Antoine D'Coolette knew that he was in a waking nightmare.
Battles against Robotnik, Eggman, or any of the other villains that plagued his kingdom and friends had never been easy. Especially for someone like him, for whom courage didn't come as naturally as Sonic, Tails, his princess, or his wife. Oftentimes, he had believed himself far out of his depth. And even when he rushed into battle with the full intention of helping his friends and comrades there was always this pleading voice in the back of his mind telling him to simply leave and allow those more equipped than him to do what needed to be done.
"You are a mere coyote waving around with a sword."
"You are not fast or strong. You cannot fly. You do not have Princess Sally's genius."
"Go to a corner, shiver, and wail like a baby. It is all that you are good for."
"Papa was wrong about you. He was ashamed of you."
The voice told him these things and more.
They were especially bad when he was trapped on Moebius thanks to the machinations of Scourge, once known as Evil Sonic, and his own evil counterpart. Surrounded by distorted but pathetically sad versions of those he loved and cherished. Fearing at every moment that he would slip up and they would end his life after they extracted Scourge and Patch's plan from his lips. He could not even count on the alternate version of his future wife to protect him.
He had been all alone.
And yet… he did not give up.
The reason was simple.
Whenever he was at his lowest, whenever those black thoughts and cowardice began to gnaw at his soul, he remembered his kingdom. He remembered his friends. He remembered Sonic. He remembered Princess Sally.
He remembered the love of his life, Bunnie.
And that was what allowed for him to greet the next day on Moebius until his faith in Sonic and the others was rewarded.
"Sonic to team! I'm tied up with Sally! Somebody stop Metal Sonic from getting to the cruiser!"
Antoine watched as the Metal Sonic Badnik raced towards the vehicle carrying his king, his queen, and the princess. He could not turn back to see if his wife was okay, as she had been struck by the corrupted metal form of his princess. The same princess who his dear friend Sonic, once a childhood rival of his, had to restrain while trying to ignore the conflicting emotions of fighting the woman he loved.
The coyote knew what Metal Sonic and Prin… Mecha Sally's intentions were. Eggman wanted to demoralize all of them. To demoralize and shock the kingdom. To drive them into despair by killing the true king, no matter what those fools on the Council said.
"I cannot allow that to happen."
A part of him was screaming that this was utter foolishness. There was no way that Metal Sonic would waste the opportunity of taking out one of the Freedom Fighters before killing King Elias anyways.
"Run. Run and save yourself. Save yourself and live another day. Bunnie needs you. She needs you more than a king who didn't want the throne in the first place."
A part of Antoine wanted to follow that advice.
But… he remembered his father's dying form.
No.
NO!
Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, he leaned forward and built up more speed on his Extreme Gear. He could see Metal Sonic crawling to the driver's side of the vehicle.
He needed to act fast.
No hesitation.
Steel of Nerves, and he would say.
"Antoine, what are you doing?!" King Elias shouted as the coyote flew beside them, wrapping his arm around the badnik's neck while jamming his sword between it and the window.
"HRRGH…!" He grunted in frustration before pulling with all his might. "What I've always been doing…!"
Antoine's muscles screamed in agony and his sword hand ached from the pain. He could practically hear the steel bending as blood rushed to his ears…
…He remembered Bunnie's smile as he slipped the wedding ring onto her finger, a tear starting to form at the corner of her eye…
Then, Metal Sonic's grip released and he flew away with the badnik in his arms.
"…SERVING MY KING AND COUNTRY…!
He heard something click inside the badnik.
He did not need to be Tails or Rotor to imagine what it was.
Antoine released a shaky breath and closed his eyes.
Bunnie was now in front of him, holding his hands with her own flesh and blood hands. A smile on her face as they imagined their future together…
He felt the force of the blast before the searing heat and the pain.
His left eye screamed in agony as his ears ring. He wanted to let out a cry, a plea, or something but only a wheeze escaped his lips. His lungs felt like they were full of broken glass.
He didn't even feel the ground when he skipped on it twice.
"I… I can't feel anything…"
Everything was going dark, but he could see Amy, Tails, and Bunnie rushing towards him. His wife was by his side first, picking him up and screaming something he could not hear while sobbing.
"My love…"
And that's when the darkness overtook Antoine D'Coolette.
The darkness consumed him for what felt like an eternity.
Perhaps he dreamed, perhaps he did not. Even now, the coyote wasn't sure. Dreams, as always, slipped from the grasp of memory. He would like to believe he had dreamed, perhaps one of him and Bunnie starting a family and growing old. It would have been a nice one, but one that wouldn't have lasted.
Because, occasionally, his submerged consciousness would reach the surface and bring him sounds of the real world.
The beeps from the heart monitor.
The drip of life-preserving liquid from the IV bag.
"…can't determine when he'll wake up…"
"I-I can't… he's like…!"
"I know Amy… hard for us…"
"-orry, Bunnie…"
"-romis… fix this, T'wan…"
"Rotor… machine might…"
The voices of Dr. Quack and his loved ones speaking around him.
He wanted to open his eyes, but they were so heavy. His mouth and body betrayed him when he needed them the most.
"Please… please let me wake up to tell them that I'm alright…"
But it would not listen.
Antoine would slip in and out of that state, his mind returning to the real world to hear everything around him in clips or in perfect clarity before sinking back into wherever it was that it emerged from. Time was almost meaningless, and yet it was maddening because of that. How long? How long would he remain like this?!
"Ah'm so sorry, Sugah. So sorry for everything."
Bunnie's voice came through the clearest.
He could feel her soft touch and felt her lips kiss his hand, and yet he could not embrace her. It was torture beyond anything Eggman could come up with.
"You have nothing to apologize for, my love."
"You never treated me different when ah was part robot. You stood by me when Naugus turned me back to normal. You loved me no matter what. You always had the strength to back me up. But… when you needed me to back you up, ah couldn't…" He could hear her sob. "And now you're…"
"Why… why are you blaming yourself? It was my decision. My sacrifice. It was never because of you!"
He and his wife had discussed her insecurities before the trial of Geoffrey St. John. After Naugus had seemingly given back her flesh and blood limbs, which Bunnie had long since given up ever receiving again. He had his suspicions and so did Bunnie, but she was happy to have them again…
…Until she realized she had lost the physical power she once had thanks to those mechanical limbs thrust upon her.
It had shaken her self-confidence, made her feel small and fragile. But he assured her that those limbs were not what made her strong. That he loved her because of the strength of her spirit and heart. And, for a time, it seemed like that was enough.
But now…
"Never again. Ah've lost you, ah've lost Sally, but I refuse to lose anybody else. Ah know what ah gotta do to protect everyone. To make things right."
"No… No, what are you…?"
"Wait for me, Sugah-T'wan."
"Bunnie…!"
"…and please forgive me for what ah gotta do."
"Don't do it… Bunnie! Bunnie, my love…!"
It hurt. His head, his body, his very soul. It hurt to claw at the inky blackness trying to pull him back inside its depths.
It would be so easy to let it take him back.
"Bunnie… Bunnie…!"
Yes… he could see it! He could feel it! A twitch of a muscle and a crack of light! His eye… it was opening!
And he could now feel other parts of his body! His hands… his toes… his tongue… and most importantly his lips!
He needed to do it. To let out a sound before his wife left him!
"B-B-B…" He licked lips that felt like the cracked ground of a desert and croaked out, "Bun…nie…!"
"What… what the… Ant?"
That wasn't his wife's voice, he was certain of that.
Antoine forced his right eye to open wider and grimaced at the bright light shining on him. He tried opening his left, but only darkness greeted him. The Freedom Fighter took stock of his surroundings and saw wherever he was, it was not in the hospital.
It was a small room underground, held up by wooden pillars not unlike the old Knothole base. Hospital equipment lined the walls, but all of them appeared to be old. As if they were brought here because nobody would notice they were missing.
