Surge thought about the mission as she walked back to her dorm room. The last thing she would want to do is work alongside the hedgehog she hated more than anything. Unfortunately, she knew she wouldn't get another opportunity to dispel other members' suspicions about her. No one will be willing to work alongside her out of fear of being betrayed. It didn't matter to her at this point; she got the gist of the plan, and based on what Sonic told her, it was pretty straightforward. Destroy a couple of a dozen tin cans in an open field. It doesn't get easier than that.
Surge arrived at her dorm room, sat back on her bed, and looked outside. The Sun was beginning to set once again as members of the Resistance appeared to be busy with their lives. Surge began to think about her plan again. She didn't think it would take this much effort. She knew it would take a lot of work, but this would be a plan for the long haul. She wouldn't be in this situation if only she were strong enough to beat him. However, Surge couldn't put her finger on it, but she did feel a bit less dreadful since she joined the Resistance. Living in a community was a change of environment compared to being alone with Kit in an abandoned laboratory.
Kit had just about finished the U.I interface on the binoculars. Kit programmed the binoculars to display the range between him and the object he was looking at on the left lens. At the same time, the right lens displayed the two most abundant materials in an object. Kit looked through the binoculars and aimed it at the wall in the garage. On the left of his vision he saw the range "3 meters" in red text. On the right of his vision, he saw the materials "Kaolin, Shale." "Looks to be right," Kit said to himself. Kit walked backward from the wall to test whether the range worked properly. The range unit number increased by one every few seconds as Kit walked backward until he almost tripped on some debris. Kit then looked at the garage docking door where vehicles entered and left. Kit observed the U.I. displaying the materials "Iron, Aluminum." "Well, I think I'm finished with the binoculars." Kit said, as he set the item down on the workbench.
"Let me take a look." Tails said as he grabbed the binoculars and looked through them. "Yup, it works. Really like the U.I design by the way. Makes it look more advanced than it really is ha ha. How did you install the system?" Tails said, as he continued to look at every item in the garage to confirm the binoculars work. "I know you said I could use anything in the garage but, I figured to go with a more simplistic approach. I decided to use laser technology to measure the distance." Kit said. "And, the material reading?" Tails asked, as he placed the binoculars down on the workbench. "The laser does that as well but it's not one-hundred percent accurate. If you point it at a metal alloy that's dense enough with various materials, then it may not give you an exact reading." Kit explained. "That's ok, it should be enough for the operation. If need be, we can make improvements on the design over time. Other than that, this is actually impressive given the fact that you made this within twenty-four hours." Tails said.
"Sure thing, it wasn't much." Kit said, admiring his work. "If it was that easy for you to make, you could start taking requests from other members who do operations! It's not a bad way to earn money here." Tails said. "Really?" Kit asked. "Yea! I could put the word out that you're able to take requests. I have no doubt that members would flood your inbox with requests. Especially since there's few of us working in the R&D." Tails said. "That wouldn't be so bad." Kit said. Tails returned to his side of the bench to work on his thermite charges. "Of course..., it would take some time before those requests even begin to show up in your inbox...your...reputation...as of lately." Tails awkwardly said.
"Oh...right." Kit said, looking down. "Don't worry. When this operation succeeds, cause it will, I'll make sure to credit you for the binoculars." Tails said. "I would appreciate that, thanks. Is there anything else you need done?" Kit said. "No problem and I should be ok for now. The thermite charge and binoculars were special requests. Everything else can be done within my own schedule." Tails said. "Ok, I'll head back to my dorm then." Kit said. "Sure thing. By the way, you do know you can come to the workshop whenever you feel like, right? I don't have to be here for you to be here." Tails said, looking at Kit.
"Really?" Kit said. "Yea. If you want to work on something on your own time, the workshop is open twenty-four seven." Tails responded, resuming his work on the thermite charges. "Ok. Thanks for letting me know!" Kit said, as he walked out of the workshop. "No problem! Enjoy the rest of your evening." Tails said, waving at Kit.
