- Chapter 19 -

Bat Sticks Crazy

Wood Zone

The Freedom Fighters came out of the cave, wincing at the bright sun in their eyes. Once they adjusted to the light, they took in the sights of a dense forest, albeit with some trees having been felled.

"Robotnik's handiwork, no doubt," Sally mused.

To their surprise, they also saw a few Badniks and Swatbots felled here and there. They seemed to have been bludgeoned with rocks, and a few had crude arrows sticking out of them.

"Looks like someone hates Robotnik as much as we do," Sonic remarked.

"Are these… arrows?" Antoine pondered, pulling one out. "It looks like it was made by a child."

"Everyone be careful," Sally insisted. "There's no telling what awaits us here."

"Eh, don't sweat it, Sal," Sonic said flippantly. "We've survived everything Robuttnik's thrown at us. I'm sure whatever we run into here, it'll be a piece of-"

As Sonic spoke, he stepped into a pile of old leaves and promptly found himself snagged by a snare trap, which yanked him up by the foot.

"...cake." he finished.

"What the-?!" Tails managed before a net scooped him up.

"Sacre bleu!" Antoine shouted before falling into a pit trap.

Bunnie and Shortfuse ended up trapped in a cage that appeared to be made from scrap metal from the Badniks, and one massive net managed to snatch everyone else.

"Okay," Sonic began, "once this is over, we are never speaking of this to anyone."

At that moment, they heard a trilling cry, and a figure swung in on a vine. It was a female Mobian badger not much older than Tails, with brown hair, blue eyes, and dressed in rags, brandishing a boomerang.

"Trespassers!" she shouted. "What are you doing here?! Are you here for me?! I'll tell you now, I'll scrap you all!"

"Hey, we were just passing through when we got snagged by these traps!" Sonic retorted.

"Shut up, Blue Devil!" the badger snapped. "I know your scheme. You're with him! You're all with him!"

"Uh, what?" Johnny asked.

"Don't play dumb with me!" the badger insisted. "You're in cahoots with the Eggman, I know it!"

Sonic blinked in confusion. "Hang on… who?"

"The Eggman!" the badger spat. "Round, bald, wears red, massive caterpillar on his face?"

It hit them at that.

"Oh!" Porker realized. "She's talking about Robotnik!"

"Eggman? Really?" Sonic snickered. "I've gotta remember that one."

"Did I say you could talk, Blue Devil?" the badger snapped.

"We're not with… uh, Eggman," Tails insisted. "We're trying to stop him."

"A likely story," the badger retorted. "You think I'll fall for you lies, but I'm not a fool!"

"It's true!" Sonic insisted. "We're the Freedom Fighters! I'm Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Yeah, I know who you are," the badger made big, exaggerated arm movements. "The 'big hero' who 'saves the day'." She gagged. "It's all a load of Flicky poo!"

"Oh, really?" Sonic crossed his arms. "And what makes you say that?"

"Because you're in league with him! How else are you everywhere his schemes take place? And how do you always have the answer to everything? You have inside information because you're a spy! The proof is right there!"

She pointed at Bunnie and Shortfuse in their cage.

"They're our friends," Sonic insisted. "We saved them from Robotnik."

"They're the Eggman's metal men!" the badger retorted.

"Just our luck," Shortfuse sighed. "We've been snagged by a crazy survivalist."

The badger scowled before darting over.

"You callin' me crazy?" she demanded. "Just 'cause I got a hotel in my foot don't make me a BOOGALY-MOOGALY-MOOGALY!"

She shook her head around frantically as she said that.

"You… don't get out much, do you?" Sonic questioned.

"Get out?" the badger repeated. "I am out! I've been out since the day I became Sticks the Badger! The day I struck out on my own and made my own way in this crazy world of ours! And I'll tell ya, I don't regret it!"

Sonic gave her a blank look before looking up at his leg in the snare trap.

"I wonder, will I still be able to run if I chew my foot off to get out of this thing?"

"Sonic…" Sally sighed,

"Just asking," Sonic shrugged.

Sally turned to Sticks. "Look… Sticks, was it?"

"What do you want, Princess?" Sticks demanded.

"What do we have to do to convince you we're not with Robotnik?" Sally asked.

That gave Sticks pause. She sat down, thinking.

"What do you gotta do?" she pondered. "Huh. Never thought of that."

"What a shock," Sonic deadpanned, only to get a boomerang to the head. "Ow."

"Alright," Sticks decided. "You wanna prove yourself? I want one of those."
She went over to Rotor, pulling the Chaos Emerald from his coat.
"A Chaos Emerald?" Rotor demanded. "No way!"