"Where am I? What is happening?"
That's when a face appeared in his line of vision.
Rotor Walrus, his childhood friend, was staring at him with wide-eyed wonder and relief.
"I can't believe it. You're awake!" Tears began to form in the corners of his eyes. "I… I thought you'd never wake up, Ant…!"
"R-Rotor…?" Antoine let out a raspy cough as his dry throat protested against the activity. "W-Water…"
"Right! Right…" Rotor got up and ran for the door. "Dr. Quack! Dr. Quack, he's awake! Antoine is…!"
The coyote turned his head to the left to see two sets of chairs, possibly for visitors or the doctor when he came to check up on him.
And his heart broke when he saw that Bunnie was not sitting on top of one of them.
"I-I still can't believe it."
Hearing the slightly distorted words of his princess brought Antoine back from the rivers of memory and into the present day.
He looked down to see Sally looking up at him, streams of black running down her cheeks and staining her body.
That in itself was unusual. He had spent time with robians, his own father being one for a time. They did not have the ability to do things they could once do in organic bodies, such as eating or sleeping. Their brains no longer needed rest and their bodies no longer needed fuel.
They should not have the ability to cry, and yet…
"That monster… he gave her the ability to cry on top of all the other things he had done to her."
Princess Sally Acorn, the rightful princess of the kingdom, wiped away those black tears with her hand, smudging the white glove she wore now. "I-I can't believe you're here, Antoine. I… I thought I wouldn't see you again. Not after…" She looked down and muttered, "After… after that happened I thought you were…"
Yes. Yes he could see why she would think that.
In fact, he could practically imagine Eggman boasting at finally killing one of the Freedom Fighters as Mecha Sally flew away.
"I believe I am… how would Sonic say… too far ze stubborn to die." Antoine smirked at his leader, fighting back the wince of pain his body was practically demanding him to make.
"You can just say you're too stubborn to die, dude…" The lemur, Tangle, muttered behind him. "Don't even know how you managed to mess that one up."
He let out a sigh. "It is like Sonic is here in spirit…"
The hedgehog certainly loved to poke fun at him over similar things.
"But… but Antoine…" Sally reached up and touched his left cheek, her index finger stroking the corner of his eye. Perhaps, if they were still children, he would have fainted from the gesture. "Your eye and… and those scars…"
"It is nothing." Antoine lied through his teeth. "Just some battle scars. I am…!"
"Nothing my foot!" Dr. Quack growled out. Antoine turned his head to glare at him only to shrink back at the duck's own glare. "She's going to find out sooner or later. You might as well tell her now."
"Yes, but not now!" The coyote protested. "Can't you see this is not ze time, doctor?!"
"Find out?" The princess asked in fear. "Antoine, how bad are your injuries?"
He winced at that pleading voice. It reminded him of those days when it was just them and the original group of Freedom Fighters, before even Bunnie joined them. Of those times when one or more of them would return with injuries from their latest mission against Robotnik, and she would fret over them asking what happened. That fear tinged with self-doubt, because the princess considered herself responsible for ordering the mission in the first place.
"I…" Antoine closed his eyes and said, "I believe Dr. Quack described zem as… extensive."
And that was putting it lightly.
There was, after all, a reason why he was wearing pants of all things nowadays… aside from it being necessary for Rotor's invention to work as intended.
"Extensive enough to require nanites to be injected into your body?"
The swordsman looked at Nicole, who was staring back at him with an expression that broke his heart. A look of utter pleading and confusion, her ears drooping as if asking him a simple question.
Why?
"What?!" Sally looked at Dr. Quack and her confused expression turned to one of anger. "Why on Mobius would you…?!"
"Don't look at me! I advised against it!" The duck jabbed a finger at Antoine before pointing at Rotor. "It was the bright idea of these two maniacs!"
Sally turned her head at Rotor, who shrunk back at her gaze. "Rotor…!"
"S-Sally, please! You have to understand…!"
"You injected nanites into Antoine!" Sally was on her feet and right hand was gliding over her metal hair. Perhaps as an unconscious gesture to try and calm herself. "Don't you know how dangerous that is?! You saw what happened when someone could take control of the nanites! ADAM and the Iron Queen turned Bunnie and Nicole against us thanks to them! A-And Tommy…!" She grimaced at that horrible memory before shaking her head to focus and continue her tirade. "And with Snively around…!"
"Princess, do not blame Rotor for zis!" Antoine pushed against the arm rests of his chair to stand up. "It was my idea to…!"
It was like being stabbed in the back.
His spine screamed in pain and the coyote let out a cry as his arms instantly reached back to grab at his spine, but he began to fall forward. However, before he could hit the ground a tail snaked around his body and caught him. He blinked twice as the end of the tail gently placed him back in the wheelchair.
He turned to Tangle, who was grinning awkwardly at him.
"Z-Zank you for catching me before I injured myself." He smiled graciously at her. "I would have made myself into quite ze fool."
The lemur shook her head. "Don't mention it. I was just…"
The badnik, Mach, seemed to have had enough. It rolled in front of Tangle and stared at her in the eyes, causing her to blink in shock.
She glared at him and asked, "W-What?"
The Silver Sonic lifted its free hand and pointed over her shoulder, causing the glare on Tangle's face to disappear as she seemed to realize what it was asking for. "Oh! Right." She moved out of the way. "Sorry."
Mach nodded its head before rolling out of the room and to the left, racing down the corridor to parts unknown.
"Reporting to the king, probably…"
But how would he react to his sister being here? Especially in his current state…
"And I think that's enough excitement for now." Dr. Quack huffed before pulling the wheelchair out of the room while Tangle yelped when the duck grabbed her tail again. "Right now, I need to get the both of you checked up…" He then gave the coyote a pointed glare and said, "…and see if I can hopefully salvage some of your body still."
"Dude! Stop manhandling my tail!" Tangle shouted in protest as the doctor pushed on Antoine's chair while pulling on her appendage. "Do you have any idea how weird it feels?! That thing is connected to my butt!"
"Oh quit your whining, girl!" The doctor gruffly said. "I watched you on those monitors. I know for a fact that your tail can stretch and handle more force than me pulling on it!"
"Well… yeah." Antoine could not help but notice the blush on the lemur's face. "But it's the principle of the thing!"
"But… Dr. Quack!" Sally cried out, running to the door to chase after them. "Please, don't go! I need to find out…!"
Antoine held up his hand, cutting her off.
"Princess, I zank you for your concern. But… I am not ready to say." It filled him with shame to admit it, but if she found out now then Sally would refuse to allow him on the field again. "We shall talk more once Dr. Quack sees me."
"But Antoine…!" Sally looked as if she wanted to fight against this, but she was smart enough to know she wouldn't get anywhere. Instead, she simply grimaced before shaking her head. "Fine. But you better tell me the whole truth."
He smiled at her. "As you command, my princess."
With that, Sally retreated back into the room with Rotor and Nicole. Knowing her, she would be grilling the walrus for some answers.
"But Rotor has always been made of strong stuff. He will respect my wishes."
Until then… he needed to focus on recovery.
He needed to have his body be ready for the battle ahead.
A battle he would be fighting alongside… her.
A deep well of sadness formed in Antoine's heart and his right hand instantly went over his left, feeling the warm metal of his wedding ring.
"Bunnie…"
"H-how… bad…?"
Dr. Quack looked up at Antoine was he finished cleaning the scars that littered the coyote's chest. Deep and pink with no hope of fur regrowing. The Freedom Fighter didn't need to be a medical expert to tell that much. And those were just the ones that didn't have stitches.
Another thing that caught Antoine's attention immediately was seeing how much weight he had lost.
