Six rows, two sides, five wide. All sixty seats were in use for this event. The raised black stage was fixed with no curtains. The only backdrop was the sideways Freedom Fighters Headquarters, demolished just days ago by Eggman. The smoke had cleared, but still the rocks lay in place.
Freedom Fighters was no government organization. It operated solely on the heroism of its fearless agents. With no one to fund the tower's restoration, the Fighters had to get creative.
The tall, scarlet figure of the Fighters' Antoine D'Coolette stands out against the blue sky as he ascends the stage. His wife Bunnie approaches not too far behind. Both are illuminated by the southern sun. All sixty ladies in the crowd are excited as this event begins. Antoine approaches the microphone with undoubted confidence.
"Ladies… and gentlemen, prepare yourselves… and welcome, to Bygone's first ever charity bachelor auction!" His voice rings out across the speakers, changing volume to match the mood of his words. The female participants erupt in applause and cheers. For some, this is the first time they would meet their heroes.
Bunnie approached the microphone with a sad tone in her voice. "As you surely have heard, the Freedom Fighters' Headquarters was destroyed on Monday. We now have no base to operate from, giving Eggman and our nation's enemies a major advantage. Given that we're not a federal organization, we received no help from our leaders. Today, we hope to raise sufficient funds to rebuild at least the first, and most critical, floor of our tower. Take it away, Sugar!"
Antoine resumed his announcements. "This afternoon, we will be auctioning off dates with ten of our most trusted allies." He looked behind the stage, to where the young men were. "And need I remind you, gentlemen, you are obligated to fulfill your dates. Today, she is the one who chooses you. You cannot refuse." He turned back to face the audience. "And once the bidding is over, your prince charming will join you in the audience. We've got ten extra seats up here, and that's all we have."
Antoine and Bunnie looked at each other, and she nodded at him to continue. "I see no reason to wait any longer. Are you ready to meet your first bachelor?"
His eagerness and hype was met with overwhelming positivity from the participating ladies. Never could there be a silent bachelor auction.
"Alright, ladies. Hang on tight, as our first young man will blow you away! Our second youngest bachelor is flying in now, and he is….!"
{End Introduction. All ten bachelors can be found in the tags of my AO3 version, but not in the right order. I'll try to keep ya guessing.}