Chapter 12: Return

It took Sally and Knuckles another 10 minutes to haul an enormous medical kit up the ladder, and drag it through through the rubble and back to where Rouge was tending to the injured fox.

…Of all the stupid places for a medical kit to be… why the HELL did it have to be located in the basement with no way in or out other than a narrow ladder?

"I see you found the medical supplies." Rouge replied nonchalantly, eying the bag.

"Oh, shut up Rouge." Sally retorted, dumping the bag in the clearest spot near the bat.

"Where was it?"

"Well—,"Sally was about to respond, but Knuckles smoothly interrupted.

"We found a basement in the hallway outside…" He said cooly.

"Well, it doesn't really matter," Rouge replied, as she checked the unconscious officer's vitals. She would have to move fast with the procedure, otherwise the pain or the loss of blood would kill him.

"Knuckles, get me the surgeons kit… You are going to help me."

"What?"

"I don't think Sally should be the one to help me, so that leaves you."

"Why?"

"Her mind isn't the clearest right now. Look at her… you can tell that she can barely keep her composure."

"I am having a hard time right now as well." Kuckles protested.

"But, as far as I can tell, you are taking it better than her. Your judgement right now is much clearer, I presume."

"Well… shit!" Knuckles swore,"I don't know the first bloody thing about first aid, much less surgery."

"When you get right down to it… neither do I." Rouge responded cooly, "After basic training, I chose to specialize in spying and sabotage. Luckily, a basic medical and surgery course was part of the curriculum at Facility Epsilon; it was reasoned that spies need to have medical training in case they were operating behind enemy lines without any available aid. You may be in charge right now due to seniority, but I am the one with the most medical experience here, so that puts me as the Chief Medical Officer. "

"Damn."

"Damn is right Knuckles," Rouge confirmed in a tone of iron, "Since this is a medical issue and I have no one else around who is clear minded enough to help my, I order you to help me. We have to work fast, otherwise we will loose another Officer."

Knuckles knew she was right. He muttered a few swear words under his breath, but nevertheless opened the bag, and rummaged around until he found was was needed: a Surgeon's Field Kit and two surgeon.

Meanwhile, Sally wandered off and found a place to sit down, trying not to weep.

"CHAOS... SHIELD!" Sonic thundered, as he projected the chaotic energy into the form of a protective barrier.

With a concussive shockwave, the beam of green light hit the shield with explosive force. For a few glorious moments, Sonic stood toe to toe against a force of pure unadulterated beam of raw energy, resisting the wave of death with an equal and opposite force. But although he was able to fight the Beam of Energy head-on, he could not keep it up. Already he could feel his mind and muscles weakening under the intense pressure and strain, and exhaustion and weariness were starting to sink their teeth into him. He was weakening, while the beam of energy was still strong and constant. If he didn't try something else, they would all perish here in that beam of green light.

I... Just...Cannot let them all die, Sonic thought, gritting his teeth as the additional strain on his body struggled to tear him body apart. If the Shield couldn't hold out against the wave of destruction, then the only way to survive was to escape…

He drew in even more energy… the surge flooding his body and pushing his very blood cells to the limit! He couldn't…keep it up…

With an ounce of extra effort, he called upon the one ability that had not failed yet…

"CHAOS CONTROL!" He shouted, using the extra energy to divert the Shield into a bubble of space time the exact same size as the shield he projected. For a moment, the Shield of Chaotic Energy flashed with the light of a thousand suns, and then everyone within it vanished into the swirling colors of limbo.

Exhausted, but free of the enormous strain put upon his body, Sonic wove himself into his own separate bubble from the rest of the group and propelled himself towards the bunker. Compared to what he had just tried, this was a step in the park. He knew that the other officers would be wondering where he had been, and he needed to tell them what had just transpired. He would arrive before the recruits to make arrangements for the mobians he had managed to rescue.

After what seemed like an eternity, there was a flash of light and Sonic found himself standing in a room that was worse off than when he had left. Rubble was everywhere, and he could see the bodies of Mobian Officers lying everywhere. Dumbfounded, he stared at the room, his eyes wide with horror.

What the heck happened here? He thought, I thought the other officers would be safe here, dammit!

"Hello?" He said, pushing through some of the rubble.

Sally's ears perked up in response to a voice that she recognized.

"Sonic?" She called out, while straightening her rumpled uniform.

"Sally? Is that you?" He replied. "What happened here?"

"Not sure. There was a surge of brilliant green light, and the earth shook. Parts of the ceiling collapsed."

"How many officers are still alive?"

"Five." Sally replied, "You, me, Knuckles, Rouge, and one other who is barely hanging on."

"Damn…" Sonic said, as he walked into view.

Sally gasped. The blue hedgehog was a mess: He was covered with dirt and grime and his uniform was tattered, torn, and stained with blood, But his emerald eyes shone with light. He was still the same as what she remembered from her childhood.

"What happened Sonic?" She asked almost hurtfully, "One minute you were with us, and the next you were gone. Why did you leave us? Why did you abandon your fellow officers?"

Sonic glanced around the bunker hesitantly, taking in the carnage. The shock finally hit him, and his fist tightened on the Chaos Emerald, as the fact that he and four others were the only Officers still alive. His friends and colleagues were dead, and that thought struck him to the core.

So… so many dead… Friends… and Colleagues. Damn you Fidel! Sonic thought, as he silently mourned. Damn you for killing and torturing so many of my people!

Sally saw him break eye contact, and gaze around the room. She watched his face as guilt and hurt slowly flickered across her old friend's face. His body trembled, and his hand tightened around the glowing Jewel in his right hand.

The moments ticked by, with no response.

I cannot believe this, She thought, He did abandon us!

The silence was what brought Sonic back to reality. He glanced at Sally, and noted the look of hurt and disgust on her face.

"Sally…"

Oh no, She thought.

"I… didn't abandon you," he said, "I left you and the others here, because… I thought… that everyone here would be safe."

"Then why did you leave us?" She asked skeptically.

"The recruits… I couldn't just leave them."

Sally's eyes widened in surprise.

"You went back for them."

"Yes."

"How many did you save?"

"I am not sure how many…"

"Where are they?" Sally asked.

"They are on their way here. Not sure when they will arrive…"

Sally's mind rejoiced. There were others! They were not the last ones! But… then a dreadful thought occurred to her.

"Sonic… what happened to the ones that you failed to rescue?"

Sonic's head dropped in shame.

" ….some were killed by that green light… but most of them were captured…"

"Then… that means…" Sally whispered, as the full realization of that statement hit home.

"Yes. Everyone that will be in this bunker… are the only ones left."