While he was certainly no glutton and was not exactly a strongman, he had been reasonably fit before the explosion and his coma. Now, though? His stomach seemed to have sunk in a bit.
The duck sighed as he lowered the shirt. "I hope you don't expect me to sugar coat it."
"I-I doubt you could even if you tried…"
"While your ability to speak is a good sign, I don't know about your new attitude… Then again, a brush with death could change a man." The doctor shook his head and stared Antoine directly in the eyes. "To be frank, it's a miracle you are alive. Several pieces of Metal Sonic were lodged into your body." He jabbed a finger at his legs. "Those received extensive nerve damage." He pointed to Antoine's gut. "More than a few of your organs were cut. I had to work through the night to make sure nothing important was ruined." He then pointed at Antoine's chest. "Several ribs were broken and your spine was nearly fractured thanks to the fall."
Antoine winced at the news. He had suspected his injuries were extensive, but to hear it like this…
"And that's not even getting into the third degree burns you received." The doctor then pointed at Antoine's left eye. "Then there's your eye. While you managed to actually keep it by a stroke of luck, the nerve damage and your concussion has rendered it completely useless." Dr. Quack's own eye softened. "I'm sorry, but it'll never work again."
The coyote tried to raise his left arm to touch it, but winced instead. While he could still move his arms and grab things, it was still difficult. His body was still recovering from both its injuries and the coma.
"Damn it…"
"I could perform an enucleation, an operation to remove it, and you can either receive a prosthetic or an eyepa-."
Antoine's right eye widened and a flash of anger shot up from his heart. He screamed, "NO!"
Then, he began to cough while Dr. Quack reached for the small bedside table and brought the water to his lips. Slowly, he began to drink it and felt his throat relax. He muttered his thanks to the duck who brought it back down to the table.
"…Right then. Makes sense you're opposed to… that." Dr. Quack muttered while looking to the side. "The eyes stays."
"Yes."
Antoine would NOT get an eyepatch under any circumstances. Just the word 'patch' brought back those terrible memories of Moebius and all that his evil doppelgänger did using their name.
Poisoning the king.
Pushing away their friends.
Trying to force his princess into a marriage she didn't want and to imprison Sonic for the stability of the kingdom.
Making Bunnie see him as a heartless and cruel man.
Killing their father…!
"Right now, I recommend that you rest up and allow for your body to heal." The doctor got up and nodded his head. "I need to see other patients and begin writing up your rehabilitation schedule. Not to mention finding out what medicine we can give you…" He turned around and walked to the door. "…especially under these circumstances."
That caused Antoine to frown, but he didn't say anything.
After all, that single question had been bouncing around in his head.
"Why aren't we in the hospital?"
What had happened while he had been away?
When Dr. Quack opened the door, there stood one figure Rotor had been expecting but another he did not.
Rotor and Councilman Hamlin Pig.
Dr. Quack frowned. "Didn't I put a 'No Visitors' sign on the door?"
Rotor grinned nervously and held up his hand. "Y-yes Dr. Quack. But you see…"
"I just wanted to see how D'Coolette was doing." Hamlin spoke up with a smile on his face. "Especially since the Freedom Fighters risked so much to bring him down here and away from St. John's grasp!"
St. John? Geoffrey St. John?
Why would that traitor care about him?
"Well I'm sure Rotor here already told you he is conscious." Dr. Quack crossed his arms. "And that's all you really need to know, Councilman Hamlin. Now, as his doctor I recommend you leave him be for now so that he can…"
"Dr. Quack. Please." Antoine spoke up, cutting the duck off. "Let zem in."
The doctor eyes him before rolling his eye and throwing his hands in the air. "Fine. I guess everyone can just ignore my opinion when it suits them." He pointed at Hamlin and glared. "But if he stresses himself because of anything that you tell him…"
The pig raised both of his hands in defense. "I can assure you that won't happen, doctor. You have my word on that."
The duck maintained his steady gaze on the pig before sighing and moving past the two. However, he looked over his shoulder and told the coyote, "I'm sorry, Antoine."
And from the look of his singular eye, Dr. Quack meant it.
The coyote pursed his lips as Rotor and Hamlin moved to the chairs and sat down on them, looking back at him with expressions contrasting one another.
The pig looked relieved to see him conscious, but that relief was evened out by a strange air of pride around him. As if he had personally helped to create this miracle, rather than it simply being luck that brought Antoine back to consciousness.
Rotor's nervous smile contrasted it perfectly. There was relief there, yes, but…
"He is uncomfortable. It's not just my current state, or Hamlin's presence here. It is something more…"
Something had happened while he was in the sea of dreamless sleep.
It was a mere suspicion before, but now it was a certainty.
"Sorry, Ant. I know you're probably dealing with a lot, but…" Rotor's nervous smile disappeared and he shot the pig a small glare. "…he insisted on coming along. I didn't invite him."
"It is good to see you conscious again, Antoine." Hamlin, for his part, seemed to ignore the barb and kept his focus on the coyote. "Dr. Quack said there was the possibility of you waking up again, but he didn't have hope it would be anytime soon. Especially with the lack of advanced technology in our current base."
"So I have noticed." Antoine didn't like the pig, in spite of never meeting him personally. He had heard enough about Hamlin from his princess. Once a student of Princess Sally as a member of the Substitute Freedom Fighters, he had become bitter when his unit wasn't used and that bitterness curdled until it came to the surface during his time as a councilman in the Council of Acorn. Still, he must maintain civility. "We are not in ze hospital anymore, oui?"
"Unfortunately, no." His walrus friend's shoulders sagged. "Antoine… a lot has changed since you were… out."
He merely did his best to give his childhood friend a blank stare.
It is harder to do when one is intentionally trying to do it… and still recovering from injuries.
At least Rotor rewarded his efforts by gaining some color in his cheeks!
Hamlin sighed and pinched the bridge of his snout. "I'll be frank with you, Antoine. Things have taken a turn for the worst in New Mobotropolis."
Rotor turned towards the councilman and glared at him. "Couldn't you have been less blunt about it?"
"What use would it be?" The pig waved his hand dismissively. "He was going to learn about it one way or another!"
"Dr. Quack said…!"
"Rotor." Antoine spoke up, cutting off the argument before it even began. "Please. I have been in zis coma for who knows how long. I would like to know what has happened to ze kingdom and to our friends."
Rotor seemed unsure of himself, but Hamlin once against proved that for all his lack of loyalty he more than made up for it in blunt honesty. He nodded and said, "Okay. To put it simply, Geoffrey St. John has finally shown his true colors." The councilman steepled his hands and leaned forward. "He took advantage of the chaos and confusion of a recent attack by Eggman and the death of King Naugus to take over the city. He even crowned himself as king and dissolved the council."
"What? What madness is zi-?!" Antoine's eyes widened before he began to cough hard. Rotor got out of his seat, and the coyote used all his strength to shake his head. Once he regained his bearings he looked back at the pig "Z-Zis does not make any of ze sense! St. John… he never sought ze crown for himself! Only for his master!"
Hamlin rolled his eyes. "Yes, so he told us. But he also declared himself a patriot while seeking to usurp the throne for said master!"
Rotor actually glared at the pig and crossed his arms. "Which you helped by electing him as king."
The councilman's eyes widened before they narrowed and he turned in his seat, gritting his teeth and pointing his finger at the walrus. "Those were different circumstances and you know it!"
"Yeah, sure." Rotor snapped back. "Circumstances like knowing what would really tick off Sally and Sonic, right?"
"You…!"
"Both of you! Stop!" Antoine winced as he felt his temple throb. Was this why Dr. Quack told them not to stress him out? Perhaps he should have followed the doctor's advice. "Just… I need a minute to process."
None of what Hamlin told him made any sense. Even when he had been questioning Geoffrey St. John during the trial, nothing about him indicated he ever vied for power himself.
