Dante had just finished explaining what had happened as soon as Vanilla carried Cream from the Common Room. He could tell by their looks that this was something they weren't expecting to hear today.
"Is Isaac okay?" Sonic asked.
Dante shook his head, feeling as if he had aged twenty years.
"I can't even begin to understand how he feels right now. Isaac was just on the floor, crying as if he had lost a friend. I don't know exactly what happened, but I know he needs us now more than ever!" Dante explained.
As they were talking on how to help Isaac, Lily spoke up.
"He was like this before." She said, silencing the group.
"He was? When?" Silver asked.
"Years ago. He thinks I do not remember, but I do. A stranger came to our camp, asking questions. Isaac was only twelve. He was scared. Scared that this man was part of the Order." Lily began to explain.
"But Isaac was a kid. A scared kid, hiding in the woods. He wouldn't have done anything unless he was sure something was unusual." Shadow said.
"Does not matter. After the man left, Isaac dug up this… strange weapon he kept in a box. He called it a 'gun'. Said it belonged to our father. Isaac waited. Waited for hours. The stranger… he showed up again. Began asking more questions. Isaac, he… made fire exit from the gun. The stranger… he was dead before he hit the ground." Lily finished.
"Oh my God!" Amy muttered.
"And Isaac lied to you about this?" Espio asked.
"No. He just does not believe I remember. Isaac was right, though. He was part of the Order. But he did not know it then. Isaac panicked. He took the gun apart. Locked it up. But when he found the symbol on the man's knife, he looked… relieved. As if he had done what he had intended." Lily answered.
After a moment of silence, Vector spoke up.
"Doesn't it scare anyone else that this is coming from an eight-year-old girl?" Vector asked.
"I was two when it happened. That is why Isaac does not talk about it. He does not see a reason to." Lily said.
The group deliberated on what to do. While Isaac was their friend, they couldn't just ignore the problem at hand. Isaac found his breaking point, and this time, knowing the dead was part of the Order wasn't going to make this all go away. Not when she was unarmed. A few hours had passed, and instead of finding different ways to celebrate Christmas, they were now trying to find ways to help Isaac get through this crisis.
"What about Sally? Isaac probably trusts her more than any of us." Rouge asked.
"I don't know. I left to give them some privacy. Isaac wasn't in a good place when I left." Dante answered.
"I guess… we hope that Sally can reach him before it's too late." Blaze observed.
"What do you mean 'too late'? Wait, you don't think Isaac would…" Sonic began to ask, before trailing off.
"He would not do that! He is not a coward!" Lily exclaimed, knowing exactly what she was implying.
"Lily, I didn't mean to imply that. But I speak from experience. People who enforce the law, sometimes the stress of doing their duty, it can cause them to do… things they would never have considered in the first place. Find a way out." Blaze said.
"A way out? Wait a minute, you mean suicide?!" Amy asked, shocked at what Blaze was talking about.
"It's only a possibility! But we can't rule it out!" Blaze explained.
As they were talking, a G.U.N. agent knocked on the frame of the doorway, alerting the group.
"Agent Rouge, we came as soon as we got your call. Agent Shadow, we may need your help in moving the prisoners." She said, equipping a pair of handcuffs.
"Rouge, you contacted G.U.N.?" Shadow asked.
"She had to. A hostage situation by an overseas party falls into international law. G.U.N. is taking custody of the prisoners, authorized by King Nigel Acorn himself." The agent explained.
Shadow and Rouge left the Common Room, following the agent to the Holding Cells. They were followed by six heavily armed G.U.N. agents. About ten minutes passed by, eerily quiet. Soon, the silence was broken by the senior agent giving orders.
"Keep your guns on him! If he moves out of line, take him out!" She ordered, moving the prisoners.
The Overlander was heavily restrained, every part of him that could pose a threat was chained together, severely limiting his movement. He shuffled, looking like he was one large step away from tripping. Ironically, he was being escorted by another Overlander, who was carrying a custom Colt M4 Carbine. It was big enough to weigh at least 45 pounds.
"We are brothers! We do not serve the Mobians, let alone work for them!" William yelled, making an attempt to coerce his captor.
This was responded to by the stock of his gun hitting William's back!
