Sonic and the Freedom Fighters: Parallel Dimensions

Chapter 6: Behind the Scenes

-Freedom Fighter Barracks-

Deep in concentration, Rotor slowly picked away at the outer armor of the unidentified mech, looking to find some answers within while Tails did the same for the upgraded Egg Tyranno. So far, they had limited success, with any headway they managed to make covered up with more questions than they had previously, both scratching their heads as to how Eggman was able to build and power these machines in such a short timeframe. That would soon change, however, as Rotor removed a large portion of one of the mech's thrusters to reveal a black crystal situated within. The walrus carefully removed the crystal and examined it, the most he could tell was that it wasn't an immediate danger.

"Hey, Tails. Take a look at this." He said, finally breaking the hour-long silence in the room. "I found this in one of the mech's propulsion engines." Tails stopped his work to turn to Rotor and approached to investigate the discovery.

"Huh. Any idea what it is?" He asked, taking a closer look at it.

"Nope. But this was placed near the... well, 'exhaust', for lack of a better word. So either this is a catalyst of some kind... or more likely, the main propulsion source itself." The walrus surmised, causing the young fox to take a second to think.

"Hmm... what kind of crystal produces enough energy for sustained flight? Let alone one that's silent and leaves no chemical traces?" He wondered, unable to recall anything that fit the description. And before either of them could think of anything, a loud slam echoes from outside the room.

"GUYS, GUYS, GUYS!" They could hear Amy's excited voice shriek. "You're not gonna believe this!"

"Whoa, Amy! What's goin' on?" Sonic called out as he rushed into the main room, followed closely by Antoine and Bunnie.

"I got a call from Mina Mongoose, and she's giving us VIP tickets as thanks for saving her yesterday!" The pink hedgehog cheered as she bounced up and down, unable to contain her excitement.

"Wait, seriously?" Sonic replied in astonishment, and the pink hedgehog nodded excitedly.

"Aw, that's mighty nice of her! Kinda surprised it's still goin' ahead, though." Bunnie replied.

"Well, I'm sure as heck not gonna turn down a free concert." Sonic said with a smile. "How about we do a head count to see who's interested?"

"I would advise not letting ze guard down, you two. Robotnik may use ze opportunity to attack." Antoine advised. "Still, ze concert does sound tempting... I suppose we can attend so long as we remain alert."

"Well, count me in! Ain't no way I'm missing this!" Bunnie said enthusiastically.

"Neat! I'll go check in on Sal, see if she wants to go as well." The blue hedgehog responded before quickly darting to Sally's room, knocking before opening the door. "Hey, Sal! Wait 'til you hear... huh?" He said as he came in, noticing that Sally was slumped forward in front of her computer, snoring lightly. Sonic slowly approached and tapped the sleeping princess on the shoulder. "Sal?"

"Huh?! What?! What is it?" She shouted as she bolted awake, looking around at her surroundings. "...I fell asleep at the computer again, didn't I?" She asked.

"Looks like it. What did I say about taking it easy, Sal?" He answered.

"I had... a lot running through my head." Sally replied as she stood up and turned to face him, the hedgehog noticing that she still looked a bit tired. "Last night, I asked the detectives if they were able to share any of the details of their investigation. At first, they were a little hesitant, but the second I mentioned you... they decided to share as much as they were able." She continued. "There were two substances in the darts. One was a fast-acting sedative, so I think that was how they were able to kidnap Mina. The other was... strange."

"Strange how?" He asked.

"They said it was a zootoxin that the guards were injected with. Specifically, Mobian viper venom." She replied.

"Yeah, you said Eggman's new helper was a snake Mobian. How is that weird?" Sonic inquired.

"Because I managed to get the sample results and compare them with G.U.N.'s database. And there wasn't a single match for it." Sally explained before sitting back in her seat, facing her computer once more. "Whoever's helping Eggman was able to stay under G.U.N.'s radar for a long time. I need to find out who it is, how they did it, and why they're helping Eggman."

"Well, just try not to burn yourself out in the process, yeah?" He said, leaning in to talk to her. "In the meantime, Mina's giving us some VIP tickets for the concert tonight. You interested?"

