-Chapter 61-
Alliance
Great Desert
Deep within the Great Desert of Northamer sat Area 99, a top secret military and research base owned by the Guardian Units of the Nations, the primary military force of the United Federation. Within the base, the higher-ups of the organization spoke over Kodos' recent attack on Station Square.
"The Kodos attack was a close call," a lieutenant mused. "One we weren't prepared for."
"Had the Freedom Fighters been any later, or, Aurora forbid, had Robotnik chosen not to walk away, things would have ended differently." a corporal added.
"Commander, how should we approach this situation?" the lieutenant asked, turning to the man in question.
Seated at the head of the table was Commander Abraham Tower, an older man with gray hair and heterochromia, possessing one brown eye and one blue eye. He looked at the incident report before him.
"For now, what do we know about the Freedom Fighters?" he asked. "Clearly they are a benevolent group, but I want to know who is among their ranks."
"One of their leaders, if not the leader, is none other than Princess Sally Acorn," the lieutenant explained. "From what we can gather, the 'Freedom Fighters Initiative', as they call it, was her idea, conceived during Dr. Robotnik's attack on South Island."
"That explains their timely arrival," Tower remarked. "Any other notable members? You can exclude Sonic from your answer. His presence is all but expected."
The lieutenant scrolled down. "That's interesting… Chris Thorndyke and Keith Kent of Station Square are among their recent additions."
"Is that so?" Tower asked. "Two of the youngest prodigies known to humankind. I was unaware the Acorn Kingdom allowed child soldiers."
"To be fair, sir, nearly all of the Freedom Fighters are children," the corporal said. "Sonic and the princess alone can't be older than sixteen."
Tower mulled that over. "To think that perhaps the only force that has stood against Robotnik's madness have been little more than teenagers. Such bravery."
"They've more than proved their mettle," the lieutenant mused. "The question is... what should we do about them?"
"We need to learn more," Tower decided. "The boys may be our best option. See that they are placed under observation."
"Very well, sir," the corporal nodded. "I believe I know just the man for the job."
Station Square
The next day at Station Square Middle School, Kat was popping some headache medicine.
"I swear, I am gonna be a patchwork of scars one of these days," she muttered as she downed a bottle of water.
"Y'know, in retrospect, jumping Kodos from behind like that wasn't your smartest move," Keith pointed out.
"He was trying to choke out Sonic!" Kat defended, chucking the bottle into a trashcan. "I figured I was strong enough to at least give Sonic an opening, which I did by the way."
"Fair enough," Keith said. "Still crazy, though."
"Hey, who's that?" Chris suddenly piped up.
They stopped in front of their classroom, where a tall man with shaggy blonde hair and glasses was speaking with the principal. Kat was instantly on edge.
"A new sub, I'm guessing," Keith pondered.
"Weird," Chris mused as they began approaching the classroom. The man saw them, smiling as they entered.
"Chris Thorndyke and Keith Kent, I assume?" he asked, shaking their hands. "Mr. Stewart. I'm new here."
Kat grabbed both Keith and Chris, glaring at Mr. Stewart with a cold, calculating look.
"Why are you here?" she demanded bluntly.
"Kat, you don't need to be rude," Keith admonished.
"To answer your question, Miss Westerly is on a leave of absence," Mr. Stewart answered. "I'm here to sub for her for the rest of the semester."
"Right…" Kat let out, unconvinced.
The boys felt a slight tremor in her hands as she held them.
"Excuse us for a minute," Chris said.
He and Keith then pulled Kat aside to talk. Her eyes never left Mr. Stewart until they got her around the corner and out of sight.
"Kat, what's with you all of a sudden?" Keith questioned.
"I don't like this," Kat insisted. "It's not right. He's not a teacher. Can't you see it?"
"Now that you mention it, it is a bit suspicious that he showed up the day after Kodos' rampage," Chris admitted. "But that doesn't necessarily mean he's up to no good."
"I don't like it," Kat said. "He knew you by name and singled you out. He wants something. He wants you."
"Of course he knows us by name," Keith pointed out. "My mom revolutionized Power Ring research, and Chris is the son of an actress and a billionaire businessman. It's damn near impossible to find someone who doesn't know us."
