Authors Note. I redid this chapter. It is about now I realize how much I like this part of the story. It is just so engrossing to me that revisiting it, I find I want to read it.
Most people say long story middle parts sag, but it feels like it is going up for the second drop. Maybe I am mistaken, but if I forget what I have written and then read it with excitement when I pick it up, there must be something to this.
Editor's Note: Hello all, I'm the brand new editor. I'm here to assist Rin in correcting and fixing some grammar and misspellings along the story. I'm glad to be able to help, and I'll probably be fixing up some of the previous chapters as well. As for a name… I guess I'll name myself "Draft." Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Legal Trash. Sonic and everybody else is copyright SEGA/Archie comics. Except for Max, Annie, and Sonia. I created them in my rattled brain; if you like my OC's, use them and let me know. It'll be fun; we will have tea.
Chapter 17. Misery City
Max awoke, and everything felt like it was nothing but a blur. His tired eyes searched the open balcony, and everything was as dark as he had left it. The shadows cast everywhere still loomed before him, and his recollection of the previous night was slightly fractured.
He could recall most of the events that happened, but he was unsure of what order they had actually come in.
He had to put all of his focus onto his memory to gain coherency.
After reorienting himself, he managed to lift his entire head, and it hurt a bit, but he knew it wasn't as bad as it could've been. He could tell he was dehydrated because of how his mouth felt, but the water he had drunk before falling asleep had definitely helped with that.
He moved his body out of the chair and could feel all of the pain coursing through it. It was nowhere near the agony he had felt when he had taken the terrible fall, but he was surprised at how much of it had been blocked for so long.
He staggered up, making a tiny bit of noise, but nobody else seemed to be stirring. At first, he limped a teeny bit, and then when he got used to the pain, he started to move normally.
Max moved down the narrow hallway, searching for the door that led to the bathroom. It was so dark that it unnerved him a bit, but he could tell when he had found what he searched for after counting the row of doors that he touched along the way.
His hand grabbed onto the knob of the right door, and he quietly opened it, stammering himself quickly into the bathroom until he was all the way inside. He resealed the door and latched it in the dark so that no intruder could enter.
His furred hand rushed in a panic as it ran along the wall until he found the light switch. Once he flicked it, he was immediately blinded by the brightness, and he shielded his eyes to ease the pain.
"Ah… That hurts…" He murmured to himself while keeping his gloved hand up in front of his eyes.
After a moment, his vision began to adjust, and he lowered his left hand. He strained to look at himself in the mirror, as everything was still blurry.
He moved over to the sink and turned on the water, then placed his furred hand under the faucet and allowed it to fill.
Once he had enough, he brought it up and splashed it into his eyes. The coldness of it made him feel more awake, and he took the towel that sat by the counter so that he could wipe his eyes clear.
Once he was finished, he lowered it and finally got a good look at himself in the mirror. He could see how disheveled he looked. His hair was a mess, and the gold button of his popped collar was still undone.
Max squinted and leaned in close. He could see the dried blood all around his nose and mouth. He looked like hell, and he quickly re-raised the towel so that he could begin cleaning himself.
It took him 10 minutes of dousing the towel and running it along his sore nose until the blood was finally clear of his fur. He then put the bloodied white towel into a bin beneath the sink.
He redid his collar and tried his best to straighten his hair with some water in his right hand. Once he was presentable enough, he just stood there collecting his thoughts in the silence.
All the terrible things that had happened were evident to him now. Part of him wished it had been a dream, but he definitely knew better than that.
He looked down at his left hand and examined the slices in the glove. Still, the metal shimmered in the light.
The more he focused on his artificial hand, the more it dawned on him that despite his shame of it. It had saved his life, and it was only through casting off the weakness of his flesh did he now feel he understand the real power of steel.
He had killed someone, and nothing could take it back, yet, in doing so, he felt powerful. That death was almost like a cathartic release of all those negative emotions he was experiencing, even if he knew it was "wrong."
How had things become so twisted that he could feel so good about something terrible? Yet, at the same time, feel as if he were living scum?
Max let out a sigh as he felt he was coming ever closer to the answer to that question, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to know it.
He turned away from the mirror and let himself out of the bathroom, flicking off the light as he went.
He stumbled his way through the dark in quiet haste, back to the living room, and searched about until he found the lamp settled next to the couch.
He walked over to the fridge and pulled out some water. Once he had the small bottle in his hand, he began to chug it.
As he was swigging the drink, he heard a banging at Cream's front door. He winced in fear, stopping to look over as he wiped his mouth.
Then, he walked towards the door, leaving the empty bottle on the counter. Then once he was set quietly in front of it, he listened intently by pressing his ear to the door.
The sounds of multiple people shuffling around could be heard, and the clanking of metal was not lost on him. He knew it to be the knights, and he found himself a little afraid, knowing they had to be here for him.
"Who is it?" Max called gently from the other side of the door.
"It's me… Jonathan. Could you please open the door, Your Highness?" A sad-sounding voice responded.
Max looked behind himself and could see that nobody else was awake, even with the commotion.
He hesitantly opened the door in hopes of saving himself the humiliation of having his friends see him dragged off.
In front of him were a solemn Jonathan and three knights. They all looked down, and Jonathan was holding a cloth sack in his right hand. He removed his helmet with his left and placed it across his chest plate where his heart would be.
"Forgive me for my appearance, Your Highness… I have some terrible news… One of your Royal guards was slain last night. It was a horrific murder most foul." He informed him.
Max stared blankly and then rubbed the back of his head. He felt relief in knowing that they were unaware of his presence there that night. Still, panic quickly came to him when he casually went to put his hand on the hilt of his sword and found it missing.
"I… What?" He barely stammered out.
Jonathan merely nodded. "Radcliff is a heavenly place, but that won't stop scum from committing heinous acts occasionally."
He placed his helmet back on his head and began to undo the sack he was holding. Once it was open, he pulled out Max's sword.
Max's heart stopped, and he merely stared at it. Once he got his bearings, he spoke. "My sword…"
Jonathan nodded and presented the hilt to him. Max reached out to grab the sword, but he noticed Jonathan's expression change when he grabbed hold.
He looked down and saw the dried bloodstain on his sleeve and was very aware of how it made him look. He pulled the sword free of Johnathan's grasp and re-sheathed it into his empty scabbard.
"…"
"Blah was searching for you last night and claims that you dropped it at the Windser estate on your way here," Jonathan said as he tried to remain polite, but his tone was slightly indignant.
Max nodded in response. Even though he knew that was inaccurate, he quickly figured out that Lynn had lied on his behalf.
"I… Thanks…" he said, trying to keep things in a state of normalcy.
Jonathan pulled out a small pouch from the sack with a card attached to it with the letter scrawled across it.
"Here, Windser said you left your winnings last night. He explicitly told me to give them to you."
Max took the pouch and turned to toss it on the kitchen counter. After it landed with a light clanging noise, he returned his gaze to the knights, who now looked more angered than sorrowful.
"Well, thank you for returning those to me," Max repeated himself, wishing they would just leave.
"We aren't done yet…." Jonathan said, his tone now obviously filled with seething anger.
"Oh?" Max said, pretending as if he didn't notice.
Another knight from the group's back walked forward and dropped a massive black tote bag at Max's feet in the doorway.
He then pushed it into Cream's home, and Max could see that the tag on it said.
"Medical Supplies."
Once the knight stepped back away from the door, Jonathan continued.
"Lady Radcliff has demanded your presence… She made it readily clear you have no choice but to attend." He said.
