Fighting their way through the prison, Antoine and Ash left a trail of destruction in their wake from the badniks that stood in their way. Antoine was swift, dodging attacks with ease and slashing quicker than the eye could see. Any badniks that he missed were sniped by Ash and his Cyan Laser Wispon, and whenever the two encountered a locked door, he swapped it out for his Orange Rocket Wispon to break through.
The two entered a room full of Buzz Bombers, and Egg Pawns lined-up along a catwalk, all aiming at the two. "SPIKE!" Ash activated his Pink Spike Wispon, assuming a rolled-up form that deflected all coming shots, and rolled up the nearest wall, reaching the catwalk with ease. While Antoine dealt with the Buzz Bombers below, Ash tore through the Egg Pawns above. When the room was cleared, Ash rejoined Antoine, taking a moment to catch his breath.
"Are you okay?" Antoine asked.
"Y-Yeah, just... still not used to all this," Ash said, adjusting his glasses. "How are you... not tired?"
"Zere is no time to be tired," Antoine answered. "Not when a comrade's life ees on ze line."
"Heh... I've never seen you... so confident..." Ash took a deep breath, and exhaled. He did that a few more times, before the two started moving again. "Does she mean that much to you?"
"Of course she does! She ees one of us, and 'as fought alongside us, through theek-and-theen!"
"Yeah but, you're not usually this brave, even with the Princess. You two just must be pretty close, I guess."
Antoine felt his face turning red. "I-It is not like zat! Bunnie and I are close, oui, but she 'as simply been training me and 'elping me to overcome my shortcomings, zat is all!"
"Sure, okay." The two rounded a corner and found two SWATbots guarding a door. "But like, what if she likes you?"
"Why? Did she… Did she say sometheeng?" Antoine asked as the SWATbots rushed them. He parried and slashed one of them, while Ash melted the other with his Burst Wispon.
"No, just a what-if," Ash said with a mischievous grin.
"Well, zere will be time for what-ifs after we 'ave escaped." Antoine sliced through the door and the two entered. There, they found Bunnie, sitting against a wall with a chain from the floor attached to her ankle. "Bunnie!" Antoine ran over and kneeled, studying her face. Her eyes were shut, but she was breathing. Antoine checked her pulse, and then her eyes. "I think she 'as been sedated, but her life is in no danger."
Ash let out a breath. "You know your stuff."
"Only ze basics. I learned some things from Fio-" Antoine stopped, clenching his fist. "-na. She taught me how to treat simple injuries, and how to check for signs of poisoning."
"Guess a snake like her would know all about poison," Ash said.
"She was... our friend," Antoine said. "She and Bunnie both, zey 'elped me to train, to become ze fighter zat I am now." Antoine lifted Bunnie onto his back, grunting under the weight. "I 'ave lost one friend today, I will not lose another!"
With Bunnie on his back, Antoine followed Ash through the base, back the way they came. Ash dealt with any badniks they came across, following the trail of destruction left by Rotor's group to reach the garage.
"This is going... a little too well," Ash said as they rounded a corner, now just a quick sprint away from the others. "No alarms, weak ambushes... You think it's a trap?"
"For what reason?" Antoine asked. "We were already captured. What does Robotneek have to gain by letting us go?"
Ash pondered for a moment. "Maybe... Maybe he's gonna follow us to Knothole?"
"If zat is his plan, eet is short-sighted. Knothole cannot be found by our enemies. He would 'ave to follow us closely, and if he tried zat, we would notice."
"Yeah... I guess I'm just being paranoid."
"I am sure Robotneek simply did not expect us to break ourselves out," Antoine said. "He 'as been known to be overconfident in ze past. Eet 'as often been 'is undoing."
The two reached the garage, where they found Rotor and Mina, along with some of the villagers they had freed earlier, fighting off a horde of badniks. The remaining villagers were spread between two large cars, used by badniks to transport villagers.
"Take 'er!" Antoine handed Bunnie to Ash, and then charged in and attacked the badniks from behind, clearing a path for him to carry Bunnie safely to the rest of the group.
"Ash!" Mina beamed as her boyfriend approached, and she took Bunnie out of his hands and carried her into one of the cars. "Is she okay?"
"Just out of it," Ash replied as he took out his Wispon, joining the others. The badniks seemed to be coming endlessly, but thankfully, they moved slowly, and their shots were easily deflected by the makeshift barriers the villagers had set up. "Where's the Princess?"
"She hasn't returned yet," Rotor said. "We gotta keep this up until she-"
"Rotor, it's me. There's been a delay on our end, so go on ahead without us."
Rotor brought his comm device to his face. "Princess, are you okay?"
"Yes, we're just taking a detour to rescue Nicole."
Rotor hesitated for a moment, but as he saw more badniks drawing closer, and the villagers beginning to panic, he answered, "Understood. Please be careful, and come back safe. We'll take care of Knothole." Rotor turned to Staci and motioned to one of the cars. She nodded, and ran to the front, climbing into the driver's seat. "… Alright, let's move out!"
"We can't!" Mina protested.
"We must wait!" Antoine followed.
"Sally told us to go on without her, so that's what we do!" Rotor replied. "Ash, give us cover!"
