Unseen from my position, very shamelessly cowering behind crates with fortuitously bulletproof contents, the human woman were raining gunfire while the mobians charged down the canyon slopes. In response the refreshed badnik horde charged as well, bots with ranged capabilities hanging back and trying to suppress or kill the humans while the melee badniks rushed to meet the warrior goats. My position in this was far, far too close to the imminent battlefront for my liking.
Pit me against humans in close combat and I'd take that bet any day of the week. There is a reason why human encroachment only really began with the invention of gunpowder, that reason being that we tore them to bloody ribbons whenever human nations in those days tried any funny business. Ask the gray beards of any mobian community, they'll happily go on about stories of how this or that ancestor saw off ancient aggression easily enough.
Against my fellow mobians however I wasn't as certain of a win, especially if those were battle hardened mobians like these ones very much were. Like hell I was going to let that obviously lucky win against a singular warrior goat influence my judgment here. If I didn't manage to maintain distance I'd have to hope I could keep from being skewered long enough to be saved by a badnik.
Forcing myself up into a croach I took a moment to steady myself on shaky knees and looked towards Robotnik's ship. The impulse to make a mad dash for shelter within its hull almost overwhelmed me. That would have been my death twice over however. Firstly, running for the ship would likely get me shot by guns powerful enough to punch through my helmet. Secondly, even if I did make it I was obviously running away from a fight and would have to answer to Robotnik for it. Somehow I would have to walk a death defying tightrope between fighting and running away.
Something of a tall order considering I've only started fighting for my life in the past few days.
'Okay no hesitating! Duck and weave, jump and run!'
I sprinted out from my cover to a nearby line of crates and tarped machinery. Weaving side to side I leapt the final few feet and felt the wind off a bullet just managing to miss me, passing between my legs much too close for comfort.
Of course I was rather distracted by the fact I was nearly shot again and while I landed safe behind cover I also ended up with a mouth full of dirt for it. Taking only a moment to spit my mouth clear of debris I quickly threw myself against my cover again. Managing to predict disaster I pulled both my ears down just in time to see a bullet whiz into the dirt in front of me.
Okay I was getting the feeling someone up on that ridge had it out for me personally. Enough that they were more concerned with causing me pain of any kind instead of shooting at armored death machines. The worst part about all this was that I couldn't exactly coordinate some kind of assistance for my part. Sure I was no longer field commander but surely I could request fire support from my fellow minions of the Doctor? I needed to at least look like I was contributing as I made for safety and to do that I needed to poke my head out.
Course I was hardly going to do that if it meant getting my head blown off.
Taking a breath I let go of my ears and darted for the side of my cover but before I made it I grabbed my ears again and turned around, dashing for the cover on the opposite side. Were it a better and less life threatening situation I would have smirked when I heard a bullet impact the ground behind me as I peeked out of cover.
It was only for a second but it felt like I had boldly and stupidly stuck my head into a precariously suspended guillotine. A second later I pulled back and leaned back against my cover, starting and shivering when another bullet whizzed through the space I had just occupied. A second to glance around really wasn't enough time to completely take in the situation. From what I could tell there was a lot of fighting going on between the badniks and warrior goats. I wasn't sure how much the humans were doing, there was so much shooting going on and the presence of cover blocked my sight of any casualties, machine or otherwise.
Suddenly the heavily dented and smoking form of a caterkiller slumped over my cover, one eye hanging out of its socket while the other was empty and crackled with electricity.
'I need to move again.'
Easier said than done now that I was sure that one of the shooters was keeping their eye on me. Thankfully I had just the thing to protect me.
I slipped under the form of the damaged caterkiller and lifted it with a grunt of exertion. It thankfully wasn't the larger forms of caterkiller but that didn't change the fact it was a armored murder machine. Gritting my teeth I balanced the badnik on the center of my back and ran at a jogging pace.