Max was speechless for a second but then responded halfheartedly.
"If that is what she wants…."
Jonathan nodded, and Max stepped forward outside of the door, shutting it as he went. There was a long awkward silence, and then the knights began to surround him.
He looked on all sides and could see that there was no way out. When they began to move, he was forced to follow, and even he recognized that this wasn't about defense any longer.
They moved to the bottom of the stairs as a unit, and when they hit the streets with the dazzling lights of the shops shining, things became worse.
The citizens that usually walked the streets were away from that end of the district, and as Max turned his gaze towards where he had slain Robbie, he could see the workers shackled in chains.
Some of them were already being punished and beaten. At the same time, the squad of knights partaking in the beating became ever happier to gain retribution through violent punishment.
Max's heart sank, seeing the innocent suffering to the might of arrogant animals.
As the knights yelled and hurled insults, the chained began crying in terror, and some even pleaded for it to stop.
He knew he had caused this, and it brought him great pain, more pain than slaying Robbie ever would.
He turned as he was walked along by his "guards" but dare not say anything to anybody so filled with disdain he was.
Jonathan was more distant than ever, and he was clearly no longer treating Max as lovely as he had previously.
There was no sucking up, nor was there politeness. Only a wave of unspoken anger that carried through the other knights surrounding him.
The longer they walked in this manner, the more uneasy Max became. He lifted his gloved hand and slid it along the hilt of his sword, finally resting it in place.
He may have been an amateur at swordplay, but he was sure he could wield the blade in unconventional ways with his mechanical arm.
If things were truly as dire as he felt they were, he was positive he could slay them in a surprise attack if need be.
Though, part of him felt worried he might just be looking for excuses to spill more blood at this point.
Max wouldn't look at the stores or signs. He just kept looking at Jonathan. Once they were about halfway into the social district, Jonathan glanced back and noticed Max's subtle aggressive stance.
"Is there something the matter?" He asked while continuing his lead in the walk.
Max loosened his grip slightly and then turned the sentiment back on Jonathan. "What are you worried about? Am I not allowed to rest my hand on the hilt of my sword?"
Jonathan kind of smirked a little bit and then shook his head. "Forgiveness, my Lord… We are all just… On edge with the slaying of Robbie."
It was all so insincere, but Max continued to walk, knowing they underestimated him just as Robbie had.
Though there were four of them, he knew his arm could make quick work of them despite their protective armor.
The five turned and began making their way up flights of steps. Max had paid so much attention to the animals surrounding him that he failed to notice they were almost to Lady Radcliff's estate already.
As they traversed upwards, the silence continued, and after four minutes of climbing, they reached the central door.
Jonathan opened it and started leading Max through the interior. It was elegant but not as gaudy as Windser had made up his estate. It seemed Sarah had a passion for collecting things from before the war.
Many of the objects were valuables taken straight from Robotropolis. Without question, it was the most precious horde in all the city.
They walked all the way to the back of the estate with the knights still surrounding Max tightly.
Once they reached a lavish glass door obscured by pure white curtains, Jonathan pushed in to reveal the resplendent balcony on the other side.
One much more extensive than any he had seen yet, and this one was fully furnished. Chairs, cushions, and a view of the social district that couldn't be beaten.
Lady Radcliff was sitting on a relatively cushy couch holding an elegantly shaped glass of red liquid. She was set before a beautiful glass table with a bottle atop it. She smiled the minute she saw Max and took a sip of her drink.
"Ah, so good of you to come. It is always a pleasure, Your Highness."
The knights moved away from Max so that the two could see one another, and he responded somewhat disrespectfully to her for the first time.
"It wasn't as if I had a choice."
Jonathan looked angered and tried to reprimand Max. "Prince or no, you owe Lady Sarah the utmost courtesy!"
Max glared at him and then looked at Sarah. She could see the hatred on his face, and she stood up.
"That is quite enough, Jonathan… You have no place to speak to your betters in such a manner, so I'd advise you to shut your mouth."
"B-but… My…" He began.
"I'll not repeat it. Shut your mouth when speaking to your betters. I have things to discuss with our young prince, so I suggest you leave." She said in a commanding tone.
Jonathan backed away and looked at Max. He then just simply bowed.
"Forgive my careless words. I shall do as her lady commands."
With that, the knights were gone as quickly as they had come. Max just stood on the balcony and stared at Lady Radcliff.
She shot him a sly smile and drank more red liquid, then spoke.
"You must forgive me… With all the chaos going on this morning, I wanted to make absolutely sure that I got to speak to you before you left." She sat back down on the couch and poured more liquid into her glass.
Max just stared at her and felt ever more disgusted with the goings-on of this terrible "city."
"…"
"Speechless! Why am I not surprised? You know, you really are an enigma, Your Highness." She chuckled a bit and took another sip.
Max turned back to look towards the direction of the mining operation, and though he couldn't make anything out from this height. He knew that he had to undo all the damage he had caused, even if it meant something terrible for him.
Lady Radcliff just watched Max as he stared away from her towards the direction of the incident.
"It really is a shame…." She paused and stood up again, her eyes catching a glimpse of the dried blood on Max's sleeve. "What happened to Robbie…."
"I…" Max paused and then shook his head. "No, I can't pretend to act as if it is a shame when I was the one who killed him."
Lady Radcliff immediately let out a laugh. "What? What reason would you have to kill your own guard?"
Max turned to her and answered honestly. "He accused me of not being royalty and then attacked me, so I pierced his heart with the tip of his own spear."
Lady Radcliff stared at him in disbelief. He barely looked like he had been in a fight with someone the size of Robbie. Furthermore, how he managed to slay him through his protective armor eluded her.
She put her hand to her chin and stared him over. He was indeed telling the truth, even if it made no logical sense. He knew details of what had occurred that only the knights and her knew at this time.
"Stop hurting the workers…." Max said as he stood there and waited to see what she would do to him.
He was willing to not resist if it meant innocent animals would not be punished for his actions.
Lady Sarah just drank more. Then, after a moment of silence, she began to laugh. It was soft at first but later became more loud and unruly.
"Oh! How the knights would feel! Especially Jonathan, who is convinced Robbie was killed because he was legitimately on to you being false royalty."
Max couldn't believe that she seemed rather amused that he had slain one of her knights. He just looked at her, unsure of what to say to her behavior.
She wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and mouth on the sleeve of her elegant robe. After which, she just shook her head.
"I told Robbie to silence himself when he came to me about your supposed inconsistent behavior, but bullheaded as he always was, he refused to listen… Oh, well."
She was on his side, or at least it appeared that way, but Max continued to have that sinking feeling in his gut. He took a step forward, and Lady Radcliff just sat there looking as pleased as ever.
"I will let everybody know that Robbie dared attack our royal guest unprovoked. The workers should go back to their duty once I hand the order down, it is too late to do anything about the beaten and dead workers, but such unfortunate mistakes cannot be amended." She said.
As Max intensely stared at her, it finally dawned on him that no leader would take such a rash action without considering other possibilities.
She didn't care, and for whatever reason, she wanted to keep him placated through a sense of false modesty and special privilege.
"…"
"Do I have something on my face?" Lady Radcliff said with a smile, noticing his intense gawking at her.
"…"
Max now understood that this was a battle, not one fought with a sword but rather through social engineering.
If he wanted to see beyond her outward appearance, he needed to use his skills as an empathetic person to fool her.
He thought for a moment and then quickly decided to play this game the way he figured that she was.
He smiled sheepishly while awkwardly shifting his gaze towards the ground. Then rubbed the back of his head and responded in as convincing a bashful tone as he could.
