"Oh! Metal Sonic! You're back! I hope your trip was…"
A part of Metal Sonic was satisfied when Orbot's eyes widened as he finally got a look at his 'Big Bro'. Perhaps he saw the small signs of damage on his body. Perhaps he could see Metal Sonic's clenched fists which he had intended to punch through Orbot's head if he got any closer, or maybe he could just feel something in the air as that organic saying went.
In perhaps his only display of true intelligence, the spherical badnik floated out of the way, grabbed Cubot by the arm, and then rushed out of the still open door.
"Hey! What da heck are ya…?"
"Just be quiet and come with me!"
Metal Sonic debated for a moment to go after the two and just destroy them.
After all, apparently Robo-Robotnik never scrapped them whenever they messed up. Despite them serving less of a purpose than Metal Sonic himself.
But no. The two weren't worth his time and they were, indeed, useful in their own bumbling way.
He went to the computer and turned it back on. Accessing the Eggnet, he began searching through each and every one of the doctor's hidden cameras to find where the robian had gone.
The trip back to the doctor's base allowed the badnik to mull over how he could find his loathsome copy's former mate.
The first and most tempting idea was to go to the Restoration's headquarters. They didn't have any defenses that could hold him back. With his speed and power he could cut through them like a surgical knife. He could force Mecha Sally's location out of Jewel the Beetle's mouth as he took her apart piece by piece.
But no. It was a potentially inefficient waste of his time. And the doctor might get upset if he learned that Metal Sonic cut the head off of the Restoration before he was ready when he returned.
So, he'd have to resort to his second idea.
Tracing the robian's path through their world.
Using the time and location stamps, he could see the body of Mecha Sally being brought to the Restoration Headquarters. Then, after a day, she left wearing the clothing organics wore. She got into a van with the Restoration agents Silver the Hedgehog, Tangle the Lemur, and Whisper the Wolf.
He paused and studied the still image of the holographic lynx. The files from the Death Egg and Egg Memos indicated this was the artificial intelligence Nicole the Holo-Lynx.
No matter. He would destroy her as well.
Perhaps right in front of the robian before he landed the final blow.
They were friends after all.
From there he traced the van's trip through the various zones. The timestamp getting closer and closer to the current day and hour. Then, after seconds of watching the sped-up videos, he watched as the organics parked the van and entered a monorail with Mecha Sally.
A monorail that led directly to Studiopolis.
With his destination marked, Metal Sonic made his way out the door and towards the exit of the base.
He did, however, pause and turn his head to see Orbot and Cubot cowering at the other end of the hallway. Hiding partly behind a corner, afraid to approach him but wanting to see what he was doing.
Metal Sonic stared at them for a second before bringing up his right hand and wagging his finger.
It was his favorite gesture.
It could mean so many things. And the imagination did more than spoken words could ever achieve.
And with that final gift to his 'brothers', Metal Sonic walked forward and activated his turbines as the door opened.
He flew up soared through the clouds, his system's GPS marking the distance towards Studiopolis.
It was time to erase some mistakes.
"Are you sure this is legit, Fang?"
"Come on, I wouldn't lie to you." The weasel grinned as he tossed the pink gem the size of his hand up and down. "This thing here may look like a Chaos Emerald, but it's a replica even Eggman and Double-Butt wouldn't be able to distinguish from the real thing unless they take a real good look at it. And the only way they can do that is if they actually get their hands on it. The only people that can make this kind of thing is someone with real money."
Bunnie crossed her arms and tapped her foot while staring at the fake emerald. The past couple of days had been crazy with Espio the Chameleon of the Chaotix Detective Agency warning that Dr. Eggman was planning to take over the world through a robot invasion and his newest big doodad, the Death Egg II. Sonic and Tails, the two heroes of the islands and frequent pains in the butts for the doctor, had assured everyone that they had a rocket that could take them up to the machine in space… but it did need the Chaos Emeralds to power it since it was a rush job.
After this had happened, Sonic and his friends had scattered to find the emeralds. However, in the interest of potentially selling the gem for money and hanging the victory over Sonic's head, Fang had nabbed one.
That was when he had gotten a job offer.
Bunnie raised an eyebrow. "And ah guess ah get to keep this one."
"You got that right." He tossed it over to her and Bunnie's bulky three-fingered robotic arm caught it with ease. "Bean and Bark are keeping the other two real ones."
Right. The two other partners of their new group dubbed 'Team Hooligan' by the news. The job the weasel had snagged required three other cohorts to increase the odds of them getting all the Chaos Emeralds.
"Y'know, ah'm hurt Fang." The rabbit pocketed the false gem. "Ah'd figure you'd trust me with the real deal instead of the two newbies. We've worked together enough."
She and Fang had done several treasure hunting jobs together. They had worked well together, with her getting them past tough obstacles using her limbs and good looks while the weasel's sharp shooting got them out of sticky situations.
Fang grimaced. "Yeah, but Bean could somehow tell the stupid things apart and wouldn't stop bawling until I handed him the real one."
"Hrm." She put her hands on her hips. "And ah get paid no matter how this goes down?"
"Yup. That hedgehog lady made it very clear. We win and we get a nice big fat bonus after she hands the stupid things over to Fleet-Feet on live TV. We lose and we still get paid, but no bonus."
Hornet TV, one of the biggest TV stations on the islands, had arranged this tournament. The CEO called it a fun little event that would climax with the destruction of the Death Egg II. A fighting tournament where the holders of the Chaos Emeralds, along with Honey the Cat who wanted to promote her brand, would duke it out and the winner would go off to destroy the space station with Sonic.
The hedgehog CEO called it a win-win scenario, even though Sonic and Tails very loudly protested against the decision.
"Though I'd prefer it if we won, thank you very much." Fang frowned. "The Marvelous Queen needs another trip to the shop. Something sounds off with the motor."
She grinned at that. "Ah'd win even if your bike was in tip-top shape."
They heard the sound of the bell. "WILL THE CONTESTANTS PLEASE STEP INTO THE RING?!"
The weasel thumbed towards the entrance to the stadium. "That's your cue."
"Right." With that, Bunnie walked forward and brought down her hat, shielding her eyes from the light.
Sunset Town had made the stadium in a hurry, but it looked legitimate and the concrete seemed to be sturdy. Attendees were screaming in delight as they stood up from their seats, crying out Sonic's name as he stepped into the boxing ring. The hedgehog waved at them while she hopped over the rope.
"THANK YOU ALL FOR ATTENDING HORNET TV'S FIGHTERS TOURNAMENT!" The announcer screamed out from his podium, motioning to the arena as the cameraman continued to film. "IN THE RIGHT CORNER, YOU HAVE THE HERO IS THE ISLANDS AND SO FAR UNDEFEATED CHAMPION: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!"
"Thank you! Thank you!" Sonic bowed to the stands. "You're all a terrific audience!"
Bunnie smirked as she observed this. She heard from Fang that the hedgehog was a cocky little brat, but it was funny seeing him in action!
"IN THE LEFT CORNER, YOU HAVE THE SOUTHERN SWEETHEART OF TEAM HOOLIGAN: BUNNIE RABBOT!" She tried to ignore the boos thrown her way.
After all, it wasn't like they were worse than what her parents said to her.
Sonic, however, was now standing up and looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"NOW THEN, LET'S GET THE THIRD MATCH OF THE FIGHTERS TOURNAMENT…!" The bell rang. "…STARTED!"
Bunnie and Sonic began to walk to the center of the ring, the rabbit's hands clenching into fists. She needed to end this quickly. If she gave the guy even a moment's opportunity to…
"Look, I don't want to fight you."
Sonic's words actually stopped Bunnie from laying a right hook across his face. "Huh?"
The hedgehog smiled sheepishly. "This tournament wasn't something I wanted to do. I just want to go up and kick Eggman's butt, and while this is fun I don't want to fight unless I gotta. Knuckles just wanted to have a spar and Honey would've given me the emeralds if she won the tournament." He grinned. "We agreed not to make it easy for each other, and I won. But you… I really don't want to fight you. Dunno why you're hanging out with a jerk like Fang, but you gotta see this whole thing is stupid."
