails turned when he was out and offered a hand, but as Antoine took it his eyes widened and his karabiner and piton gave an inordinately loud shriek. A wash of panic flooded through Bunnie, as she realised that the crevices they'd created had not been deep enough. Tails threw himself down to catch either the piton or the karabiner as they tore loose from the unyielding concrete roof, but against Antoine's weight the thin pieces of metal bullwhipped out of their crevice and smacked him in the face. Tails fell back, clutching his face, and Antoine dropped through the hole before his fingers could find a purchase to save himself. A loud cry escaped his throat – which was when Bunnie clamped her metal fingers around his collar and stopped him before he fell.

"Je ne tombe pas? Vous êtes mon sauveur! Merci beaucoup," Antoine babbled, nerves and adrenaline pushing him back into French. "Thank you so much, Bunnie! I was to be thinking my handsome self was done for."

"No problem, Sugar-twan. Freak accident. Could've happened to anyone," Bunnie gritted. She wished she'd grabbed him with her flesh hand, as her arm had wrenched with the force of his descent and now the tendons cried out at the unaccustomed weight. "Did they hear you down yonder?"

Antoine peeped from between his fingers. "Non, Robotnik is to be yelling at Snively too much. He has not been noticing us way up here."

"Thank heavens for small mercies. Quick now, sugar, can you reach my rope to climb up?"

"Oui, I am to be thinking I can-" Another metallic shriek echoed from above them. "Pas encore – not again!"

Bunnie's piton and karabiner, also wedged in a shallow crevice, could not stand the weight of two bodies. Bunnie heard the noise and acted in the same heartbeat, working off pure instinct. There wasn't time to climb up, so she hauled back and used the extra strength in her roboticised arm to throw Antoine upwards. Her aim was true; he flew through the window without catching the sides – just in time, for at that moment the piton gave and Bunnie experienced the unenviable sensation of weighing more than the average Mobian with more than a hundred feet of dead air between her and the ground. She dropped like a cannonball in its descent.

Bunnie had fallen before, from both low and high places. She knew how to keep from becoming a cute little stain on the ground: the trick was to turn one long fall into lots of little ones, thereby reducing your momentum and the potential for impact damage.

Throwing Antoine had swung her sideways, so she flung out her roboticised arm, extending it and grabbing at the banks of machinery as she went past. She caught something after a few moments of sparks and rending thin metal, and swung her feet in to brace herself. She didn't stop, but she did slow a little, and pushed off to jump onto another bank of machinery that slowed her further. She did this several times, until she was close enough to ground level to extend her telescopic legs and absorb the brunt of the impact by retracting them as she made contact. The shunt reverberated up her spine and made her eartips tingle.

She was battered, bruised, and short of breath – but she was alive.

For now.

"Sir, it's a Freedom Fighter!" Snively cried. He was also battered and bruised, and evidently trying to regain kudos by pointing her out.

It didn't work. "Don't just stand there, you fool! Get her!"

"Bilberries," Bunnie cursed, trying to dash away. "Talk about outta the fryin' pan an' into the fire."

A phalanx of SWATbots closed around her. In between them she could see dozens of Robians also gathering, their eyes a vicious red. All hands reached for her, and the whine of cocked laser rifles filled the air as tiny dots focussed all over her body. There was no way she could evade them all; still, she vaulted over a bank of machinery, only coming to a stop when she landed in front of two Robians she recognised as former palace guards.

Knowing that to fight them was to fight innocent victims, she tried to evade them, but a blast of stun-gun fire hit her in the back. Bunnie dropped the last three feet to the floor.

To Be Continued…