"I… I don't think it's appropriate…."
"Oh, now I am intrigued! Do speak your mind, young prince." She took another sip of her drink, enjoying his shift of focus to her rather than that dimwitted Robbie drama.
"Well… I was just staring because I couldn't help but notice how lovely you are. I didn't mean to be rude, but you forced my hand." He said in a slightly forward and formal tone, then bowed in a faux apology.
"My, my. Quite the flatterer. I must say, it does feel good to be complemented by handsome youth." She said with a bright smile.
Max nodded, feeling like his flattery had been effective. He didn't want her to know his thoughts or mistrust, which could be easily betrayed by physical actions or a sour attitude.
"That reminds me… You left Windser's estate sometime that night. I wanted to make sure that you had everything given to you that was coming to you." She said as she rested her chin on her hand and propped her head up.
Max was confused at first, but then he remembered the incident with Aria. Rather than play into Sarah's game of implicit, double-meaning conversations.
Max boldly cut to the heart of the conversation. "She was quite pleasurable, but I have been rather curious as to what reward Aria obtained from your arrangement with her?"
Lady Radcliff laughed again and placed the glass on the table. "Right to the point, eh? That's why I like you. You like to cut through the bullshit and get down to actual business." She paused.
"Aria's reward was getting to fuck his Royal Highness and to make up for her twit of a brother. The Brinwald's owed you, and their mother agreed as much." She finished while leaning back, a sly smile on her face.
Max felt anger welling up within him, and he now understood that Seth was nothing more than a cog in whatever busted machine of a place this was.
Through her admission, she had screamed so loud to Max that she held a complete understanding of many of the ill-fated catastrophes that had taken place since Cream's arrival in Knothole.
"I thought Aria was of a noble house? I am surprised they would send their youngest daughter to please me." Max said as he continued to play along.
"Noble house? Hah! They barely have any money. Unfortunately for them, Lex had a gambling habit and lost most of his family fortune to Lord Windser. Aria should consider herself lucky to be the concubine of the royal family. That is the only prestige she will ever obtain." Sarah said, having been fully convinced Max and her were speaking on the same wavelength.
Max could feel his blood boiling as he began imagining someone putting his sister in such a scenario. He would rend the flesh from the bones of those responsible and feel pleasure doing so.
His remorse for Aria was immense, but he couldn't understand why Seth would go along with such a despicable thing. Little sisters were precious and ought to be spoiled above all else.
"I see…" He paused briefly and continued his thought. "I just… Seth." He tried to put his jumbled feelings into coherent words.
Lady Radcliff chuckled to herself as she picked up her glass and took a few more sips. "That was my idea, I figured… He would want to be a good big brother and be there when his little sister became a 'woman.' Oh, how I wish I could've seen the look on his face when you took her away in your arms."
Max turned his gaze away and moved towards the balcony edge, unable to look upon her without betraying his inner feelings. He could now see who she was behind her very convincing façade.
This wasn't a punishment to appease him at all. It was a punishment that she took delight in personally. Whatever her issues with Seth, it was apparent making him suffer mentally was bringing her joy.
He looked down upon whatever animals walked below, little more than dots that moved from one place to the next. Like ants at this height, droning about without care or concern for the sinister things taking place above them.
He could hear lady Sarah walking over to his place by the balcony edge, and then he felt her feminine frame press against him.
Her bosom squishing against his back, and her hands rubbing along the back of his neck. "You know… you could have anything your heart desires… if… you were to come stay."
Max turned to look at her from his peripheral vision and saw her rather sensual smile as he felt her hand move along his right arm. "Perhaps Aria was too young. Maybe you prefer older… experienced women?"
Max didn't know what to say. He was extremely uncomfortable but merely let her do what she wished. She was more than twice his age and seemed to have no qualms about acting in such a manner despite her high status.
"Young… Old… Money… Luxury. It could all be yours, my prince. You could have anything you want or… anyone."
Max moved his head and returned to looking down at the ants that scurried before he responded.
"You don't even know if I'm the real prince." He said.
Lady Radcliff just put her hands on the back of his neck and rubbed once more. She moved her head forward and whispered delicately into his ear.
"What does that matter? So long as you look the part…."
Max said nothing, and he had an epiphany in that instant. She didn't care about anything other than the power she would gain by associating with the "royal family." Legitimacy had no place in a world that blindly believed in royal divinity.
If the war ended by some miracle, their nonsense currency would be legitimized through him, and she, no, all the houses would forever live in the height of luxury.
If the war never ended, he would stay, and they both would share absolute and unquestionable authority over the animals that resided here, to do with as they pleased beyond reason.
"I…" Max began but paused. he felt that rejecting this outright might be dangerous, so he chose instead to act as if he were considering it.
"I don't know about that… I need to think on it."
Lady Radcliff moved away from him. "Someone like you shouldn't be fighting a petty war. You should be living in luxury instead of some dirt hole in the forest." She pushed harder to convince him of the unlimited pleasure he would receive, that he was "entitled to."
Max didn't turn to face her, but he heard her sit down and pour more liquid into her glass.
"I think you should make your decision…." Her voice came out slightly sloshy. "Before Lord Robotnik winds up crushing you."
Max's ears perked up, and he quickly turned around, unable to hide the look of pure disgust on his face.
"What did you just say?" His voice became elevated.
…
Lady Radcliff merely giggled a bit and placed her hand over her mouth. "I said, I think you should make your decision, my Lord before Robotnik crushes you."
"Did you mishear me…?"
He wasn't sure if he did, but now, what he was sure of, was that he couldn't stand to be in her presence any longer.
"May I leave? I have to prepare to return home."
"Of course! Just make sure you stop and see me before you go. I need to know the location of your village so that we can establish trade." She said with a relaxed smile.
Max nodded. "I'll let you know if I intend to return and stay at that time." He reassured her.
"Of course, Your Highness, just let me know, and we will begin moving towards a greater age together." She said.
Max turned and took his leave of the balcony. He already knew for sure he needed to get out of this miserable place as quickly as possible.
…
…
…
Tails shuffled forward through Cream's home and out into the living room. He felt exhausted from staying up so late waiting for Max's return, but he awoke and decided to check up on him due to his concern.
When he stumbled out into the living room, he noticed the discarded tote sitting by the closed front door.
The light was left on, and Tails didn't even need to check the balcony to know that Max was likely not where he left him.
His eyes glanced about, noticing the empty bottle on the counter along with a pouch. He walked over towards it and grabbed it in his hand, and shook it gently.
It made a rattling metal sound, and then Tails opened it to pour some of the contents into his hand.
Inside was multiple high denominations of the coins that Cream had shown him. He knew it was for Max, given his name was scrawled on the paper attached to it, but he wasn't strictly positive where he had wandered off to and why he didn't take such a thing with him if it were a gift.
He placed the pouch back onto the counter and instinctually slid the few coins he had taken out into his own side pack attached to his belt. Once that was done, he walked over to the tote to scrutinize it.
"Medical Supplies?" Tails whispered to himself as he read the tag.
He lifted the bag, and it felt pretty heavy and full, then he placed it gently back on the ground out of the way of the door.
With every clue in place in his mind, he surmised that Max had gone to thank Lady Radcliff for her gifts. Perhaps the majority of the coins were for repeat visits to the city?
This gave Tails much hope for the future of Knothole. Such an ally in the war effort might turn the tide for them, or at least, he wished it would.
He let out a quiet sigh and then turned to walk back down the hallway. He paused when approaching Cream's door and just stared at it in the dim shadows.