The hedgehog held out his hand to her.
"So why don't we just end this early? I'm sure you're strong, but unless I get those emeralds Eggman's just going to wreck everything."
The audience erupted into a sea of boos at that statement.
"Really?! Come on!"
"You gotta be kidding!"
"This is so uncool, Sonic!"
"I know you're not afraid to hit a girl! Come on, hedgehog! I have money riding on you knocking her out in the second round!"
Bunnie couldn't help but blink in surprise. Did… Did Sonic really think she would just give up and hand the emerald over to him?
She could see his logic. Stopping Eggman was important, and even she had to admit this fighting tournament was stupid.
Bunnie, tentatively, stuck out her robotic left hand.
Sonic grinned and took it with his right.
She grinned back and held it tight.
"Sorry, Sugah Hog…"
The rabbit turned on her heel and swung the hedgehog. He let out a cry in surprise but struck out with his left leg at her her face. She grunted in pain and let go. He was now spinning in the air, backflipping before landing on his feet and glaring at her.
"…but with all the money riding on this, ah'm going to make sure ah'm the winner!" She ran forward. "So do a gal a favor an' hold still!"
"Okay! Don't say I didn't try!" Sonic curled into a spin dash and launched himself forward.
That was how Bunnie Rabbot and Sonic the Hedgehog first met.
It wouldn't be the last.
Sally couldn't believe her eyes and ears.
Bunnie D'Coolette, one of her oldest and dearest friends, was standing across the street from her.
And yet… she was not.
The rabbit's once flesh and blood limbs, which she had seen through the eyes of Mecha Sally during the time she was a helpless prisoner in her own body, were now mechanical once more.
Her long blond hair, something Bunnie had taken pride in, was now cut short and seemed more fur-like.
A scar that Bunnie never would've allowed on her face was now on her left cheek, a faded pink that stuck out on the white muzzle.
And her clothes… Bunnie's clothes were always bright and colorful, the darkest being her brown jacket. She never would've worn anything black. She even told Sally that it would clash against her sunny personality.
It was as if she were staring at a stranger.
IMPOSSIBLE. Even Nicole seemed to be distressed by the rabbit's appearance. HOW? HOW IS SHE HERE? I-I CHECKED AND…!
"Hey! I recognize those guys!" Tangle shouted while pointing at Bunnie, Bean, and Bark with her tail. "Those are the Hooligans, the jerks that took on Sonic back in the day!"
"Yes." Blaze narrowed her eyes. "I recognized the weasel, and I remember that duck and polar bear when I fought them with Amy and Cream. But the rabbit wasn't there before…"
"You hear that, Bun-Bun?" Bean was now hunched over and pointing at the lemur. "We're old now! Why, we oughta pinch their cheeks for that! And ask about those grandkids…"
Bunnie rolled her eyes. "Oh knock it off, Bean. Ah don't need to deal with your brand of crazy right now."
This didn't make any sense. Bunnie shouldn't be anywhere near Bean the Dynamite. The duck was a complete psychopath who threw around bombs and didn't care who got hurt! Bunnie would've jumped to stop him on sight!
"Bunnie?" She asked again, the name feeling as if it were a lie escaping from her lips. "What are you doing?"
Mina, still trapped in Bunnie's grasp, turned her head to Sally and shouted, "Sally! This isn't our Bunnie! S-She didn't know who I was! She's like Sonic! Like…!"
"What in tarnation are you talking about?" Bunnie seemed genuinely confused as she looked at the mongoose. "Not your Bunnie? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh! Oh!" Bean was now bouncing up and down, his hand raised. "Maybe you got a twin! Once the job is done we can go on a soul-searching road trip to find her and learn important life…" He then stuck out his tongue. "Bleh! On second thought, that sounds so boring! No thank you!"
Bark stood with his arms crossed, but he did smirk and chuckle at that.
"This doesn't make any sense!" Silver pointed at Bunnie. "Robotization doesn't exist here! How could you get those limbs in this…?!"
Bunnie's eyes narrowed and she snarled out, "That's none of your damn business!"
That snarl… it was so unlike Bunnie. Sure, her friend would've been uncomfortable recounting the origins of her limbs but she would've shared. If only so Silver could understand. So that others would get to know her and…
SALLY. Nicole spoke up, shaken and with her lip trembling. I BELIEVE MINA IS RIGHT. THIS BUNNIE IS LIKE SILVER. SHE'S… REBOOTED.
"How?" Things were happening too fast. Her mind was still trying to comprehend the scene in front of her. "How could this have happened? If Bunnie was in New Mobotropolis with Antoine then…"
Nicole looked down and said, NO. SHE WASN'T. AFTER… AFTER ANTOINE SHOWED NO SIGNS OF RECOVERING FROM HIS COMA SHE… SHE LEFT, SALLY. SHE WASN'T IN THE CITY WHEN THE SUPER GENESIS WAVE WAS LAUNCHED.
"Bunnie left Antoine?!" That didn't make any sense! Even… even if it was difficult her friend would've been with the man she loved! She would've at least gone with Sonic or the others to try to go after the man who caused all this.
Even if it was to destroy Mecha Sally.
Before Nicole could respond, Bunnie set down Mina while reaching into her jacket pocket. "Alright, ah don't know what's going on but chances are y'all aren't with Eggman. No way a badnik would be willin' to chat and behave unless you Restoration folks rewired it."
The fact that Bunnie didn't recognize her drove the knife through Sally's heart even more.
"Any chance y'all are willin' to just back off and let us get paid?"
"Say no!" Bean was grinning. "Please say no! Pretty please with sugar plums and gumdrops and bombs on top!"
Sally opened her mouth, but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. This… this was never something she thought might happen. How could she respond to this?
"Fat chance!" Tangle shook her fist. "Let Mina go, you jerks!"
The rabbit shook her head and revealed a black pill. "Now that's too bad." She threw it to the ground by Mina's feet and in a split second foam erupted, covering the singer's boots while Bunnie stepped away. The foam then seemed to solidify, gaining mass right before their very eyes.
Mina pulled each of her legs, but other than the foam shifting nothing happened. "I-I can't move!"
"That's the idea, honey." Bunnie smirked. "That stuff was meant to hold down Sugah Hog for a bit."
"It's not made of cotton candy!" The mad bomber sulked. "I learned that the hard way…"
"It'll last long enough for us to finish our business." Bunnie stepped forward, cracking her neck. "Ah'll take on the bucket of bolts."
"Yay! I call dibs on fire kitty and future boy!" Bean laughed as he reached behind him and revealed an almost cartoonish sphere bomb, the fuse already lit. "Blue! Twenty-four! Hut-hut hike!" He screamed and threw it forward.
SALLY!
Nicole's scream allowed for Sally's instincts to kick in. "Scatter!" She shouted and pushed her friends to the side. The robian ran forward and ducked, allowing the bomb to sail over her head before she heard the explosion behind her.
She could already see the Hooligans moving. Bean was doing cartwheels and heading towards Silver and Blaze while Bark was jogging towards Tangle.
Leaving Bunnie to confidently walk towards her.
The princess told her friend a simple truth. "I don't want to fight you, Bunnie."
Bunnie grinned.
"Well ah wouldn't want to fight me either."
Something slid from underneath Bunnie's left eyelid, covering the eye with a red glass-like material.
Nicole suddenly became alert and she shouted, SALLY, SHE'S LOCKING IN ON US!
Before the robian could respond fire erupted from underneath the rabbit's feet. She flew forward and raised her right leg.
Sally ducked, only avoiding the kick by an inch as the rabbit shouted, "Now let's see what you can do, Badnik-Gal!"
"Daddy, daddy ah don't understand!" Bunnie cried out, reaching with her right hand up to her father who was holding her mother. "What's wrong with mah arm?! Mah legs?!"
It happened this morning.