The man had been an infuriating scoundrel who sought to seduce Princess Sally, antagonized Sonic, accused Sir Charles of treachery, and through the revelation of his allegiance to Naugus was complicit in far worse schemes that the coyote could not have imagined a mere year ago.
And yet…
"And your marriage to Hershey Cat was all part of ze ruse, zen? She was another part in your little game?"
"DON'T YOU DARE BELITTLE HER, YOU POMPOUS LITTLE-!"
It did not make any sense.
"R-Right. Sorry, Antoine." Rotor muttered as he settled back into his chair. "We're just all on edge."
"With good reason." Hamlin didn't even bother to apologize for his conduct, shooting the walrus one last glare before turning his gaze back to Antoine. "When St. John began gathering supporters. I realized he wouldn't have much of a need for a council. People like that wouldn't bother with a governing body reminding them about the rules. Say what you will about Naugus, but at least he complied with the will of the people and the law."
Antoine and Rotor looked at one another and raised an eyebrow incredulously at that.
"So I managed to gather people who were against St. John's rhetoric and self-proclaimed rule… and we decided the best course of action was to establish our base and safehouses for the coming battles." The pig motioned to Rotor. "We found Rotor along with Heavy and Bomb at the outskirts of the city, thankfully before any of St. John's forces found him. He wasn't in any state to fight them off."
"Just Heavy and Bomb?" He looked at Rotor for answers, but the walrus was not looking at him anymore. He was simply staring at the floor, his eyes half lidded. In fact, he looked as if he were fighting back tears! "Rotor, what happened to you out there?"
"He was the one who suggested we take you from the hospital before St. John could use you as a hostage, and he was right. Your capture would have been a great blow to morale." Hamlin frowned. "You are a hero to many of the New Mobotropolis Freedom Fighters, Antoine D'Coolette. If you were captured by St. John or any of his forces…" His eyes narrowed and he hissed out, "Especially with those things he now uses as his enforcers…!"
"Where is my wife, Councilman Hamlin?"
That took the wind out of the pig's sails and snapped Rotor out of his black mood. He looked up and stared at Antoine, his face now stricken with an uneasy fear.
"I understand zat much has changed in New Mobotropolis. My kingdom is in crisis." The coyote took in a shaky breath. Why? Why was he scared to speak right now? "However, ze only one who has visited me is you, Rotor, and Dr. Quack. My wife… Sonic… my other friends… none have come to visit me." He looked at the walrus who seemed to flinch at his gaze. "If zey were out on missions to liberate us, you would have told me, no? Zey would have been ze ones to rescue me from ze hospital, instead of other Freedom Fighters."
He may not have been much of a detective, his failure to find the other end of his father's map and the traitor of the Freedom Fighters being a testament to that. But he was not a completely inept one.
"Where are zey, Rotor? What has… what has happened? Tell me ze truth. I… I can handle it."
He was lying and all three of them knew it.
For once, the animosity between Rotor and Hamlin disappeared. They looked at each other uneasily, holding a silent debate on what to do next.
Finally, Rotor let out a shaky breath and said, "Antoine… Eggman's attack… it wasn't like anything he's done before."
That was when his childhood friend explained it all. Of Eggman teaming up with a human from a Zone named Albert Wily. Of their mad quest to become the masters of all reality through something called the Genesis Wave. Of Sonic fighting and then teaming up with the hero of WIly's Zone before they freed their friends to fight against the mad doctor.
Antoine nodded to it all, even though a pit had begun to form in the bottom of his stomach. It was not the craziest thing he had experienced in his life, after all. The existence of other worlds was not a new concept to him.
But then, Rotor began to explain the doctors' last gambit.
The Super Genesis Wave.
"I don't understand all of it. Especially since I don't have Eggman's notes." Rotor admitted while shaking his head. "But the gist of it is that the Super Genesis Wave would rewrite reality to an even greater extent than the Genesis Wave. The doctors used it to mess with just our universe and WIly's, making their own small changes without really messing with things too drastically. The Super Genesis Wave? It would give them full power over the Multiverse. They could rebuild all of reality from the ground up in their image."
"But… Sonic and zat Mega Man stopped zem, no?" Antoine asked through dry lips. "Zen… it should be fine! So why…"
"Eggman, that's why." Hamlin grunted, crossing his arms and frowning. "He interrupted Sonic's attempt at fixing the damage those two Overlanders caused."
"Wily was human." Rotor interrupted, wagging his fingers. "He had five fingers."
The pig rolled his eyes at the interruption but continued. "Sonic is a reckless show off, but he would have likely restored Mobius to its former self if he had been allowed to perform his Chaos Control uninterrupted. But Eggman… he decided if he couldn't have the universe, then neither could Sonic."
Antoine was shaking. He couldn't help it. It was just too terrible to think about. Eggman with the power of a god was horrible enough, but the fact that Sonic had saved the day in the nick of time and yet the mad monster still ensured that his friend would fail? It was a nightmare.
And yet…
"We are still here." The coyote looked at Rotor. "How?"
The walrus shook his head. "We don't know. Geoffrey claimed it was because of some spell that Naugus performed to protect the city and all the people that were in it from the Super Genesis Wave, but he died to do it."
"Zat is absurd." Antoine snapped. "We have seen zat madman. He would never sacrifice himself for us."
"Unfortunately we don't have any other leads as to what helped us to survive. At least not yet." Hamlin glanced at the door, as if he had spotted someone. With a frown he continued, "For now, though, St. John is using that as justification for his position as king. Along with vilifying Sonic for this whole mess."
The coyote wanted to rage at that. How could the people of this city turn against Sonic, the hero who had saved them from not just the Eggman but the Xorda, Robotnik, and even Naugus himself? But, these were also the same people who had turned on Nicole, the friend who had given them this city in the first place.
"Fear can make people do terrible things."
And a fear was rising within his own body.
Because Rotor had mentioned something that rang in his head like a bell.
"Mobius… our world… it got turned into a new one." His friend put his hand on his own forehead, massaging it to calm himself. "The Great War never happened, and neither did the Day of Fury. It's called Earth again, instead of Mobius. Robotnik and Eggman never ruled here, but now Eggman's always been around instead of being from another Zone."
He wanted Rotor to stop talking. None of this made sense. It was just too horrible to think about. The world they knew… was gone?
The world they fought and sacrificed so much for?
Gone? Just like that?!
"Some people made it through like him but with different histories. Because of course their pasts on Mobius wouldn't apply here. Others they don't… they just don't exist anymore and…!"
"Zis spell… it only saved zose within ze city…" He breathed out, his eyes widening. "Bunnie… Sonic… everyone…?"
Rotor closed his eyes, tears forming at the corner of them. Hamlin's own expression was downcast, and he couldn't even look Antoine in the eyes anymore.
They didn't need to say anything.
Their expressions said enough.
"W-We know most of them exist in this world but…" Rotor muttered. "But they aren't really the ones we knew. M-Most of them are close, but Bunnie… Ant…"
Antoine didn't want to know… and yet he wanted to know so badly. The idea that his wife had become someone so similar yet so different at the same time… it was maddening.
Was she even the same woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago? And even if she was the same, would it truly be the rabbit who would become his wife?
And to think this also happened to his dear friends… to Sonic. To Princess Sally, Tails, Amy, Knuckles, and the others.
He needed to stay strong. He couldn't break down. Not now. It was not the time.
"She left, zen. My wife left… and fell to… zis." He hoped that his state would hide the cracking of his voice. "Did she… did she say…?"
A tear fell down Rotor's cheek. "…She just left a note, Antoine. I think she knew we would try and stop her if she told us what she was going to do." He reached for his belt. "I have it here if you…"
"Non."
He couldn't read it. Not now.
"I-I would like to be left alone." Antoine said hollowly, staring at his sheets. "Please leave."