She had barred herself in there all night, and any effort to talk to her didn't result in as much as a peep from her.
As frustrated and annoyed as he was with her inability to deal with any high level of stress, he still wished to make amends before he was to be off.
Having known that it was near late morning from the use of the clock in his room, he decided that he would try one last time, and if she still chose to remain hidden away, then to hell with her.
Tap…
Tap…
Tap…
Tails gently knocked.
"Hey… It's me again…" He paused, still feeling like an idiot. "Look, I am not going to tell you to come out, or lose my tempter, or…." He stopped and shook his head.
"Look, Cream… I am sorry for all the things you have gone through, and I know I can't make them right, but I at least ask you to say goodbye to me before I have to leave." His voice was full of genuine sadness.
There was a long pause, and then, as Tails was about to turn away to let her rot. The dim lights from between the cracks of her door began to shine vibrantly. A few seconds later, the door itself unlatched and slowly opened.
Tails was initially blinded by how bright it was compared to the light levels of everywhere else. Still, when they adjusted, he was shocked to see that she had changed her outfit for the first time.
Her ratty dress that was modest, lovely, and modeled after her late mother's, was wrapped around her left wrist. She was standing tall and confident in a stunningly elegant blue dress. It looked beyond expensive, even for the time before the war.
Cream's fur was brushed and adorned with a matching flower above her left ear. Gold necklaces and jewelry were draped around her neck and wrists, while high elbow gloves covered every inch of her forearms.
Tails was speechless and simply lowered his head so that he was not too forward with his gawking.
The dress was far more revealing than her old one, but it was definitely one of higher standing.
"I… That's a good look for you." Tails blurted out unfiltered when he found his tongue.
Cream continued standing in silence, holding her old dress. She seemed resigned, and even as Tails regained the ability to look upon her once more, he found this to be anything but sad.
"I…" Cream began. "Well, I j-just wanted to say, I am sorry." She awkwardly adjusted her gold bracelet.
"It's no…." Tails tried to speak, but she cut him off.
"No… I want you to apologize to Max for me. I know I have been acting like a brat, but the truth is… I feel as if all justice and my life has been ripped away from me." She took in a small breath.
"I recognize now that I can no longer be Cream. I can no longer be so naive and childish. I need to deal with the harsh truths of the world we live in. I need to become Lady Redford…." She said.
Tails felt pain in his heart as if a pin were pricking it. While what she said had merit, it was her genuine, good-natured innocence that he found sorely lacking in the world they were stuck in.
"I don't know…." Tails tried to formulate his feelings into words but found it challenging.
"Whether I like it or not. I am Lady Redford now. The death of my adoptive father has left me with great responsibilities to my home." She said.
He stared at the beautiful rabbit, and the infectious sadness was catching. She could do little to hide her pain, and neither could he.
Their relationship was always turbulent and filled with mistrust, but their genuine need for companionship helped weather the storms.
Cream looked down and held the old dress tight to her chest, and she spoke in a way that just barely resembled the beginning of crying.
"I wish… I wish I could change your mind, though I know you have already made it before I speak."
Tails blinked and watched as she agonized, though her speech was more straightforward than ever. The apprehension was the greatest it had ever been.
"I haven't made up my mind about anything and anything that has to do with you, I…." He tried to calm her, but she blurted out her following words before he could finish.
"Stay with me…."
Tails was genuinely shocked and felt his heart beat rapidly, more so than even in combat. "I… What…?"
"I-I have nothing now… No family, no father, no close friends… You are all I have left…." She spoke as she continued trying to keep her need to sob in check.
"Knothole has a whole group of you… I n-need your support. I n-need somebody to support me who I c-can trust." She said, wiping the tears that began running down her cheeks.
Tails was dying on the inside. He cared about her, and it was now in this darkened hallway, he understood how much.
He wanted to stay, he wanted to help her, he wanted her to find confidence in herself. Even if he disliked this place and its people, he would suffer through it all just to bring her happiness.
Tails was so torn with emotion that he looked away and became as teary-eyed as she was.
"Cream… You know I can't do that. I… Knothole needs me. Everyone is counting on me."
"I know… It is the same for me…." Cream said in a whimpering whisper as she touched his cheek with her soft gloved hand.
He looked at her, and she slid away from him. "You will have to forgive me… As Lady Redford, I have thi-things to attend to…." She said while pushing him to the side softly.
Tails turned and watched her walk out into the living room, and when she was by a bin in the kitchen, she tossed the old dress into it.
"I am sorry I can't be here for your departure, but… I…" She turned away as she began to cry audibly and merely made her way out of her front door without finishing.
Tails felt like he was being crushed by the weight of his emotions. Their turbulent relationship continually went up and down, but it seems to have finally come to its bitter conclusion.
He quietly turned away to enter his room, and as the tears wet his cheek fur in droves, he let out a sobbing gasp to keep his cries silent.
It hurt so much to find someone his own age, someone who made him feel not quite so miserable but to have them unable to continue on in the peace of Knothole.
The more he thought, the more anger he began to feel, not because of their inevitable split, but because she felt so bad about who she was.
In a world so lacking in kindness and innocence, she wanted to become just another miserable animal.
Tails knew that it had hampered her in many ways, but he knew she could always grow while retaining the brightness of her lovely soul.
He reached and grabbed his rifle that was sat lying up against the bed and slung it over his shoulder. He then took himself out into the hallway with determination.
He moved forward into the living room, and quietly picked her old, destroyed dress out of the trash.
It had meant so much to her, for her to just toss it aside felt wrong. He examined all the stains, tears, creases, and damage to the fixtures of it.
"…"
As crazy as Tails might have been, he contemplated keeping it for remembrance but wondered if perhaps there was something he could do for Cream at this pivotal time.
He looked down the hall towards the room where Annie was still sleeping and then turned back and began rolling the dress up into a round shape.
He forcibly stuffed it into his side pouch, which made it bulk up to capacity but just barely fit enough to zip it shut.
With that, he was out the front door and on his way.
…
…
Tails rapidly went down the stairs, and it was rather strange to him that it was quiet. Usually, the commotion of the city would grow louder the closer he got to the ground-level district, but today there was nothing.
As he exited the entryway, his eyes looked about, and he couldn't help but feel the uneasiness in the air.
Most of the general citizenry were avoidant of this area, and when he looked to the left, he could see what he thought to be blood all about the dirt-laden ground.
…
There was no sign of anybody, so Tails took the opportunity to inspect more closely. He moved out of the gate and towards where the construction work had been taking place.
When he reached his destination, he could see that it wasn't just pools and stains. It also spattered against the rocks. Indicating that it was a brutal assault.
Tails stepped forward and got as good a look as he could. Then, suddenly, someone whispered to him.
"Hey… Fox… you are allied with the prince, are you?"
There was a pause, and when he looked up, he saw a disheveled worker hiding by wooden boxes and rocks.
"I… what is all this?" Tails asked him.
"Shhh… There isn't much time. I can't be seen talking to you, talking to anyone. Though I felt obligated to speak to you." He whispered.
He stepped up a bit while he glanced about for any knights and then continued. "Please, thank his Highness for getting them to call off our punishment. He didn't have to, but we all know it was him, as it would have never stopped otherwise…."
Tails looked at him and at the blood. "Are you saying that this was done to you by the knights?"
The animal backed away and sputtered. "I-I ain't saying nothing… I- thank His Highness for us…." With that, he quickly began to squat down and move away from him and the central district.
Tails turned and began to feel an incredible amount of disgust fill his guts. No animal ought to attack another, especially during wartime against a human.