Kit left the workshop and headed toward his dorm. The first thought that filled Kit's head was that the workshop was available to him. Now he could do so much more. He could create his own tools and weapons to give himself and Surge. Or, he could sabotage the Resistance's already-existing creations. For now, he'll head back to update Surge.
Surge was going through her Scroll as she lay on her bed. One of the most advanced technology products the Resistance had to offer was on her wrist, yet she hardly went through it. The embarrassment she felt when Sesamie schooled her at the tailor shop kept crawling back into her mind. The more she tried to forget it, the more vivid the memory became.
"Maybe a late night run would do it." Surge said to herself. She hopped off the bed and put her shoes on. As she was about to head out, she heard the door unlock. Kit walked in and immediately became happy when he saw Surge in the room. "Judging by your smile, I'm assuming you had another day of nothing bad happening to you?" Surge said. "No? Why would something bad happen to me?" Kit responded. "Because it seems like if something bad happens, it only happens to me." Surge said. "I mean...is that really surprising?" Kit said. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Surge said, with an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed. "Uhhhh, Nothing!" Kit said, awkwardly shifting away from her.
"You got something to say then say it! I would love to hear it!" Surge said, awaiting a response. "Where is this coming from? I just got here." Kit said, with his hands up in front of him. "Forget it, I'm going for a run." Surge said, stomping out the door. Kit was left perplexed about what had just happened. Kit decided it would be best to let her cool off from whatever she was dealing with and talk with her tomorrow morning. Kit decided he would wait for Surge to return before sleeping. Time went by as Kit waited. He checked his Scroll to see that it was midnight. Kit was worried about Surge. She was never known to control her attitude and outbursts. It may be more harmful than good if she doesn't find a way to keep a level head and find a healthy way to dump her emotional energy.
Kit woke up to snoring he was all too familiar with. He slowly rose and saw Surge sleeping like she hadn't slept in weeks. Kit wasn't sure how long Surge went on her run and when she returned, but she looked like she needed every minute on that bed. Kit figured the best he could do was fix her breakfast to improve her mood. Kit walked to the dorm kitchen and performed his usual routine of preparing bacon and egg sandwiches for himself and Surge. When Kit returned Surge's plate to the dorm room, she was still fast asleep. Kit figured she would stay like this for a while and placed her plate on the TV stand. Kit exited the room so that he wouldn't risk waking her up. Kit walked into the common room and began to eat his breakfast at the table.
Surge woke up to the smell of food she was all too familiar with. She slowly rose and was greeted with the smell of bacon. She noticed Kit wasn't in the room and figured he made breakfast for her. Surge practically inhaled the sandwich and placed the plate back on the TV stand. Despite sleeping in, Surge still felt groggy. She noticed a notification on her Scroll. She flicked it for it to show she received a message from the operation group chat. Surge viewed the message. The message was from Jason, and it read, "Brief meeting 1300. I'll send the location an hour before". The message was sent at 0632. Surge looked at the time, and it was already 1130. She took a shower and prepared for the day. By the time she was finished, she had already gotten another message.
This time, however, it was from Sonic. The message read, "Hey, call me as soon as possible, it's about the meeting ."Surge called Sonic, and he answered almost immediately. "Hey, Surge, meet me out front of our dorm building. We're going to walk to the briefing location." Sonic said, almost like he was in a hurry. "I thought Jason was going to send out the location through the group chat?" Surge asked, annoyed already about the situation. "He was, but he forgot that the briefing room was already being used for something else. He's having us go to a location outside of the base that he doesn't want to disclose in the chat." Sonic explained. "Fine, I'll meet you outside." Surge said.
She left her dorm room and exited the building to find Sonic waiting for her. "Great, let's go." Sonic said, as he began walking to the entrance of the base. The two walked in silence, aside from the sounds of their surroundings of chatter from other members. It almost made Surge uncomfortable as she expected some small talk from Sonic. The silence set in when they exited the base, and the background noises of the Resistance community dissipated. "What? No small talk? No, how's your day going? No Jokes?" Surge said, breaking the silence. "Is that what you want?" Sonic asked. "Well...no. I'm just just asking. Usually you always have something to say to me the moment you see me." Surge said. "I do that to pretty much everyone that I know. I thought about saying something but decided you'd appreciate it if I leave you alone." Sonic said, continuing to look forward. Surge kept silent. "But hey, if you want to talk, I'm an open book." Sonic said. Surge was in thought for a moment.