"NO!" Kat snapped. "Not like that! He singled you out. He didn't mention your moms, or your grandpa. Just. You."
Chris and Keith exchanged looks at that.
"We're leaving," Kat declared. "We can come and go as we please, right? So we're leaving."
"Just wait a minute," Chris snapped. "We have no idea what he's here for or what he really wants. You're being paranoid!"
"You say paranoid, I say cautious," Kat shot back. "And I'm not losing any more friends."
Unbeknownst to them, Mr. Stewart was hiding behind the corner, listening in. He pressed a button on his watch.
"This is Chalkboard Charlie to Homeroom," he whispered. "Come in, Homeroom."
"This is Homeroom," came the reply.
"I've run into a complication," Stewart explained. "One of my new students is incredibly hostile and is attempting to abscond with the boys."
"Copy that," said Homeroom. "Can you identify the student?"
"The boys call her 'Kat'," Stewart answered. "I believe she's the transfer I was informed of: Kathryn Winters. I'd like you to run a background check."
"Acknowledged."
Great Desert
At Area 99, a group of analysts ran the background check Stewart requested.
"What have we got?" Tower asked.
"Running a check on an obstacle between our agent and the boys," one analyst said.
Tower blinked. "An overprotective friend merits a background check?"
"Uh…" another analyst piped up. "I found her."
They looked at the screen.
"Kathryn Winters, a native of Yurashia," the second analyst explained. "She lived in a village in Chun-nan that was sacked by Dr. Robotnik's forces prior to the Westside Island incident."
"According to this, only a handful of survivors were ever rescued, having been used as slaves by the mad doctor," the first analyst added. "Most of them apparently died before rescue was possible, and Miss Winters was believed among them."
Tower's fists clenched in a mix of rage and horror. "That madman destroyed a village... all those innocent people…"
"And it seems Miss Winters was also part of the Freedom Fighters." the second analyst added.
He brought up an image of the Kodos incident, showing Kat clinging to the lion's back.
"She is?" Tower asked.
"It kind of makes sense," the first analyst admitted. "Robotnik destroyed her hometown and family. She probably wants payback."
"Hmmm…" Tower crossed his arms. "Perhaps a change of tactics. Have him speak with all three of them. Coming clean may be our best option."
"Very well, sir," the second analyst nodded.
Station Square
Kat had just about convinced Keith and Chris to leave when Mr. Stewart rounded the corner.
"I suppose there's no real point in playing stupid," he remarked.
Kat was instantly in front of the boys, prepared to fight.
"Miss Winters, please calm down," Stewart requested, raising a hand in a placating gesture. "I mean you and your friends no harm. I just want to talk."
Kat refused to budge.
"Yeah, she's not backing down," Keith noted.
"So who are you, really?" Chris asked.
"I was sent here to watch you two on orders from GUN," Stewart confessed. "They saw footage of you with the Freedom Fighters when Kodos attacked, and the Commander wants to know more."
"GUN…" Kat recalled. "I remember Hope mentioning them. They're the good guys, right?"
"Back in the day, not so much," Keith admitted. "I've heard that GUN used to be super-corrupt, using brutal tactics and excessive force even when it wasn't necessary."
"Until Commander Tower joined and took over," Stewart added. "He rebuilt GUN from the ground up, stamping out its corruption and making it what it is today."
"So why exactly is he spying on kids?" Chris asked.
"Because you're our only link to the Freedom Fighters, and we want, no, need to meet them."
"What do you want with them, exactly?" Keith questioned.
"The Commander wants to offer an alliance," Stewart said. "Both of us want Dr. Robotnik to be stopped, and the Kodos situation could have been much worse had the Freedom Fighters not shown up."
Kat finally relaxed, backing down.
"Let us talk to your commander, and to the Freedom Fighters," Chris decided. "We'll relay his request back to them."
Stewart nodded. "That's all I ask."
Knothole
At Freedom HQ, Sonic and co. listened as Hope stood before them, her application sitting on the table.
"I want to join you guys," she insisted. "Put a stop to Robotnik's plans."
"Are you absolutely sure about this, Hope?" Sally asked.
"Positive," Hope declared. "Robotnik was not the start of the Kintobor name, and I refuse to let him be the end of it."