Even worse, to think that the city's protectors would do such a thing sat terribly with him.
He walked past the gated area of Cream's home and continued being lost in thought. He was increasingly feeling Max's sentiment of dislike with each passing minute.
He was almost positive that Max saw things about this place that he clearly hadn't up to this point.
Sure, Tails had a distaste for the policies and some animals, but it quickly became outright hatred.
The longer he meandered about trying to piece everything together, the more he grew suspicious of everything around him.
The violence, the pageantry, the coincidences in all of the events up until now. It all had to have some undercurrent carrying it along.
Then, as he stopped to look at his surroundings. His eyes caught a glimpse of Max. Who appeared to be wandering aimlessly with his eyes lowered to the ground.
…
"Max!" Tails called out to him, bringing his attention forward, and upon seeing him, his worried expression relaxed a little.
Tails hurried across the center walkway to the other side of the "road." When he reached him, he smiled and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Here you are! I was wondering where you went off to." He said.
Max just took in a deep breath and responded in a melancholy tone. "Sorry… I was busy taking care of some things…."
Tails knew something was wrong, and he began to look around himself quietly to make sure that nobody was eavesdropping.
"I don't know what is going on, Max, but now is not the time to be reserved… I know some weird shit is going on here, and I need you to be out with it right now." He kept his tone severe but low.
Max rubbed his left arm and looked to Tails as if he were a scared child. "Look… Something really messed up is going on here, and it goes beyond just being out of touch with the war against Robotnik…."
He paused and looked into Tails' eyes and then continued. "They, the animals here, they are literally obsessed with me-my family. I really don't think any of them know the truth about anything. They worship Acorn's as if they are deities."
Tails was quiet, he wasn't sure he followed Max entirely, but at the same time, he was getting an uneasy feeling merely talking about this subject.
"Lady Radcliff… when I spoke to her… I swore I heard her say 'Lord Robotnik' to me…." Max admitted.
Tails immediately scowled and leaned in. "What? You must be joking; no animal would ever utter such a phrase."
The two just stared at one another, and then Tails saw how unsure Max looked. "Have you noticed anything strange since you left her? Anyone following you? Anything at all that stood out to you?"
Max thought for a bit, then responded. "No… Nobody was following me. That was the first thing I made sure of. The only thing I noticed that stood out to me since running into you was this one set of stairs in the district's center. It has quite a few knights guarding it." He paused briefly.
"It wasn't like that the night before, I think?" He finished, knowing he was possibly mistaken due to his drunkenness.
Tails thought for a moment and then opened his side pack. He began digging beneath Cream's dress until he located the coins he had tossed in earlier.
He pulled them out and gave Max one of them. "This is from your pouch. Go get something for you and Annie to eat and remain inconspicuous. I am going to go and look into this personally."
Max took the coin and seemed worried. "I don't think you should…." He tried to say.
Tails shook his head. "No, all eyes are on you, so I should be doing the snooping. I want you to listen to me, Max… If I am gone, and the clock in my room reaches 7 in the evening. I want you to grab Annie and go."
"I can't…." Max tried to argue but was cut off.
"No. You will end of story. Do you understand me?" Tails said sternly.
Max nodded quietly. He had experienced just how twisted this place was, and it was because Tails hadn't that he was worried for him.
Tails patted him on the shoulder. He knew Max was omitting things, but the seriousness of the subject matter made him realize that he was pretty traumatized by everything that had occurred.
The silence went on between the two until eventually Tails remembered what happened moments ago, and he informed Max.
"The workers wanted me to thank you on their behalf for stopping their punishment."
Max looked slightly surprised and even fearful, then nodded. He was concerned that Tails had found out what he had done, so he turned away to avoid confrontation.
He went about following Tails' instructions as he had been told but turned briefly to say one last thing.
"The knights are against me… Don't trust them, especially Jonathan."
Tails nodded, not really sure what he meant. Still, he had a suspicion that the knights beating the workers and Max were interconnected.
He kept his eye on him until he entered one of the shops for food and then took to walking again.
"…"
"Lord Robotnik… How repugnant." Tails muttered to himself.
He had hoped Max had misheard, but given the memories he had of the vicious attack he and Cream's party had suffered, he found himself willing to buy it really easily.
He walked while keeping his eyes peeled the entire time. Once he was about halfway in, he came across the place Max had mentioned.
An entryway that featured a long set of steps leading to a wooden door. In front of the door were a decorated knight and multiple subordinates.
He stopped and examined all around it and noticed three window slats carved out of the stone well above his head. It was easy for him to tell it was the room that the door at the top of the stairs led to.
After he paused, he acted as if he were walking by and then stopped in front of an empty shop.
"…"
To the left, walking away from him, were a few animals, and to the right, facing him, there was nobody.
He figured now was as good a time as any, and he quickly twirled his tails and lifted himself suddenly into the air.
He made sure he was flying higher up and in a way that would attract as little attention as possible.
He hovered upwards out of sight but below any balconies that might exist. Once he reached back to the area, he quietly lowered himself towards the window slats.
A quick peek in, and he could see it was empty with a dim lantern set on a bare desk.
"…"
He waited for a moment, and when no noise or people showed, he grabbed hold of the stone and landed on the open window. Like most, it was glassless, and sliding himself in was effortless.
Once he was inside, he stepped forward and took a moment to take in the entirety of the room.
He could see rows upon rows of cramped, wooden shelves stocked with all manner of books. The wood-reinforced room smelled heavily of old paper, but it was not an unpleasant scent to his nose.
"A library?" He whispered to nothing.
The sheer number of texts was impressive, and at a glance, many of them appeared to have been published within the confines of Radcliff itself. Not everything was prewar.
He moved away from the shelves silently while looking about the empty place. It was eerie in here, especially with only the dim flickering of a lantern to light the room.
Tails kept searching about and noticed that the top of the large central desk had dust outlines where things once sat. Odd to him, since if there was nothing to guard, why was this under lock and key?
He stepped to the side and into one of the cramped rows of books. He walked all the way to the back, hoping to find something of interest that would require several animals guarding it.
When he got there, he spotted rows of rickety tables for people to read off of, with another lantern lighting the back area.
"…"
He looked around and still saw nothing of interest. He felt this was a waste of time and that Max might be a little too out of it.
He was about to leave, but he noticed a small door to his right was slightly ajar.
The steel latch that once sat on the wood had been pried and broken off. Tails moved closer, stared at it curiously, and then placed his left hand onto the clearly broken lock.
"What is this?" He commented under his breath.
He put his free hand on the wood, then pushed forward, causing it to creak loudly. He paused for a moment and then pushed the rest of the way in when nothing reacted.
Once he was entirely inside the extremely cramped room, he could see many opened and sealed boxes sitting beside and on top of a messy bed. A small desk sat by the door, and it had a kerosene lamp still burning atop it.
"Blasted, I HATE guard duty!" He heard someone yelling at the entrance of the library.
"…" Tails held his breath, unsure if what he was doing was making too much noise, but he calmed down a bit when nothing more happened.
The person yelling was just outside of the guarded entrance, so Tails felt safe snooping about for the time being. He turned back and went hastily looking through the room.
He peered into some of the open boxes, and they looked to be nothing more than an animal's belongings. Had a theft taken place? Why was the door clearly broken into? What did any of this mean?
He pulled some of the useless belongings off the top of an open box, and beneath were just piles of clothes, neatly tucked away to be moved.
When he lifted one of the articles of clothing, it became incredibly apparent it was a series of dresses that a young woman would wear.