"So….how was your day?" Surge said awkwardly. "It's been good. I Haven't really done much yet since it's noon. How about you?" Sonic said. "Just woke up recently actually. I went for a late night run last night." Surge said. "Nice! I do that myself sometimes too. I went to sleep late as well. After you left my room, I hung out with Amy for the rest of the night." Sonic said. "You two are a thing or something?" Surge asked. Sonic was quiet for a moment. "No….. It's complicated but, no. Oh hey, we're here." Sonic said, pointing at an abandoned shed. "That's our secret meeting place? Are you serious?" Surge said, looking unimpressed. "Just roll with it, this should be quick." Sonic said.
The shed looked big enough to fit a large tractor and nothing more. The walls had no windows and looked to be made out of birch wood. Sonic walked up to the shed door, which was ajar. Although the door was already open, Sonic knocked on the door in a series of patterns. "The door is already open. Let's just walk inside." Surge said. "It's to let anyone inside know that we are not enemies," Sonic said. "Come in!" a voice was heard from inside the shed. "See?" Sonic said, with a smile on his face, looking at Surge. The two entered and saw Jason and Whisper at a round table with a candle in the middle.
Surge and Whisper locked gazes at each other while Sonic and Jason shook hands. "Glad you two could make it. This shouldn't be too long. Surge, I understand you're familiar with Whisper?" Jason said. "More like she's familiar with me." Surge said, with a smirk on her face. Whisper closed her hands into a fist and bit her teeth. "Hey, none of that here. If you two want to settle things then do it in someone else's briefing, not mine." Jason said. Sonic shook his head at Surge. "What? I was just teasing." Surge said. Sonic, Whisper, and Jason looked at Surge with disapproving looks. "You guys are no fun." Surge said. "You know, that's funny coming from you." Sonic jokingly said. "What's that supposed to mean?" Surge said, getting angry. "Again, settle this later!" Jason said, raising his voice. "Sorry about that." Sonic said. "I'll start the briefing I guess." Jason said. Jason placed a small glass circle on the center of the table.
The glass circle projected a 3D model of what looked to be a mountain. "Just a week ago, One of our patrols came across this mountain just twenty miles NorthWest of our base. They observed an unusual amount of enemy activity in this area. The patrols informed our scouts who kept eyes on it for a while. All that the scouts could tell us is that Eggman's army had been entering and leaving out of this mountain. We don't know where the robots are entering and leaving but the scouts have reason to believe that there's an enemy base in this mountain." Jason said. "What intel do we have on the base?" Whisper said softly. "That's where things get foggy. We have little to no intel on what's beneath that mountain. Our scouts couldn't get close to the mountain without being spotted. The closer they got to the mountain, the heavier the enemy's patrol had gotten." Jason said. "If we don't know what's inside, why are there only the four of us going? Shouldn't we have more operatives?" Whisper said, a little closer to average volume. "I thought about that as well. But, I believe that us four can do the job. I do have three other operatives on standby for tomorrow's operation if things get out of hand." Jason said. "And, we're going to destroy the base right?" Sonic asked.
"Correct. An enemy's base this close to ours is a serious threat." Jason said. "How come Eggman's goons hadn't attacked our base if they were this close? Sounds like they've been here for a while and we only found out about a week ago. If I was Eggman, I would've launched an attack and you guys wouldn't know what hit you." Surge said. "That confused me as well. Regardless, we now know its existence and we have to deal with it as soon as possible. Here is how our plan is going to work...Whisper and I will draw attention from the outside patrols from afar while Surge and Sonic infiltrate the base." "WHAT?! I thought the plan was for Sonic and I to draw the attention and for YOU TWO to infiltrate?!" Surge yelled, almost having a voice crack. "It was at first but, who told you that?" Jason asked. "I did. felt like she had the right to know before the briefing." Sonic said.