"Keep it moving, prisoner! Or better yet, give me a reason to carry you out of here in a body bag!" The captor ordered.
"I am unarmed! Just like the woman the demon-spawn killed! Why don't you arrest him?!" William asked, outraged.
This was met by another hit from the captor.
"Fleeing Felon Rule! But you'll have plenty of time to look that up while waiting for trial!" He said, finally pushing him out of the Main Door.
As the other prisoners were moved out of the castle, Lily caught onto what the agent mentioned. Fleeing Felon Rule? What was that? Lily walked up to one of the agents guarding the Common Room doorway. She tugged on her pant leg, getting her attention.
"Oh, hi! What's your name?" She asked, crouching down, and adopting a cheerful demeanor.
"Lilith Abaddon. But my friends call me Lily." She said.
"Well, nice to meet you Lily. Are you having a nice Christmas?" She asked.
Lily shook her head.
"My brother killed Joan, one of the prisoners who escaped today." Lily explained.
The agent's smile vanished, now knowing how serious she was.
"What was that he mentioned? Fleeing Felon Rule?" Lily asked.
The agent looked around, unsure of what was happening.
"A little young to be asking about that, aren't you?" The agent asked.
"Just answer the question." She said, rather curt.
"If you must know, the Fleeing Felon Rule permits the use of force, including deadly force, against an individual who is suspected of a felony or is a prisoner, that may pose a significant risk, either to the officer or others around the area." She explained, showing distaste for her attitude.
"What about my brother?" She asked.
"What about him?" The agent asked.
"He did not want to kill her but feared for his life! How does he live with himself after doing this?" Lily asked.
The agent finally understood what she was asking. And she might've had the answer she needed.
"Sweety, your brother did what he felt was required to preserve his own life. And there is no shame in being afraid. I don't doubt that he feels awful about it. But he has to remember, her escaping made her a threat. He couldn't have known she was unarmed. She was an assassin, skilled in concealing weapons. You have to remind him, and often, that he can't always save everyone. He can't always know what's happening at every hour of every day. He can only trust in his instincts. He can only trust in his friends and family. That is the only thing he can do." She explained, standing up straight.
As the agent left, Lily ran from the Common Room and down the stairs to Isaac's quarters. Lily finally felt she had the answer Isaac needed! As fast as her legs could carry her, she made it to Isaac's door, knocking on it. A few minutes went by; no answer. Lily knocked harder, but there was still no answer. Resigning herself to waiting for a while, she sat herself in front of his door. Leaning back, she rested against the door, closing her eyes.
"How did I get here?" Isaac asked himself, looking around.
He found himself in a prison cell, the walls damp with moisture. He could tell he was somewhere underground. The bars were rusted, as if no one had been here for decades.
"Hello?" Isaac inquired, his voice echoing throughout the walls.
Slow moving steps moved in the hallway outside of the bars. Heavy footsteps. Light from a fire became present, soon casting a shadow in the hallway. Soon, a figured revealed himself. A large, hulk of a man carrying a torch. He was wearing plate metal armor, consistent with those of England's knights from the Middle Ages.
"What do you want now?" He grunted.
"Where am I? Why am I here?" Isaac asked, confused.
"You ask that as if you don't know why. You're our prisoner, Mr. Abaddon." He answered.
"Prisoner? What do you mean?" Isaac asked, feeling his heartbeat become faster.
"You killed that woman. We saw you do it. Strange, though. You have been rather quiet these past few weeks. In fact, I think this might be the longest I have ever talked to you." He said.
"I… I had little choice! I feared for my life!" Isaac responded.
"She was defenseless. No weapons. You have sharpened the axe, Abaddon. Now, we must bring it down upon you. Be seeing you, prisoner." He responded, walking away.
"Hey! I am not the enemy! The Order of Honorius will kill us all! Do you hear me? DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Isaac shouted.
"Abaddon, where do you think you are? We ARE the Order!" He revealed, laughing as he walked away.
"No… NO! Joan did not want to be here! You want me to say it?! I will FUCKING say it! I killed her! She was unarmed, and I killed her! But I did not know until it was too late! At the very least, recognize that!" Isaac shouted.