Tails looked behind himself to make sure nobody had snuck up on him as he infiltrated the space and quietly began placing the items back where he got them.
His eyes peered along the wooden walls, and he noticed that outlines of once long-standing picture frames still existed in the dust. Whoever was cleaning up in here had not done so in years.
He quietly moved outside of the door and closed it once again into its ajar position. Once he was clear of the room, he moved a little way up the cramped aisle of books.
That was when he could hear a person out front talking to somebody else.
"Pardon, but the library is closed. Nobody is allowed entry by order of Lady Sarah. Some renovations are required because the area was deemed not safe for animal occupation."
Tails stopped and listened quietly to the conversation as a new female voice came next.
"Forgive me, I never got the memo. I do apologize for bothering you."
"Ahhh, well, it is no problem. The library should be opened once the renovations are complete."
"Oh?" The woman seemed disheartened. "Well, I hope so. You know how I need my stories."
Tails crept forward and peered out from behind the corner of the bookshelf. He could hear the voices much clearer now and waited for their conversation to end.
"Ah, well, you can always write your own stories, ya know. I hear that it can pay to write a good story." The knight responded.
Tails stayed there quietly listening until he heard the other person began to stomp away after the comment from one of the guards.
He let out a small breath of air, feeling some relief that he was still undetected. It was terrible that he was coming up empty-handed, but it was good to erase suspicion as much as it was to confirm it.
He peered around the room one last time, and when nothing but the big, fancy desk jumped out at him, he wandered over towards it.
As he scrutinized it slowly, he noticed there was more on the other side. It appeared that most of the contents on it had been wiped off and placed into a wicker bin behind it.
Tails went around the desk and peered into the top of the basket. Most of it was not junk, and a lot of it appeared to be decretive ornaments and dolls that once sat on the desk.
It was then he noticed a long plaque that was to be whisked away with the rest.
"…" He hesitantly reached in and picked it out of the bin to read it.
"Severa Sinclair, Librarian."
Tails' grip on the desk plaque became loose in an instant, and it fell out of his hand, clanking against the wooden boards when it landed.
A chill wind blew through his body, and it made him shiver. He quickly ducked down and hid underneath the seating area of the massive desk.
The door opened abruptly, and the knight outside walked in and looked about. "The hell was that?"
His steps moved forward on the wooden floor as his boot stomps became ever louder.
Eventually, they stopped not far from Tails, and he heard his voice carry out. "Bah, this place is a pile of trash."
With that, he started stomping away until the front door of the library slammed shut as it once had been.
Tails waited, and then eventually, his eyes glanced over the desk and at the closed door. He thought for a moment, and then as quietly as he could, grabbed the plaque and placed it back into the bin.
He had wholly forgotten Severa had been here and knew that such a person would have come to see Max in the days that they stayed. His preoccupation with Cream had blinded him to her existence.
Whatever fate had befallen her was clearly not a good one, as the secrecy and seriousness by which she was being erased from Radcliff was alarming.
He quietly went to the window and peered down to see if the coast was clear. A few people were going about their business. Still, none seemed to be paying any attention to what was going on above them.
Once he was satisfied that nobody would see him, Tails climbed through the window and jumped while spinning his tails.
As it began to lift him, he tried to keep himself at an altitude that was hard to see him at. He was focused on not being caught anywhere near that library. After flying for about 2 minutes, he found a nice empty area in the district to land.
He plopped down on one of the gaps between the tightly gathered shops and looked around to make sure nobody saw him flying.
When it was clear that nobody had and that those that were out were all in the sops, he let himself take in the events that had just happened.
"…"
He had to tell Cream about Severa… Hell, he wished he could talk to Lady Radcliff about Severa. He was struggling to figure out a way to do so without causing problems.
Tails started walking as he tried to get his thoughts placed right to handle this situation with skill and cunning.
He tried to convince himself that this was possibly another Severa. Still, as he moved through the district, it came to him that Cream even told him Severa was the librarian.
It eventually came to the point that no matter what plan he tried to come up with, nothing was better than the idea of grabbing Cream and fleeing.
Tails was as paranoid as he was frustrated, and he stopped to look around at the shops to try and help ease him.
It was all overwhelming to the senses for sure, and he was constantly going back and forth with himself.
He continued looking into the open doors of the shops until one place caught his eye and shifted him into second-guessing himself.
It was a small boutique-type shop with an assortment of beautiful dresses stationed near the entrance on wooden body frames.
It was in this instance that he recalled why he even came out here in the first place. Events had changed that, but his logical mind was fighting against his fear and mistrust as he thought about everything.
Severa could have just been moving, and the library really might be dangerous and need to be repaired. There were a million logical explanations of a non-nefarious nature that could fit this narrative.
Was Max simply unreasonably paranoid? Was he? Maybe both? They had been biased against this place from the start, and it was really worrying him to the point.
After a bit of thought, he decided to talk to Max when he returned to Cream's and try to reason it out with him that they were possibly in the wrong.
Satisfied with that compromise to himself, for the time being, he turned and walked into the boutique as he had planned to do when he grabbed Cream's dress from the trash.
Trying with all effort he could muster, he let go of his suspicions briefly so that he could try and go about this mess normally and appropriately.
Upon entering the shop, he saw a middle-aged woman in a tacky dress. She was standing behind a somewhat scratched-up-looking wooden counter. However, the clothes offered by the shop were indeed beautiful. The place itself seemed to be in shambles.
"Hello, young fox. Looking for a little number to impress a sweetheart? Well, you have come to the right place! Unlike other stores that offer hand-me-downs, this one custom makes every single dress from scratch." The woman said as she hastily moved along the counter and shifted a thick wool curtain across an open doorway to block it from view.
Tails eyed her movements, trying to keep his mind from running wild. "I… Well, not exactly. I have come here on behalf of Cre- I erm, I mean Lady Redford. I am looking to have one of her dresses repaired." He said as if he were nothing more than a humble servant.
The older woman clapped her hands together with a smack, and then retrieved her glasses from the counter, placing them onto her face.
"Excellent! Do you need me to pick up the dress?" She asked.
"Oh, no. I have it with me." Tails said as he unzipped the pouch and tried to walk around the counter.
The woman rapidly jumped in front of the veiled doorway and cleared her throat a bit. "It is quite rude to walk behind a business' counter." She reprimanded him harshly.
Tails stopped and looked at her as she blocked his path with her hands settled onto her waist. He nodded silently and reached into his bag, yanking out the dress that was cramped into it.
The woman snatched it from him and lay it atop her counter so that she could inspect every inch of it.
"Tsk, Tsk. This was a rather expensive dress that Sir. Redford had commissioned for his daughter on her sixteenth birthday… The materials were quite difficult to come by at the time. It almost pains me to see it in such condition."
Tails took his eyes off the dress when he heard clamoring and banging coming from beyond the shielded doorway.
He turned to look at the thick red curtain and then quickly set eyes back on the old badger that was scrutinizing the dress.
"I believe I can fix this for you, though it might take a few months… I am quite busy." She eventually said, looking up at Tails.
He thought for a minute and then spoke. "Is there any way you could fix it quicker than that?"
"Absolutely not! Materials do not appear out of thin air; besides, you are in a line and must wait your turn. I understand it is miss Redford's wish, but her status does not put her above my other clients." The older animal said as if she were insulted.
He reached into the side pack once again and pulled out one of the small coins gifted to Max.
"Prince Max 'insists' that this be taken care of immediately." Tails said.
With that, he placed the coin on the counter and slid it over to her.