"Well, the plans changed. You two will be infiltrating the base." Jason said. "I don't mean to be rude but, do we look like we're good at being quiet? and why the change of plans." Sonic said. "It changed because of you two's ability to get out of sticky situations. If you two get caught and overwhelmed, you two are probably the best members I can think of that can somehow wiggle yourselves out of it. Based on what you told me about Surge from the times you fought her, you two seemed like a perfect duo." Jason said. "And what about you and Whisper?" Sonic asked. "We won't be as flashy and loud like you guys but, we can still draw their attention from afar. I'll use my sniper rifle and Whisper will use her Wispon. By the time they figure out where we are...You two should be done with the destruction of the base." Jason explained. "You ok with that Surge?" Sonic asked. "I don't know, it depends. Is the plan going to change again before tomorrow?" Surge said. "I didn't tell you any more than what you needed before this briefing. You'll have to talk to Sonic about him telling you the plan before hand." Jason said, getting irritated by Surge's smart remarks. "As much as I want to drag Sonic in the mud, it's not his fault. He told me what he knew because you didn't tell me anything. How am I supposed to prepare for something if I only know the DAY BEFORE it happens." Surge argued.
"In case you haven't forgotten, your track record doesn't exactly scream trustworthy! Others may be starting from ground zero but, YOU are starting from a deficit! When Sonic recommended you to join the operation, I thought he was joking. You're not doing him any favors acting like this." Jason said, slamming his fists on the table. Sonic was about to speak until Surge spoke again. "Ha ha, You think I need him to make it here in the Resistance? Give me a break." Surge said. "Believe me, He's done a lot more than you think to protect you from getting your ass handed to you." Jason said. "You want to repeat yourself? What's stopping you from trying right now? And, don't say it's Sonic. You know you can't beat me." Surge said, now in Jason's face. "HEY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Sonic said, separating the two by getting between them. "Surge, let's talk outside." Sonic said. "Nah, I think I'm good right he-"Surge said, before Sonic cut her off. "NOW!" Sonic said.
Surge walked out of the shed with Sonic close behind. "What's the deal, Surge? All you have to do is just listen to the plan and that's it! How did you get into an argument with the leader of the operation?" Sonic said, agitated. "You didn't hear what he said to me? He needs to show me some respect!" Surge said. "You get respect when you earn it. Jason is right. I understand you're turning over a new leaf and you want to help us. Believe me, your welcomed here in my book. But, that won't be the same for everyone else. Joining us doesn't erase what you've done." Sonic said. "I'm not going to have you lecture me like I'm a child. You can tell me the rest of the plan later." Surge said, walking away from the shed. "Seriously, Surge?" Sonic said. Surge kept walking away as she put up the middle finger towards him. Sonic shook his head and headed back inside the shed.
"Sorry about that guys, she just needs to cool off is all. Controlling her attitude isn't one of her strong suits." Sonic said, trying to defend Surge. "You don't need to apologize, Sonic. You know you can't keep covering for her forever right?" Jason said. "Let's just continue with the briefing. I'll update Surge later." Sonic said. "Jeez. Haven't had a briefing like this since the first year I joined. Anyway, you and Surge will have tools to help you out. I've made a special request to Tails to make these." Jason said, putting a pair of binoculars and five small plastic bags that were covered by duct tape.
"What are those?" Sonic asked, pointing at the duct-taped plastic bags. "Thermite charges. You'll need these if you come across a door you and Surge can't break through. Hell, now that I think about it. You two might not even need these with your abilities combined. Wouldn't hurt to take em either way." Jason said. "How do they work?" Sonic asked. "It's a mixture of metallic aluminum and iron oxide. All you need to do is place them on an access point or weak point on a door and ignite it. Tails put just enough mixture in each bag to cut through at least four inches of steel." Jason explained. "That simple huh? I'll thank Tails later. What about the binoculars? Seems like you guys would have more use for it than us." Sonic said.
