Chapter 2: A Time for Heroes
"Man, I really needed that run," Sonic muttered to himself, stretching his arms, "but then I said to myself I gotta get back. Sally's gonna chew me out for being late... again."
Sally Acorn rubbed her temples about to enter the meeting hall, coming to a stop at the door and tapping her foot impatiently. Bunnie Rabbot was nearby, leaning against a tree, her robotic arm crossed over her chest as she chuckled softly.
"Ah swear, Sugah Hog's gonna be the death of you one of these days, Sally girl," Bunnie drawled, her accent thick with amusement.
Sally sighed and shook her head, crossing her arms. "I know, Bunnie, but you'd think after everything we've been through, he'd take this a little more seriously. We're finally free of Robotnik, but that doesn't mean our work is done."
"Oh, Ah know it, hon. But Sonic's always been more of a doer than a planner. He ain't one for sittin' around talkin' when there's a world to save." Bunnie pushed off the tree and walked over to Sally, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He'll be pull it togetha fer dat meetin, Sally. He always comes through."
Sally sighed again, this time with a hint of a smile. "I know. It's just... I want him to understand how important this is. We're not just planning for today; we're planning for the future. A future without Robotnik."
Bunnie nodded, her expression softening. "And he will, Sal. Just give him a lil' time. Y'know he's still adjustin' to this whole peace thing too. Ain't easy goin' from runnin' for your life every day to sittin' down and talkin' about what comes next."
Before Sally could respond, a familiar voice called out, "Hey, aunt Sally! Aunt Bunnie! What's up? Did Sonic do something?"
Sally's expression softened even more as she smiled down at Tails. "Yes, Tails, but he should be able to get it together hopefully. We're about to have a very important meeting."
Tails nodded eagerly. "I know! I've been helping Rotor with some new ideas! He said I'm getting really good at building stuff!"
Bunnie chuckled and ruffled Tails' fur. "That's because you're a genius, sugah. Ain't nobody can keep up with you when it comes to gadgets."
Tails beamed at the praise, his chest puffing out with pride. "Thanks, Bunnie! I just want to help, like Sonic!"
Sally smiled warmly. "And you are helping, Tails. We're all going to work together to make Mobius better than ever. That's why this meeting is so important."
Sonic skidded to a stop in front of them, a wide grin on his face. His blue fur was slightly ruffled, and his eyes were still a bit bleary from his run, but he looked invigorated. "Had to burn off some of those chili dogs from last night."
Sally put her hands on her hips, trying to look stern but failing to hide the fondness in her eyes. "Sonic, you can't keep doing this. This meeting is crucial."
Sonic's grin softened as he rubbed the back of his head. "I know, Sal. I just... needed to clear my head. But I'm here now. Let's get to work."
Sally sighed but smiled, shaking her head. "Alright, come on. Let's get inside. We have a lot to discuss."
As they entered the meeting hall, the rest of the Freedom Fighters were already gathered around a large table covered in maps and documents. Antoine was standing rigidly, his uniform spotless as he puffed out his chest. Rotor was adjusting his glasses, a thoughtful expression on his face, while Lupe and Godfrey were deep in conversation.
Marcos waved at Sally and Sonic as they entered, his young face lighting up with a mischievous grin. "Took you long enough, Sonic. Did you get lost?"
Sonic smirked and ruffled Marcos' fur as he passed by. "Just making sure the forest didn't miss me too much."
As everyone took their seats, Sally took a deep breath, her expression growing serious. "Alright, everyone. We may have won the war, but our work isn't over. We need to discuss how we're going to rebuild Mobotropolis and ensure the safety of all Mobians."
Lupe nodded, her expression solemn. "The Great Forest is recovering, but there are still many dangers lurking. We must remain vigilant."
The meeting was in full swing. The representatives of various Freedom Fighter groups were gathered, each bringing their own concerns and ideas for the future. Lupe spoke passionately about the need to protect the great desert and its sacred sites, while Godfrey San-Cross, the cocky skunk demolitions expert and wannabe magician, pushed for more aggressive measures to ensure Robotnik's forces never rose again.