The pain, something that she had become used to, had returned with a vengeance. The knives seemed to stab in every inch of left arm and legs, the pain was so great that it felt as if they were on fire. She couldn't even move them, they only twitched and she let out a scream. A scream so great that her father had been there within a heartbeat, holding his hunting knife in case there was an intruder. But then he was at her side, dropping the knife while she twisted and wailed in the bed with hot tears streaming down her cheeks.
Her mother had been there soon after, and she fell by her bedside while Daddy went out to try and find the local sawbones. She prayed while Bunnie cried and the pain grew worse and worse. Prayed to Gaia to free Bunnie from whatever was afflicting her. To drive away the demons that were torturing her.
The rabbit knew she should've prayed as well. It was supposed to be what one did when going through a trial.
But she didn't pray.
She just wanted the pain to stop!
Then, she heard something in her head just snap inside her head like some sort of twig.
The pain in her legs and arm had finally stopped.
It felt cold for a few seconds, colder than the harshest of winters.
And then… nothing.
She couldn't feel the pain.
She couldn't feel anything.
To Bunnie's horror, she couldn't move her fingers and toes. Even when the hours passed and when the feeling should've returned like the other times something like this happened.
The sawbones, a True Folk of the boxer dogs named Bruiser, pressed against her useless left arm with his fingers. "You feel nothin' Bunnie? Nothin' at all?"
"No…" She whimpered. "Why is this happenin' to me? Ah was fine! Ah was a good girl an'… an'…!"
"Ah know you are." He said softly. "Ah know you are. But you gotta stay strong, okay? Ah need to talk to your parents."
"To make me better?"
The doctor said nothing. Instead, her daddy spoke up. "Of course, baby girl! The doc's gonna help get you right back on yer feet, okay?"
Slowly, the sawbones got to his feet and put on his bowler hat before he left the room and motioned Mommy and Daddy to follow him. They shut the door, and despite crying and knowing it was a sin to snoop Bunnie listened in.
"What's happenin' to her, Doc?"
"Ah don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"Nothin' from all mah years of experience gives me the foggiest idea. Her limbs aren't rottin' otherwise ah would say we need to amputate right away…"
"Amputate?!"
She didn't know what that word meant, but the way Mommy sounded made fear grip Bunnie's heart.
"Keep yer voice down. Do you wanna scare yer girl anymore than she already is?"
"What can be done?"
"Right now, ah'm gonna have ya give her some home remedies ah've made for weak limbs. You need to give it to her twice a day, even if she yucks it up. If no progress is made… it'll be up to Gaia."
With that, Bunnie heard the sawbones trudge off and the door opened to reveal Daddy and Mommy.
Daddy had a smile on his face, but his eyes were swimming.
Mommy didn't even bother to smile and just rushed back to Bunnie's side, holding her unmoving left hand.
"Daddy?" She asked in a soft voice. "Am… Am ah gonna get better? Is the doc gonna give me medicine so ah can move again?"
"Of course." Daddy kneeled down and pet her head. "Of course. It's… it's just gonna take some time, okay?"
He was lying.
Daddy said that lying was a sin that damned the soul to the plane of Dark Gaia, where she would be tortured by the shadows of sinners.
And yet… he was lying.
To her.
"Just… treat it like one of Gaia's trials, okay? It'll pass. But for now…"
He clasped his hands in prayer.
"…We pray."
They prayed to Gaia, glory be to His name.
But even though Bunnie prayed, even though she begged earnestly with all her heart to Gaia to free her from this curse, her mind circled back to one thing.
Daddy lied to her.
A loud booming filled the air, lights flashing across the now mostly empty club as Whisper surveyed her environment.
"I can't believe I offered to stay behind."
She knew it was logical. After all, someone needed to guard the downed weasel as the others went after Mina.
The wolf and the others had been left in the the break room mulling over the argument that had occurred. Those ugly words that had come out of Sally's mouth… it was a shock to everyone there. They couldn't believe such things had come from their friend.
"Maybe we should've seen it coming…"
They didn't have a full picture of what had happened. Just Sally's word that Mina Mongoose, someone who had also come from the world that came before this one, had helped to drive Nicole out of their home. Mina and Nicole had confirmed it, but Silver insisted someone named Naugus had a hand in the events that had occurred.
It wasn't much, but it was obvious the situation wasn't as clear-cut as they had initially believed.
Sally was still justified to be angry at the other girl, though. She was under no obligation to forgive the mongoose for the events.
"But that didn't mean that she needed to say those things. Especially with how distraught Mina was… It wasn't right to say things like that."
A groan interrupted the sniper's thoughts. She glanced at Fang the Sniper, who was still on the floor clutching at his groin.
"He'll probably need to see a doctor after this."
They had been talking about how it was good that Sally was at least going to apologize for her words to Mina when the screaming had started. They had rushed out and ran into the club just in time to see Sally kneeing the weasel in the groin. Tangle had instantly recognized the gun-wielding Islander as Fang the Sniper, the member of a gang who had caused Sonic some trouble back when he was starting his career.
As Tangle explained, if Fang was around the other three members weren't far behind. Knowing her friend wasn't likely to stay around and watch over the injured weasel, Whsiper agreed to keep watch on him while the lemur ran off with Silver and Blaze to assist Sally.
The sniper glanced at the exit and cursed the music for preventing her from hearing much. She heard and felt an explosion, but that was it. The music was too loud and…
"WHISPER!"
The Blue Wisp's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she glanced down.
Fang wasn't there anymore.
Cursing, the wolf took a step back and moved her head to the left just as an energy bolt passed where her head would've been.
"You… you thought that would be enough to keep me down!" Fang was now on his feet, one hand clutching his groin while another held the small pistol. "I used to get hit by a little blue punk that could kick and punch at super speed!"
"Don't care." Whisper's wispon transformed into its Laser Mode as she aimed it at Fang's head. "Drop it."
"Oh great, a wispon user." The weasel sneered. "You give the rest of us gunslingers a bad name, you know that?"
She said nothing and kept her finger hovering over the trigger.
Fang didn't move either. Despite his obvious discomfort from Sally's love tap he still kept his aim steady.
"I don't have any beef with you. We just want to get the girl and get paid…" Fang paused for a second before adding, "…and I want to take that bucket of bolts apart for the love tap. I thought you hero types didn't fight dirty?"
"No such thing as dirty in a fight." Maybe Tangle was getting to her. "You're not getting the girl."
"Figures." Fang then glanced up.
And, like an idiot, Whisper took his eyes off of him to see if he was looking at someone.
Thankfully, her partners acted to cover for her mistake. The Orange Wisp flew out and slammed itself into the weasel's face while he pulled the trigger. The shot went wild, grazing the top of Whisper's ponytail.
Realizing her mistake, Whisper rushed foward with her Variable Wispon transforming into Cube Mode as Fang swatted the Wisp away.
"You damn wispon users and your gimmicks!" Fang shouted as he leapt back, completely avoiding the wolf's swing. "You idiots don't even know how to act in a real gunfight!"
To the wolf's shock, the weasel didn't land on his feet. Instead he landed on his tail, which contracted as if it were a spring.
Fang noticed her reaction and laughed.
"Don't you know? I'm part jerboa on my mom's side!"
The hybrid gunslinger launched into the air and fired with his gun. Whisper ran as energy bullets peppered the ground by her feet as her Variable Wispon transformed into its Rocket Mode.
Whisper turned her body and fired. The rocket hit the ground, flames and debris scattering everywhere. It caused the weasel to curse and put more distance between them as she made her way to the back. Kicking over a table, the wolf dove behind it and changed the wispon to its Laser mode.
The table edges exploded and holes were created by the weasel's shots while Whisper waited for an opening.
Fang continued to hop using his tail while firing at her, letting out an annoying chuckle that seemed to cut through even the booming music.
"Time to show an amateur like you what a real sniper can do!"
Bunnie watched from the porch as some of her old friends ran passed the dirt road that went to her home.
Only a couple of them glanced her way before looking away, as if they were embarrassed by her catching them in the act.