Ash took out his Blue Cube Wispon, and used its power to create a wall. The villagers began filing into the two cars behind it, with Rotor doing a quick headcount to make sure everybody was accounted for.
"But we cannot simply abandon her!" Antoine cried.
"I know how you feel, believe me, but Sal knows what she's doing! Besides, we have to get everyone out!" When the last of the villagers entered one of the cars, Rotor motioned for Mina and Ash to join them. "You two in that car! 'Twan and I'll get the other!"
"But-"
"'Twan!" Rotor snapped. "Trust Sally! Geoffrey's with her, and Nicole will be, too! We have to do our job so they can concentrate on doing theirs!"
Antoine gritted his teeth, but he didn't argue any further. He filed into the back of the car where Bunnie was resting, and Rotor entered the driver's seat, starting the engine. The garage doors opened, and the two cars moved immediately, racing out of the base as gunfire tried to stop them.
"Alright! We're gonna make it!" one of the villagers cheered.
Just then, the ground shook and the cars swerved. Looking out of the back window, Antoine saw a large, mechanical dog - the Egg Cerberus - chasing after them. It breathed fire as it stomped across the land, closing the distance in moments.
"Never mind," the now-deflated villager said.
"We're not caught yet!" Rotor said, swerving to avoid a trail of fire. He drifted a little, fighting the car to keep control, but managed to avoid toppling over and resumed driving.
The Egg Cerberus lowered its neck, gnashing at the other car that was being driven by Staci. She moved quickly to avoid the large jaws of steel, and then the Egg Cerberus tried its luck with Rotor's car. Rotor hit the brakes, pulling back just in time to avoid the bite.
The back of Staci's car opened, and Mina jumped out, rolling into a spindash as she landed and then breaking into a sprint. She got behind the Egg Cerberus and then turned around, keeping pace with it as it chased the cars. After studying it for a few moments, she boosted, and then leapt onto its tail, grinding up the robot's spine and towards its head. She grabbed onto an antenna at the top and wrestled the Egg Cerberus for control, forcing it to turn to the right.
"C'mon! Work with me, here!" she shouted as she steered the Egg Cerberus towards a cliff, getting ready to jump off at the last second. However, the Egg Cerberus planted its feet in the ground and jerked its head back violently, throwing Mina off before she could get it over the edge.
Mina landed on the ground several feet away, and resumed the chase as the Egg Cerberus went back to pursuing the two cars. "Guys, its head is too-heavily armoured!" she yelled into her comm device.
"Leave it to me!" Antoine yelled, opening the back door of his car and looking over to the other car. "Ash, I need your Rocket Wispon!"
"Staci, get us close to the other car!" Ash yelled back.
"Not with that thing at our heels!" Staci protested. "We'll crash for sure!"
"Mina, can you steer that thing away just one more time?!"
"Sure!" Mine boosted, jumping back onto the Egg Cerberus' tail and grinding along its spine. She latched onto the antenna again and grunted as she tried to make it move. "This way, buddy!"
The Egg Cerberus veered to the left, thrashing its head in an attempt to throw Mina off. It came to an abrupt stop, and it took everything Mina had to stay on as it turned around and began running in the other direction.
While Mina was keeping the Egg Cerberus busy, Staci drifted her car closer to Rotor's. Ash extended his hand with the Orange Rocket Wispon over, and Antoine tried to reach it, but it was too far. He was about to ask Ash to throw it, when a mechanical hand extended out and took it instead. Looking over his shoulder, Antoine smiled as Bunnie retracted her hand, passing him the Wispon.
"You're okay!"
"Thanks ta y'all," she said, giving Antoine a kiss on the cheek. "That's for the rescue, an' for luck."
Blushing, Antoine nodded, and climbed to his feet with the Orange Rocket Wispon equipped. "Mina, I am ready! Bring 'er back!"
"You got it!" Mina steered the Egg Cerberus back in the direction of the cars, and it seemed to stop fighting her as it was now heading the way it wanted to.
"ROCKET!" Antoine transformed into a rocket and launched into the air, past the Egg Cerberus' head. As the rocket exploded and Antoine began his descent, he raised his sabre over his head, bringing it down hard on the robot's heavy armour.
The blow forced the Egg Cerberus' head down, and Mina had to fight to stay on its antenna. Cracks formed where Antoine had struck, which spread quickly, before the armoured-plating shattered entirely.
Bunnie extended her arm and caught Antoine on his way down, pulling him back into the car. The momentum caused them both to tumble all the way to the back, crashing into the wall separating them from the front. After taking a moment to collect themselves, the two shared a hearty laugh.
Back outside, Mina leapt from the antenna and began homing attack the now-exposed head, putting her full force into each blow. The Egg Cerberus roared and began to slow, moving its head in an attempt to shake Mina off, but she was in the zone now and wasn't about to let up. With just a few more blows, the Egg Cerberus stumbled back, spraying fire wildly into the air.
Mina dropped down, landing on the ground. A laser struck the Egg Cerberus' head, stopping its rampage. "I got your back!" Ash told her through his comm device.
"Thanks!" Looking around, Mina found a nearby hill that crested at just the right angle. She boosted just as the Egg Cerberus attempted to stomp her, running through the fields and around the hill. Then, she lined herself up, and boosted one final time, using the hill as a ramp to launch herself high. When she was above the Egg Cerberus' head, she rolled herself into a ball and dropped, tearing her way through.