"Well, I see no reason to say no," Sonic declared. "Your mechanical expertise could be a big help in the labs, especially for our deroboticizer project."
"That's part of the reason I want to join, Sonic," Hope answered. "Even if I can't get my uncle back, I can at least help you save yours."
Sonic smiled. "Thanks, Hope."
"Now, as happy as I am to have you here, isn't today a school day?" Sally questioned.
"Grandma said I could come," Hope replied. "Besides, I fall under the 'pass tests, skip school' clause."
It was at that moment that Chris and Keith entered, Kat behind them.
"Like these three," Sonic mused.
"Yeah…" Hope agreed. "but they were going today. What happened?"
"We have a spy teacher," Kat informed them.
Tails blinked. "Say what?"
"His name's Mr. Stewart," Keith explained. "He works for GUN. They've taken an interest in you guys."
"They sent an agent to spy on us and Kat…" Chris added.
"He felt off," Kat said bluntly. "I didn't like it."
"GUN was spying on you three?" Hope questioned.
"No... just me and Keith," Chris admitted. "Kat just kinda... got added to the list."
"They saw how we handled the Kodos mess," Keith added. "The Commander seems pretty dead-set on meeting you."
"Well, what do you think, Sal?" Sonic asked.
"Commander Tower worked alongside my father to help mend bridges between the kingdom and the United Federation after the Great War," Sally recalled. "He's made great strides to turn GUN into a respectable organization. It won't hurt to at least hear what he has to say."
"Alright, we'll go," Sonic decided. "Hope, want to come as well? I recall you mentioning an interest in GUN.''
"I do plan to join after graduation…" Hope admitted before shrugging. "Eh, I've got nothing better to do."
"We're coming, too," Chris added.
"Agreed," Keith nodded.
"I just want to make sure everyone's safe," Kat said.
"How are we going to arrange a meeting?" Tails asked. "We don't exactly know where GUN's base is."
"Area 99," Chris and Keith said in unison.
"I can bring up the location in minutes," Hope declared, typing away on a laptop for a few minutes before getting a result. "In the middle of the Great Desert in Northamer."
Sonic whistled. "You three scare me sometimes."
"Sonic, Tails can do everything we can and more, and he's even younger than us," Hope pointed out. "I sometimes wonder why he doesn't do the same."
"Yeah," Sonic admitted. "That's what scares me. Let's go."
Great Desert
The Freedom Fighter Special flew into the desert, approaching Area 99 when a message came in. Tails flipped the switch to the com system.
"Unidentified aircraft, you are flying in a restricted area," came a voice. "State your business or we will be forced to remove you."
Sally leaned in at that. "This is Princess Sally of the Kingdom of Acorn. I understand Commander Tower wants to meet with me and my team."
A moment of silence followed.
"This is Commander Tower," came a new voice. "It seems I underestimated your team. Please, come in."
The Special landed on the airstrip, disembarking as Tower came out.
"I wasn't expecting you to find our base so soon," he admitted. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
"Let's just say that you should never underestimate the kids on our team," Sonic said simply.
Chris, Hope, and Keith all shared high fives.
"I can see that," Tower replied. "Please, come with me. We have much to discuss."
They followed Tower inside the base.
"So what's this all about?" Sonic asked.
"You and your group have become quite the talk of the world since Dr. Robotnik first surfaced on South Island," Tower explained. "And it seems you do more than stop him, if Kodos is anything to go by. However, and I do not mean any offense at all, you're all children."
"Well… yes," Sally admitted.
"You are well organized and you have many talented individuals, but you lack experience," Tower went on. "Well, extensive experience. And while the Mobians are resourceful, we humans have technology you do not."
"So that's it," Tails realized. "You want to propose an alliance between your group and ours."
"Essentially," Tower confirmed. "I don't doubt you can handle things yourselves, but you can't be everywhere at once. More than that, you shouldn't have to be. No single entity should be responsible for the entire world. It's simply impossible."
"Which is why you called us here," Rotor noted.
" My cousin Rob has started his own group of Freedom Fighters," Amy pointed out. "We're not working alone, y'know."
"No offense to Robert O'Hedge, but his group is merely a group of beings still stuck in the medieval period," Tower pointed out.
