Chapter 12 is up and sorry if its a little slow, Im pacing myself is the excuse I'll go with. Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and I hope you'll keep
reviewing, if you haven't been reviewing (imagine a cute face) Come Onnnnn pleeeeeaaaaasssseee. I don't own Sonic Sega or any characters. Please enjoy.
It was a mad dash, Sally and the others were being dragged through the air in a horrendous line at breakneck speeds as the blue blur fled from Robotropolis, Sonic was worried, Tails had stayed to help the Minx and was unsure if he was okay, even with Max injured Sonic now knew all too well just how fast he could be. To make matters worse every second he ran he could feel the pulse of the person whose wrist he had grabbed and was dragging to safety, the pulse was rhythmic, almost hypnotic and it promised the nourishing fluid he truly desired, he could taste the blood in his mind as he continued running, he repeated in his mind the warning Tails had given him. He smirked when he heard a familiar sound approaching; Sonic had kept himself from top speed to allow Tails to catch up, and the sound of whirring tails told him he had done just that, he glanced behind him and there was Tails, they smiled knowingly at each other as Tails began running directly alongside him. "Sonic how are you doing?" Tails asked questioningly and Sonic knew full well he was referring to the hunger; Sonic shrugged and gave a thumbs up as he voiced his own question. "Tails where's that Minx? Did she make it out or…and what happened to Max?" Tails face instantly fell, he looked confused and truly his mind was, she had saved them, all of them and given Tails the chance to get out safely, but she still was a very large part of the reason for his departure from Knothole, he was conflicted and his face softened, he forgave her, it was who he truly was and that thought alone brightened the fox, he felt saddened but determined not to let the Minx's sacrifice be in vain. "She's gone Sonic, she gave me time to escape and Max…..he's a vampire, I don't know what happened but I'm pretty sure he's still alive and going to try and kill us again."
Sonic was not happy, Max, a vampire, it was a dark reflection of what him or Tails could become if they ever gave in, barely concealed madness driven on only by a need to accomplish his plans, he let the thought sit and wondered how Tails could have been so strong all alone, he was proud and would have loved to say it there and now, but as they approached the outskirts of New Knothole all thought was killed. It was barren, the tent flaps stood a flutter in the breeze and the area was silent as the grave, no birds chirped and only wind rustling leaves could be heard, as the group walked forwards they all called out to anyone who could hear, but the echoes of their voices was the only reply. "Sal, where is everyone? I mean it couldn't have been Max he would have had to planned this out perfectly, and no one could plan this far ahead. Could they?" Sally was unsure of Sonic's question, she was unsure of anything, it was so spooky, no sign of a struggle, everyone just got up and left was what it looked like, and then she thought of a question and pointed it at Tails. "Vampires can't hypnotize people can they? I mean if Max is a vampire then could he have used that while he distracted us? I mean what if he brought a vampire army he had and hypnotized everyone in Knothole to follow him?" Tails scratched his head and shrugged, he had never really thought about it and he had no clue if it was true or not, Sally cursed herself for letting Knothole be taken so easily, Sonic tried to put a comforting arm around her but being close was too much so he simply patted her on the back and gave her a smile, she was confused by the hedgehogs actions and opened her mouth to question it when a scream pierced through the silence.
Like a bolt an orange and blue blur hurtled towards the sound and when they reached where it had come from they gasped in terror, it was Rex the raptor like Mobian from the original team to help Sonic and Tails with the collection ships, and he was gnawing on the arm of a dead badger, he smiled at them a look of ecstasy in his eyes as he spoke up. "Sorry about not leaving you much, if you want there's more over there. Don't look so shocked, I can hear heartbeats and you two have none, ergo you, like me are perfect specimens of the hunt" His smile was horrific, chunks of flesh and fur and the reeking smell of blood hit like a wave, they both felt there stomachs retch at the sight as he stood, and pointed at Tab who had been standing silent off to the side, her eyes were glassy and Rex motioned with a finger and she walked nearer, she never got close though as before Sonic could see Tails had jumped on top of Rex and was beating him savagely, using his full strength. Tears were being flung from his eyes and they were filled with anger as he kept punching as Rex tried to stand. "WHY! You killed them and….and you don't even try to fight it…WHY! They were friends and you just killed them. Is that all they are food….IS THAT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE A VAMPIRE! To hold no regard for anything but your next meal!" His punching slowed and Tails looked down at the bloody mess that had been Rex's face, it's eyes were dead, Tails had killed it and he slid off it and wrapped his hands around his knees and brought his Tails around himself for comfort. Sonic had watched the entire exchange and was in shock, Rex had been so casual, as if he was simply willing to share half his chilidog, but it had been a person, a living breathing person with thoughts, dreams, and he had killed this person because of the hunger that Sonic felt even now, the hunger that made him want to finish the few bits of blood and meat left on the arms bone, it made him sick.