"It's not fair." She muttered to herself as she looked down at her lap. At her useless legs wrapped in a blanket. As if the limbs could get cold or something. "Not fair."
She hadn't gotten better in the months following her… trial.
Bunnie had taken the medicine the sawbones prescribed to her, like a good girl. She kept it down as best as she could and kept repeating to herself that she would get better if she was a brave and tough little gal. And then to ensure the medicine did her work, she would pray with Mommy and Daddy.
It wasn't working.
Her left arm still didn't move unless she picked it up with her right arm. Her legs were completely useless. Whenever Bunnie tried to get on her own feet she would just crumple onto the ground like some sort of puppet.
She couldn't even go to the bathroom without Mommy or Daddy helping her!
And the worst part was that people treated her differently. What friends she had were kind to her in the first month, saying how sorry they were and quoting scripture. Saying she was like the follower of Gaia who endured trial after trial as their god stripped his favors from him to show Dark Gaia what true faith looked like.
But then they slowly but surely stopped coming.
They gave her funny looks when she tried to go with them in her wheelchair, and would often leave her behind because their idea of a good time was climbing a tree or going off into the woods to play. Places Bunnie couldn't go into anymore. Then they made excuses about how they were busy or something whenever she asked if they were doing anything.
Then they just stopped showing up.
Mommy and Daddy still loved her, but there was something in the air. A tension like the ropes when Daddy and his pals lassoed a particularly stubborn bull.
They said everything was alright.
They were lying to her.
Everyone was lying to her.
"Bunnie?"
An older voice interrupted Bunnie's train of thought and she looked up. In the middle of the dirt road to the front porch was a rabbit who wore clothing that was heretical to their people. A brown leather jacket and dark blue jeans held in place with a belt that had a silver buckle. Underneath the jacket was a white collared shirt that clashed against the red neck scarf he wore. His boots were black and resting on the top of his head was a brown cowboy hat.
Her uncle and the family heretic, Beauregard Rabbot, stared at her with wide eyes as he approached closer. "By Gaia, what are you doin' here?" He went up the porch step and put his hands on his hips. "Ah'd figure you'd be out tearin' up the local wildlife with your friends or helpin' your daddy."
Bunnie stared at him and at his crooked grin. "Uncle Beauregard…" She looked at her lap again and muttered, "Ah can't."
"What do you mean?"
"Ah'm goin' through a trial right now."
She figured that'd be the end of it. But instead her uncle stepped closer and kneeled down beside her. "What do you mean? What's goin' on?"
Tears brimmed in her eyes. Couldn't her uncle just leave her be?! Was he taking joy in this, like Daddy said sinners did when tormenting the faithful? "Mah arm an' legs don't work no more! Gaia's testin' mah faith an'… an'…!"
"And it's none of your business, Beauregard!"
She looked up and saw Daddy was now at the door, glaring at his brother with his arms crossed and jaw firmly set.
Uncle Beauregard stared up incomprehensibly at her father. "What'd you mean? Did somethin' happen to Bunnie, Robert?"
"She told you didn't she? She's goin' through one of Gaia's trials right now." Daddy shook his head. "Now stop botherin' mah daughter. Do what needs to be done and be on your way."
"Momma would be proud, talkin' like visitin' her grave is some sorta chore." Her uncle glanced at Bunnie and, to her surprise, he patted her right hand gently. He got up, dusted off his knees, and began following Daddy.
Her ears twitched as she listened in to their whispering.
"Seriously, Robert. What's goin' on with her."
"Ah told you it's none of your business."
"But surely the doc gave ya a name of what's going on!"
"…Doc's stumped. Don't know what's afflictin' her."
Bunnie heard her uncle take in a sharp breath.
"Then we gotta take her to see a real doc. There's a doc in a box a couple miles from here an'…"
"Don't even joke about that!"
As the two began to argue on the way to Grandma's grave, Bunnie bit her lip.
She had been taught ever since she could walk and talk that the outside world was one infested by sinners. Who allowed for the degenerate humans to poison their pure and simple way of life, who grew slothful and arrogant with technology, and whose medicine extended life in exchange for one's soul by perverting the natural remedies of the land.
Even she would've balked at the idea of having an outsider take a look at her body.
But… but if the local sawbones didn't know anything… then maybe it would be alright to get the opinion of someone else?
If only so she could at least have a name for what was happening to her?
Bunnie didn't know.
But Daddy knew. He knew what was best for her and how she could get better.
But if he knew better… then why wasn't she better like he said she would be when this all began?
It was a question that kept her up at night.
"Okay, big guy…" Tangle smirked as she put up her fists. "Let's see what you can do!"
A part of her was kinda ecstatic. She was facing off against Bark the Polar Bear! One of Sonic's earliest bad guys! Sure, she faced off against Eggman but everyone who hung around Sonic did that! Who can say they fought against a member of the Hooligans!?
"No! Come on, Tangle! Focus!"
She needed to remind herself why she was doing this. Mina was in trouble! For whatever reason, these jerks were trying to kidnap her and she needed to help Sally and the others stop them!
Sally was dealing with Bunnie Rabbot… though the lemur couldn't help but be worried for her friend. She'd been acting weird when she laid eyes on the Hooligan member. Had she known another version of Bunnie in the previous world?
She'd have to ask after this was over.
Now, Silver and Blaze she didn't have to be worried about. She'd fought alongside Blaze and knew she was one heck of a strong girl who had fire powers and Silver had those cool telekinetic powers! Bean didn't stand a chance!
Which left her with Bark.
Who hadn't moved an inch since he'd gotten into Tangle's way.
"Uh…" The lemur grinned nervously at the polar bear. "You gonna fight or…?"
Bark raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. Seriously. Wasn't he going to fight her?
A piece of information from a Wikipedia rabbit hole she'd gone down one night while bored hit her.
"Oh! Right! You're a pacifist!" Tangle snapped her fingers and pointed. "You don't like fighting!"
The eyebrow remained raised.
"Wait, no. That doesn't sound right…" She scratched her head. "If you were a pacifist, then why are you hanging out with the Hooligans? Why were you even in that Fighters tournament and had all those fights with Knuckles?" She put her hands on her hips. "Y'know, you're not really a pacifist if you just throw yourself into fights with others and hang out with criminals!"
Bark merely shrugged.
"Well, either get out of my way…" She ran forward. "Or get ready to have your butt kicked!"
The polar bear uncrossed his arms and spread out his legs, as if getting ready to grapple her.
Well, he'd better get ready for a surprise!
Tangle's tail shot out but snaked around Bark's legs. He looked down and was about to reach for the tail when she wrapped it around a garbage can and pulled. It sailed towards the polar bear and hit him on the back, causing the grappler to blink in surprise.
"I'm not done!" Letting go of the garbage can, Tangle wrapped her tail around Bark's midsection before flinging herself towards him. Her right leg was outstretched as she prepared to kick him right in the face…
…Only for Bark to grab her ankle and turn on his heel.
"OH CRAAA-!" He turned around in a complete circle before letting go, making her sail off down the street. And like a complete dingus, her tail's grip around him loosened. "-AAAP!"
"Crap! Why did I let go?!"
She needed to think fast and recover before she became a smear on the side of a building!
Shooting out her tail, she wrapped it around a lamppost until it became taut. Grimacing at the slight pain it caused, she pulled and launched herself back towards Bark's direction.
An idea struck her.
"I was planning to practice this some more, but…!"
Tangle stretched out her arms and legs, holding onto and standing on her tail as it formed a complete circle around her body. She was now like a tire, bouncing and speeding along the road as she built up speed heading towards the polar bear that looked surprised by the mood.
"…No time like the present! Eat my spin dash, jerk!"
She hit the polar bear's chest and face, actually making Bark stumble back and grimace in pain. But she didn't let up. Uncurling her tail she landed a double kick on the Hooligan's face and used it as a springboard to launch herself back and land on her feet.
The polar bear's eyes shot open and she smirked at the look of pure rage in them.