"Not one of those," Sticks clarified, tossing the emerald back to Rotor, who fumbled for it a bit. "For all I know, that's a fake. Luckily, I know where to find a real one. And the Blue Devil is coming with me to get it."

"Fine," Sonic agreed. "Just get me down from here."

Sticks threw the boomerang again, cutting the rope on his snare trap. Sonic landed heavily before pulling himself up.

"Okay, let's get this over with," he insisted. "Lead the way."

"Right," Sticks nodded. "Oh, and if any of you try to escape, you'll get shot full of arrows, and the bots'll be crushed."

She pointed up to a massive wrecking ball made from numerous Badniks tied together, hanging right over Bunnie and Shortfuse's cage.

"Noted," Sonic said.

With that, Sticks turned to go, motioning for Sonic to follow.

"Blaireau fou… (1)" Antoine muttered, shaking his head.

Sticks heard him say that, and turned around with a glare.

"Call me that again and I'll rip your tongue out," she warned in perfect French.

Antoine blinked in surprise as she turned back around, nudging Sonic along.

-X-

As they went, Sonic turned to Sticks.

"So…" he began, "I doubt you learned to speak French living out here in the woods."

"Shut up, Blue Devil," Sticks snapped. "I ain't makin' chit chat with you.

"Enough of this Blue Devil crap. Seriously," Sonic insisted, annoyed. "My name is Sonic. So-nic."

"Don't. Care," Sticks shot back. "Rule number one: never learn names, never make connections. Makes it too easy to be betrayed."

"Is that why you decided to strike out on your own, as you said?" Sonic questioned.

"What's it matter to you?" Sticks said defensively.

"I'd just like to know who's holding my friends prisoner," Sonic explained.

"Friends…" Sticks scoffed. "No such thing. Just people using other people for one thing or another."

"I don't agree with that," Sonic replied.

"Then you're the crazy one," Sticks insisted. "People are no damn good. They only visit when they need something, and the minute they don't, they cast you out like a leper. Their morals, their code, it's a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble. They're only as good as the world allows them to be. And the minute they get a chance and the chips are down, these so-called 'good people' will stab you in the back and step all over you like a rug."
"Rrright," Sonic remarked. "You're not crazy, you're just ahead of the curve."

"Exactly!" Sticks agreed, oblivious to Sonic's sarcasm.

Sonic just rolled his eyes. Suddenly, Sticks yanked him back, seconds before a whole group of arrows hit the ground where he stood.

"Tripwire," she explained. "Spider thread. Invisible to the untrained eye. Not even you would have been able to dodge."

"That's opinion, not fact," Sonic said simply.

As they kept going, Sonic's curiosity got the better of him. "So, if you don't mind me asking, why do you hate people so much?"

"I met them," Sticks answered. "It was all I was surrounded with growing up."

"Somewhere fancy I'll bet, given your French," Sonic mused. "How many other languages do you know, anyway?"

"I know plenty," Sticks said in Spanish, before going on in French, "I had to learn," continuing in German, "if I could speak their language," and finishing in Chinese, "then no one could talk about me behind my back." In English, she said, "So I know enough."

"Right…" Sonic said after a minute. "So, what happened that made you hate people so much?"

Sticks looked torn on answering, then sighed. "Ever hear of Jebediah Badger?"

"That sleazy, money-grubbing crook?" Sonic asked. "Yeah. My dad and Uncle Chuck dealt with his B.S. back during the Great War."

"You know anything about his family?" Sticks asked.

"Didn't even know he had any," Sonic admitted.

"He had a wife, Maryanne," Sticks explained. "And his daughter, Sophia."

Sonic stopped at that before looking her over, noticing a resemblance between Sticks and photos he'd seen of Jebediah, and then it clicked.

"He's your old man, isn't he?" he asked.

Sticks growled.

"Yeah…" she admitted. "He was grooming me to take over his empire. He showed me the truth about people. Everyone's out for themselves. Everyone wants something. Everyone will use everyone else to fulfill their own selfish goals."

"Well…" Sonic began, "I won't lie that there are some people out for themselves, but there are good people out there, too."

"I know that, too," Sticks said. "Maryanne was one, until Jebediah used her. That was the last straw for me. I left, moved here, and haven't looked back. I'm better off alone. That way, I can't be used, betrayed, or hurt. Sophia ceased to exist, and Sticks was born."