"...Okay, fair point," Amy conceded.
"We can offer assistance, both in manpower, and in the scientific field," Tower went on. "In fact, I believe I can demonstrate our usefulness immediately."
"You have our attention," said Sally.
Tower turned toward the door, which opened to allow a woman with red hair and blue eyes to enter.
"This is Dr. Sarah Bennett," Tower introduced. "She's our chief technological advisor, and my daughter (1)."
"It's nice to meet you all," Sarah greeted, looking between them all before her eyes fell on Keith. "You're Laura Kent's boy, aren't you?"
"Yeah," Keith nodded. "You know my mom?"
"We went to school together," Sarah replied. "We both studied under Dr. Ellidy before Laura went her own way and researched Power Rings under Nate Morgan."
"Huh," Keith mused. "That's cool."
"Dr. Ellidy?" Sally asked.
"The very same," Sarah confirmed. "Which reminds me, do you happen to have Nicole on you? That's the name you gave it, right?"
Sally blinked before pulling out the handheld. "How did you-?"
"I was there when he first made it," Sarah replied. "I even helped him tweak a few things."
Sarah took Nicole, flipping her over before popping the casing on the back. "Keith, a Power Ring, if you please?"
Keith promptly produced one from his jacket pocket.
"Do you just carry those around?" Kat asked.
"They're useful," Keith said simply.
"Where do you even get them?" Antoine questioned.
"My mom studies Power Rings, remember?" Keith reminded. "I've got a whole garage full of 'em."
Sarah took the ring, showing a slot shaped perfectly for one in Nicole.
"Nicole has a variety of functions you have yet to uncover, Princess," she explained. "But with the introduction of a Power Ring…"
She slid the ring in, and the handheld began to glow. It then lifted out of Sarah's hand as light began to solidify around it, forming a vaguely Mobian shape. Everyone watched in awe as the shape filled in, becoming a female Mobian lynx with brown fur. The ends of her ears were black, and her face featured a stripe along the bridge of her nose as well as one under each eye, while she had medium-length black hair with splits at the ends that she wore down. For attire, she wore a shoulder-less, sleeveless purple dress with split tails, decorated with a small broach. She had black pants, black and white gloves, and shoes, the gloves featuring round purple cuffs while the shoes had silver cuffs and toes. She opened her eyes, revealing a pair of green irises before looking around at each of them.
"Hello, everyone," she greeted. "It's me, Nicole."
"Well…" Bunnie began, "didn't see that coming."
"I did," Sally confessed, getting their attention. "This happened once before, when I was little."
"I've missed being able to see with my own eyes," Nicole said before turning to Sally. "You've grown so much, Princess."
"So, Nicole could project this hologram form this whole time?" Shorty asked.
"On her own, it is just a hologram," Sarah corrected. "With a Power Ring added to the mix, it's much more than that."
To drive the point home, Nicole walked over to a nearby desk. Much to their surprise, she managed to grab a coffee cup with her hand, lifting it up with ease.
"She... she's real?!" Hope exclaimed.
"As real as I can be," Nicole replied as she set the cup back down.
"The Power Ring's energy allows Nicole to manifest a physical body," Sarah explained. "As long as the ring lasts, she can feel, smell, see... pretty much do anything you and I can."
"I'll make sure you have a steady supply," Keith promised.
Tails looked Nicole up and down. "I've seen pictures of Dr. Ellidy. Nicole... she looks almost exactly like him."
"Well, creators are known to mirror their work after themselves," Nicole pointed out.
Sarah's eyes darted from side to side, as if she knew something, but she hid it before the Freedom Fighters could see or catch on.
"Well, I'd say you've made your point," Sally decided. "We'll gladly align with GUN, for the safety of Mobius."
"Excellent," Tower smiled. "Allow me to introduce you to some of our staff before you go."
With that, Tower began showing them around.
-X-
They soon came to a training room, coming across two human women grappling before one flung the other to the ground.
"Nice try, Topaz," the victor said with a smile. "Wanna go best two out of three?"
"You're on, Madonna!" the other woman declared.
Before they could continue, Tower let out a whistle.
"Before you do that, come over and try giving the Freedom Fighters a better first impression." he suggested.