"Alright! Looks like you're about to get serious. Good!" She put up her fists. "I don't like fighting someone who won't fight back!"
Time to see if she can handle someone who used to give Knuckles trouble!
It hadn't been easy sneaking out of the house.
Bunnie dragged herself across the ground, her fur and nightgown drenched in sweat and stained in dirt. The front door of her home hung open behind her, and she could only thank Gaia that the wind wasn't making it slam shut or hit the wall. One loud noise and her parents would be up to drag her back to her room.
To her prison.
It had been a year since her accident and the hope she had about things returning to normal had long since left her.
The sawbone's medicine didn't help, and both she and her parents decided that there simply was no point to her downing something which made her sick.
Oh, she and her parents still prayed that she would get better. They acted like it was still temporary. That because they were faithful they would get rewarded.
And yet…
Bunnie remembered what Mommy had said when she and Daddy thought she was asleep.
"A-Ah don't know how much more ah can take, Robert!"
"Judy…"
"Ah have to help her clean up whenever she goes to the bathroom, ah gotta help her eat an… an… it's like she's a newborn babe! An' we gotta keep actin' like she's gonna get better…"
Mommy let out a sob before she finished.
"Gaia help me, Robert. But she's such a… a burden!"
Burden.
That's what Mommy and Daddy thought of her. Thought of Gaia's little trial.
That she was a burden.
Bunnie tried not to cry out when another rock cut through her underside as she continued to crawl foot by foot. Slowly but surely, she was getting closer to the barn.
It was where her favorite amongst the farm's horses, Connery, was resting. She had been there when Connery had been brought to Gaia's world, and they had been inseparable back when she was whole.
He would help her.
He had to.
Choking back cries of pain and sobs, Bunnie managed to get to the front of the barn doors. Pushing herself up with her right hand, she managed to sit on her knees and looked up at the latch that kept the doors closed.
It might as well be a mile above.
"Come on, Bunnie." The rabbit child muttered to herself before throwing her upper body up and reaching out with her hand. Her middle finger only barely grazed the latch before she fell face-first onto the dirt. Gritting her teeth, she repeated the act again and again.
But always just a hair's breadth away from her goal.
Uncle Beauregard visited again on the anniversary of Grandma's death, but this time he had been more forceful with Daddy.
This time, he argued with Daddy right in front of her.
"You need to face reality! She's not gonna get any better if she stays here!" Her uncle pointed at Bunnie while Mommy held her close. "Damn it, Robert! Just let me take her to the city! Ah know a guy…!"
Daddy slammed his fist against the table, glaring at his brother. "Take her to the city?! So that they can pump her full of their heathen medicine?! You may have lost yourself, Beauregard Rabbot, but ah'll be damned before ah let you corrupt mah daughter!"
Uncle Beauregard stared at Daddy as if he couldn't believe his ears. "Corrupt her? Is that all you can think of?! Her arm an' legs don't work! You don't even know what's wrong with her! This is bigger than what some dead old fools decided ages ago!" He didn't flinch when Daddy got up and walked over to him. "If you were actually a man that loved your daughter…!"
Daddy threw the punch that knocked her uncle back. She screamed when the other man stumbled back and wiped the small trickle of blood from the corner of his lip.
"Get out." Daddy growled. "Before ah commit one of the greatest of sins."
Uncle Beauregard looked at Bunnie and asked instead, "Do you wanna get better, Bunnie? Do you wanna see if a real doc can fix this?"
Bunnie looked down. She did want to get better! She wanted to run and use both of her hands again! She wanted to climb trees and be with Daddy in the carrot patch! But… but her uncle's methods were those of sinners, right? However, would it be really that bad? "Ah… Ah…"
"Stop corruptin' mah daughter's mind!" Daddy screamed as he moved forward.
But Uncle Beauregard did not flinch. Instead, the other rabbit got up and stared Daddy in the eyes.
The two just stood there, eyes locked and hatred seeming to come off of them in waves.
"Ah'll be at the Irvine Saloon five miles from here." Uncle Beauregard said while straightening his jacket before tilting his hat. "That's where you'll find me in case you regain some sanity in that thick head of yours."
And with that, her uncle left the Rabbot household.
With a cry, Bunnie leapt up and unhooked the latch. She fell hard on her back, but she didn't mind. Instead, she crawled forward and opened the heavy barn door. The smell of straw and waste hit her nostrils, but she did not care. Instead, she began crawling down to the small pen that had the name Connery written in a childish shawl, with a smiley face in the center of the o.
Her handwriting.
Back when she was whole.
Ignoring the tears in the corner of her eyes, she saw on her knees again and propelled herself up to open the door. There, in the center of the pen, was the brown stallion that looked at her as if he had been expecting her to come.
"H-Hey there, Connery." She smiled while crawling up. "Ah'm sorry ah hadn't come in a while. It's just…"
No. No she couldn't say that. If she did she probably wouldn't be able to do what needs to be done.
"A-Ah need your help." She got close enough to put her hand on the horse's side, lightly brushing against Connery's body. "Ah can't put on the saddle, an' it's gonna be a long trip. So…"
Connery snorted and nodded his head, as if telling her to hurry up.
She let out a small chuckle at that. His manners certainly degraded while she was away.
Bunnie crawled up onto the horse's back, holding to the stallion's hair as she maneuvered her body so that she was now riding on top of him. Once she was in place, Connery got up onto his four legs. She let out a yelp and leaned forward, bringing her body close to the horse's and praying that she wouldn't wall off.
Connery shook his head and began trotting out of the pen. Once he was outside of the barn and the cool night air kissed them he whinnied and trotted away from the Rabbot property, Bunnie bouncing on his back.
A part of her wanted to call this whole thing off. The idea that this was foolishness and that she was betraying Mommy and Daddy growing stronger as the house slowly but surely faded into the background.
But another idea kept her holding onto Connery all the tighter.
Bunnie Rabbot wouldn't be a burden anymore.
Blaze couldn't help but wonder if it was some weird twist of fate that brought her into conflict with the mad duck once again.
"And a one and a two and a three!" Bean the Dynamite shouted as she threw bomb after bomb at Silver.
"Will you knock that off?!" Silver shouted as he caught the circular bombs in the air before throwing them up,where they exploded harmlessly. "Where are you even getting these?!"
Bean laughed as he pulled out another bomb from his back. "I HAVE NO IDEA!"
Blaze rushed forward and swung a kick at the duck's head, who let out a yelp as he ducked and threw the bomb up. Cursing, she jumped back and kicked out with her right leg, punting the bomb to an empty car before it and the bomb burst into a fireball.
"This is insane!" She snapped her fingers and the flames of the car died down. Just as she created flames through her connection with the Sol Emeralds, she could end them at will. "This fool really does not care for the destruction he can cause!"
She suspected that Bean was mad when she encountered him and the Hooligans during her adventure on Mobius with Amy and Cream. She didn't interact with them for long, but out of all the Hooligans the duck seemed to be the most unstable. He even stopped fighting when she cut the fuse of one of his bombs, rambling some eulogy for it!
"Can't you tell you cannot wi-?" Blaze's declaration was cut short when two feet impacted against her back, causing her to fall forward. She caught herself with her hands and somersaulted onto her feet, turning on her heel to face Bean who was spinning another bomb on his finger. "You…!"
"Blaze!"
"Hey, don't interrupt our reunion!" Bean shouted as he chucked another bomb as Silver. Before Silver could catch the bomb the duck threw another, hitting the first bomb and increasing its momentum to the hedgehog. By the time Silver caught it the circular bomb exploded, making the grey-furred hedgehog go through the window of a building.
"Silver!" No, she needed to focus! Silver would be fine. He'd been through worse! She needed to remain calm and assess the situation. But a word stuck out to her… "Reunion? Bean… you recall our previous meeting?"