"Concert? You mean it's still going ahead after what happened yesterday?" She asked, looking at him incredulously.

"Uh... yes?" He replied. Sally looked at him for a few more seconds before turning back and sighing.

"I don't know. Something about this just feels... off." She said.

"Okay. Well, if you change your mind, let me know." Sonic replied before leaving her to her work, hoping she would at least give herself a break...

-Sol Dimension, Vemom's Lair-

"Ahh... okay, that took way longer than I thought it would... but it's done." Silver panted as he sat back, looking over the portal generator that he and Blaze worked on all night and day. And as tempting as it was for them to relax, they still had a job to do.

"Hopefully the frame should be stable enough. Remember, Sol Energy can reach very high temperatures." Blaze said, standing next to the device.

"Yeah yeah, I remember." Silver replied, getting the machine started up."Okay, now if I remember correctly, the energy should keep the portal open long enough for us to check if we're heading in the right direction. You said you know where she was heading, right?"

"I believe so. I should be able to confirm when it opens." Blaze answered, waiting somewhat impatiently. "What do I do?"

"See that glowing orb next to you?" He asked, Blaze checking to see the orb in question. "Place your hands on it and tell me when you're ready." Blaze nodded and did as instructed.

"Ready." She said curtly.

"Okay. Get ready to channel power in three... two... one..." He counted down, before pressing a button on the device, causing it to power up fully. "NOW!"

Blaze gritted her teeth and started focusing her power into her hands, causing the orb to brighten and the lines of circuitry within the machine to glow orange. Silver gasped, amazed to see that it was working perfectly, but stayed close to the device's command console just in case. It would take a while for the portal to be ready, after all. However, after a few minutes of constant power, Blaze began to groan, followed by screams of discomfort as she kept pouring her energy into the generator.

"BLAZE!" Silver yelled, only to be met with more screams. "H-Hold on, I'll turn the generator-"

"NO!" Blaze interrupted, startling Silver as she glared forward. "I can do this...! Just keep it running...!" She growled, and Silver stepped back from the emergency off switch. Blaze focused herself, back arching as she poured more of her energy into the device. Her eyes were glowing a fierce orange, and something seemed to be emanating from underneath her coat. They looked like... flames, almost. With one last, primal scream from Blaze, the generator finally stopped siphoning her power, and a portal opened before them, the gateway locking it in place.

"We... we did it..." Silver muttered before rushing over to Blaze. "Are you okay?" He asked, trying to help the cat to her feet only to recoil as her whole body burned to the touch.

"I'm fine... don't worry." She assured him, shakily picking herself up and looking at the portal. It was a bright blue, but it was difficult to tell where it led...

-Sonic's Dimension, Freedom Fighter Barracks-

"Oh, I can't wait!" Amy squealed excitedly, unable to sit still. She had decided to spend her free time with Sonic and the others as they waited for the concert, and she had a hard time taking her mind off it. "Ooh! What should I wear to the concert? I can't decide!"

"Amy, you have like 50 copies of the same dress. There's not much of a decision to make." Sonic snarked from beside her. "Besides, I'm sure Mina has more important things to worry about than what you're wearing. It's a concert, not a date."

"It's about making a good impression!" She replied without missing a beat, diverting her attention when she saw Sally coming out of one of the rooms carrying a box of items. "Hey, Sally! You wanna-"

"Can't talk now, got stuff to do." The princess interjected as she hurried back into her room. Amy couldn't help but become concerned when she witnessed this.

"Is... Is Sally okay?" She asked Sonic, the blue hedgehog sighing in response.

"Eh... depends on what you mean by 'okay'." He replied. "She gets like this sometimes. Super focused, won't stop until she's done... or until she burns herself out."

"So why is she...?" She started to ask.

"Well... she seemed pretty shocked to learn that Mina was still doing the concert after getting kidnapped, so my guess is that she's worried Eggman's planning something." He guessed. "Might seem like she's paranoid, but... there's a lot more to it. Still, when she gets like this, there's no stopping her." He continued. Amy swapped between looking at him and the door to Sally's bedroom before standing up.