The Egg Cerberus stumbled, letting out a few more painful roars, before it eventually lost its footing and toppled over, crashing to the ground. The lights in its eyes and along its body went out.
After letting out a sigh, Mina turned and ran to catch up with the cars. As she approached, she could hear the villagers cheering. She jumped into the car with Ash and into her boyfriend's waiting arms. "We're home-free!" she cheered.
"Let's hope so," Ash said, closing the car's doors.
The rest of the drive was uneventful, and when the two cars reached Knothole, everybody began to relax. Mina left the cars and ran on ahead, to ensure their comrades would not fire on the coming Eggman vehicles. Finally reaching the entrance to their base, the villagers climbed out of the cars and rejoiced that they were now safe.
"Fiona did all that?" Bunnie asked as she and Antoine exited their car. He had caught her up on what had happened while she was out of it. "Ah can't believe it…"
"Don't feel so bad," Staci said as she and Perci approached them, "That's just what she does." Perci nudged her sister, and motioned to Zooey, who was standing against one of the cars, her eyes fixed to the ground.
"Attention!" Hamlin called out, and the clearing fell silent. "All the refugees from Hedgehog Village, please come this way! Doctor Quack and his team will check that you are all okay, and then we'll prepare your rooms and meals!"
"C'mon, let's go," Perci told Zooey. The fox only offered a nod, and followed the twins without a word.
"We'll go with them," Mina said, and she and Ash followed Hamlin's group into the base.
Penelope met with Rotor, Antoine and Bunnie to ask them about what had happened. The three explained the situation, including the part about Fiona's betrayal, and how Sally is still at the prison. When their report was finished, she left to spread the word that Fiona was now their enemy.
"Is Sally-girl gonna be okay?" Bunnie asked.
"We'll give it one hour," Rotor said, checking his watch. It had been about twenty minutes since their return to Knothole. "That'll give us time to rest and make sure everything is settled-down here. After that, we'll take one of these cars and go back for her."
"Are you okay, Bunnie?" Antoine asked. "You were drugged, non?"
"Ah'm fine," Bunnie said. "Ah think it was just a lil' thing ta make me sleep. Ah was raisin' up heck when the Doc' tried messin' with ma arm."
"He was messing with your arm?" Rotor asked. "What do you mean?"
"Badniks!" A rabbit ran towards the group from the forest, panicking. "B-Badniks are coming! They've found us!"
"But how?!" Antoine cried, his eyes widening. "Ze forest ees supposed to keep us hidden!"
"We'll figure that out later!" Rotor said, grabbing the Orange Rocket Wispon Antoine had left in the car. "Everyone get ready to fight!" He turned to a couple of soldiers standing by the entrance to the base. "Go and alert Chuck! Tell him to begin evacuation procedures!"
"Right!"
"Sir!"
Everybody scrambled to get into position, standing ready for the coming ambush. When the trees began to shake, Rotor braced himself, patting his Wispon to calm down its inhabitant. Antoine gripped the hilt of his sabre, and Bunnie raised her fists.
The first badnik emerged from the beyond the trees, and was swiftly dispatched by Rotor. Two more emerged, and Antoine and Bunnie took them out. Then more came, and more still, and within a matter of seconds, the entrance to Knothole had become a battlefield. A tree collapsed, and a Death Egg Robot towered over everybody, raining down a laser blast.
"I've got this!" Rotor shouted, running past the badniks as his comrades kept them distracted. "ROCKET!" Using the Rocket Wispon's power, Rotor soared up high and landed atop the Death Egg Robot. He then broke open a panel on the back of its head, exposing some access ports. The robot attempted to throw him off, but Rotor had a good grip. He took out a miniature computer and plugged it into the robot, running a program developed by Uncle Chuck that allowed him to bypass the Death Egg Robot's defences.
Down below, Resistance fighters were struggling to defend themselves while also dodging the stray laser blasts from above. "Hurry, Rotor!" Bunnie shouted.
"I'm almost… there!" Rotor unplugged the device, and the Death Egg Robot stopped moving, bowing its head. A few moments later, it reawakened, and began carefully firing its lasers to target only badniks, avoiding any Resistance soldiers.
"Now that won't do!" a void called out.
"It's Eggman!" one of the soldiers shouted, spotting the mad scientist flying above them in his pod. Behind him, two more Death Egg Robots emerged.
The Death Egg Robot Rotor had reprogrammed turned to face Eggman, but was intercepted by the two more, and a colossal battle broke out as Eggman descended to the battlefield below.
"Take him out!" Penelope shouted, but nobody was able to target him while also defending themselves against so many badniks.
Eggman laughed as he watched the soldiers of Knothole fighting for their lives. "Eh-heh-heh! They're putting up an impressive fight! If I don't do something, I could be in trouble..."
"Yer darn right you are!" Bunnie shouted, activating the jets in her feet to launch into the air. She reared back her robotic fist, ready to strike. Then, much to her shock, she turned around and fired her fist at the crowd below, dispersing the Resistance soldiers and wounding some of them in the process.
"W-What was that?" one soldier asked, trying to collect himself.