Both women turned beet red as they jumped to attention.
"Sorry Commander, sir!" they said in unison.
They approached, allowing the Freedom Fighters to get a good look at the two. Both had blue eyes, a fair complexion, and short hair. Topaz's was sandy brown, while Madonna's was blonde, her bangs draping over her right eye.
"These are special agents Madonna and Mary Ann Garnet," Tower introduced.
"Codename Topaz," Topaz offered.
"Nice to meet you," Sally said politely.
"Madonna is our master of interrogation and information retrieval," Tower went on. "Topaz is our field leader and one of our best strategists."
"Head of the C.L.I.P. division," Madonna said proudly. "Haven't met a perp I couldn't sweat."
"And I've never let a target get away," Topaz added. "I even managed to nab the elusive jewel thief, Rouge the Bat."
Mina perked. "The treasure hunter wanted in six states?"
"The very same," Topaz confirmed. "And now, she works for us."
"Is that why your diamond earrings are missing?" Madonna asked.
Topaz stiffened, her hands going to her ears.
"Rouge!" she screamed, annoyed.
Kat chuckled at that. "Seems like you're having an off day."
"So... you captured the biggest jewel thief this side of Mobius, and decided to give her a job instead of tossing her in the slammer?" Shortfuse asked.
"Her talents were too useful to just leave her to rot in a cell," Tower replied.
"Even if some of us feel that it would have been better," Topaz grumbled.
"Alright, alright," a new voice cut in. "If you're gonna make such a big deal out of it."
With that, a figure swooped down, holding out a pair of diamond earrings that Topaz snatched back. She landed, giving a bow and allowing the group to take in her appearance. It was a female Mobian bat with white fur and teal eyes that was wearing a black bodysuit with a pink heart on the chest. White boots with similar pink hearts came up to her knees, and white gloves trailed up her arms.
"Rouge the Bat," she greeted. "Nice to meet you all. Well, meet officially. I know you very well, Princess. Especially your family's treasury.
Sally just gave her a blank glare, and Rouge shrugged.
"Hey, quit with the stink-eye," she insisted. "People like you can take the loss of a few pieces of gold easily. There are worse crooks in the world than me."
"Hang on…" Kat cut in. "I know you. Knuckles goes on and on about this bat that tried to steal the Master Emerald."
Rouge smiled. "Guilty as charged."
"Y'know, he told me to do something if I ever met you," Kat recalled.
With that, she punched Rouge, sending her flying across the room.
"Kat, what the hell-?!" Keith let out.
Rouge pulled herself up, dusting herself off.
"Well, somebody's been taking her vitamins," she said casually.
"Whoa…" Madonna said. "How old are you, kid?"
"Twelve," Kat replied.
"Believe me, we thought it was crazy she was that strong ourselves," Chris admitted.
"Maybe we should see just how strong she is," Madonna suggested.
"Well, you do that," Tower told them. "I'm going to continue showing our new companions around."
"Fair warning," Sally piped up. "We won't be held responsible for any injuries Kat gives you."
"Warning taken and accepted," Madonna replied. "Topaz, you coming?"
Topaz shrugged. "Eh, why not?"
"Have fun, guys!" Kat called.
"And try not to break a hip!" Rouge teased Topaz.
Topaz turned red in anger and embarrassment. "I'm not that old!"
As they left, Sarah chuckled. "Some things never change with those two."
"Are you close with them?" Tails asked.
"Mostly with Topaz," Sarah replied. "We practically grew up together. Joined GUN around the same time."
"Sounds like an interesting friendship," Sonic mused.
"It has its perks," Sarah said.
-X-
Their next stop was the science division, where the group took notice of several destroyed Badnik husks.
"Someone's been busy," Sonic noted.
"We're trying to reverse-engineer them," Sarah replied. "Make new machines that don't require Mobini batteries. Unfortunately, we haven't been making much progress. Dr. Robotnik may be an evil wannabe dictator, but you have to give him credit. His Badnik designs are cutting edge."
"We've been working on some of his tech too," Chris admitted. "Mostly trying to find a way to deroboticize his victims, or destroy Megatal."
"We haven't made much progress ourselves," Keith said.