"...Maybe I should talk to her. If she needs help, then... I... I-I just don't like it when she's like this." She suggested, desperate to help her friend.

"Neither do I, Ames. Well, worth a shot to see if she'll listen to her new bestie." He replied, prompting Amy to head over to Sally's room. When she entered, she could see Sally rifling through countless sheets of paper while watching a video of a recent interview with Mina, taken earlier this morning. Amy cautiously approached and cleared her throat, causing the princess to jolt and turn around before relaxing upon seeing who it was.

"Oh! Amy, sorry. I... didn't hear you come in." She said as she went back to flicking through the papers. Each one had a schematic of Eggman's various devices over the years he spent in Mobotropolis, and it seemed like she was turning up negative results.

"It's okay. Um... I just wanted to see what you were doing." She asked cautiously.

"Looking for clues. Something about Mina still holding the concert... it doesn't sit right with me." Sally replied, running her hand through her hair in exhaustion.

"Okay, well... You're not gonna find anything by stressing yourself out like this." Amy advised, placing a hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, let's just go somewhere else and relax for a-"

"I can't relax!" Sally snapped, causing Amy to recoil in fright. Sally looked back and sighed with regret. "Sorry, I... I guess I'm just used to watching my back all the time."

"What do you mean by that?" The pink hedgehog asked. Sally sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"I made a lot of mistakes back when we were trying to retake Mobotropolis. I led my people into a massive trap. I've been betrayed by people I considered allies. And I've been scared of repeating those mistakes ever since. Because every time, it cost us dearly, and every time, it was because of my lack of foresight." She confessed to Amy, feeling herself on the verge of tears. To her surprise, she suddenly felt Amy's arms wrap around her.

"It's okay. You want to keep your friends safe, I understand. But not like this. Not by having to shoulder all of this on your own." Amy said soothingly, hugging Sally tighter. "You don't have to do this alone anymore." Sally stayed stunned for a moment before relenting and resting a hand on Amy's arm.

"Thanks." She whispered gratefully.

"How about this: I'll keep investigating for you while you take a break. How does that sound?" The hedgehog offered, prompting a giggle from Sally.

"Sure. I... I guess that would work." She admitted.

"Great!" Amy said, pulling Sally onto her feet and planting herself in the chair in what seemed like a single second, must to Sally's surprise. "Now you just rest while I... Huh. That's weird."

"What is?" Sally asked. Amy pointed towards Mina's right ear, specifically one of the earrings she was wearing.

"Mina. She's never mismatched her earrings before." Amy explained. The ear she was pointing to had a dull gold earring underneath the silver one. "Look, there's her normal one, and then there's a gold one underneath it."

"...Did she have that on yesterday?" Sally wondered.

"No, they were both silver." Amy responded, though Sally was less convinced. She quickly opened the door to her room, only to find Sonic right outside.

"Sonic, quick question!" Sally blurted immediately before Sonic could even open his mouth. "Did Mina have a gold earring on yesterday?"

"Uh... actually, yeah, I think so-" He said.

"Thanks!" She replied before going back inside, much to the blue hedgehog's immense confusion, while the princess went back to Amy. "Sonic says she had a gold earring on when he rescued her. So that means she got it while she was kidnapped. And I doubt this is a simple case of Eggman branching out into women's fashion." She said, before taking a quick look through another pile of papers. A few seconds later, she stopped on one and slowly set it down in front of Amy. It was a blueprint for something that looked like a collar, simply labelled 'Control Collar'.

"What is that?" Amy asked a now-concerned Sally.

"It's one of Eggman's scrapped projects. A mind-control device." Sally explained, eliciting a gasp from Amy.

"So then... Mina's..."

"Being controlled. Yes." Sally answered with a sigh. "This is what I was afraid of..."

-Sol Dimension, Venom's Lair-

Silver shifted anxiously as he waited for Blaze to return, the cat having gone through the portal a minute ago to conform their destination. He had no idea how long this portal would hold, and if it closed before she got back then-

His train of thought was interrupted as the cat in question poked her head and upper body through the portal, looking at him with an expression of excitement.

"I was right. This is where Venom fled to!" Blaze gasped.

