Chapter 12: Fated Not to be Tamed-Part 2

Knothole

A new day, a new plan. Rouge had spent the rest of the ravenous night watching over the band of fighters. She knew all their names, their goals, and even what time they usually went to bed. For each of them, she kept a mental log, placing all of them as pieces in one big game of chess. Recently, she's been hard at work updating that log. Many new arrivals have shown up, adding onto the ever-increasing list of their rebellion. It was her job to keep them in check, as long as Robotnik remembered to pay her price.

Rouge slid her finger on her wrist, feeling the smooth surface of pearls wrapped around. Fine jewelry was always something to keep her satisfied, but lately, another prize has caught her eye: Emeralds that sparkled in the dark, containing a tangible power unlike anything else. Of course, she had no use for its power, but stealing them was a high milestone in of itself. Rouge knew of one Chaos Emerald held within the workshop, and some of the Master Emerald's shards within the possession of that echidna.

"I should've just kept them." Rouge sighed, regretting giving up some of the shards to the Swatbots. "What did I expect, leaving such a vital job to Swatbots of all things? Now look where that got me." Rouge observed from above the treeline, eyeing Knuckles as he holds onto a burlap sack filled with the Master Emerald's fragments. "Back to square one." Rouge scratched the back of her neck, getting her mind off of the shards. Despite her desire to take them back, she had another mission in play, one that she was about to watch unfold. Rouge's eyes followed the cheetah, Linus, as he nervously approached the workshop.

Linus took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "You can do this," He whispered to himself. "Just tell him you're sorry." Linus was still fearful of the encounter ahead, but he drove through with his heart in the right place, using his fear as a motivator. He entered the workshop, where sparks flew from one end to the other. Linus saw Rotor and Tails sawing metal into smaller portions, storing the flat slabs away for further use. Periodically, Tails would glance over to the computer, eyeing the data collected from the Chaos Emerald. "Hey…" Linus meekly spoke, unable to get their attention over the loud buzzing from the saws. Linus swallowed a bit of his fear, speaking up. "Hey!" He spoke clearer, finally getting a response. Tails' ear flicked behind, causing him to drop his project and turn around.

He recoiled, alarmed to see Linus while still trying to stay composed. "Uh, hey." He said timidly. "Was there something you needed?"

"I…I just wanted to talk." Rotor looked to Tails, awaiting the kid's response. The fox quickly nodded to the walrus, prompting Rotor to exit the workshop. The two of them stood awkwardly in silence for a moment.

"So…what did you want to talk about?"

"I'm just going to come out and say it, but I made a mistake," Linus said. "I was so overwhelmed by grief that I failed to see reason. I wanted to give that pain back to Robotnik in any way I could find, but I should've known that would never have gotten rid of what I was feeling. All I did was hurt you–reminded you of that mark when you just wanted to move on from it." Tails lowered his eyes, feeling the brand on his neck. "What I'm trying to say is I'm…I'm sorry." Tails looked straight at Linus, seeing the guilt and shame swell inside him. They both suffered because of the same man, everyone did. The freedom fighters were formed because each of them had to deal with the influence of the mad tyrant.

Tails felt a great relief, as if he arose from a heavy weight holding down his spirit. "I'm glad you came to that notion. Hearing that makes me feel a little better. I always thought you were just mean and scary, like the others who ridiculed me back in the cave."

"There were others?"

"Loads of them. They all thought my inventions were stupid."

"Seriously?" Linus almost broke out a laugh, appalled in a sense. "That doesn't sound right. Who would say your inventions are stupid? I saw what you made yesterday, it was quite something."

"Well, that was made to be a spectacle. My other gadgets are just plain and boring–all numbers and technical jumbo." Tails tried to downplay his work, but Linus pushed forward to express his enthusiasm.

"Trust me, one of my friends was a geek too, no offense. They'd never shut up about what they made, but I never lost interest. It always proved useful against Robotnik."

"You aren't lying?" Tails asked, darting his eyes intently at Linus, anticipating his answer. The cheetah shook his head, encouraging Tails to scavenge through an assortment of gizmos all stuffed into one cluttered drawer. Linus' ears drooped and his pupils shrunk as the fox brought forth the first of his stored gadgets. "This is going to be a field day! I have maybe hundreds of things that I always wanted to show someone. I can't wait!"

"Hundreds?" Linus quivered. "Did you say…hundreds?"

"Just in that compartment, at least. Wait till you see what I left inside the garage." Linus gulped as Tails began to explain some of his works, going into excessive detail. Linus took a seat, knowing that he would be here for a while.

Just outside the workshop, Rouge leaned her side against the wall with her legs crossed. She peered into the window, seeing the two on good terms. Her plan was going exactly as she wanted it to. All she needed to do now was wait, and then she would get her answers.