The duck tapped his beak and looked up. "We met before? Huh. I was feeling a weird sense of dijon mustard looking at you…" He then pulled out another bomb and chucked it at her. "I don't like it! I'm gonna go through some instant therapy and…"
"Okay, enough of this." Blaze snapped her fingers and the flame on the bomb's fuse cut off. She caught the circular bomb with one hand and said, "You cannot beat me, Bean. Surrender and…"
"NOOOO!" Bean screamed and fell to his knees. "Bomby! Why?! How could you do this to Bomby?!" The duck began to weep, pounding at the ground. "He was just two seconds old! How could you cut his short life even shorter! And do deny him of his purpose in life! It's a cruel thing!"
Blaze raised her eyebrow. "…Are you seriously doing this again?"
"Oh… what hit me…?" Silver groaned as he floated down a window, clutching his head while soot covered his fur.
"A bomb's purpose, the reason for its existence, is to go boom! Kablooey! Bang! It's a life of gunpowder, flames, and shrapnel! It ends lives and changes the environment in ways us mortals could never understand?" Bean got to his feet and wiped at his eyes. "Oh Bomby… your life was too short…"
Something was dropped in front of Bean's right foot.
Another bomb.
"Avenge your brother, Bombkins!" Bean kicked at the bomb as if it were a soccer ball, making it sail to the right and away from the princess.
Before she could ask what that was for, she saw the bomb rebound and then hit her square in the face. She let out a cry and stumbled back, her eyes blinking before they registered the lit fuse of the kicked bomb make contact with the fuse of the other bomb.
She cursed and flew back, using the flames underneath her feet to increase her distance.
The combined force of the blast was still powerful enough to propel Blaze towards a lamppost and hit it square in the back.
Groaning, she rubbed the back of her head and looked up to see Bean on the still disoriented Silver, pecking at the hedgehog with his beak and kicking at his face.
Blaze's eyes narrowed.
"I'm going to kill that duck."
"A-Are you sure this is the place, Uncle Beauregard?"
Bunnie looked back at her uncle, who was pushing her wheelchair as they made their way through the back alleys of the city. He was looking at the small doodad in his hand, a cellphone as he called it, and grimaced.
"Apparently." He let out a sigh as he continued to push her wheelchair. "It's not too far from here. It's just near the end is all."
She wanted to shiver, but forced herself not to. If she did, then her uncle might get second thoughts and bring her back to his apartment where she would just sit around watching that wonderful device known as 'TV' with Aunt Lulumae.
The city, a place full of heathens and sin, was a scary place to Bunnie. It was full of True Folk, sure, but they wore such strange clothing and giant steel carriages without horses rode down streets made of black material. The buildings were made of stone and glass and rose up into the sky, shining in the sunlight. There were some trees, but they paled in comparison to the amount of stone, glass, and steel that surrounded them.
But it was also… oddly thrilling.
It was as if Bunnie had stepped into a new world.
When Uncle Beauregard had arrived at the strange general store called a gas station that Connery had brought her to, he immediately called one of his friends that lived near the commune to pick the horse up. It made Bunnie sad, but she understood. Connery couldn't go into the city. He belonged to Daddy and Mommy after all.
Her uncle brought her to his apartment where he and Aunt Lulumae cleaned her up. It was… odd, being treated so kindly by her uncle and an aunt she didn't know she had. From the stories that Daddy and the others told her, the city folk would've tempted her and brought her to their temples to Dark Gaia. Instead, they treated her with warmth and helped make her cuts clean with a strange clear liquid that caused them to burn.
Uncle Beauregard was astonished that she had made her way to him alone, but said she made the right choice. That Daddy and the commune wouldn't have helped her, that they would've let her stew in her fate.
Bunnie didn't know how to feel about that.
He soon brought her to a sawbones that he knew, and Bunnie was sort of amazed how clean and white everything was. The sawbones was a weasel who, after trading a paper bag for some strange paper with Uncle Beauregard, agreed to take a look at her.
The sawbones made her put on a gown with nothing underneath, put two strange white things on her temples, and then made her lay on a bed that was slid under a strange tunnel which hummed. It was scary, but Uncle Beauregard assured her that it was needed so that they could find out what was wrong with her.
But when it was all over…
"I'm sorry, but… there isn't much I can do. The disease has degenerated the axons so much that even with surgery there is no way her limbs will function again."
Bunnie tried not to cry while her uncle and the sawbones got to talking.
Even the heathens couldn't help her.
She ran away for nothing.
"Burden."
That was the only word going through her head.
She only half listened as the sawbones explained that she, like her uncle, didn't have something called a 'birth certificate' or 'insurance', so the experimental treatments that might help would be expensive. Apparently the city folk dealt with money, which was like trading goods for other ones but with paper and plastic. Both of which Uncle Beauregard didn't have enough of.
Then, the doctor said that he knew someone who could help. Who could give her new limbs instead of keeping her useless ones!
They would be metal, sure, but when the limbs Gaia had given her no longer served a purpose… then what was the point of keeping them?
Uncle Beauregard was hesitant, but she said they should do it.
Thus bringing them here.
Bunnie looked up at the door that she and her uncle had stopped in front of the door that belonged to the sawbones' friend.
"Ah still think this is a bad idea." Her uncle muttered before looking down at her. "Are you sure about this?"
Bunnie's right hand clenched into a fist.
Was she scared? A bit.
But…
"Ah'm sure, uncle."
"Right." With that, her uncle brought up his hand and knocked on the door three times, paused, and knocked twice.
They waited there for a few seconds before the door swung open.
"Ah! You two must be the rabbits that Wesker called me about!"
Bunnie couldn't help but cape at the True Folk in front of them.
It was a small… round thing with yellow fur, a brown nose, green eyes, and a white muzzle. She had a small head with round ears almost as large as her head, which itself was smaller than her round body. Green fluffy fur surrounded her neck, clashing with the organge shirt that was tucked into black pants with two white buttons on the sides of her hips. They matched the completely black boots which the pants were tucked into.
She also stood two feet tall.
"Uh… Are you… Thunderbolt the Chinchilla?" Uncle Beauregard hesitatingly asked the small creature, who huffed while crossing her arms.
"Of course! Do you happen to see another genius here?" Thunderbolt smirked at them.
"B-But you're a kid!" Bunnie blurted out, pointing at her.
"Kid?!" The tiny True Folk screamed while shaking her fist. "I'll have you know I just turned nineteen, brat!"
"Okay, okay. Calm down!" Her uncle chuckled nervously. "We're very sorry, Ma'am. We just weren't told about you."
Thunderbolt gnashed her teeth and glared at Bunnie. Then, slowly, she straightened herself and nodded. "Very well. Get inside and close the door behind you."
Her uncle nodded and did as he was told, pushing Bunnie inside and closing the door behind him. Something beeped and Bunnie saw it was from the strange doodads that lined the doorframe, flashing a single green light before turning red.
"Those are for any uninvited guests. My methods are… off the books, after all." The chinchilla walked ahead of them, her arms swinging as she marched proudly down the hallway. "Only the university has even an inkling of what my methods are, and those hacks actually deemed my thesis around them inhumane! Bah! Fools, the lot of them! Only he saw the potential of my work!"
Bunnie couldn't help but ask, "He?"
Thunderbolt actually sighed dreamily as a soft smile spread across her face. "Yes… the doctor! That smooth bald head housing a great intellect… that bushy mustache… that wonderful laugh… Oh, he has such glorious plans for the islands!" She then shook her head and pointed to the door. "But no, that's not important! For now, go in there and change into your medical gown."
"Wait, we're doing this right now?" Her uncle asked, astonishment in his voice. "Don't we have to wait for you to take a look at he-?"
"You brought the medical file Wesker has on the child?"
Bunnie's eye twitched. "Mah name is Bun-!"
"Don't care." Thunderbolt looked at Uncle Beauregard. "Well?"
The older rabbit sighed, reached into the small bag he had stuffed into the compartment in the back of her wheelchair, and took out a folder before handing it to the diminutive True Folk. She flipped through the papers inside, nodded, then shut the folder.
"I'll go prepare. You have ten minutes to change her." She waved the folder over her head while moving down the hallway. "Do not make me wait!"