"Destroying Megatal is no easy feat," Tekno noted. "I know; I made it."
"I'm assuming under duress," Sarah said.
"Extreme duress," Tekno confirmed.
"Maybe we can help each other out," Sarah offered.
"True," Tails agreed. "Access to GUN resources could help our goals."
"And maybe next time I tangle with Eggman, I snag some data for you guys to work with," Sonic offered.
"I figured you two working together to stop Kodos was a temporary truce," Sarah remarked.
"Yep," Sonic nodded. "Ten to one says he's already working on a new nefarious plan as we speak."
Robotropolis
Meanwhile, in the laboratory of Citadel Robotnik, Eggatha and Robotnik were working hard on seven different robots.
"I was thinking of some upgrades for Metal," Eggatha said. "I figured boosting his power output and rerouting the thrusters would help him gain an edge speedwise."
"An excellent idea," Robotnik agreed. "But first, we need to find him."
"Don't worry, Uncle," Eggatha assured. "We will. I promise."
She hugged him, which Robotnik returned. It was at that moment that Grimer came running in.
"Doctor!" he exclaimed. "I think we've found it!"
"You did?!" Robotnik exclaimed. "Where?!"
Grimer led him to the computer, where he had been scanning a Giant Ring.
"This ring serves as a portal to the Special Zone, where the Chaos Emeralds ended up during the South Island events," Grimer explained. "My scans have found a planetary mass that matches the Little Planet on the other side."
"So that's where the Little Planet ends up the rest of the year…" Robotnik mused.
"The Special Zone!" Eggatha exclaimed. "I've always wanted to see the Special Zone!"
"Your orders?" Grimer requested.
"First, how has the ongoing investigation of the Northern Isle been going?" Robotnik questioned.
"We've detected some kind of great power source deep within the island," Grimer replied. "Perhaps a relic of the Ancients."
Robotnik summoned Snively at that.
"Yes, sir?" Snively questioned.
"I have a mission for you, dear nephew," Robotnik replied. "You're to go to the Northern Isle. We've uncovered an artifact of great power there. Establish a base on the island, then turn it upside down until you find this artifact."
"And what will you do, sir?" Snively asked.
"We finally found the Little Planet. It's somewhere in the Special Zone," Robotnik replied. "I'm going to retrieve Metal Sonic."
"Ooh! Ooh!" Eggatha piped up. "Can I come too?! Please?!"
Robotnik smiled. "If you insist."
Eggatha squealed, jumping for joy as Snively's eye twitched.
"We've recently completed the Seven Badniks," Robotnik went on. "Take them with you."
"Ah, yes…" Snively replied with false cheer. "My sister's project which you... chose over mine. "I am... eager... to see how they perform."
With that, he departed the room.
"Brutus," he said, the commander appearing. "I've been dispatched to the Northern Isle. Now's our chance to prove our superiority."
"Indeed," Brutus agreed. "Shall I accompany you?"
"Of course," Snively nodded. "Soon, Robotnik will respect both of us, and know that we are not to be replaced."
Author's Note:
(1): Taken from dialogue in Shadow the Hedgehog's Expert Mode. The Commander mentions having recently become a grandfather, indicating that he has at least one child.
There we have it. I've introduced GUN, Rouge, and Nicole's Mobian holo-lynx form.
The Commander's name, Abraham Tower, is taken from Archie, as is Madonna Garnet, while the Seven Badniks are from Sonic the Comic. Sarah Bennett is my OC, who you may recognize from my other story, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows. Topaz is from Sonic X; I tweaked it so "Topaz" is a codename, and she's Madonna's sister.
Next chapter, things heat up at the Northern Isle as Snively and Brutus begin their campaign.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Madonna - Colleen Clinkenbeard (Riza Hawkeye from Fullmetal Alchemist, Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece, Yuko Ichihara from xxxHolic)
* Sarah - Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy from Spider-Man 3, Claire Dearing from Jurassic World)
* Topaz - Meredith McCoy (Android 18 from Dragon Ball Z, Maria Ross from Fullmetal Alchemist)
* Tower - Lance Henriksen (Bishop from Aliens, Admiral Hackett from Mass Effect)
Please R&R. Until next time!