Another was scrambling for her weapon, when a badnik grabbed her leg and lifted her off of the ground. "Traitor!" she shouted as she flailed. "She's with him!"
"No!" Bunnie protested, but in the next moment, she flew down to the ground and began punching random soldiers left-and-right with her robotic hand. She nimbly dodged their counters by twisting and bending her robotic legs, and then winded them with powerful blows. "It's not me! Ah swear, Ah can't control myself!"
"Bunnie!" Antoine shouted, grabbing Bunnie's arm. "Bunnie, what's wrong?! You have to fight it!"
"Ah'm trynna, but-" Bunnie lifted her feet off the ground and kicked Antoine, pushing him away and freeing herself. She then turned and pointed her arm at him, preparing to fire, but it was parried at the last moment by his blade. Tears running down her face, Bunnie pleaded to Antoine, "Please, stop me!"
"I will!" Antoine promised, dodging Bunnie's next attack and circling around her. He raised his sabre. "Sorry for this, but I must do eet to save you, Bunnie!"
"Ah-ah-ah!" Eggman cautioned, wagging his finger. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Not if you don't want your girlfriend blown to pieces!"
Antoine stopped his swing. "Scoundrel..."
Eggman guffawed as he watched Antoine dodging Bunnie's attacks, taking no chances on countering them. "That's right! Remove that arm of hers, and the bombs I have planted in them will go off! We wouldn't want that, now would we?"
"Just do it!" Bunnie cried, her fist connecting with Antoine's face. She winced as she heard a crack. "Please! Ah don't wanna hurt y'all!"
"Silence!" Antoine shouted, deflecting Bunnie's attack. "I will not do zat! You are too important, Bunnie! Not just to ze Resistance, but as a friend, as... someone zat I care about too much to lose!"
"'Twan..." Bunnie took another swing at Antoine, just barely missing him. "Ah care 'bout you, too, an' that's why Ah don't want you gettin' hurt 'cause of me!"
Eggman grimaced as he watched the display. "Oh, please, spare me!" Looking over the battlefield, he was pleased to see that his badniks had taken full advantage of the confusion caused by Bunnie's sudden attack, and had forced the Resistance members to scatter into disarray. Rotor was still keeping his Death Egg Robots at bay, but it wouldn't last for long.
"Looks like your plan worked out well," Fiona said, entering the clearing and standing beneath Eggman's pod.
"Decided to grace us with your presence, finally?"
Fiona shrugged. "I was just waiting for things to wind down. After all, you brought me along for more than just duking it out in a brawl, right?"
"You're sure you know where the Sword of Acorns is located?"
"Yeah, I scoped out the whole place while the others weren't looking. It'll be guarded, though."
"I'm sure you can manage. Lucky for you, the Princess doesn't seem to have returned with her team, so they'll be disorganised."
"I wouldn't underestimate the Knothole Resistance, if I were you."
Eggman turned to Fiona, studying her. "You're not feeling guilty, are you?"
"Are you stupid? Of course I'm not. But I spent the last three months rolling with this group, so I know what they're capable of." Fiona walked past Eggman, clenching her fists. "Still, you're right; without their Princess, they don't stand a chance."
Gritting her teeth, Fiona studied the battlefield, waiting. When she saw her opening, she raced forwards, weaving between the battles taking place and dodging stray fire. Badniks were already filing into the base, so it was easy for her to slip in through the chaos and make her way to the confused soldiers waiting below.
Whether they had been made aware of her betrayal or not, it was clear that they were surprised to see her there, and the moment of hesitation before firing was all that Fiona needed. The soldiers were easy picking, and with the first line of defence cleared, the robots behind her were able to storm the base proper.
Fiona travelled through the base, fighting through the disorganised Resistance fighters running around, trying their best to halt the robots' invasion while awaiting orders. She knew the fastest route to the Sword of Acorns, and she knew what defences the base had. She knew the location of every camera, every mounted-turret, every wall that could be raised to block off access. She also knew the evacuation zones, and the procedure for combating an enemy attack, and the shortcuts that even Sally didn't know about. She knew which walls to bust down and which vents to crawl through.
"Hmmm, maybe this'll be easier than I thought," Fiona mused as she rounded a corner, only to be greeted to a piece of metal approaching quickly towards her face. She grabbed the crowbar and stepped aside, pulling its wielder, one Charles Hedgehog, forwards into her fist.
Chuck gasped as Fiona's punch winded him, and he released his crowbar, falling to the ground. Fiona grinned at the fallen hedgehog, but before she could gloat, she felt a breeze of wind over her fur, and one second later, a yellow ball crashed into her, knocking her down.
"That's no way to treat your elders!" Mina shouted as she unfurled, standing over Chuck. Ash stood alongside her, holding a Drill Wispon.
Fiona picked herself up, glaring at the mongooses. "Oh, look, it's the diva and her manager. Still playing soldier, are you?"
"We're not letting you go any further!" Mina told her.
"That's cute. What, are you going to sing me a lullaby to put me to sleep?" She turned to Ash, smirking. "If I were you, I'd use that Wispon to dig a tunnel out of here. Save yourselves, while you still can."
"And leave everyone else behind?" Ash asked.
Fiona shrugged. "Better them than you."