No one answered, no one responded. Isaac was alone in the dark. Isaac fell to his knees, feeling himself fall apart.
"WHY DID YOU ESCAPE?! WHY DID YOU BREAK FREE?! YOU WOULD STILL BE ALIVE IF YOU WOULD'VE JUST STAYED!" Isaac shouted, slamming his fists into the ground.
"I had to see my daughter." Someone said, startling Isaac.
Isaac quickly looked up, seeing someone behind the bars. Isaac got up on his feet, seeing Joan. She still had the bullet hole in her chest, right where her heart was.
"Joan… I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to pull the trigger!" Isaac said, beginning to cry.
"Isaac… it's okay." She said, opening his cell.
Isaac backed up, afraid.
"No, it's not! I orphaned your daughter! I prevented all chances of you having a normal life! I deserve to be in Hell! Please… just tell me I deserve it!" Isaac said, falling into the corner of his cell.
Joan walked to him, crouching down to his level. Slowly, she reached for one of his hands, holding it into hers. She looked back to the cell door, which was still open.
"Come with me, Isaac." She said, pulling him back up to his feet.
She quietly led Isaac out of his cell, the cell soon turning into a wall. She led him down the hall, where it soon became lighter. Isaac could smell fresh air, the sounds of birds singing. Eventually, the hallway became a clearing in a forest. But this was no forest Isaac could recognize. In the distance, Isaac could see a lake, where a circle of cherry trees surrounded it. Joan breathed the air deeply, letting go of Isaac's hand and spinning freely. Her wound had vanished, leaving her unmarked.
"Joan… I don't understand. I hurt you. I killed you. I took away the only chance of life with your daughter. Why forgive me?" Isaac asked.
"Isaac… you were right. I did deceive you. But not how you think." Joan admitted.
"What do you mean?" Isaac questioned.
"My daughter… she's been dead for five years, Isaac." Joan revealed, tearing up.
"What?" Isaac asked, confused.
"I did want to see her, but I was going to visit her grave. I thought if I made it seem like she was alive, I would have a better chance of getting away." Joan explained.
"And her father?" Isaac asked.
"The Order killed him five years ago, along with our daughter." She said.
"But why defend them? Why say they would not have killed her?" Isaac asked, confused.
"I… I don't know why. Indoctrination, that's a hard thing to break. I guess… part of me was still loyal. But you freed me, Isaac!" Joan said.
"No… I destroyed your chance at a normal life! You were unarmed, and I killed you! Please, don't say I freed you! Please, just… I don't know, do something! Burn me! Stab me! Shoot me for all I care! Just don't say I freed you!" Isaac said, tearing up.
Joan walked back to Isaac, lifting his head up. She wiped the tears from his eyes, seeing the tortured soul behind the windows.
"You freed me, Isaac. When I was convinced you were not this evil thing we've been led to believe, I spent entire nights, praying to God to be forgiven. The three nights I was locked up were the reason I was freed. Because of Sally. Because of you." She reassured.
Letting go of Isaac, she walked to the edge of the clearing that would lead to the lake, seeing two people waiting for her. Isaac could see them, a tall man, and a little girl, resting on his shoulders. She motioned for him to come closer, joining her to see them better. Reluctantly, he did, seeing them better.
"Because of you, I'm with them here. Because of you, I'm not away from them." She said.
"But I killed you! What part of that are you not getting at?! I should've kept the gun away! I should've trusted you!" Isaac exclaimed.
"Isaac, your sister is going to tell you this when you see her. She will say: 'You can't save everyone. You can't know what is going to happen every hour of every day. You can only trust your instincts. You can only trust your family and friends. That is all you can do.'" Joan explained.
"I'm… I'm at a loss for words. But I don't know what all of that means!" Isaac said.
"It means you're flawed, just like all of us. You're going to make mistakes. Have accidents. You didn't break your promise, Isaac. Me… I've been dead ever since the Order killed my daughter and her father. Just, please… don't punish yourself for an honest mistake. You can only learn from it. I forgive you, Isaac. Now, you have to be willing to forgive yourself. Please, do me that kindness." Joan said, before walking from the clearing.
As she walked, Isaac could feel the winds blowing from the field. He could smell the morning dew on the grass.