Immediately I was shot at, the sounds of the bullets impacting my cover ringing through my ears. Whoever it was up there they were out for my blood! Firing ceaselessly at me like they'd shoot apart the badnik if they had too. I kept moving forward with bared teeth, my leg strength made carrying several hundred pounds of warmachine bearable for the moment so I focused on the safety of the next line of cover.
That's when I saw them.
Fresh reinforcements, another horde of badniks rushing out of the airship with Alfa at the head of the charge. That was both a heartening sight and something that made my stomach churn. How badly were things going that another wave of badniks were needed to reinforce our position? Well I was hardly going to stick my head out to look.
It was just as I reached another line of cover that a bullet had managed to punch through the caterkiller. Thankfully all that happened was the ground being showered with shattered circuits and metal fragments but it did my anxiety no favors. I jumped to the side and into cover, letting the bullet strewn machine crash to the ground.
Alfa came charging up, running on all fours like an actual monkey. It suddenly jumped into the air and pulled out two metallic spheres as it did so. The coconuts flung the two spheres straight ahead and explosions that sounded much too close resounded. Alfa landed next to me a heavy thump audible over the sounds of battle.
"How you liking your first proper battle, cony?" It grinned at me toothily.
"I FUCKING HATE IT!" I shouted without thinking and quickly added on like I meant to continue. "One of those damn humans has got me pinned down! I've barely been able to stick my head out, let alone help in the fight!"
"Got a fan do ya!" Alfa said with a bark of laughter before whistling and waving at the still approaching badnik horde. "Don't worry, good ole Alfa will give ya cover."
Out of the horde crawled forward half a dozen crabmeats. These machines were different from the variants I was used to however. They were easily as large as a car and their forms give the impression of moderness and sleekness. Clearly these were a modern form of the classic badnik and that impression was only doubled when I spied the missiles sitting within their claws.
"Scatter those humans!" Alfa bellowed with a sharp hand gesture. "In pieces all over the canyon if ya have to!"
The large crabmeats obeyed immediately, aiming both claws at the ridge the humans were lined up on. With ear piercing shrieks the missiles launched from the crabmeats and a moment later I heard thunderous explosions fill the air. Taking a chance I pulled out my shotgun and peeked over the top of my cover.
The ridge of the canyon walls were clouds of fire and dust. I wasn't sure how many humans were caught in it but I could definitely see movement up there. More importantly however the fighting at what once was the front lines had been going worse then I thought. Barely any badniks remained and it seemed like the warrior goats still numbered as greatly as ever. That explained the reason for the new horde of badniks however and sent a shudder down my spine.
I was that close to being charged down and torn to pieces by a furious army of mobians, mobians with human sniper support no less!
As it was I at least had a fresh wave of badniks to distract most of them and the ability to poke my head out a little. Drawing out my sidearm I took aim before hesitating. My earlier thoughts rushed to the forefront of my mind. Didn't I decide I was going to try avoiding killing more people? Stuck in a battle for my life however such oaths seemed so stupid, suicidal even! Fat lot of good holding the moral high ground would do with me impaled by a spear. Still… even with thoughts of my own horrible death in mind I hesitated. A moment later my resolve broke and I decided to aim just over their heads, to just try to make them keep their heads down and away from me.
And like so many things this too did not go well for me.
Terrified as I was, inexperienced with shooting as I was, my aim was shaky. I made a liar of myself at that moment. My finger squeezed down on the trigger and instead of shooting over the heads of the warrior goats my bullet caught one square in the eye. The warrior didn't make a sound, he just crumbled to the ground like a puppet with cut strings
I froze at that moment but I was the only one. The warrior goats did not hesitate, with a collective outraged warcry they charged forward again to meet the rush of new badniks. With another bark of laughter, Alfa reached over and patted me on the shoulder in congratulations.
"Great shot, cony!" It said gleefully before leaping forward into the fray.