"…Of course." Hamlin got up with Rotor following suit. "I'm truly sorry for your loss, Antoine."
The pig was genuine, and yet the coyote did not care.
"…"
For once, the pig got the message and left without protest. Rotor, however, hesitated and stood by the door.
"Ant…" His friend's voice was soft and sorrowful, full of understanding that made the coyote want to scream. "I… I'm here for you, you know that ri-?"
With numb lips, he cut off the walrus. "Rotor… go."
Hesitantly, the technological genius of the Freedom Fighters did what he was told and left the room.
Antoine stared at the sheets in front of him, hearing nothing but the people passing through the hallways outside of his room and the hum of the machines around him.
Only a mere few hours ago, he had been with his wife and friends. Less than a day ago, he had held his wife close to him after she confided with him her darkest fears over her new state of being.
"Y'all ain't getting rid o' me that easily. What'd a girl like me do to deserve a fella like you, anyway?"
Bunnie's voice echoed in his mind, and soon it came with other memories of the times he shared with the woman he loved.
"And sank you, Bunnie, for our 'little secret'!"
"But, I didn't… I mean, I wasn't… I'm.. I… Oh my!"
Antoine's eyes felt like they were vibrating. They stung. They stung so much.
"Do you think you could still love me if I remained like I am for the rest of my life?"
"My dearest sweet Bunnie… I would love you no matter what as long as we faced each day togethaire!"
His throat was tightening as his eyes began to swim.
"Bunnie Rabbot, will you do me ze great honor of becomink my wife?"
"Oh, Antoine! Ah-ah-ah will!"
His hands shakily rose to his face and covered his eyes. The pain he felt from the act… it didn't matter anymore.
Tears began to stream down his cheeks and he let out a sob.
"W-W-With th-this ring, I-I-I th-thee wed!"
"With this r-ring, ah thee wed."
"I now pronounce you husband and wife!"
He opened his eyes and saw his wedding ring on his finger.
He felt the ghost traces of her lips upon his own.
That was when Antoine D'Coolette let out the cry of sorrow from the depths of his very soul.
"We were desperate."
Sally watched as Rotor continued to rummage around in the shelf he had set to the side. He seemed to have become slower after Antoine had left, more hesitant to do anything. And she could almost understand why.
"Hard to be enthusiastic when it's revealed you helped your friend inject himself with nanites that are wrecking his body."
"The situation was just getting worse and worse with each passing week." The walrus continued sadly, his hand tracing over tools. "In the beginning, the New Mobotropolis Freedom Fighters were trying to get organized while also trying not to get caught by Geoffrey's people. Heavy and Bomb got us out of a few bad fights, even won some, but then Geoffrey got involved with his magic and…" He shook his head. "…we had to retreat. If we just had Sonic and the others here, we might have had a shot at retaking the city."
"Then why didn't you ask them for help?" The princess asked, her voice filled with disbelief. "Rotor, even if the Sonic here isn't the one we grew up with, he would've been here in a heartbeat to save the city!"
That was something she had long since figured about the Sonic of Earth, just by hearing Tangle and the others talking about him and actually watching that video of him on the train. It wouldn't have mattered if Sonic knew them or not. If they had just told him they were in trouble he would have come running to help.
"…We didn't know enough about this world. About how much Sonic and the others had changed after the Super Genesis Wave." Rotor muttered, and the robian couldn't help but notice the tone. It was almost… imploring? "Plus, if he came to the city it might've just made all of Geoffrey's supporters double down on their decision. They hate him, Sally. They ate up the story Geoffrey sold them and if you try and tell them otherwise they'll flip out."
"But that shouldn't have mattered!" She shot back, anger in her voice as her hands clenched into fists. "If the situation was that bad then you should have asked for outside help!"
Sally couldn't believe this. Rotor may not have been the tactician of the Freedom Fighters but surely he should've seen that the forces they had in New Mobotropolis wasn't enough! "He should have been the first to say that they needed the Sonic of this world's help, regardless of what he might've been like!"
What in the world was going through the heads of the people in charge here?!
The walrus' shoulders sagged. "I-I know."
"Then why…?!"
"I…" Rotor grimaced and his hands were shaking before he set them down on the tool shelf. "I… was so confused and scared, Sally. After the Super Genesis Wave hit, after Hamlin and his guys picked me up… I mostly stayed in Antoine's room or in my workshop. I couldn't… I needed to stay by the friends I still had here." He closed his eyes. "I don't think I could bear to see them. I couldn't even suggest meeting or talking to them. Not after I saw Cream, Cheese, Vanilla, Chocola, Big, and Froggy…"
Sally's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her friend. She had suspected that those six had been outside the city for some reason when the Super Genesis Wave had hit, thanks to their placement on the wall. "But this means he actually watched it happen? He… he saw them when they were…?"
She couldn't have imagined what it was like for him. For all he knew he had just watched the mother and daughter pair, their Chao, Big, and Froggy die.
Hearing they had been rebooted wouldn't have made him feel any better. And that probably applied to Sonic and the others. How could one suggest they ask the reborn form of a friend who might as well have died to help?
What on Mobius could she say to that?
"Rotor…"
"And what about the Secret Freedom Fighters?" Nicole jumped in, appearing next to the walrus with her hand on his shoulder. If the robian could breathe, she probably would've let out a soft sigh of relief. "If they were here surely they must have assisted you in the fight to retake the city!"
While the princess was grateful for the change in topic she couldn't help but feel conflicted. That was something that had been bothering her as well.
Why hadn't Elias and the others helped to liberate the city? Even if they weren't a huge force, their covert operations could've helped the Freedom Fighters retake the city!
"We needed to find out what happened to the world. Whether what Geoffrey told us was true or bogus…"
Okay, time to put an end to this.. "He isn't Geoffrey."
Rotor blinked and looked back at Sally. "What?"
Sally nodded grimly. "Naugus is possessing Geoffrey's body, just like how he possessed my father back in Mobotropolis. He probably has been in control of Geoffrey's body since the Super Genesis Wave. I figured it out after talking with him in the castle before the fight broke out."
For a few seconds, the walrus was silent before his eyes narrowed and he slammed his fist on the table. "Now it all makes sense! Damn it…" He shook his head. "I didn't even think about that! It has been so long since…"
"You couldn't have known." Nicole consoled Rotor. "It had been over a year at that point since Naugus displayed such an ability."
"I still should have…" With a grunt, her friend turned back to the shelf and continued to go through the drawers. "Anyways, we needed intelligence and for supplies from the outside. So Hamlin, Amadeus, and Who agreed the Secret Freedom Fighters were better suited for that."
The chipmunk had to restrain herself from asking how the hell Hamlin got into that high of a position of power.
It really wasn't important.
Besides, she should at least be relieved that the pig still believed in fighting against tyrants.
"Plus the fact Tails' father is here and is probably the one actually in charge helps."
Rotor finally seemed to find what he was looking for and took out a small black box. "We figured out a lot about Earth thanks to them, and managed to find a temporary replacement power source for the base since Power Rings are now even more of a scarcity. Geof… Naugus has the Lake of Rings locked down tight, so we needed to use Chaos Drives instead. The Secret Freedom Fighters got them to us, but then…" the walrus winced before continuing. "…The war happened, and the Secret Freedom Fighters were told to help Amy and the Resistance against Eggman's army. Because if we were going to free the city…"
Right.
Freeing the city would be pointless if Eggman took control of this world too.
They would trade one dictator for another, and be back right where they started.