"I'm sure that's how you see the world, because you're self-centred. Some of us have a bit more honour than that."
"Right, and where did that 'honour' get you again? Oh, that's right: you've lost your Princess, Nicole, and Bunnie."
Mina gasped. "What have you done to Bunnie?!"
Fiona grinned. "Oh she's alive, just under Eggman's control. She's taking good care of the rest of our friends."
Mina clenched her fists. "Don't you dare… call them 'our' friends!"
"For what it's worth, I did enjoy your music. You should've stayed a singer. I'm sure Eggman would've let you be his personal minstrel, and maybe even spared your boyfriend, if you had begged."
"Shut up!" Ash yelled, and then he rushed forwards. "DRILL!" He burrowed underground, emerging behind Fiona and delivering a kick. Fiona simply laughed as she caught his kick, swinging him around and throwing him back to where he started.
"Do you think I've not been paying attention to all your fighting styles? Like I said, you two are just playing at being soldiers. You have no chance against me."
Mina took out her microphone and began singing. Fiona activated her Power Shield, charging Mina as the music bounced off of her shield. By the time the shield shattered, Fiona was already close enough to smack the microphone out of Mina's hands.
"Without that, you're nothing but a Sonic knock-off," Fiona said, before grabbing Mina by her hair and driving her knee into the mongoose's gut.
Ash, furious, swung his Drill Wispon at the fox, but she ducked beneath the attack and then swept Ash's feet, causing him to fall. Before he could recover, she stomped on the Wispon, breaking it, and then she delivered a kick to his face.
"Don't you dare-" Mina began, but Fiona was already back on her, delivering a backhand slap. Mina caught the attack mid-swing, and returned with her own, slapping Fiona's face with such force that it echoed through the hall.
Fiona huffed and returned with a kick, knocking Mina to the side, and then drew back her fist to throw a punch. A Yellow Drill Wisp appeared before Fiona suddenly, startling her, and she felt herself being grabbed from behind. "Now!" Ash shouted, struggling to keep Fiona still.
Mina pulled back her fist, and then drove it into Fiona's solar plexus. Fiona spat as the wind was knocked out of her, and she fell to her knees, clutching her abdomen. Mina pulled back her fist to deliver the finishing blow.
"Wait!" A yellow-furred fox ran towards them, hand outstretched. "Don't!" she cried, placing herself between Mina and Fiona. "Just… wait, please!"
"Out of the way, kid!" Ash shouted.
"Zooey?" Fiona asked, shaking. "Why are you-"
"Please just give me a chance to talk to her," Zooey pleaded.
"Zooey, we can't-" Mina began, but before she could finish, Fiona reached a hand around Zooey's neck and pulled her close. "Zooey!"
"Don't move!" Fiona shouted, grinning as she saw Mina freeze instantly. "That's right. Don't want me to hurt the kid, do you?"
"She's your sister, isn't she?!"
"She is, yeah." Fiona slowly began backing away, keeping her eyes on Mina and Ash, who carefully followed her, keeping a safe distance. "So?"
"So there's no one you won't betray?" Ash asked.
"That's right."
"This is low, even for you," a new voice said. Perci and Staci approached, also keeping their distance. "Let her go, Fi," Perci said.
"Don't call me that," Fiona said, glaring at the bandicoot twins. "We're not friends anymore, and you two have no right to call me low. Not after what you pulled."
"What are you talking about?" Staci asked.
"Please, put down Zooey," Mina said. "I'll be your hostage instead."
"Mina, no!" Ash shouted.
"She's just a child," Mina continued.
"Shut up!" Fiona shouted, squeezing a little harder around Zooey's neck. Zooey whimpered, and Fiona relaxed her grip a little. "Once I get the sword, I'll be out of here, and you can have her back unharmed. Whether I hurt her or not is up to you."
"Sis," Zooey said, trembling, "Why are you doing this?"
Fiona glared down at Zooey. "You, too. You have no right to ask me that, to look at me like I'm the bad guy."
"What do you mean? Why did you betray us? Why are you working for Eggman? I don't understand-"
Fiona stopped, knowing that the vault containing the Sword of Acorns was right behind her. The usual guards were still there, weapons already drawn, but when they saw Fiona's hostage, they hesitated. "Open it," Fiona ordered without turning around. "Now."
The guards looked at each other, and then past Fiona to Mina and Ash. "… Do it," Mina said, but the guards were still reluctant. "I'm sure that's what Sally would say, so please."
After a few more seconds of thinking it over, one of the guards nodded. He dropped his weapon and took out a key. The other guard did the same, and they used both of their keys together to open the vault.
Fiona grinned as the door opened slowly. "Remember, not one move," she said as she turned around. "Even you won't reach me fast enough, Mina."
Mina was considering it, but she decided that it was simply too great a risk, so she simply watched as Fiona moved towards the vault.
Fiona took a few steps forwards, before she felt a chill down her spine. She whipped her head around, but saw that nobody had moved. Had she simply imagined it? Turning back, she prepared to take another step, when a hand suddenly gripped the arm around Zooey's neck, pulling it enough that Zooey could slip out.
"What-" Fiona sputtered, but before she could finish her question, another hand grabbed her other arm and twisted it behind her back. While she was still trying to process what was happening, she was slammed into a nearby wall face-first, and the world began to shake around her.