"I'm sorry for what you went through," Sonic consoled as Sticks just snorted. "I know humans and Mobians aren't perfect by any means. We fight, we kill, we betray each other. But there are just as many people out there who try to be better. Like me. What I do, I do because I want to work hard at things I love, find the good, be one of the people who fix instead of break."

Sticks seemed to listen for a moment, then she just looked ahead.

"We're here."

Sonic looked ahead, seeing a cave before them. "You sure there's a Chaos Emerald in there?"

"Of course," Sticks insisted. "It's where I got this."

She pulled a spear off her back, what appeared to be a Chaos Emerald shard serving as the point.

"Duly noted," Sonic said simply. "Well, ladies first."

Sticks shook her head. "Uh-uh. You first."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "So little trust in the world these days."

Nevertheless, he went in. As they walked, Sticks scanned the area.

"Stop!" she shouted, Sonic immediately freezing. "Pressure plate. You would've activated the pendulums."

"This place would be rigged with booby traps," Sonic deadpanned.

"Every fifth step, to be exact," Sticks said.

"Good to know," Sonic remarked.

"I've explored every inch of this temple," Sticks went on. "I know all the traps like the back of my hand."

She held up her hand for emphasis, then squinted. "Has that cut always been there?"

Sonic just rolled his eyes as they kept moving. Eventually, they emerged into a large antichamber, two stone statues sitting on either side of an altar upon which the purple Chaos Emerald sat.

"Well, well," Sonic mused. "If it isn't Mr. Chaos Emerald, waiting right there for us to grab it. Which can only mean one thing."

"Major trap," Sticks confirmed. "There's a pressure plate under the Emerald. Too much weight, trap. Too little weight, trap."

"We need something to weigh it down with," Sonic mused.

On cue, Sticks pulled a bag off of her hip. "Sandbag. Good counterweight for snares, or a bludgeon to knock someone out."

"You really need a hobby."

"This is my hobby."

"Ever try ring collecting?" Sonic asked. "Works for me."

Sticks gave him a deadpan glare. "You are aware I could just leave you in this trap riddled temple with no way out, right?"

"...Give me the bag."

He snatched up the bag, approaching the altar with bitter determination.

"Hey, Blue Devil!" Sticks suddenly shouted. "Wait!"

Sonic turned to face her. "Now what?!"

He had already switched out the bag and the Emerald.

"I… didn't get a chance to even out the weight," Sticks admitted. "You just put too much weight on the pedestal!"

"Great…" Sonic turned to see the pressure plate slowly sinking down. "You keen on seeing what this trap is?"

Sticks shook her head.

"Me neither," Sonic agreed. "Let's scram!"

Unfortunately, before they could get out, a massive stone door slammed down, blocking their only exit, leaving them effectively trapped.

"Perfect," Sonic groaned. "What next?"

There was the sound of stone moving behind them, which prompted the two to slowly turn around. The two stone statues that had been guarding the pedestal were now glowing, beginning to move towards the pair.

"Well…" Sonic let out. "At least it's not a giant boulder,"

"You just had to take the bag before I was ready…" Sticks grumbled.

"Stand back!"

He began running around the guardians, landing Spin Attacks every now and then while avoiding their strikes. Eventually, he realized it was pointless and doubled back.

"Okay, these guys are crazy strong," he mused, looking at the door. "Maybe we can use that."

"Nice thinking," Sticks complimented. "Maybe there's a brain in there after all."

She went over to the door, waving her arms. "Hey! Over here, you rockheads!"

"C'mon, Rocky and Rocky II!" Sonic taunted. "Take your best shot!"

The closest guardian threw a punch that the two ducked, the rocky fist sailing overhead and slamming into the door, knocking it down.

"Time to bail!" Sonic shouted.

He ran for the door, but stopped when he heard Sticks scream. He whirled around, seeing Sticks squirming in one of the statues' grip.

"Sticks!"

Without hesitation, Sonic doubled back and ran over to the guardian. It threw a punch with its free hand, but Sonic jumped before running up his arm. Making it to the fist where Sticks was held, he braced himself and pushed against the fingers with all his might.

"You… came back to help me?" Sticks asked, confused.

Sonic nodded. "I told you, I try to be one of those people who do good."

Sticks took that in, looking away in thought. "So shines a good deed in a weary world…"

Eventually, Sonic managed to loosen the statue's grip enough for Sticks to get loose. She immediately ran up the statue's arm, letting out a war cry before jamming her spear into the statue's eye. The Chaos shard on the end caused the statue to overload. Seeing this, Sonic grabbed her by the arm.

"C'mon!"