Bunnie and her uncle went into the changing room and she couldn't help but marvel how clean it was. It was as if every crevice had been scrubbed down with a fine brush!
On the latrine was a folded medical gown.
It didn't take too long for her to change into it with her uncle's help. But when she was done he asked, "Bunnie, it isn't too late."
"Huh?"
"If you don't want to do this, you don't have to." Uncle Beauregard finished folding her clothes and bit his lip. "Ah'm just sayin'."
"But your friend said…"
"Ah do business with Wesker, be he ain't mah friend." The older rabbit shook his head. "It's just… somethin' about this doesn't seem right."
"…Ah know." She would be a darn fool if she couldn't feel it too. That sense of dread in the air. Nothing about this place felt right. The way that Thunderbolt talked wasn't friends, and the mention of 'inhumane' didn't sit right with her. "But… ah want to get better. Ah want to walk again. Ah… Ah don't wanna be a burden anymore."
"Bunnie…"
She looked away from her uncle's sad eyes and said, "Let's go, uncle. Ah want to get mah new legs and arm now."
Hesitantly, her uncle did as she was asked and pushed her out of the bathroom and towards the end of the hall, where Thunderbolt stood with her arms crossed. She now wore a completely white outfit like the sawbones wore and a white mask in front of her face.
The thing that was off putting were the big bulky goggles she now had over her eyes.
"Took you both long enough!" She motioned them to the door. "Shall we get started?"
Once they were in the room, Thunderbolt had her uncle place Bunnie on a table which had a lamp beaming light down on her. She could only squint as the light practically blinded her before the diminutive chinchilla put a mask over her mouth and sweet air entered her lungs.
"Alright, go outside! I cannot be disturbed!" Thunderbolt pushed her uncle outside before locking the door. Bunnie's head was getting fuzzy but she could swear she heard more beeping and locks being put into place. "Finally…"
The rabbit girl turned her head and saw the chinchilla push a table on wheels next to the one Bunnie was laying on. On the top were big bulky things that looked like they were an arm and two legs, but weren't. And scattered around them were wires and small blades or hooks of various shapes.
"I cannot have you be completely put under. It would mess up my calculations." Thunderbolt hopped onto the table and picked a tool up from the other table. A small thin blade that shone in the light. "So, unfortunately for you, this is going to be rather painful."
The chinchilla chuckled as she approached Bunnie's left arm, leaning down and bringing the blade close to her shoulder.
"But sacrifices need to be made in the name of science!"
That was when Bunnie Rabbot discovered true pain.
"Y'all can call me Bunnie! You can call me Buns… just don't call me Bugs or call me late when it's time to defeat Robotnik!"
SALLY, FOCUS!
Nicole's scream brought Sally back to reality as her boot jets activated to make her leap over Bunnie's kick. It was fast, and it's only because she was accustomed to Sonic's speed that she could register the blur.
"Would ya hold still?!" Bunnie shouted as she pointed at her. "This would be a lot easier if you'd just let me scrap ya!"
"Bunnie, please stop this!" She screamed at the rabbit. "I don't want to fight you!"
"Yeah, you keep sayin' that!" Bunnie's own rockets activated and she shot up, punching out with her left fist which the robian caught. "But you're still gettin' in the way of mah payday!"
Sally grimaced and turned around, throwing the rabbit back and watched as her friend corrected herself. "But you never cared about money!"
Bunnie looked at her as if she were crazy. "What kinda half-baked info on me did you get?!"
SALLY, THIS ISN'T THE BUNNIE WE KNEW. Even Nicole looked as if she were on the verge of tears. I… I DON'T KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED, BUT THIS BUNNIE MOST LIKELY LIVED A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LIFE. SHE'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON.
"No. I… I can't believe that Nicole!" There had to be something that was making Bunnie act this way. Silver was also rebooted and he apparently turned out more or less the same! Same went for Sonic and the others! Even without her or their families, even without their previous history, they turned into heroes! "Nack must be blackmailing her! Or… or she's deep undercover! She's probably working for the Restoration on a sting operation!"
That had to be it!
"Y'know, you gotta be one heck of a defective bucket of bolts!" Bunnie was flying straight at her again, grinning all the while. "All of Sugah Hog's friends know not to give me an opening!"
Sally prepared herself for another punch…
Then saw Bunnie's robotic left arm extend several feet and grab onto her ankle before throwing her down. The princess screamed before she landed back-first onto the street.
WARNING: MINOR DAMAGE TO BACK AND SHOULDERS
Sally didn't have time to focus on that as she saw the rabbit cut off the jets on her legs and falling down on her, her legs straight as she sailed to the ground.
The robian's eyes widened and she rolled to the side. Bunnie's feet made contact, creating a small crater where she stood as the robian chipmunk kicked the robotic hand off her ankle.
"You're a tricky one, ah'll give you that." Bunnie reached into her jacket pocket and took out a small black bullet. Flipping it with her right thumb as if it were a coin, she brought up her left arm in front of her as it returned to normal size. "So ah guess it's time to take this seriously!"
A small slot opened up in the wrist, and the bullet fell into it. The slot closed and the rabbit curled her pinky and ring finger while pointing her index finger at Sally as if her hand was a gun.
Nicole looked panicked as she shouted, SHE'S TAKING AIM!
A small hole opened at the tip of Bunnie's index finger and a projectile shot out. It burst and a mass of gray material erupted, growing in size as if it were attempting to envelop her.
"Activate the right blade!"
RIGHT FOREARM SOLID LIGHT BLADE ACTIVATED
The blue light blade flared to life as Sally sliced up, cutting the material into two and they fell to her sides behind the robian. Her jet boots activated and she shot forward while Bunnie was cursing, trying to take aim at her again.
"STOP, BUNNIE!"
She slammed into the rabbit and brought her down, cutting off the boot jets and bringing her right foot down on her friend's left wrist.
"Bunnie, stop this! This isn't you!" Sally shouted at the rabbit, who blinked in surprise. "Y-You're not like this! You're not a Hooligan! You're a strong woman who never stood by when people were being hurt!"
SALLY…
"The hell are you goin' on abou-?"
"Y-You like girly things and boyish things. You were headstrong but had a good heart. You love your friends and… and would do anything for them!" Sally was trying hard not to cry. She needed to convince Bunnie that she knew who she was! Who she really was!
"Princess Sally Acorn, you are my hero! Ah meant no disrespect! It's always been mah dream to be your hairdresser!"
"You didn't mind fighting, but you wanted to eventually put it all behind you! When all the fighting ended, you wanted to become a hairdresser!"
Now Nicole was actually crying. She knew that was Bunnie's dream as well. They both knew what Bunnie was like, what the version of her they knew was like.
Bunnie's mouth formed a thin line as she looked up at Sally.
"Please." Sally whispered. "Please, I don't want to fight you. J-Just call off the sting operation, okay? We can talk more at the local Restoration chapter. It's going to sound crazy but…"
"Don't…"
The rabbit's brow furrowed, and that blank look Bunnie had on her face turned into a hateful snarl. The rabbit crunched her body and kicked Sally in the back, making her release her grip on Bunnie and stumble forward.
She turned around and saw Bunnie rocketing towards her with pure fury written across her face.
"…YOU EVER ACT LIKE YOU KNOW ME!"
"Ah don't believe it…"
Bunnie stared at the metal thing that replaced her left arm. It was big, grey, and bulky. It had three little digits that were like fingers but weren't. If she had seen such a thing a week ago, she would've screamed in terror.
Moreso since it was now attached to her.
But she could move it up and down, left and right. It followed her commands as if it had been the arm she had been born with. Even the fingers opened and closed when she wanted them too!
Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she looked up at her uncle, who was kneeling by the right side of her bed holding her still flesh and blood hand. "Ah… ah have an arm again, Uncle Beauregard! A-And mah legs!" She threw open the covers and kicked the metal things now attached to her hips. They kicked up and down, making the bed itself jump whenever they hit the frame. "Ah can move mah legs!"