"Prince Max, you say…?" She said as she adjusted her glasses and picked up the coin. She squinted, and then when she read the denomination, she looked as if she might faint.
"100 000… This is more than my shop makes in four years! His Highness really does want the dress fixed with such haste?"
Tails nodded and leaned on the counter. "I am… his uh, war tactician. He sent me to do this on his behalf. He hopes this amount convinces you of the seriousness of this request."
The woman seemed to want to jump around the room and was obviously not thinking clearly any longer.
"Y-yes! Of course! Please, Sir, wait right here. I will run upstairs and see if I have the materials necessary to complete it this week."
Tails watched her as she whisked past him and up the crudely carved stone stairs to check her stock. He leaned against the counter and tried his best to fight his mistrust.
As he waited, he tried to not look towards the covered door for fear his suspicion would run rampant once more.
His eyes glanced about the room, and he noted the dresses that were all about the store.
A lot of them looked as if they were in drastically different styles. The woman running the shop must have been of exceptionally high skill to make them all from scratch.
The longer he looked at the merchandise, the stronger his bad feelings became. Even avoiding the entrance behind the counter did nothing to alleviate him. He intensely scrutinized the dress closest to him to continue avoiding his desire to snoop further.
As he went over the fine cloth, he noticed that it bore faint repair stitching on it, it was subtle, but it told him the dress was not made from scratch as she had claimed.
He moved in his curiosity and looked over another dress, and it too bore faint repair stitching.
"…"
Why did he care so much about some minor lie that any business would likely tell?
He knew it was because of all the other horrible events, but to think that some shopkeep had anything to do with Severa or the knights bordered absurdity.
As he peered around at dresses, his gaze unavoidably fixated onto the curtain for the third time. It was now silent, but how she seemed to guard its secrecy tempted him beyond measure.
He looked up towards the stairs and listened to the rummaging noises traveling down the long set of stairs from above.
Was he really considering snooping about this innocent shop owner's place? Did he really have such a valid reason to justify such an action?
He felt he did, and his distaste for things seen and heard was enough to convince him on a sheer illogical and emotional level.
He didn't care at all about the 100 000 coin she had whisked away and simply moved towards the curtain once he made sure nobody was watching.
Just as his brown glove touched it, he heard the woman call loudly from upstairs.
"I do not see the materials, b-but I wouldn't want you to think this job out of my capabilities! I am sure I can do something!"
Tails looked up and responded in an attempt to keep her from returning. "Just keep looking! It is important to the prince, and I implore you to exhaust all possibilities!"
"Alright! I will go through each of my containers. It might take a little while, so if you wish to come back after a bit, you may do so!" She called back as frantic crashes and tossing could be heard now.
"Will do!" Tails said and then immediately pulled the curtain to the side, revealing a narrow and dark stone walkway with faint orange flickering at the end of it.
When he looked to the left, he saw the old, open wooden door with a heavy cast-iron lock hanging off the handle. It appeared this entrance was typically kept under lock and key most of the time.
He stepped forward onto the dirt-littered floor and shut the curtain once he was on the other side of it.
Tails began to sneak his way forward rapidly as he lowered himself closer to the ground.
The sounds of slamming and talking carried through the cramped hallway, and he felt somewhat fearful of the unknown darkness.
Once, he reached the far end of the hall and turned the corner. He saw a row of lit torches that led out to a broader hallway and what appeared to be a large open area filled with wooden boxes and crates.
He was pressing his snooping into dangerous territory and had faint hopes of locating Severa somewhere within.
Tails silently pulled his gun from his shoulder for protection. Then released the safety valve slowly as it let out a quiet continual hiss. Steam leaked out of it while he moved forward towards the source of the talking.
When he heard the loud sounds of boots scraping against the dirt and stone, he ducked as low as he possibly could and slid right behind a rather large wooden storage crate.
"Hell, I hate cleanup duty." A female voice said.
"Yeah, but this one was a rather large score." A male voice replied.
"Well, this one was such a pain in the ass… I don't think we got even a fifth of what was likely there. It was so confusing." The female voice said.
Tails quietly peeked his eyes around the side of the crate. They could see the male and female knight talking as they dropped a moderate size wooden box with the rest in this more open-ended area.
"So, that is most of it?" The male said.
"Yeah, what we could find. She's got her work cut out for her; I'll tell you that…." The female remarked as she turned and started walking alongside the male.
Tails watched as the two disappeared into a darker area of the hall. As he examined the way things were set up, it seemed that this was likely an interconnected passage that allowed shops to receive shipments from Radcliff's trade agreements more easily.
Tails' curiosity burned, and though his intellect finally set everything in perfect understanding, he had a need to put his worries to rest through physical evidence.
He moved towards the moderately sized crate and slid his thumb against it. He pushed upwards and found that the wood opened quickly.
He looked down the torchlit hallway, and not a soul seemed to be stirring but him. He lifted the wood, and as it echoed with squeaks in the darkness, he paused to keep an ear out for knights.
"…"
Tails reached his glove in and felt around before he would actually look. Even through his glove, he could tell it was cloth, the kind of fabric any dress shop might want. Though it had a strange texture, and to say it didn't stink horribly would be lying.
"The hell is this?" Tails said to himself, unconcerned about being caught this far into his spying.
He pulled gently, and the cloth came loose from the matted bundle, sliding enough out of the crate so he could see it.
In the flickering torchlight, he could barely make out the once dazzling colors of the cloth because it was so doused and muted by the blood that soaked it.
Shock and disbelief hit him like a hammer to the face, as distinct memories of the lone corpse in the tunnel raced through Tails' memory.
He pulled hard, causing the lid to fall off the box as it slammed to the ground with a clatter.
"Hey, what was that!?" A male voice shouted from further down the hallway.
Tails ignored it, even as the sounds of running began. He held the smelly cloth in his hands and looked down at all the other blood-soaked and war-torn fabric.
Ceremonial dresses, unmistakable to his eyes. The proud colors of blue, red, white, and gold. Doused in coagulated blood and sent to be worn by the undeserving.
Tails felt immediate, intense rage that was like nothing he ever felt before. It stripped him of all logic and precaution, and he turned to look down the hallway to see the knights point to him when they saw him.
"STOP HIM!"
Tails turned with the dress still in his hand and fled down the hall from where he had come.
He rounded the corner, rapidly going down the straightaway, then, when he reached the end, he pulled the curtain entirely from the door.
The boutique owner, who had come down from atop the staircase, screamed when he popped out.
"Ahhhh! Knights! Intruder in the forbidden area!"
Tails turned and pointed his gun towards the woman, and she screamed once again for her life.
She ducked behind the other end of the counter, and the knights pursuing Tails had finally rounded the corner and called to him.
"Stop! If you resist, we are required to use lethal force on you!"
Tails turned back and pointed the gun towards them. They seemed unphased by his aggressive stance and carried forward.
His mind was so lost in pain and anger that he didn't care about them or their safety. He shifted the rifle towards the ground, and with one shot, a massive explosion tore through the stone.
The blast was so fierce that it sent Tails flying backward over the counter and sent flames bursting into the store. The scream and panic of the knights from the other end of the now collapsed entryway could be heard.
"By the royals, what was that?!"
"Ahhh!"
"Help dig em' out! Hurry!"
Tails felt disoriented as he used his rifle to push himself to his feet. He held his head briefly with his now empty hand as blood trickled down his face and onto his muzzle.
The shop owner cried and lay on the floor. "Please don't kill me! Please! I- I didn't know anything about what goes on in there! Honest!"