"Joan!" Isaac shouted out.
Joan stopped in her tracks, turning around.
"Is this real?" Isaac asked.
"Yes." Joan answered.
"Is… is this Paradise?" Isaac asked.
"It's whatever you make it, Isaac!" She revealed, before walking away.
As she walked further to the lake, Isaac could feel everything becoming hazy. His vision blurred; his senses dulled. Before everything went black, Isaac offered the last words he could say to Joan, if she was still listening.
"Goodbye, Joan. Merry Christmas." Isaac said, before the world he saw vanished before his eyes.
Isaac sprung awake, hitting his head off of the bottom of his bed.
"Son of a bitch!" Isaac cursed, rubbing his forehead.
"Isaac?" Sally questioned, waking up.
"Yeah, it's me. Just… hit my head off the frame.
"Did you… did you just curse?" She asked, a little confused.
"Uh… yeah. Not intentional, though." Isaac answered.
"Isaac… we're still under your bed." Sally said.
Isaac nodded, remembering how they got here.
"We should get out from under it." Isaac said.
"Okay." Sally agreed, rolling out from underneath it.
Isaac followed, getting up on his own two feet. He stretched out his arms, feeling stiff.
"Do you feel any better?" Sally asked.
"Yes. Yes, I do. Sally… Joan spoke to me." Isaac revealed.
"What do you mean?" Sally asked.
"I was… somewhere. She was there. She said I freed her." Isaac explained.
"Isaac…" Sally said, growing concerned.
"No, not like that. The Order… they killed her daughter. They killed her boyfriend." Isaac clarified.
"What?!" Sally asked, shocked.
"I saw them, too. They were… waiting for her. Joan said I freed her, but in the metaphysical sense. She said it was you talking about me. She said she prayed for forgiveness. Prayed that she could be forgiven for her crimes." Isaac explained.
"She… she mentioned me?" Sally asked.
"She said you were the reason she changed. You were the reason she's in Paradise." Isaac answered.
"Paradise? You mean… Heaven?" Sally asked.
"Yes! But…" Isaac answered, trailing off.
Sally could see the look in his eyes. She knew Isaac was still wrestling with the event.
"But what?" She asked.
"She said I had to learn to forgive myself for the accident… but I don't know if I can." Isaac revealed.
Sally quickly hugged him, Isaac returning the embrace.
"Do you still remember what I said before?" Sally asked.
"One day at a time, right?" Isaac questioned.
"Right! That's all you can do!" Sally encouraged.
After a few minutes, Isaac began getting ready to get out of his room for a while. After putting his pack away, he noticed the box and the locks near the foot of his bed.
"Sally… remind me to grab the gun sometime this week." Isaac said, putting the box on his nightstand.
"I thought you never wanted to see it again." Sally said.
"I… I can't just try to forget my past mistakes. I need to be able to remember them, so I don't make them again. That's the point of making mistakes, right?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah… but are you sure?" Sally asked.
"Yes." Isaac answered, walking to his door.
Isaac opened it, Lily falling back into his room. Her eyes shot open, seeing Isaac looking down at her.
"Lily!" Isaac exclaimed, picking her up.
"Isaac! Listen, I have something to tell you!" Lily said, excited.
"Is it something along the lines of 'I can't know what is going to happen every hour of every day? I can only trust my instincts? I can only trust my friends and family?'" Isaac asked.
Lily was shocked and surprised at Isaac beating her to the punch like that!
"How did you know?" Lily asked.
"A little angel told me." Isaac said, hugging her.
"Oh, man! You stole my thunder, dude!" Lily responded, making Isaac laugh.
"And you have been hanging around Sonic too long." Isaac replied, laughing as he walked out of the door.
"So, you're not sad anymore?" Lily asked.
"Well, I'm not moping about it anymore. But you have to remember, it's going to take a while until I can come to terms with it. But for now, I'm going to take things one day at time." Isaac explained.
"Is that what you and Sally talked about?" Lily asked.
"Quite a bit, actually. But right now, we're going to hang out with our friends and have the best Christmas this side of the planet!" Isaac said, showing excitement.
"Yes!" Lily exclaimed.