"Give it up," a familiar voice said. "Ye're under arrest, Fiona Fox, on charges of treason!"
Geoffrey St. John pinned Fiona against the wall, bringing her other arm behind her back and binding her hands together with some rope.
"How are you here?!"
Geoffrey grinned. Mina and Ash ran towards them, while Perci and Staci ran over to Zooey. "You're okay!" Mina cheered. "Is Sally with you?"
"She is," Geoffrey confirmed, turning to the vault.
The guards, who had recollected their weapon, saluted as Sally Acorn emerged from the vault, carrying the Sword of Acorns in her hand. Approaching her friends, she said, "Nicole warned us about the ambush. Sorry we're late."
Back outside of the base, the Resistance had been forced to retreat inside, gathering all of their defences at the entrance and using it as a bottleneck to keep the badniks at bay. It was working, for now, but their Wisps were quickly becoming exhausted. And to make matters worse, Bunnie was still rampaging outside, with only Antoine to keep her from storming the base.
Rotor had managed to down one of the Death Egg Robots, but the other was overwhelming the one he had taken control over, and it wouldn't last much longer. To make matters worse, the badnik forces below seemed to have no end.
The ground rumbled, and Eggman looked around to find what was causing it. Through the trees, Eggman saw one of his ships rising from the ground. "Ah, my stolen airship! I'd meant to retrieve it today, but I suppose destroying it will be fine, too."
Rotor and Antoine looked up at the ship. According to the evacuation procedures, the ship would be loaded with children and elderly, and those with impairments that would make evacuating on-foot difficult.
Bunnie turned her body – or rather, her robotic hips twisted her around – and aimed her arm at the ship flying away. She gathered energy, ready to fire. "No! Stop it!" she cried, closing her eyes.
Rotor leapt from his Death Egg Robot, racing over to Bunnie and grabbing her arm. He pulled it to the side moments before it fired, and the beam just barely missed the ship. Eggman grumbled as the ship flew out of range. "Why won't you just give it up already?!"
Bunnie spun her body to throw Rotor off of herself, and then delivered a punch to his face. Rotor stumbled back, and then tripped over himself and hit the ground. Behind him, his Death Egg Robot finally met its end and fell, leaving just the one remaining. It immediately began raining down lasers blasts on the Resistance soldiers still fighting above-ground.
Antoine limped over to Rotor, using his sabre as a crutch. Both were at their breaking points, but neither were ready to give up on Bunnie just yet. "We have to turn this around, and fast," Rotor said.
"Oui."
Eggman felt a vein throbbing in his head. "And where is Fiona?! She should have been here by now! Whatever, these two are already at their limits. Bunnie, finish them off!" He pressed a button in his pod, and Bunnie extended her arm, grabbing Antoine by the throat and pulling him in. She then lifted him, his feet dangling helplessly in the air.
"Antoine!" Rotor shouted, trying to reach his friend, but several SWATbots intervened. His blood boiling, Rotor began smashing through them. "Get outta the way!"
"Let him go!" Penelope shouted, emerging from the forest with several Resistance soldiers. She attempted to strike Bunnie, but an Egg Pawn fired on her, forcing her to halt. She and his soldiers were quickly surrounded by badniks.
Rotor reached Bunnie and grabbed her from behind, attempting to pry her away, but he was too weak to even budge her.
"Ah'm so sorry!" Bunnie cried, her face soaked with tears and her robotic arm trembling as she fought for some control. But she could do nothing more than watch Antoine's tortured face, as he gasped for air. "Antoine, Ah'm sorry! Ah'm so, so sorry!"
Antoine looked into Bunnie's eyes. She was hurting just as much as he was, probably more, he realised. Mustering all of his courage, Antoine smiled. "No, I am sorry. Zis is all I can do." And then, with one swift motion, he sliced Bunnie's arm off with an upwards cut. In the next second, Antoine pressed the button on his bracelet, activating his Power Shield that surrounded both himself and the dismembered limb. Time seemed to freeze as his and Bunnie's eyes were locked into a staring contest.
One second later, the arm exploded, the blast contained within the shield.
As the shield popped, the smoke within it spread. All fell silent, save for the clashing between soldiers and badniks. Rotor released Bunnie and stepped back, staring in horror as the smoke was blown away. Antoine was… in one piece, but he lay motionless on the floor, his body bloody and burned.
Tears fell down Bunnie's face, but she made no noise. There was a ringing in her ears, and she felt cold. Her breathing became ragged as she studied Antoine's body, pleading silently for some small movement to confirm that he wasn't…
A single hiccup escaped her throat finally, but before she could grieve, laughter filled the air. Eggman was guffawing in his pod, clapping his hands together in ardent applause. "Well, I can't say I was expecting that, but it was certainly amusing! Like father like son, I suppose!"
Eggman continued laughing, and Bunnie clenched her fist in rage. She gritted her teeth and turned to face the man. With a roar, she activated the jets in her feet and flew at him, extending her hand to strangle the man!
"Oops!" Eggman pressed a button in his pod, and the jets deactivated, causing Bunnie to fall to the ground. She shook as she tried to get up, but her legs wouldn't respond. "That was close! You're not gonna be much use without that arm. That's unfortunate, but at least you took out one of them, and left yourself and Rotor weak enough for my robots!"