Godfrey clicking his tongue and wagging his nerves interjected. "Tsk, tsk princess, We've only won the battle, but the war's not over," Godfrey said, tossing a small bomb in the air and catching it. "Robotnik's gone, sure, but there's still plenty of bad guys out there who'd love to take his place."
"We should be focusing on rebuilding, not picking more fights," Rotor interjected, his voice calm but firm. "
Rotor adjusted his glasses again. "And we need to be careful with the technology left behind in Robotropolis. There's still a lot we don't know about what Robotnik was working on."
Sonic crossed his arms, his expression turning serious as well. "And we can't forget about Snivly. That little creep's still out there, and you can bet he's cooking up something bad."
Sally nodded. "Exactly. That's why we need to stay united. We're stronger together, and we can't let our guard down now."
As the meeting continued, Sally felt a sense of determination growing within her. They had come so far, and there was still so much to do. But with her friends by her side, she knew they could face any challenge that came their way.
--
The briefing had started in earnest, with Sally standing at the front of the room, pointing at various locations on a large, continent-wide grid displayed on the holographic projector. Her voice, usually commanding and full of authority, was beginning to sound more like white noise to Sonic. He loved Sally—he really did—but these strategy meetings always seemed to go on forever.
"Blah, blah, blah… you can see here we have secured the central district… blah, blah, blah… rebuilding Robotropolis… blah, blah, blah… still encountering resistance… blah, blah, blah… Robotnik's generals still hold the twelve surrounding zones… blah, blah, blah… we need to liberate the Mobians held here… blah, blah, blah… vital engineers for the reconstruction… blah, blah, blah… reaching out to other Freedom Fighter branches… blah, blah, blah… some mercenary units have agreed to work with us."
Sonic's eyelids were growing heavy as Sally continued. He knew what she was saying was important—vitally so—but his mind just couldn't stay focused. It wasn't that he didn't care. He just wasn't a deep thinker. He was a doer, a mover, a shaker. Listening to strategic breakdowns? Not so much.
Beside him, Bunnie Rabbot was smirking, her mechanical limbs glinting slightly in the soft light of the room. She nudged Sonic with her elbow, drawing his attention to Sally, who was now talking with a skunk and a young wolf from Lupe's pack. The skunk duo Godfrey San-Cross, was trying charming Sally with his suave demeanor to gain her favor much to his sister Gloria's chagrin, while the wolf, Marcos, was engaging in a more tactical discussion.
"So, Sugah-Hog," Bunnie whispered, her Southern drawl laced with amusement, "with all these new strappin' young fellas 'round, ya reckon any of 'em might have eyes fer the princess? That wolf from Lupe's pack sure has been sniffin' 'round a lot, and that stinky boy… well, he ain't too bad to look at either and he knows how to lay on dat der charm."
"Zzzz-snkt—huh? What?" Sonic jolted awake, realizing he hadn't just zoned out—he had actually fallen asleep! He quickly wiped the drool from his chin, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Sally, having walked over during his brief slumber, was now leaning down, her face mere inches from his. Her eyes narrowed into a glare that could cut through steel. "Maybe I should just tell you directly, hmm, Sonic Hedgehog?"
"Uh… sorry, Sal," Sonic stammered, raising his hands in surrender. "Where do you need me? I'll get going lickity-split!"
Sally straightened, crossing her arms as she took a deep breath, her frustration evident. "We're moving in on Glyphic Canyon soon, and I need you to secure a path there. We need recon done yesterday, and I know you can handle this, but I'm sending some support with you."
Sonic perked up at the mention of a mission, his excitement returning. "Support? Like Tails?"
Sally nodded, pulling out Nicole, her ever-present AI companion, who projected a detailed topographic map of the area. "Yes, Tails is coming with you. It's his second big mission, and you're going to need him. I'm also sending Godfrey and Antoine. You'll be meeting up with a local Freedom Fighter cell called Diamond Cutters who can assist as well."