A feeling of revulsion rose up alongside bile but that was quickly pushed aside by the realization that several warriors had eyes locked on me. I shot wildly at the warriors charging at me and to my disbelief I managed to hit two warriors, disbelief because yet again they weren't the ones I was aiming at. Three warrior goats rushed at me with stone clubs at the ready and I could feel myself at the brink of freezing up when I remembered the shotgun in my other hand.
Two deafening blasts resounded, my aim as wild and shaky as before but at the very least this time accuracy wasn't a concern.
Twin screams filled the air as a pair of warriors crumbled to the earth but the third came charging, heedless of the two's death. He leapt over my cover and I backed up several paces in response, barely managing to avoid my skull being bashed open by his club. The warrior's face twisted in an agonized wince and I realized with surprising relief that he hadn't avoided death by buckshot unscathed. While his two companions had died from the clouds of death I had unleashed he had caught many pellets as the bleeding tiny wounds in his body attested. The warrior before me was almost certainly seasoned and decently skilled, very likely the only reason I had a chance of winning this was because of his injuries.
My thoughts proved true in the next moment when the warrior swung again. What should have been a brain pulping blow that would have caught me solidly on the side of my head even as I flinched back, was turned into a nose brushing swing as the warrior's footing was fouled by a sudden spasm of pain. Not that taking advantage of the opening, obvious even to me, was an option currently. I had two weapons occupying my hands, the empty revolver and the empty sawn off. I honestly had no clue if dropping one or either for the short spear in its holster would have actually improved my chances. Lacking clear options I resolved to use them as bludgens.
What I would have given for a communicator so I could ask a badnik to take a cheap shot…
'Come on! Give me an opening, something!' I thought desperately as the goat mobian did not let up despite his pain, something dark glittered in his eyes and I felt that he knew he wasn't dealing with an experienced fighter.
Snarling in pain and anger the warrior swung his stone club and it practically whistled as he tried to take out my knee.
'There!'
Lifting my leg I both avoided the swing of his weapon and primed myself for a counterattack. To his credit the warrior realized what I was about to do and made to dodge. What should have been a shoulder shattering blow simply became a glancing hit as I kicked out. Even with the near miss the hit was enough to send the goat mobian stumbling back and harshly impacting my cover. Somehow I didn't fumble the rapid reloading of a single shotgun shell into my sawn off.
The warrior surged forward with one final desperate charge… only to slam face first into the dirt as I disemboweled him with a gut shot. Taking a ragged breath I forced myself to look away from my foe and take in the battle around me.
Things weren't going well.
Gunshots started to ring out again from above, not only had plenty of humans apparently survived the explosions but had spread out to avoid being blown up all at once. Down on the ground the battle had only gone a bit better for us. I could visibly tell there were less warrior goats then before but at the same time the badniks were obviously being handily dismantled by their stone clubs. Alfa was certainly making a difference with his experience and bombs but it wasn't enough of one to turn the tide.
'Oh well, plenty more where those came from aboard the ship.'
I looked back to glance at said ship only to boggle at what met my gaze.
Doctor Robotnik was finally out of the hole he had excavated and was calmly making his way back to the ship in his hovercraft, calm as you please like he was going from one chore to another. As he flew up the large boarding ramp I could hear something that sent a chill down my spine. The engines were ramping up rapidly.
ROBOTNIK WAS INTENDING TO LEAVE US ALL FOR DEAD!
I no longer had any concerns of how I looked or even if I was going to get shot in the next few moments. None of that was going to matter if I didn't get back aboard the ship. If I didn't get back now I was good as dead anyway and as for the Doctor's reaction… well if this was any indication he'd probably just be reminded that I existed.
Holstering my weapons I sprinted as fast I could for the ship but even as I ran I was already too late to run up the ramp. The ship began to slowly rise into the air but to my eyes it looked like it was shooting up into the sky. I wasn't some circus rabbit who practiced his jumping until he could leap several stories in a single bound, already the ship looked further into the air then I could jump. Still out of desperate desire to live I ran to the ship anyway. Suddenly Alfa blurred past me and for a heartstopping moment I thought the badnik was going to stop me from running away. But to my surprise after it came to a skidding stop it simply braced its hands together as if it was going to give me a boost.