SWATbots began to converge on the two, and the shadow of the Death Egg Robot darkened the clearing. Rotor tried to be strong, but his vision was becoming blurry. Bunnie couldn't move at all, and even if she could, her mind was still reeling. She looked over at Antoine one more time, and the dam broke, her tears pouring into her hand.
Before the SWATbots could attack, a yellow blur emerged from the base and circled around them, creating a gust of wind that blew them away. The blur then moved on Eggman, and the mad scientist panicked, pressing a button to close the dome around his pod mere moments before Mina's boot would have met his face. Instead, it slammed the dome, creating a crack.
"W-Who are you?! That speed was almost like Sonic's!"
"You monster!" Mina shouted through her tears. "What did you do to my friends?!"
Eggman grinned, and as Mina lifted her boot, he pressed another button, creating an electric shock that pushed her away. She landed on her back, groaning.
"Well, you may be fast, but you're not Sonic. Your Resistance is finished!"
"Not yet, it's not!"
Eggman gasped, turning to look up at his Death Egg Robot. Sally was standing on its shoulder, the Sword of Acorns pointed at him. "You?!"
The Death Egg Robot moved to grab Sally, but she thrust the sword into one of the exposed spots left from its battle with Rotor. Magic poured out of the sword, shocking the robot and causing it to fall backwards, onto a hoard of badniks approaching the clearing.
Leaping down from the falling robot, Sally landed beside Geoffrey St. John, who was aiming his crossbow at the Doctor's pod, and Nicole.
Resistance soldiers began pouring out of the base, cheering as they joined the battle, their morale restored. Some were leading evacuees into the forest, while others picked off the remaining badniks, and rescued their downed comrades.
Eggman glared at the Princess, and at the sword she was carrying. "How did you get back here so quickly?!"
Geoffrey grinned. "Using your favourite technique, of course. I created an 'anchor' here in Knothole before leavin', an' warped us back using my Ixis powers."
"If you were hoping you could overwhelm our forces with a sudden attack, you were sorely mistaken," Sally said. "You underestimated the fortitude of Knothole's fighters."
"Maybe so, but I achieved my primary objective of forcing you rats out of hiding!" Eggman chuckled. "This place is no longer safe. No matter where you go now, it will only be a matter of time for you and your Resistance. Furthermore, you've lost two of your elite fighters today, so I consider that a win!"
"Y'think we're gonna let you get away?!" Geoffrey shouted.
"You think I'd come out here without some sort of escape plan?" Eggman pressed a button on his pod, firing something out that landed in the middle of the clearing. It was a spherical device with the number '20' on it. That number then changed to '19'. Everybody knew what it was immediately, and a panic began. "Toodles!"
Eggman retreated into the forest. Geoffrey attempted to fire on him, but his arm shook as he adjusted his aim, and then Sally lowered it. "Forget that, you're in no shape to fight," she said softly. "I know using your Ixis magic to teleport both of us took its toll."
"Dang, an' here I was tryin' ta keep that secret," Geoffrey said with a sigh.
"Everyone, evacuate right away!" Sally shouted. "Mina, get Antoine! Geoffrey, carry Bunnie!"
Soldiers began fleeing the area immediately. Thankfully, the last of the citizens inside the base had already been evacuated. Hamlin and Ash helped Rotor to move, while Mina carried Antoine and boosted into the forest. Geoffrey carried Bunnie, and stopped for a moment to use his Ixis magic to create a shadowy shroud around the bomb.
"What are you doing?!" Sally shouted.
"Weakening the explosion," he told her, "But I can't stop it entirely. Let's go!"
Everybody ran as fast they could, not stopping even when they felt that they were far enough away. The seconds felt like minutes, but finally, they heard the explosion behind them. They felt the explosion, even through Geoffrey's magic dampening it.
As the ground shook and the forest caught fire, the members of the Knothole Resistance simply kept running. There was no going back now.
It was nighttime now. Several hours had passed since the fall of Knothole. Hidden beneath the ruins of Mobotropolis, the Resistance scrambled to set up their new base and re-establish communications with the other Resistance factions. Chuck had managed to recover the Chaos Emerald before evacuating, so they at least had power.
Refugees were housed in temporary accommodations, and Doctor Quack's team were working overtime. Sally wandered through the base, checking in on everyone and performing a headcount.
Antoine D'Coolette had suffered a heavy blow, but miraculously, he was still alive. Doctor Quack treated his injuries immediately, and it seemed that his life was in no immediate danger. That was one relief, at least.
Bunnie Rabbot was housed in a special, isolated room, under heavy security. Despite explaining to everyone how she was as much a victim as anyone else, there was clear distrust for the cyborg, and fear that she might go berserk at any moment. Many wanted to kick her out, and the only way to calm the mob was to agree to quarantining her. That worked for now, but the tension was still there. Her legs had been removed, for the time-being, so that they could be examined, and any foreign objects removed.