"Another special request I made. The binoculars are fitted with a rangefinder and are able to display materials it's looking at. You can use the binoculars to see weak points in the doors you will come across. The U.I displays the two most abundant materials in the small area it's pointing at.. If the area you're looking at is mostly made of simple material such as iron, then you should be able to cut through it with a thermite charge. The thermite charge can still cut through other materials but the length it could cut may vary." Jason explained. "And the rangefinder?" Sonic asked. "I just thought the binoculars should have that feature. If you don't break it or lose it, we can use it for other operations." Jason said. "Man, Tails is on a roll with these tools. I don't know what we'll do without him." Sonic said. "Oh, Tails didn't tweak the binoculars." Jason said. Sonic looked at Jason with a surprised look. "Really? Then who did?" Sonic said. "Tails told me someone named Kit fixed it? I think that was his name." Jason said.
"Oh! That's Surge's friend. Almost as handy as Tails." Sonic said. "Really? Huh. I already like him more than Surge. Pulled his weight without me even knowing he existed. "We just need to give her more time to adjust to things." Sonic said. "A waste of time." Whisper said, under her breath. "It's not like she can adjust overnight. These things take time." Sonic said. "I would believe you if she was at least trying." Whisper said. "She showed she's trying when she joined this operation." Sonic snapped back. "You mean the operation she couldn't even finish the briefing for?" Whisper argued. Sonic looked away, knowing Whisper was right. "Look, Sonic. We have no problem accepting people who want to turn their lives around. But you've got to admit it. Surge had done some fucked up shit before she got here, and she doesn't seem sorry for any of it." Jason said. "I wasn't denying any of that stuff. I'm just saying that she needs more time than usual to change." Sonic said. "Hey, man. We're just trying to save you from getting punished for what she does. Your reputation can only take you so far. Jason said.
"Yea...I know. Anyway, how do we destroy the base?" Sonic said. "Just as straightforward as the other bases. Find the core, and destroy it. Again, if Surge pulls her weight, this should be a cake walk." Jason said. "Sounds good. Anything else?" Sonic said. "No. I mean, not really. Just try not to do too much damage. We can really use the resources after we take that place down. And, with that base being so close to ours, we can run multiple runs with little to no risk." Jason said.
"Right. I'll go tell Surge what she missed." Sonic said. "Roll call for the operation will be at 1400 tomorrow in this shed. Enough time for everyone to get something to eat and mentally prepare themselves. We'll go over the plan again and head out at 1420. I'm going to hide the tools somewhere in this shed for tomorrow. Does anyone have suggestions, comments, or concerns?" Jason said. "All good here." Sonic said. Whisper put a thumbs up. "Good. Enjoy the rest of your day, guys. Eat well and get plenty of rest. Tomorrow, we flex the Resistance's might once more. Sonic left the shed first and was soon followed by Whisper. "You better keep her in line," Whisper said to Sonic as she passed him. Sonic pretended he didn't hear what Whisper said and flicked his Scroll. He messaged Surge for her to meet him in front of their dorm building.
Sonic arrived at the dorm building and saw Surge leaning against the entrance door. "What do you want?" Surge asked. "Walk with me." Sonic said, walking in a direction. Surge stayed at the entrance door, confused. "Where are we going to this time?" Surge said. "Just walk." Sonic said, looking over his shoulder as he walked. The two walked a while until Surge saw a large Grove around a corner. Surge hadn't seen this much vegetation in one place in this base. Surge would see trees and bushes here and there when she walked through the base, but this was different. From what she could tell from the side they were approaching, the Grove was surrounded by a black metal fence. The Grove consisted of a large field of grass and trees. As the two got closer, Surge saw multiple fresh dirt paths throughout the field with benches scattered throughout the Grove.