He dashed out at full speed as the statue exploded. They made it out of the temple, which crumbled in on itself from the sheer force of the explosion. Once outside, Sonic released Sticks, who stared at the crumbled remains in shock.

"Hope that wasn't a tourist destination," Sonic quipped before turning to Sticks, holding out the Chaos Emerald. "Well, here you go."

Sticks looked at it, then him. "You saved me, and you're actually letting me keep it. Why? What do you get out of this? Why do you care so much? You don't make sense!"

"I'm not that complicated," Sonic told her. "Just a guy with a need for speed, a love for adventure, and who always keeps his word. Besides, we had a deal. You gonna keep your word and let my friends out of their cages so we can get on with putting Robotnik in his place?"

Sticks looked at the Emerald once more before taking it. "Yeah… let's go free them."

-X-

They headed back to the traps, setting everyone loose. Once everyone was free, Sonic checked everyone over, making sure they were okay. Sticks watched them, occasionally glancing down at the Emerald in her hand.

"Hey," she said, getting their attention as she held up the Emerald, "what do you want these for?"

"We're trying to keep Robotnik from getting his hands on them," Tails replied.

"But why?" Sticks asked. "Why do you care? What do you gain from... any of this? What's in it for you?"

"We help keep the world safe," Sally said. "There's no ulterior motive, no personal gain. We just want to help people."

"Just… want to help…" Sticks looked down at the Emerald in her hand, before holding it out to Sonic. "Here."

"You sure?" Sonic asked.

"Just take it before I change my mind!" Sticks snapped.

Sonic took it at that. "Well… thanks,"

"I still think you're crazy…" Sticks admitted. "But for the first time in awhile, I'm starting to miss people."

"Frankly, I can't see how you can stand it," Sonic confessed. "Being all alone in the wilderness, no friends or anything. If I was in your position, I'd go nuts. I hate being alone."

"I thought I was better off alone," Sticks replied. "That people would just use me, then cast me aside." She sighed. "Guess Jebediah's still pulling my strings."

"Still not too late to cut loose," Sonic pointed out.

Sticks perked at that as Sally approached.

"Sticks, I've been thinking this over," she offered. "You're opposed to Dr. Robotnik just like us. We could use someone like you on our side."

Everyone looked confused and somewhat worried.

"Uh, Sally girl?" Bunnie began. "You sure about that?"

"Yeah, you sure about that?" Sticks questioned. "I'm pretty sure your team thinks I'm a few peas short of a pod."

"I admit you're a tad eccentric, but you do have a good heart, I can tell," Sally insisted. "That, and your prowess with these traps is second-to-none. If you know how to build one, you know how to escape one."

"These nets are pretty well made," Tails confessed. "Have you considered carbon fiber?"

"Do I look like someone who can buy carbon fiber?" Sticks asked rhetorically.

"Good point," Tails admitted.

"So, what do you say, Sticks?" Sonic questioned. "Wanna be a Freedom Fighter?"

Sticks looked at Sonic, then the others, then sighed.

"Eh, what the heck?" she decided. "I got nothing better to do."

Sally smiled at that. "Welcome aboard, then."

With that, Tails pulled out the Miles Electric, checking the Emerald Radar.

"Next stop is the Oil Ocean Refinery," he informed them.

"I've steered clear of that place since the Eggman took over," Sticks confessed. "Slimy, oily water, smoke-spewing chimneys…" she shuddered. "Yuck!"

"Yeah, I didn't take Robotnik to be the sort to care for the environment," Rotor remarked. "We better shut that place down."

"Then let's get cleaning," Sonic declared.

"Alright, but let's take the northwest path," Sticks said. "When the bots started coming I tore down the bridge to the refinery. We'll have to take the scenic route."

They exchanged looks before shrugging and following the badger through the trees.

"You sure we aren't gonna regret taking her with us?" Johnny asked Sally.

"She just needs a little social interaction, and her… quirks should clear right up," Sally insisted.

"Oh, and be sure to keep an eye out for wood trolls," Sticks piped up. "They steal your socks. But only the left ones. Weird, right?"

They took that in, and Sally let out a sheepish chuckle.

"Okay… maybe more than a little."

Author's Note:

And now Sticks from Sonic Boom joins the party! Thanks to Author of the Insane for helping me work out her backstory and real name for this fic; to that end, Jebediah Badger, her great-great-grandfather in the show, was made her father here. It was also Author's idea for her to coin the Eggman moniker.

Next chapter, the gang makes their way to the Oil Ocean Refinery to shut down production and end the environmental damage.

Please R&R. Until next time!