Sally and the rest ran in and found an unconscious Tab just beginning to wake, a Sonic who had a look of guilt on his face and a weeping Tails rocking slowly clutching his knees, the two mutilated bodies quickly explained the scene, one had been torn apart and the other beaten to death, and based on the blood saturating Tails gloves and fur it was easy to tell which he had caused. She went to him and placed a hand around his shoulder; he quickly knocked it away and stood quickly a look of absolute panic on his face as he held his hands up. "Don't come any closer…I..I don't want to hurt you, I…I'm sorry, I wish I never lived past eight, I should have died and I wish I did." He was broken, he was a monster as he saw it and this was what he would eventually become, a starved animal who would kill his friends for a drop of blood more, he couldn't take it, he didn't want to live like this anymore, his hollow existence, a blackened parody of life, he belonged in a grave were his thoughts, but thoughts that melted away as he was embraced by Sonic, and the rest who quickly joined in. It was unexpected but when he looked around he could see it, trust, trust that they would wager their very lives on, that Tails truly was good, that he had friends who accepted him, and new tears fell, not of sorrow or anger, but tears of joy, it was what he had always desperately wished for, people who knew and accepted him anyways, Sonic also drew strength from it, he would be as strong as Tails was and never give in to the blood hunger, he was certain of it.
The group separated and Rotor was the first one to speak "Tails, you are a good person, I knew that before you told me your secret, and it didn't change anything, your nothing like that thing, your alive because you have friends and people who care for you and who you in turn care for. It's not a heartbeat, its feelings and emotions that make you alive" Tails smiled as Sally stepped in her eyes slightly red but not a tear visible. "Tails, since we found you I always thought of you…like a son, and I still do, age doesn't matter, it's the bond and it's a bond that nothing can break" Tails felt completely uplifted, that is to say until Sonic cleared his throat and started talking, Tails smacked himself in the head, he knew exactly what was coming. "Sorry to steal the spotlight buddy but with all the positive feelings I figure now's probably the best chance I'm going to get. See" and he went over a rapid explanation of being shot and when he reached the part about waking up and the sunlight burning him, he stopped, he had left out all the mushy bits between him and Tails but they all had on a "what do we do now?" expression. Bunny was the first to break the silence. "Well sugar hog you look real fine and I'm glad you're still here. Why I don't know how little old me would have gotten along without you, and that goes for you to Tails, I'm still your aunt Bunny so don't go trying to pull any I'm older than you crap now ya hear." She gave out a smile and the gathering burst into laughter, it was forced, but it was what they all needed, afterwards they set about burring the dead they found, only five bodies, it was the sad kind of victory knowing so many others were still alive, they were ready now, ready to fight and save their friends, to end whatever horror's Max had planned.
They stood in a circle, Tab, Mike, Rotor, Bunny, Sonic, Tails, and Sally, they were prepared for whatever came next and Mike finally broke his silence "I'm going to save my brother, but I'm glad I don't need to do it alone, and when I get my hands on Max, I'll make him pay for lying to us, I don't know what's wrong with him but I'll beat it out of him if I can." With that said they all placed their hands forwards and clasped it atop one another, they stared at each other a collection of determined expressions, as they started shouting out one after another. "For friends" "For family" "For the good of Mobius" and finally with a triumphant cry they screamed into the sky in unison. "For the Freedom Fighters" They were dead set and all were committed, they knew the stakes, Max was insane and if left alone all of Mobius might be in an even worse state then with Robotnik, and they all had extra encouragement because with Robotnik dead Max was all that stood in the way of peace for Mobius once and for all. The group sat down and began planning their strategy for taking out Max and as the ideas slowly came together hope was rekindled, from a dying spark to a roaring inferno, they would save their friends and Mobius after so many years would finally know peace.