Rotor, Ash and Mina would all be fine after some rest. Geoffrey insisted that he was fine, too, but the way he hid his arm suggested otherwise. Sally didn't know much about Ixis magic, but she did know that the more powerful spell, the greater the risk to the user. Ixis Naugus' body had been deformed by overuse of Ixis magic, and the teleportation spell that Geoffrey used was not intended to be used on anyone but the one casting it.
As Sally continued her headcount, she was pleased to see that most of her soldiers weren't too badly-injured, and that there were no civilian casualties. But then came the hardest part… Sally took a breath, and approached a small group huddled in a corner. The two bandicoot twins, Perci and Staci, and the little yellow fox, Zooey.
They turned to face her. Perci and Staci's faces were neutral, but Zooey… glared at the Princess, before turning around, refusing to face her.
"I'm… I'm sorry," Sally said. It was all she could say. "I-"
"You promised," Zooey said. "You promised you wouldn't kill her."
Sally clutched her arm, looking ashamed. Several hours ago, she came face-to-face with Fiona, who had attempted to steal the Sword of Acorns.
"Let's hurry," Sally said, "There's no time to lose."
"What about this one?" Geoffrey asked, motioning to Fiona. "We can't exactly take 'er with us. We're not equipped for it."
Zooey ran towards Sally, grabbing her vest. "Please don't hurt her! I know she's done a lot of bad things, but-"
"Relax," Sally said, patting Zooey's head lightly.
"Princess, I know it sounds ridiculous," Perci said, "But… I'd also like to ask you to show her mercy."
Staci nodded. "Please."
Fiona laughed. "Oh, that's rich! Now you care?! You just love looking like the good guys, don't you?! It's pathetic! At least I'm honest about who I am!"
"What are you talking about?!" Staci demanded, but Fiona simply huffed, seemingly having nothing more to say.
Perci sighed, shaking her head. "You're the pathetic one, Fiona. So pathetic we're not even worried about what you do. So, yeah, there's no harm in letting her go."
"I wasn't planning on killing her, anyway," Sally said. "But I can't let her go now, while we're in the middle of a battle. I'll leave her here, and we'll come back for her later."
"You promise?" Zooey asked.
Sally smiled. "I promise."
Sally turned to Fiona, a simple frown that told the fox, 'I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed'. Fiona ignored it, and Sally led the rest of her group away.
"I really didn't think Eggman would go that far, especially not with one of his own still there! Please, believe me, I had every intention to go back and-"
"It doesn't matter!" Zooey shouted, bringing her knees to her face. She hiccupped, and Staci held her as she cried. "It doesn't matter now. She's gone. I… I don't want to see you."
Sally was hurt, but she understood. She turned to Perci, who simply looked away, choosing to console Zooey rather than reassure Sally. With a simple nod, Sally turned to leave.
With her headcount complete, she decided to go out and get some fresh air. She was stopped by Hamlin, who asked her, "Princess, are you sure that this place will be safe?"
"It should be," Sally said. "This is a secret bunker that Geoffrey told me about. Even I didn't know it was here, so I'm certain Eggman doesn't. In any case, it's the only place around for miles that's even remotely safe, and we couldn't exactly travel far with all the refugees."
"I guess not…"
"Hamlin, with Antoine and Bunnie out of commission, I'm going to need you to work extra shifts. I'm sorry-"
"No, don't apologise. Just give the order, and I'll jump right to it."
Sally smiled. She was thankful that she had such loyal soldiers, even after the devastating loss they had just suffered. No, it was more than one loss – two in as many days. There was no doubt that morale was at an all-time low, but for now, Sally didn't want to think about that. She needed to clear her head before planning their next move.
Climbing outside, Sally saw that there were others there, too. Refugees and soldiers alike were sitting around in the ruins of the city, staring up at the night sky. Among them was Nicole, who was sitting alone on a large rock, holding Sally's handheld in her hands. Well, it wasn't Sally's anymore; Sally had given it to Nicole when they reached the base.
"How is it?" Sally asked, startling Nicole. "Sorry."
"No, it's fine," Nicole said, scooting over to make some space. Sally sat beside her, and Nicole resumed her stargazing. "It's beautiful."
"I meant the fact that you're now free," Sally said, placing a hand over Nicole's. "Now that you have this physical form. You no longer have to stick around; you can go anywhere."
Nicole nodded. "Yes, but… where would I go? I don't have a 'home'."
"You could always just go travelling. See the world, and find a home that's right for you."
"Yes, travelling might be nice. But not right now. Not while the Eggman Empire continues to hurt more people. I want to stay here, as a member of the Resistance." Nicole met Sally's eyes. "As for my 'home', I think right here is good enough."
"You mean these ruins?" Sally laughed.
Nicole giggled. "I've seen photos of what the city looked like before the war. It was a sight to behold."
"Even more so in person."
"I'll help with the reconstruction, and then hopefully, I can live here afterwards."
"Of course you can."
Nicole turned her hand around, holding Sally's. "And then, maybe I'll go and see the world… You said you wanted to show me everything in this kingdom…"
Sally smiled, seeing Nicole struggling to say something. She had a good idea what it was. "A worldwide tour sounds fun. I'd love to go on it with you."
Nicole smiled back, now blushing. "Okay. It would be nice to have a… fr- … companion, to travel with."
Sally blushed, too, and a silence fell between them. Nicole turned her attention back to the stars, and Sally joined her.