The two entered the Grove through a gate and walked along a path. Surge continued to follow Sonic as they walked deeper into the Grove. Surge could see other members of the Resistance going about their day. To her left, she could see a group of members playing frisbee with each other. She could see a family of four having a picnic to her right. A family...Surge immediately shook her head and tried to get the image of the family out of her head. "Can you at least tell me where we are?" Surge broke the silence. "Where at Center Grove. Obviously by the name, the Grove is at the center of the base." Sonic said. The two continued to walk until Sonic approached a bench off the beaten path and sat on it. Surge followed suit and sat on the bench but ensured distance between them. Surge looked in front of her and almost forgot she was in the base. She saw a large open grass field with other members occupying their own space for their activities.
The Sun was beginning to hide behind the horizon as the sky turned a roaring mixture of orange and red. Every so often, the wind made the grass sway in one direction and then another. "Look, if you're expecting this conversation to change anything, forget about it. Just tell me what I missed in the briefing." Surge said. "If this is coming from that time I asked you to cook yourself breakfast then I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that when you just joined us." Sonic said. "It has nothing to do with that." Surge snapped. "Then where is this coming from? I understand when you lay it on me but, you really need to cool it with other members." Sonic said. "Cool it? How can I cool it when everyone doesn't trust me? You said it yourself right? You want respect, you gotta earn it." Surge said.
"Wrong." Sonic said. "Oh so when I say it it's wrong but when you say it, it's right?" Surge asked. "Everything that has happened to you so far has been your own doing, one way or another. Don't be stupid about it." Sonic said. "Oh yea? And how is everything MY fault?!" Surge said. Sonic remained calm. "You're a smart girl, Surge. You knew there was no way, you could join us and everything would be forgiven right?" Sonic said. "What happened to giving people second chances? I thought this place was big on that? Did I hear that wrong or what?" Surge said, sarcastically. "And, that is still the case. It might just take a little longer for others to give you a second chance but, you are not helping at all. I don't blame you for the gym incident but, I don't understand why you argued with Jason." Sonic said. "I don't know about you but, I don't let anyone talk to me the way he did." Surge said. "I didn't see a problem with it. Either way, he wouldn't talk to you like that if you didn't flip out on him about the plan changing. And, I take full responsibility for telling you the plan before the briefing." Sonic said.
"Flipping out?! At least YOU trusted me! He couldn't even trust you by telling you the actual plan." Surge said. Sonic thought about it for a moment. "I doubt it. Sometimes plans change. It could change at a moment's notice." Sonic explained. "What about having us infiltrate the base? I'm not sure about you but I don't have experience infiltrating anything without getting noticed." Surge said. "Yeah, that confused me too. But, I've known Jason for a while. He wouldn't have us do something he thinks we're not capable of doing." Sonic said. "I'm seriously thinking about joining another operation." Surge said. "Don't. If you quit, people would have a harder time trusting you. Believe me on that." Sonic said. Surge leaned back on the bench and sank in a little bit. "This is going to suck." Surge said. "Jason said if we work together then, we shouldn't run into any trouble." Sonic said. "I'm sure he said that." Surge said. "Surge, if you need me to leave, we could switch myself with some-" "Why do you care about me so much?" Surge stood up and turned towards Sonic.
"What do you mean?" Sonic said. "You've been checking on me whenever you see me and Jason said something about you looking out for me. I can handle myself." Surge said. "I know you can. Which is why I think you would make a great addition to the Resistance. But, living here is not the same as living out there by yourself. I'm trying to help you settle in with living with others." Sonic said. "But why!?" Surge said. Sonic could've sworn he saw bits of lighting sparking near her fists. "Because it's the right thing to do? I'm not exactly following here." Sonic said. "Look like you need time to yourself. I'll text you what you missed in the briefing after you left. Make sure you check your Scroll before you go to sleep." Sonic said, getting up and walking back to where they entered.
Surge was frustrated with how the conversation ended. She was ready to stop him and demand the answer she deserved. After a while, she calmed down and sat down on the bench. She decided to stay there for a while and watch the Sunset. "Let's just get this over with. I can't wait for tomorrow so I don't have to deal with this shit anymore." Surge said.