Chapter 33: The Benefactor
Location: Dalton Estate
Three minutes later…
"So…," Tails began, "How'd you manage to survive the destruction of the Metropolis Zone?"
The Fox's inquiry had certainly been on the Princess' mind, ever since Bokkun's unexpected reappearance in Mobotroplis.
"Dr. Eggman had us transferring some items into his personal vault when the missiles detonated," Bocoe replied, "It's what protected us."
Disaster had barely been averted by Sonic and Tails, who had tricked Robotnik into raising the energy shield with the missiles inside. The preferable alternative would've been to shoot down the nuclear missiles, but with the Dictator being uncooperative there hadn't been many options. Unfortunately, Eggman and Snively had managed to cheat death by downloading their consciousnesses into robotic shells. They hadn't remained invulnerable for long, as both had been de-roboticized by the Bem along with nearly every Robian on the planet.
"How did ya'll manage to last as long as ya'll did?" Bunnie asked.
"We almost didn't. We were running low on power and falling into disrepair when Master Tarro discovered us."
"What was he doing there?" Sally asked.
"You'll be able to ask him yourself."
Judging on their path, Sally suspected that they had been brought to where the balcony was located. As they drew near, the group could make out talking coming from the doorway directly ahead of them.
'This program has been a dramatized version of one of the many copyrighted stories which appear in The Shadow magazine now on sale at your local news stands. All the characters, and all the incidents named are fictitious. Any similarities to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.'
'The weed of crime bears bigger fruit. Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows.'
'Next week, same time, same station, Blue Coal, America's finest anthracite, will again present another thrilling adventure of The Shadow. Be sure to listen, and be sure to burn Blue Coal, the solid fuel for solid comfort.'
Stepping out onto the balcony, they discovered that it was just as auspicious as the rest of the estate. An oversized rug was spread over the marble floor, with an overstuffed couch situated between two rectangular planters. The group immediately encountered an Olog child, with fiery red hair covering his head. No older then three, the youngster was laying on his stomach surrounded by a number of pillows. He wasn't the only one to occupy the space, there was another individual, obscured by the foliage that grew from the planters.
"Master Tarro, your guests have arrived."
"Thank you, Bocoe," the unseen individual said.
The voice was that of a young boy, which only further served to confuse the Princess. The Olog didn't react, prompting the individual to stretch out his leg and nudged the youngster in the foot. Glancing over his shoulder, the boy immediately glared balefully at the obscured figure with his red eyes.
"Draug, why don't you go watch TV," he suggested, "I've got…visitors to entertain."
Shifting his attention to the newcomers, the boy immediately looked back at the unseen individual and nodded his head. Scrambling to his feet, the toddler scampered off naked through an adjacent doorway. Exhaling, their mysterious benefactor rose to his feet and stepped into view of the group.
"Hello, Sally," he greeted.
He was a boy of indeterminate age, wearing an oversized yellow t-shirt that was emblazoned with a red leaf and a pair of knee-high grey pants. His head was covered in gravity-defying spikes of black hair, with four locks framing his face. His most eye-catching feature was the brown-furred monkey tail, which slowly swished out from behind him. Sally recognized the individual almost immediately, but when she opened her mouth to speak, she was immediately interrupted by Sticks.
"ALIEN!" Sticks shrieked.
"I'm a Saiyan, and from where I'm standing, you're the aliens."
Eyes widening in horror, Sticks let out a shriek that disrupted the relative calm atmosphere. The expression on the monkey-tailed boy's face was one of neutrality, as if the entire display was little more then an annoyance.
"She's interesting," he finally said, once the Badger had calmed down.
"She's naturally cautious," the Chipmunk stated, "Also, I recognize you from somewhere."
"Wait, you know him, Sally-girl?" Bunnie questioned.
"Yes...from the Chemical Plant Zone."
"I applaud your memory," Tarro commented.
Everyone looked at Sally, expecting the Princess of the Kingdom of Acorn to provide and explanation. They weren't disappointed, as Sally opened her mouth and provided them with some much needed contex.
"It was during our joint operation with the Rebel Underground to sabotage Robotnik's supply chain."
"That was around the time Robotnik launched the Death Egg," Tails stated.
Seeing an opportunity to deal a major blow to the Eggman Empire, both the Knothole Freedom Fighters and the Rebel Underground had conducted simultaneous attacks on Robotnik's infrastructure. While Sonic and Tails chased Eggman, the remaining Freedom Fighters sabotaged the Chemical Plant, while the Rebel Underground focused their efforts on the Oil Ocean Refinery.
"During the mission I became separated from the others and got cornered by Robotnik's Badniks."
"I distinctly remember you nearly falling to your death."
Sally didn't need the reminder, as she had literally seen her life flash before her very eyes. Hearing the clinking of glassware, Tails turned and caught sight of Decoe stepping into the room. The gold-plated Henchbot was carrying a tray constructed from bamboo, desperately trying not to spill its contents. Placing it on a nearby end table, he was about to make his exit when Tarro acknowledged the Henchbot.
"Thank you, Decoe."
The robot nodded his domed head, promptly exiting from the room without another word.
"Who's hungry?" he asked, rubbing his hands together.