"It is? How do you-?" He tried to ask, but was interrupted by a few sparks coming from the edges of the portal.

"There's no time! Quick!" Blaze shouted, holding out her hand for him. Silver quickly ran forward and took her hand before he was pulled through the portal with Blaze, landing on a grassy hill as the portal closed behind them. Silver panted and looked around, seeing a blue sky, fields of green grass, and a nearby city that looked familiar to him.

"Huh. That almost looks like... Station Square?" He wandered aloud as Blaze stood up.

"It is." She answered. "I should have known she'd be here. This... is the Chaos Dimension. A.K.A., Sonic's world."

-Freedom Fighter Barracks-

Meanwhile, back at the Freedom Fighters' base, Sally and Amy had both finished explaining the current situation to the rest of the group. How the kidnapping had been used to force Mina into servitude, and how the concert was now going ahead in order to trap them all. The group was taken aback by this revelation, barely able to speak.

"So... ze concert, ze VIP tickets... it is all a trap?" Antoine asked, finally breaking the silence.

"I'm afraid so." Sally said regretfully, prompting Bunnie to slam her hands on the table.

"Then what're we waitin' here for? We gotta bust in there and save Mina!" She declared fiercely.

"No way! You heard Sally, Eggman's expecting us to just walk right in! We'll just have to say that something came up and that we can't go." Rotor countered.

"But what about Mina? We can't just leave her under Eggman's control!" Amy asked, concerned over Mina's safety. Rotor sighed a little in response, calming himself down.

"We can worry about her later, but right now, we-"

"Amy's right." Sally interjected, catching Rotor's attention. "If we cancel, then Eggman will know we're onto him, and he'll put Mina in more danger." The walrus sighed, leaning back and rubbing his forehead in deliberation.

"So then what? We just show up and let them capture us?" He asked rhetorically. Sally thought for a few seconds.

"...Not necessarily. He'll be expecting us to go in oblivious to his plan. I say we use that to our advantage." She said.

"Alright, now that's the Sally we all know and love!" Sonic cheered confidently. "So, what's the plan?"

"Well, we'll need to remain flexible. We don't know the specifics of the trap quite yet. What we do know is that there'll be other people at the concert that Eggman can use as hostages, and he'll want as many as he can get. He'll likely spring the trap the moment all of us are most vulnerable. In other words, just before the concert starts." She explained. "For this to work, most of us will need to be in the concert hall. Amy, I'll need you to try and keep Mina occupied."

"I can give it a shot. Hopefully, Mina wouldn't mind a few questions." The hedgehog replied.

"While you're doing that, I'll go backstage and figure out the specifics of the trap before joining you guys in the audience. I should be able to figure out our next steps from there. While we're in the audience, Sonic will hide near the back of the stage, and we'll place a decoy to make sure Mina doesn't catch on. If something goes wrong, or if Eggman's forces appear, he'll step in." She continued. Most of the group nodded in affirmation.

"Okay. Slight issue: How are we going to get a life-sized Sonic decoy on such short notice?" Rotor asked.

"Oh, I can handle that!" Amy piped up. "I've been working on a life-sized Sonic doll, and I've just managed to put the final touches on it. It should be convincing enough." She explained, causing the rest of the group to stare at her for a few seconds.

"...Yeah, because that's not creepy at all." Rotor eventually snarked, causing Amy to huff.

"Hey, my handcrafted Sonic dolls are popular enough, do you have any idea how many people would pay through the nose for a full-size one?!" She asked indignantly, now causing Sonic's eyes to widen in shock.

"Wait, you're selling them?! I think I should be getting a cut!" Sonic replied.

"Getting back on topic!" Sally interjected, silencing the three of them. "Amy, how convincing is this decoy?"

"Uh... well, not to brag, but you'd have to be looking pretty close to see the difference." She replied. Sonic chuckled and stood up.

"Perfect. Amy, get that doll. The rest of you, gear up for tonight." He ordered before turning to Sally. "And Sally? Get some shut-eye. You're gonna need it." The princess giggled in response.

"Sir, yes sir." She replied semi-sarcastically as the group began to prepare for their mission. One way or another, this would definitely be a show to remember...