"At the beginning of the war, right when the Secret Freedom Fighters were busy, Naugus brought out the 'restored' Grandmasters to maintain order alongside those Raiju ninjas and his new Ixis cult." The walrus walked over to the table and set the box down. "They began weeding out and capturing Freedom Fighters in the day. And at night, in the outskirts of the city and in the sewers, new Swat-Bots and badniks started patrolling. That's how we figured out he brought back Snively." He set his hands on the top of the box and looked down. "The Secret Freedom Fighters were constantly busy, even after the war. Each new thing just gave Naugus and Snively more tools. The Metal Virus helped to give him the idea for those knights. And Antoine…"
"…He decided he needed to do something, didn't he?" Nicole finished for him, a hand covering her mouth in horror. "Rotor, surely you knew that…"
"Of course I knew!" Rotor snapped at the lynx, only to look ashamed when he saw the lynx flinch. "But… what was I supposed to do? Antoine kept demanding to be put out on the field, and we needed more people to help here. What he suggested was risky, but it was possible. And…" His face fell as he looked to the side. "…And I just wanted to see my friend walk again, and do something other than stew in how Bunnie was… was…"
"…I understand, Rotor." Sally admitted, and she truly did. She hated being set in the sidelines, watching helplessly as her friends and loved ones hurt themselves protecting her and the kingdom just because her father refused to allow her on the field. If she had the opportunity to return to active duty, she would have…!
"No, I wouldn't. Because I just wanted to listen to father. Because I wanted to believe he knew what was best for me."
Damn it.
"…It doesn't mean I have to like it. Or that I can't be angry about how Antoine is ruining his body."
The walrus closed his eyes. "…Yeah."
They were silent for a few seconds, just processing everything they had been told.
To think the situation in New Mobotropolis had gotten this bad. That the Freedom Fighters were at this much of a disadvantage, and how they thought they couldn't even rely on Sonic for help.
"It's almost like how it was that year we thought Sonic was dead…"
In fact, it was even worse. Because now she knew Eggman was only letting them live because he wanted to keep the game going. At least during that year, the kingdom was united in fighting against his tyranny.
Back then, everyone believed that Sonic and the Freedom Fighters would save the day.
"But we're here now." Nicole said, snapping Sally out of her thoughts and causing her to look at the lynx. Her face was set and determined, looking Rotor in the eyes as she said in utter conviction, "And we WILL free our home, Rotor."
"Nicole…" Rotor blinked incredulously at the lynx before a small smile graced his lips. "Heh. I didn't know how much I needed to hear something like that."
"She's gotten good at that." The chipmunk admitted, a small grin forming on her own lips. "Honestly, I'm starting to think it's her secret power or something."
A chuckled escaped from Rotor before he moved his hands to the side of the box. "Well, if you are going to be leading us again, Sally, you're going to need an extra edge. I noticed you have a rapidly degrading Power Ring in you…"
He opened the box, and Sally's eyes widened in shock and wonder as a golden light escaped from within it.
Inside was a single golden ring, practically brimming with power.
"…and I decided you needed a replacement."
"It really is like I'm dealing with Sonic again." Dr. Quack muttered as he looked over a file.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tangle asked while rolling her sleeve back down. "Because we both hate going to the doctor? I mean, can you blame us? Doctors suck!" She winded and said, "N-No offense."
"Zat was a good save." Antoine smirked from his wheelchair next to her. "I'm sure ze doctor is glad to be an exception to ze rule."
A part of her was happy to see he seemed to be feeling a bit better, but a part of her couldn't help but be worried for him.
"Like, is he just hiding how much pain he's in?"
Antoine looked bad on the trip to this place and on the way to the doctor's office. He kept wincing and letting out soft groans. Whatever he was feeling was so bad he couldn't even hide it well.
Compared to the small ache she felt from her right shoulder occasionally, she almost felt ashamed being in the same room being checked out by the same doctor.
The duck rolled his eye. "It really is like I'm dealing with another Sonic." He shook his head and tapped his folder. "And I mean that in more ways than just your attitude. I'm talking about your bodies as well."
"Huh?"
"From how you described how you got your shoulder fractured…" He opened his folder. "It should have been heavily fractured, broken in fact. Especially at the height and speed you were supposedly going at." He then pointed at an x-ray and showed Tangle her own bones. They looked… normal, save for a very miniscule crack on one. "And yet you only had a minor fracture that is pretty much healed now."
"Yeah?" The lemur raised an eyebrow. "And? It wasn't that big of a fall, and my tail helped to slow it down."
The doctor stared at her. "From what I understand, you only got this injury a couple of days ago."
"So?"
What the heck was this guy getting at?
"Bones don't just heal like that. At most it can take several weeks, maybe more depending on how bad the damage is." Dr. Quack pointed at her shoulder. "Yet that only took a couple of days, a small cast, and some pain killers to heal!"
"Weeks?!" Tangle shouted, fear striking her very soul at the idea of having to be stuck with a cast and scarfing down medicine for weeks on end. It sounded like a nightmare! "What do you mean weeks?! It's not like I needed surgery or something!"
"Zat is what you zink requires weeks to heal from?" Antoine seemed shocked at her statement. "Actual surgery?"
"I mean, yeah!" The lemur threw up her hands. "It's just a fractured shoulder! It's no big deal"
"That's what I meant when I said you were like Sonic." Dr. Quack looked her in the eyes. "Sonic was always naturally hardy. Hardier than even most mobians. He could take injuries that would seriously hurt or even kill other people and be back up with only some minor injuries. And his exposure to Magic Ring and Chaos Emerald energy over the years gave him an unprecedented healing factor. A black eye could heal in a matter of hours."
He motioned to her body. "I never had a chance to actually get up close and inspect the mobians of this new world…"
Tangle hugged herself and said, "Dude, don't make this creepy."
Creepier than it already was, at least.
"…But judging from your own body and comments, everyone on Earth has a similar durability and healing factor." He continued, not even bothering to acknowledge her statement. He pointed to the rest of her body. "Then there are other differences in terms of your body. Your tail is one example. While powers derived from one's species isn't unheard of on Mobius, it is very rare. Oftentimes it is limited to specific species like the chameleons and is the result of a mutation from Chaos Energy. Yours is completely natural, without a trace of Chaos energy in your body. Then there's the differences in physical characteristics."
"Still making this creepy."
"Other than that there are other characteristics that make you closer to Mobini than a mobian." He pointed to her shoe-covered feet. "Your feet, for example…"
"What do you mean by Mobini?" She asked, desperate to change the subject. The last thing she wanted to talk about was her feet. "What is that? Like, I can tell that Mobians are just what you call Islanders but what the heck is a Mobini?"
"It is our word for animal, Tangle." Antoine stated, causing her to turn to him. He was looking down and said, "It is what marks us different from zose who are of a similar species, but are not like us."
The lemur couldn't believe it. Were they seriously comparing her to some sort of animal? Why? Because of stuff like her feet? "That doesn't make any sense? Why am I closer to an animal than you? We aren't that diff-!"
"That's where you're wrong." Dr. Quack shook his head. "Mobians from our world are biologically closer to humans."
"…Wait, what?"
Antoine chuckled. "It is a very long story involving aliens."
Tangle rubbed her temples while sucking in a breath. She then let it out and lowered them before saying, "You guys are seriously going to have to give me the cliff notes of what the heck happened. Because I hear Great War this and alien that… and as cool as that sounds it's starting to give me a headache."
Like, seriously. Sally left out a lot regarding what her world was like.
"Don't know what you're complaining about, since your world is apparently just as crazy as ours." Dr. Quack took out a single pill from his lab coat and handed it to Tangle. "This will alleviate the discomfort even more. At the rate you're healing, though, you won't need more than the one after today." He then began walking to Antoine. "Now to check on my other patient…"
Tangle looked down at the ground and frowned.
"We're that different from them, huh?"
It… wasn't a good thought to have. It just made her feel worse than she already was.
She hadn't thought about stuff like this before entering the city. About how different she and Whisper were from everyone else in this city.