Tails ignored her and grabbed the wardress from the dirty floor. He then turned away from the shop, pushing himself out into the social district.
By the time he found himself on the makeshift sidewalk, he could tell that the commotion had caused anybody in the vicinity to scatter.
The blast was enough to send confusion running rampant through the district. Tails slung his rifle over his shoulder and began to sprint forward with the blood-stained dress wrapped tightly around his wrist.
The further away he went from the boutique, the more animals that began to reappear.
"What is going on in Radcliff?"
"I dunno?"
"Are we being attacked?"
"It was a cave-in!"
Other knight squadrons whizzed past Tails in an attempt to help deal with the incident, unaware at that moment that he was the very cause of it.
Everybody saw him running and assumed he was trying to escape the chaos in this part of the city.
Tails moved forward, determined as ever to reach his destination, ready to kill anybody who dared try and stop him. Enemies exposed, they could not live. He wouldn't allow it.
His rage carried him through the residential district, and the animals that were out and about noticed him running through.
It caused panic to begin setting in as the blood-stained dress became apparent to those who chose to pay attention.
Out of the district, through the tunnel, and directly towards Lady Radcliff's office, all semblance of decorum and tactical wit lost to whatever madness had befuddled his mind.
When he approached the door, a knight saw him and held up his hand.
"I'm sorry, sir, but Lady Radcliff just got in and is busy doing paperwork at the…."
Tails pulled his rifle from his back and held it up while the dress draped beneath it in his hand.
"Shut up- just shut your mouth and open the door!"
The knight held his hands in the air and was visibly shaken. Their weapons were primitive, and this rifle looked intimating being pointed at him.
"Ye-yes, Sir. I…" He stammered as he opened the door for Tails."
"On the ground! Face the door!" He yelled loudly as the sound of running came.
He looked to the side out of his peripheral vision and saw a squad of knights barreling from one of the other corridors.
He turned his gun towards them, and they stopped." Don't move! I'll level the place! I swear it!"
They all were in complete confusion, and one of them drew his sword. "He's bluffing. He can't take all of us!"
Tails pointed his gun towards the wall and fired, sending an immense explosion ringing through the makeshift wooden tunnel. Wood splintered everywhere, and the mountain wall cracked, sending huge chunks of rock tumbling out.
The knights dropped their weapons in horror, and Tails made his way into the office, with the knights now laying flush to the ground to avoid being killed.
Grace got up and raised her hands. "I'm sorry! Please don't hurt us! We-we will give you anything you want!" She pleaded.
Tails moved past her as she was pushed back by him in the process. He lifted his foot up, and with his thick boot, he kicked Lady Radcliff's door in. The sound of wood cracked, and pieces of the door latch went flying off into the room.
When he walked in, he saw the miserable creature sitting at her desk. A pen in her hand and a look of surprise on her face.
Tails turned and slammed the door shut, after which he went to the side of the gigantic bookshelf and began to slam into it until it toppled over with a massive crash, sending her collection of books spilling out.
With the door now barred and half of her office in shambled, Tails turned his attention to her and raised his gun towards her.
"…"
"I… to what do I owe such an unexpected visit?" Her voice came out with a hint of nervousness.
Tails just threw the bloody dress on the center of her desk, and she examined it. The expression on her face was one of surprise.
"I… Sometimes, our wares come in… in the worst of conditions and…."
"Bullshit." Tails said to her as he pulled on the valve and releasing more steam.
"That might work on others, but it won't work on me. I know those dresses, and the Wolf Pack would never trade them." He said to her.
For once, Lady Radcliff had a smirk on her face, one that signified to him that she knew she wasn't going to bullshit her way out of this one.
"It was you! All this time, all our allies! You have been praying on us!" Tails was near tears, and the gun began to shake.
"I don't know why I didn't see it before! I thought nothing of us trading with one another, and I thought Lupe had found a new Freedom Fighter group, not a hive of pirating fucking scum!"
Lady Radcliff sat there silently, and then the sounds of kicking and banging rattled the door.
"Lady Sarah! Are you well! Has this scum hurt you!" The recognizable voice of Jonathan came.
Lady Radcliff looked at Tails and merely leaned forward.
"You won't get out of here, you know that… right?"
BANG!
The door cracked and slammed as the knights were cutting their way through the door.
"I don't give a damn! They can string me up all they want, but first, I will make sure you rot in hell!" He raised his gun up, and she raised her hands in a frightened manner.
"I'm going to blow you into a million pieces!"
The door slammed, and chunks of wood splintered off into the room. Tails just focused the sights of the rifle onto her chest, knowing it would entirely obliterate her and possibly bring the room down around him.
At this point, caring was forgone, and he had nothing but ill will and malice in his heart. The thick blood of many a Freedom Fighter soaked her hands, and he knew it was through this parasitic garbage heap that their war had been lost.
As she cowered before him, his heart began to ache, and all he could think about was Sonic.
He needed him so badly right now. He wanted his help. He felt confused and at the mercy of his emotions.
BAM!
The hole in the door was getting bigger, and soon it would be easy to push the shelf out of the way.
He felt there was always another option to take, and he had dug himself so deep in his madness that when it conflicted with his hero's image, it made him pause with self-doubt.
He squeezed the trigger slightly and gritted his teeth. Who knew how much prosperity was pillaged by this reprehensible animal?
The door pushed and banged, and the giant bookshelf fell over, allowing the squad of knights to begin hacking what was left of the door.
"…"
Killing her would not stop this. He knew it wouldn't. In his thoughts of Sonic, he had found some grip on reality, and in his clarity, he recognized it spelled doom for more than just himself.
CRASH!
The door was broken through as the knights entered with their weapons drawn.
"Kill him! Protect Lady Radcliff!"
Tails looked over and knew at that moment it would be hard-fought, but he would escape. He would gather Max and Annie and regroup.
They would deal with this scourge together, the Freedom Fighter way. The way in which Sonic would approve.
He raised the gun when the knights entered, and the first knight in line swung her sword towards him. Tails moved to the side and smashed her hard in the face with the back end of the gun.
Three more came with Jonathan in front, and Tails pointed his rifle at the ceiling over the door.
His intent was to cause massive chaos and the wood reinforcements to break, but just as he went to fire, a crossbow bolt flew from the backline and pierced the hand he was propping the rifle up with.
"Ahhhh! Rrrhh!" He screamed in agony as he dropped his weapon and looked down in shock.
He could see the thick piece of wood had pierced the palm of his hand, and the blood was gushing out onto the floor as he held his wrist.
Jonathan moved forward with glee and thrust his sword for Tail's chest, but as he dodged to the side. It caught him in the left arm, and he screamed out once more.
Jonathan pressed forward and slammed Tails into the wall, pinning him against the wooden frame of the room.
"STOP!"
Lady Radcliff began screaming at the top of her lungs.
Jonathan twisted the blade in Tails' flesh, making him cry out.
"I want him alive! Don't you dare kill him! He is more valuable to me alive!" Radcliff screeched.
Tails struggled to break free, but Jonathan punched him in the stomach, causing him to double over, the sword making him hang from the wall.
"Hah! That was for Robbie! I may not be able to gut the boy yet, but watching you suffer makes me feel good enough!"
The sword was pulled from him with those words, and he fell to the floor with a thud.
It was then that a barrage of kicks and a fierce beating began taking place.
Tails tried his best to cover his face, but it was to no avail. He was being beaten senseless with the screams of Lady Radcliff ringing in his ears.
He could no longer tell what she was saying, but she was the last thing he heard before he was pushed away into a world of darkness.
"…"