"Alley oop cony!" Alfa shouted with an encouraging grin.
Well I hardly needed further encouragement.
With another burst of speed I leapt forward at the badnik, aiming precisely at his hands with both feet. In the brief instant I landed I flexed leg muscles and pushed off with everything I had! Alfa added his own strength into the mix and I shot into the sky like a missile.
"See ya around cony!" Alfa's voice rapidly faded into the distance as I closed in on the still descended ramp of the ship.
To my horror I suddenly realized I wasn't going to make it. I was starting to lose velocity and the ship was still rising. At my best estimates I'd stop just short of managing to grab hold of the boarding ramp. Desperate and half panicked I grabbed at my sides for anything to extend my reach or hook into something. Mind awhirl with falling to my death or just falling back into a hopeless fight I blindly grabbed at something on myself and frantically swung for the ramp.
Losing all further momentum I stopped… but didn't fall. Blinking in incomprehension at what was going on I suddenly realized I was holding onto the end of my short spear. The spearhead was lodged in the holes lining the side of the boarding ramp! I was alive! I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT!
Of course at that moment there was the telltale whiz of a near miss from a bullet followed by a ting of it heading the ship's armor plate.
"YOU FUCKER!" I railed in rage as I swung in the wind. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
My swinging combined with the flaring of my duster hiding my body outline caused more misses, not that it did my mental wellbeing any favors. Somehow frustration overrode the fear I'd been feeling. After everything, the explosions, fighting and death, that sniper was still out for blood after surviving the rocket barrage. Blindly I glared in the direction I guessed the shots were coming from with bared teeth.
As angry as I was though I suddenly had greater concerns when the ramp started to rise back up. If I didn't get back onto the ramp soon its closing would break my hold and I'd fall. I was easily ten stories high by now and such a height would break my legs upon landing. If that happened I might as well angle myself to fall headfirst and save the humans and their mobian allies the trouble of killing me.
Kicking out with both legs I swung myself back and forth before generating the momentum I needed to throw myself onto the ramp. Finally something went right for me as I not only did this but managed to pull my spear along with me as well.
The ramp closed with a clank and I found myself rolling down the slope uncontrollably before hitting the floor and continuing for a few more feet. Suddenly my strength seemed to leave me as exhaustion filled my body. Gasping and panting I just managed to roll myself onto my back when I saw Doctor Robotnik hovering over me in his pod.
"Ah rabbit, how good of you to rejoin us!" Robotnik chortled in good humor as he leaned over to look at me. "I was just beginning to wonder where you were!"
"Good to be back, Doctor…" I said weakly and wrestled my hand into a salute from my position on the floor. "I hope you've gotten what you were looking for."
"Indeed! Indeed!" Robotnik nodded. "It was all quite informative. We are heading back to base, I have many plans to conduct and preparations to make. I trust you'll find somewhere to secure yourself until then?"
'Wow he must really be in a good mood if he's asking if I have a place to sit and wait.'
"Of course, Doctor, I'll make sure to keep myself out of the way until we arrive." I replied with another weak salute.
Robotnik was already floating away, the sounds of eager malicious giggling drifting towards me as he flew off for the bridge. I just continued to lay there and took long breaths. If I was in the way of something I'd move but for now I was content to just lay back for an hour or two.
I made it! I was going to live!
I was going to live…
This called for a celebratory nap…
-TBC-
Author Note: The Sonic franchise has been doing rather well lately hasn't it? They've released a game that's good and their latest show is doing great as well. Now onto more solemn topics, I am afraid I have to report some bad news.
I can't actually write this fast.
I've been working on this story for a month or two, developing it and fixing a plot issue here and there. So I've had a bit of a backlog of chapters to upload. Unfortunately update times won't be as fast as it was.