At the mention of Antoine's name, the nervous coyote visibly shrank in his seat, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. On the other hand, Tails was grinning ear to ear, clearly thrilled at the responsibility Sally was entrusting him with.
Sonic, however, raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Awww, Tails I can hang with. But why Toupee and the Skunk? Me and Tails can easily search the area."
Sally pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to keep her patience. "Antoine is a coyote, Sonic. He's naturally adept in desert climates, and he's had desert survival training. Godfrey is an information-gathering specialist. And for good measure, how about I send Lupe too?"
She motioned for Lupe, the stoic wolf leader of the Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters, to join them. Lupe, ever the picture of calm confidence, bowed slightly to Sally.
"Princess, if I may," Lupe began, her voice steady and firm, "Sonic, the fox child, and I are all that is needed. We can move swiftly and carefully, like beasts in the night."
Sonic grinned, jumping on the opportunity to reduce the size of the team. "Yeah, what she said! Tails can totally record everything we find, and Lupe can cover what I miss… if I miss anything."
Sally, though still concerned, gave a reluctant nod. "Alright, but take Nicole with you, just in case. We need to coordinate, and our standard comms won't stretch that far."
She slid the small, computerized partner across the table to Sonic. "I'll have Antoine and Godfrey stay here with me. I have some other missions for them."
Sonic's eyes narrowed slightly at the sly smile Sally gave him. There was a hint of mischief there, a playful challenge. He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or trying to make him a bit jealous. Either way, he felt a twinge of possessiveness in his gut, but he quickly pushed it aside.
"Yeah, yeah," Sonic said, waving his hand dismissively as he grabbed Nicole. "We'll get this done in two shakes of a tail."
As Sonic headed out of the meeting hall, Godfrey followed, tossing a small pack to the blue blur. "You might need that, Bluey. A little surprise in case you run into trouble."
Lupe, who had been watching with a disapproving glare, scoffed as she caught a glimpse of the bag. "Technology… useless to a real warrior."
Sonic peered into the bag and saw what Godfrey had packed: small, homemade bombs. He smirked, knowing how effective Godfrey's devices could be. "Thanks, Godfrey. Never know when an explosive will come in handy."
Godfrey grinned, clicking his tongue as he gave a double-finger gun gesture. "They're pretty good, mate. Toss one at a bot, and it fries it. I call 'em 'poppers.' Via con Gaia, Bluey."
As Godfrey walked back into the hall, Lupe turned to Sonic with a deadpan expression. "He reeks of hubris."
Sonic shrugged. "You say that to me sometimes too."
"Perhaps," Lupe conceded, her tone firm. "But you are a true warrior. He hides in the shadows like a coward. Come, we must depart while the day is long. It is a long journey to Glyphic Canyon."
Tails, who had hopped into Sonic's backpack, gulped at how intense Lupe seemed. "Sonic, sometimes she scares me…"
Sonic chuckled, reaching back to pat Tails on the head. "Yeah, I hear ya, little buddy. But she's on our side. She's a friend."
Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the air, accompanied by the sound of clanking metal. "Just a moounmenr der Fuel! I will be going too, Weezer you likes it or not!"
It was Antoine, the ever-nervous but determined coyote, chasing after them and wagging his finger. In his view, this mission was too important to leave in the hands of someone as reckless as Sonic or, heaven forbid, a "dirty savage" like Lupe. His thick Mercian (French) accent made his words a bit hard to understand, but his determination was clear.
To Antoine, Lupe was a novelty—a feral savage from a bunch of uncivilized cave dwellers. He couldn't fathom leaving something so crucial in her hands.
Lupe, in turn, regarded Antoine with thinly veiled contempt. To her, he was a weak, privileged silver-spooned rich boy who was all talk and no action.
Sonic sighed, sensing the tension already brewing. "Alright, fine. Let's just get going and get this done."
With that, the unlikely team set off, each member carrying their own expectations, doubts, and hopes for the mission ahead.
To be continued.