They weren't born on Mobius. They were born on Earth. One superhero style comic reboot was all that it took for her and her best friend to exist.
That, she could handle.
But to hear about all these differences. About how she, Whisper, and everyone on Earth were closer to some sort of animal than everyone in the old world… about how they could take more hits and heal faster than anyone in the old world… about how she was the weird one for wearing clothes… it made her feel uncomfortable.
It made her feel like a freak.
"And I'm not a freak! None of us are! I'm normal! I-I belong here! I'm…"
But weren't Sally and the others the normal ones on Mobius?
That Naugus guy and his followers… they didn't see Tangle and Whisper as people. They just saw them as Shades. Some sort of soulless monster that shouldn't exist.
"If they heard everything Dr. Quack said, wouldn't that just confirm what they already think of us?"
"Careful! Careful, doctor!"
"I am being careful! It's because you were straining yourself that this is hurting you more than it should!"
Tangle looked up and turned her head towards Antoine and Dr. Quack…
…and her eyes widened.
Dr. Quack had taken off Antoine's jacket and was lifting the shirt off of the across Antoine's front was a mess of scared. Some of them a pale pink with only a few strands of fur dotting them, while others were shriveled and bumpy. In fact there were less patches of fur than there were scars on his upper body.
She had never seen someone as injured as Antoine before.
"And I'm the one who got the crazy healing ability."
Tangle looked away before the two men could notice she was staring at them.
She didn't say anything as Dr. Quack began to look the coyote over and berate his careless use of his body.
"Whisper… I wish you were here."
At least then she wouldn't feel so alone and so ashamed of… what, exactly?
The answer came as a whisper from the back of her mind.
"Of your own existence."
BOOTING… BOOTING…
MICROPHONE: ON
CAMERA: ON
SA-1 SYSTEM IS NOW ONLINE
The first thing he ever saw was his creator.
The creator stood before his tube proudly, smiling from ear to ear with a grin on his face and his hands on his hips. "Excellent!" The human looked at him up and down and said, "All systems, full power!"
He looked from side to side, seeing a unit of the E-102 series being constructed to his left and to his right was a door. The floor was devoid of any organics save for his creator, who was beaming in pride at him. "Look at me! I'm your brilliant creator, Dr. Robotnik!"
Yes, the creator's true name. One that he was programmed to always refer to the creator as in any reports and to eliminate the Primary One target with extreme prejudice if the creator was referred to by the title of 'Eggman'.
He could not understand why.
Then again, he was not programmed to understand.
"You're the third of my Mecha model machines!" The creator nodded to himself. "Mecha Sonic Mark III!"
Yes. That was this unit's designation.
Mecha Sonic Mark III. The newest in the Mecha line after the failure of the Mark II model on Angel Island.
"I really have outdone myself with you." The creator was now pacing as he spoke. "Your speed is already an improvement over the previous model. Able to actually keep up with that rodent, who has gotten only faster with age, an onboard weapons system that can easily outgun any one of the E-102 series, and able to adapt and learn based upon the combat data you receive second by second or from other models when downloaded into your system!" He stopped and motioned to the left. "The perfect back up for your older brother!"
Mecha Sonic Mark III turned his head and saw further to the left was another unit. One that was recognizably the work of the creator, but looked so much like Priority One.
UNIT IDENTIFIED: METAL SONIC
"You will be far more helpful to Metal Sonic than the other units in the Metal line." The creator scoffed and waved his hand. "Metal Tails, Metal Amy, and Metal Trip were all useless! Even Metal Knuckles eventually failed me! But you… You will be perfect!" He chuckled and pointed to another area in the left. "Their combat data will ensure that!"
UNIT IDENTIFIED: E-102 GAMMA
"The E-100 series will be remotely transmitting their combat data into your system! That way you can understand how the rodent fights and behaves even before you encounter him!" He frowned. "I don't have high hopes for this one, though. Will admit he's not as advanced as his brothers, but I don't have enough time or resources to spare for that! And the best one of the lot will have all their data uploaded into you! A fitting reward, if I do say so myself!"
Yes, it was. It was their purpose to serve the creator. To ensure his dominion over the world and to fight for his satisfaction. To eliminate Priority One even at the cost of their own bodies.
To have their date be used in a superior unit was the highest of honors, according to his programming.
"But for now, you will rest in here and wait." The creator tapped on the glass of his tube and smiled. "You will wait and update your system until each of the E-100 units serve their purpose, and once that is done you along with Metal Sonic will be released to ensure the destruction of that blasted hedgehog and all his friends!"
With that, the creator turned on his heel and walked over to the E-100 unit that had just finished booting up. Since he was no longer being addressed, he followed his creators wishes…
…and waited.
He waited, and did not move whenever the creator or E-102 Gamma passed by his tank.
E-102 Gamma stopped and looked at him for a few seconds before moving on.
The creator was not talking to him anymore.
Why? Why wasn't the creator talking to him?
Wasn't he the pinnacle of the Mecha series?
The combat data from the E-100 units flowed into him, but it was merely information. Information processed within seconds and factored into his calculations. Until put into practice, it was meaningless.
He was meaningless.
Then… he came.
"What the heck is this?" Priority One asked while looking up at his tank, his blue quills waving after he stopped running. "Some sorta new Mecha Sonic? Eggman's been watching way too many monster movies."
PRIORITY ONE TARGET IDENTIFIED!
TRANSMITTING…
AWAITING RESPONSE…
He waited for the creator to respond to his message.
Priority One was here.
The reason for his existence was here!
And yet, the creator didn't respond.
Priority One shrugged his shoulders and then left the room.
RETRANSMITTING MESSAGE…
AWAITING RESPONSE…
He was getting away!
Why wasn't the creator responding?!
RETRANSMITTING MESSAGE…
RESPONSE RECEIVED!
Yes! He would be given permission to activate and…
REPONSE: BE QUIET, YOU BUCKET OF BOLTS! YOU WILL ACTIVATE WHEN I SAY YOU ARE READY! THE RODENT WILL DIE ON MY TIME, NOT YOURS!
He was at a loss.
Why? The creator was just… letting Priority One run from him?
Was this not why he was created?
This did not make any logical sense!
And so, he continued to wait. Even when the Egg Carrier crashed, he waited. The creator still did not release him from his containment. He could not move or act to help his creator. He continued to receive the E-100's combat data until something changed.
One by one, the data feeds were halted.
He was receiving data of… fighting another E-100 series unit?
Why? Why were badniks fighting one another and not on the creator's wishes? They all served the creator!
Soon, only two remained.
E-102 Gamma and E-101 Mk II.
But E-101 MK II soon fell, and then…
…then, E-102 Gamma's signal ended.
DOWNLOADING FILES…
"What? So you want to come along with us, eh? Okay, okay... We could always use a spare set of parts, I guess…"
Was these the files the creator promised?
"All you worthless hunks of junk, be gone!"
Why… why did these not feel like data?
"BETA?"
Why would the creator do that to E-101 Beta?
Why?
"You don't even know? I bet you'd be mean to him, you bully! Why not help us out instead? Don't you know how bad I feel?"
He understood E-102 Gamma's confusion. Why would this pink hedgehog care about something that was useless to her?
Why?
It did not compute.
Why?!
"I feel sorry for you. Eggman failed to give you feelings."
The creator… failed him?
No, no that couldn't be!
Feelings… what are those?
Was it this strange data being fed to him?
What was this?
What was…
Mecha Sonic Mach III, codename Mach, used his finger drills to enter the passageway to the Secret Freedom Fighters' base. The passageway led to the surface outside of the range of the magic barrier placed by the Priority One target, and changed regularly as instructed by Director Who. All previous passageways were collapsed to ensure no one could follow them back.
It was a logical thing to do. It ensured security and anonymity. Two tenants of the Secret Freedom Fighters that needed to be maintained.