"That's… that's great, Bunnie." Her uncle was crying too, but he was smiling as well. "At least somethin' good came out of this."
"Ah know! Ah… Ah can walk again! Ah can go out and run through fields and climb up trees…!" So many things she could do now! Sure, Thunderbolt said she would need time to properly heal and she couldn't feel anything through her new limbs, but it didn't matter! She had a working arm and a pair of legs again!
"Yes, yes. Very touching."
Both members of the Rabbot family looked to see Thunderbolt by the door with her arms crossed.
"Miss Thunderbolt!" Bunnie shouted, leaning up and smiling. "Thank you so much! You're amazing!"
"I know that!" The chinchilla smirked and nodded her head, practically preening at the praise. "I'm not here for your praises, brat. I'm here to get what I am owed for my genius!"
"Right…" Her uncle slid over a briefcase to the sawbones who stuck out her foot to stop it. She leaned down and opened it before waving a wand that shined a blue light over its contents. "It's all there. Like we agreed."
"Good!" Satisfied, Thunderbolt shut the briefcase closed and looked Uncle Beauregard dead in the eyes. "This shall be an acceptable first payment."
The room went completely silent.
Bunnie didn't understand. Whenever Uncle Beauregard paid someone with that money of his, he'd get what he wanted and the business concluded. That's how it was supposed to be, right?
"First…?" Her uncle asked, eyes wide in disbelief. "You… you never said…!"
"Of course it would be the first! An operation like this does not come cheap!" The chinchilla wagged her finger. "There's the cost of the parts to consider! Not to mention the drugs I had to put into her to keep from feeling the full extent of the pain, the blood bags used to keep her alive, the IV bags to help keep her hydrated while she recovered… why, it racks up quite the cost! This amount merely puts a dent in the total debt you now owe!"
"Uncle?" Bunnie shakily asked. "What's going on?"
"That's a load of crap!" Uncle Beauregard got to his feet and marched over. "You little bi-!"
"No! Do not even think about that!" Thunderbolt tapped her head. "If you were to hospitalize me or kill me now, I would be unable to send the necessary codes that will deactivate the bomb!"
That stopped her uncle in his tracks. "Bomb…?"
"Yes. Did you think I would do any of this without something that would ensure no harm would come to me and ensure the payments will be transferred over in a timely manner?" The chinchilla pointed at Bunnie, who flinched at her. "Inside one of those limbs is a bomb with enough explosive force that would take out an entire building floor."
"Which … which limb?"
Thunderbolt scoffed. "As if I would tell you! Only I know the code that will ensure the bomb will not go off for an entire month. Each time I receive payment I will send the code wirelessly." She smirked. "Do not even try to crack those limbs open to find it. Any tampering the bomb receives will activate a failsafe that will make it go off."
Bunnie knew what a bomb was. She learned it was some sort of contraption that caused a massive explosion from the TV. This… this sinner was talking about killing her! No, worse… she was dangling her life in front of her uncle and her!
"Y-You monster!" She screamed, pointing to the chinchilla with tears running down her cheeks. "Gaia will punish you!"
"Please! If an entity like Gaia actually cared what us mortals did…" Thunderbolt put her hand on her chest and puffed it out. "…then I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have! Therefore, an entity like Gaia either does not exist… or simply considers us beneath its notice!"
Bunnie stared at the chinchilla, a dark cold idea worming into her head.
Gaia… didn't care?
No, no that couldn't be it. She was just a monster. A heretic! He had to care! He…
…if Gaia cared, wouldn't He have done something?
Wouldn't He have given her some sort of sign to turn back?!
Hadn't she suffered enough to show that she had been faithful?!
"You…" Uncle Beauregard hissed, but Thunderbolt turned her back on him.
"Do not even think about guessing what the code may be. It's forty characters long." The chinchilla dragged the briefcase behind her. "Oh, and she will need to get a hardware upgrade every year! She is a growing girl, after all. And that will, of course, add some additional costs to your debt…"
"JUST GET OUT!" Bunnie screamed at the monster. "GET OUT!"
With one final evil smirk, Thunderbolt the Chinchilla left the two alone.
Uncle Beauregard was by her side as Bunnie sobbed into her hands, one old and one new. "Bunnie, ah'm so sorry. Ah'm so sorry…!"
Bunnie just continued to cry for two reasons.
One, she had committed the ultimate sin. She doubted Gaia.
Two… she had become a burden once again.
"Crap."
"You've said that, like, ten times already."
Hershey looked behind her and saw Lyco and Leeta, they were tense as they stood with their backs to the wall in the alleyway, studying the fight with the focused eyes only members of the Wolf Pack could have.
When the fighting had broken out they had gotten out of the cafe and ran into an alleyway across the street. Because of all the panic and chaos, nobody had noticed them. They had a full view of the fight between Sally and her comrades against the Hooligans.
The Hooligans which, in this universe, had an additional member.
"Who dropped the ball on this?" Hershey muttered as she tapped her glasses and zoomed in on Sally being kicked down the street, rolling on the asphalt with her clothes being torn by the friction. "The Hooligans are…!"
"They hadn't caused trouble since Sonic and his friends stopped Chaos." Lyco pointed out with a growl. "They stopped taking jobs for Eggman, so they were considered a C-level threat at best! Not really worth keeping tabs on them if they're not working with that fat egg anymore!"
"That's no excuse, especially when one of their members is Bunnie Rabbot!" But the cat knew that the wolf was right. C-level threats were considered low-level priorities. Glorified goons and criminals who had no real affiliation. Idiots as they were, Rough and Tumble did work for Eggman at times so they were worth keeping tabs on.
The Hooligans? They were only relevant when Sonic was younger and inexperienced. Now? They didn't stand a chance against him, and the idea they could be a threat to the world was laughable.
"That was probably the thought process when we ended surveillance on them…"
"I should've recognized her." Leeta groaned while putting a hand on her face. "But she used to have long hair! Even though I know that she cuts it short here, I still can't make the connection."
That was the difficult part of all this.
This was Bunnie Rabbot, once Bunnie D'Coolette. Member of the Freedom Fighters and wife of Antoine D'Coolette.
Or at least she was.
Even with all this time of preparing herself mentally to see Bunnie as an opposing force, it was hard to accept that the rabbit girl led a completely different life. One where she fell in with Fang's gang and even worked for Eggman a few times!
"I can't even imagine what Sally is going through right now…"
"We need to go in and help her." Lyco spoke up, stopping the cat's train of thought. "She's not going to be able to handle Bunnie. And that girl isn't going to hold back against someone she was never friends with in his world."
Hershey couldn't really argue against that. But doing so would compromise their existence! The one thing they were supposed to keep hidden from Sally until the director said otherwise!
Leeta then brought up her handheld and opened it. She grimaced and said, "Also, getting some chatter from Mogul's people. They're going to try and capture both Fang and that Restoration member inside before 'settling things' out here."
The cat studied the fight before her. It was chaotic. Sally was fighting defensively against Bunnie, Blaze the Cat was launching fireballs at Bean who was pecking at the head of Silver as they careened down to the ground, and Bark was trying to untangle the tail around his head while the lemur girl landed a double kick on the polar bear's back.
Then, her eyes focused on Mina Mongoose who was still struggling to free herself from the material keeping her feet in place.
The girl that started all this and was the focus of the fight.
An idea entered Hershey's mind and she turned to the twin wolves.
"I think I have an idea."
Hopefully, it was a good one.
To Be Continued…
Notes: Whelp. That turned out longer than I thought. WAY longer. What should've been one chapter turned into something so long that I was halfway through and realized I needed to split this thing into two! This was the result!
Don't do four different fights and mix them with various flashback scenes, kids.
I'm just hoping that people liked how the fights are going and getting a peak at IDW/Reboot Bunnie's past. Because man… those flashback scenes are maybe the hardest thing I had to write.
Anyways, be sure to leave a review and add anything you want to the TV Tropes page!
Hope to delivery some more juicy content soon!