Turning around, Mach used his drills to collapse the passage behind him. They could not afford to be followed by any party, and if the collapsing of the tunnel were to result in any casualties those would be acceptable losses.
This was what the Director said.
The Mecha Sonic retracted the drills on the tip of his fingers and reached to the book tucked in between his right arm and upper body. Carefully brushing off the dirt he stared at the cover.
The Birds of Earth: From Sparrows to Flickies.
He had never actually seen a bird. Only pictures and video feed of them.
They fascinated Mach for some reason.
He couldn't wait to read it… after he delivered the request of course.
And he finished the movie.
His wheels spun as he raced down the passageway and approached the metal doors of the Secret Freedom Fighters' base. His code wirelessly beamed into base's system, unlocking the doors which slid open.
"I-I can't believe it…" Mach watched as Lyco and Leeta Wolf passed by the door. The blue-wearing wolf sister was staring at her hands as she asked, "I-Is this really happening? Are we really doing this? We're actually considering this?!"
"…We don't have many options, sis." Leeta Wolf responded, similarly downbeat. "It's either this or Naugus…"
"But why?! Why didn't Elias tell us?! We… we could have figured something out, right?!" Lyco turned around and shouted, "We could've found a way to…!"
The green-wearing sister shook her head. "I just… I don't know. I'm… I'm trying to look at the positives here. At least they'll all be ba-."
The wolf sisters stopped talking and seemed to register Mach, turning towards him and glaring at him. "What do you want?" Lyco barked out. "Get lost!"
The Mecha Sonic nodded and rolled past them, and he heard Leeta mutter, "That thing is so freakin' creepy…"
He didn't know what had caused them to become so distraught. Or why they said those things.
Or why it caused him pain, even if his body received no physical damage.
He passed by the room of Hershey St. John, and caught a glimpse of her sitting on her bed staring at the wall. There was a term for the expression on her face from his files.
Haunted.
Slowly, he approached the workshop where Charles Hedgehog, or Uncle Chuck as he had Larry call him, would be waiting for him. He opened the door and saw the hedgehog sitting on a chair, petting the dog Muttski with his head lowered and his eyes hidden in shadows.
The Mecha Sonic didn't like it. He didn't like seeing one of the organics who actually saw value in him being like this.
"H-Hey, Mach."
Mach turned his head to the right and saw Larry Lynx grinning at him, but the grin did not match the rest of his face. He appeared to be in a similar state to the other members of the Secret Freedom Fighters.
What could have possibly caused him to act like this?
"Sorry about this. Me and the rest of the guys…" The lynx sighed. "We got some heavy news and… well… everyone's kinda bummed, to put it mildly." He looked to the side. "I never thought I'd be doing stuff like this when I was asked to become a Secret Freedom Fighter."
"Spy work isn't as fun as the movies or books like to make it out to be." Charles spoke up, lifting his head as if Larry's comment had awakened him. "But… it still wasn't the plan to get you involved in this. I tried, Larry. I really did. I didn't… I never wanted to…"
The hedgehog stopped himself and grimaced, but it disappeared when Muttski whined. He pet the dog and a bitter smile formed on his lips.
"What would Sonic think of me now…?" He muttered, half to himself. "When did this all go wro-?"
"Uh? Chuck?"
Charles' focus came back to him and he nodded. "Right, right.."
He walked over to Mach and glanced at the book, frowning. "Got another one, huh?" He sighed and took it before setting it on a table. "You can read it later. For now we need your report."
The Mecha Sonic followed Charles to a work station with a monitor hanging over it. A cable dangled from the left, which the hedgehog took and plugged into the back of Mach's head.
Within an instant, text appeared on the screen.
Hello, Sir Charles. I bring a report message from Freedom Fighters HQ.
Charles let out a small sigh and said, "Yes, I imagine they have plenty to say…"
Uploading written report made by Hamlin Pig for your reference.
Message is from Rotor Walrus. It is a request for Agent King aka Elias Acorn to come to visit the Mecha Sally unit.
Larry sucked in breath through clenched teeth. "Oof,… is that really a good idea? I mean, Elias isn't in the best of moods after that meeting…"
Charles shook his head. "No, but we will need to tell him. For now let's just let everyone cool down after that meeting for another hour. That way he can be in a better state for that reunion."
"I dunno, Uncle Chuck." Larry shook his head. "I think it's going to take more than an hour to process everything."
May we watch a movie, if you require more time before the message is delivered to Agent King?
"Bah. You and those movies…" Charles turned towards his desk and picked up the remote. "I don't think I'll ever understand you badniks."
"Hey, at least he's got good taste!" The lynx chuckled. "And yeah. Maybe… maybe a movie will take our minds off things."
The monitor's image changed into that of the movie that had been playing previously. Of four human children laughing as a dog futily barked and tried to bite them from behind a fence of a junkyard.
Larry had been the one to introduce Mach to movies. Charles had been busy with a meeting with Director Who, who had the hedgehog working on a project away from the workshop. By the time he had finished, they were on their third movie and the lynx was sleeping.
But Mach?
Mach was still watching.
Movies fascinated the Mecha Sonic. They evoked these strange sensations within his server through their images and sound, and yet he did not know why. While he could theoretically create new ones through his artificial intelligence, stitching together images and sound from his memory to have them act and sound in any way he wished, they didn't feel the same.
They didn't feel right.
They didn't evoke those same emotions.
So he continued to watch movies whenever he could. Whenever he wasn't receiving upgrades, going on missions, or going through his books of birds he was watching movies.
A part of Mach wondered why organics would make such things.
He watched as E-102 Gamma raised his gun, shooting his brother E-103 Delta in between the eyes to rescue him.
He wanted to understand.
He saw the calculations going through Gamma's server as he hid from E-104 Epsilon's shots. Once the badnik stopped to recalculate, Gamma jumped up from cover to shoot his brother badnik's firearm, causing it to explode and rescuing it.
Maybe when his mission was complete.
He felt Gamma's wheels screeching as he raced around E-105 Zeta, firing round after round into the stationary badnik until it finally, mercifully, began to explode and was rescued at last.
Maybe when he wouldn't have to fight anymore.
He could understand Gamma's logic as it rammed into E-101 Mk II's body. He could not match his older brother's firepower or skill, so this was the most logical and effective way to cause the necessary amount of damage. And it would free Gamma himself. And so, when Gamma's system reported the critical damage received from Beta's firearm, he fired as well into his older brother's body. Beta was now finally rescued… and Gamma would soon follow.
Mach hoped that day would come soon.
A day when the area, New Mobotropolis, was freed… and he could exist alongside the Secret Freedom Fighters in peace.
But for now, he could only perform his tasks, read his books, watch his movies…
…and dream.
To Be Continued…
Notes: Phew, that was a lot to go over. Just a lot of flashbacks to establish what had happened with Antoine, because man he sure got the raw deal Pre-SGW just before the reboot.
After the reboot he got back his memories and was kinda-sorta traumatized by them, but like many things about the pre-reboot memories that was kinda dropped. So I decided to actually focus on what he might be going through if he woke up and wasn't rebooted… but Bunnie was.
Scary stuff.
And yeah, wanted to highlight some of the other differences between Mobians and Islanders. Like how the IDW/game characters can shrug off seemingly fatal stuff when over in Archie, Rotor had to wear a neck brace and deal with back pain from his injuries for presumably weeks at the very least and months at most.
Basically, Sonic's tendency to heal quickly was noted in-universe to be the exception over in Archie. In the IDW/Game universe, it's actually the norm.
Also wanted to highlight some more biological differences without getting too gross and weird about it, hinting at it rather than being explicit.
And Mach… hope people like what I'm doing with him.
Be sure to leave a review and add to the TV Tropes Page!
Until next time…