Later, as the conversation inside the workshop settled, Rouge watched as Linus waved goodbye to Tails before leaving. As he steps outside, Rouge tapped his shoulder, spooking him in the process. "How'd it go?" She asked with an inquisitive look on her face.

"Better than I thought," Linus responded. "We honestly spent more time looking at his little toys. He rambles a lot, but he's got passion. Don't tell anyone this, but I got a lot of respect for the kid."

"Elaborate. What kind of toys were there?" The two started to walk as they continued their conversation.

"A whole bunch of stuff. Chargers, projections, drones. Everything he showed me was vastly different from each other." He said.

"So just a bunch of knick-knacks," Rouge spoke with a hint of disappointment. "Anything that stood out to you?"

"Actually, there was one thing he showed me. Have you heard what's been happening around here? Those little power emeralds or whatever they're called?" Rouge subtly grinned, not trying to overplay her part.

"Sure have. What about it?"

"Well, you know how we're supposed to find seven of them? Apparently he's been developing some kind of radar, using the emerald as a… uh, reference, I think?"

"That sure sounds like a game changer." Rouge couldn't have been having a more wonderful day.

"We can talk about that later. I have to go catch up with some people. I'll see you later." Linus split apart from Rouge, walking further into the camp as the bat finally broke out a deceptive smile. The answers to her quest were almost hers, and now she had to find a way to kill time, and what better way to spend it than by spying on some of Knothole's newer guests.

She casually waltzed around the camp, occasionally greeting some of the fighters as she passed. She made it to the other side of Knothole when she spotted Sally exiting the council room, resuming an unrelated post as she disappeared into the woods. It certainly had the bat curious, but her eyes were on something much more interesting.

She peeked through the council room's window, seeing Aleena and Dr. Starline hovering around the smooth war table. There was no need to press her ear against the wall, as she could clearly listen just by standing in proxy. "You trained her well, alright," Starline said, referring to Sally. "It's better that the freedom fighters look up to a leader that inspires hope. Considering her father, I shouldn't be surprised."

"She is a good fit," Aleena replied. "Her and Sonic are the faces of the new world. It's what we deserve."

"The world? Yes. But us? We shouldn't be so fortunate." Starline meandered around the table, holding his arms behind his back as he lowered his gaze, viewing the world map on the flat surface.

"We did what we had to, but excuses can't be made now."

"Well, well, look who finally became self-aware." Starline jabbed. "At what point do we tell them?"

"Tell them what, exactly?" Aleena narrowed her eyes.

"Everything. Should they know the truth–the whole truth?"

Aleena stared blankly, deep in thought as she took the brief silence to find an answer. "No." The hedgehog abruptly stood from the table, storming toward the exit. "In fact, you should burn those files. We'll play it safe for once."

Now Rouge had hit gold. This was the best-case scenario. A figure of power who was overly protective of secrets? What more was there to ask for? She bit down on her lip, containing her excitement as she watched the two leave the building, then parting in separate directions. Rouge watched from afar as the platypus walked to the outskirts of Knothole, taking a quick glance at his surroundings, making sure no one could see him. Starline vanished within the woods, but was unaware of Rouge stalking not too far behind.

As much as it pained her to not go after those Master Emerald shards, this was something she felt more valuable: Leverage.

Meanwhile, Sonic and Knuckles were once again in the practice range. This time, instead of stagnant dummies, the two were sparring. Knuckles thought it wise to train Sonic's hand-to-hand combat, much to the hedgehog's dismay. However, Sally agreed with Knuckles, practically pressuring Sonic to comply. Knuckles held his mitts open, acting as a target that Sonic had to hit. "I can't believe I'm going along with this plan of yours." Knuckles commented as Sonic struck against his right palm. "What happens if it fails? I would lose everything that I worked toward."

"Sally said she has a good idea. I think we should trust her on it." Sonic threw forward two clean hits. He was improving through practice. "When we catch the spy, I bet you'll have tons of questions."

"I only have one: does Robotnik have the rest of the Master Emerald?"

"What makes you ask that?"

"In my journey, I've felt a strong presence of Chaos within the city of metal. Far too distinct from that of the Master Emerald. I've scoured most of the world, the shards I have in my possession are the only ones I could find that weren't in Robotropolis."

"Oh, that reminds me." After hearing what Knuckles described, Sonic felt the need to explain something. "Last week, we came across a facility underneath Robotropolis. Not sure how many shards there are, but we definitely saw some in there." Suddenly, Knuckles moved his fist down, and lightly jabbed at the hedgehog's gut, which was still enough to knock the breath out of him. "What was that for!?"

"You should've told me sooner. What else did you see? Spill it out." The echidna demanded, ceasing their sparing.

"Alright, alright!" Sonic took a second to catch his breath. "There wasn't much else to go off of, other than they were powering…something. I don't know how else to describe it, other than it looked like a brain in a jar."

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "A brain in a jar?"

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"None of this is clear. Perhaps this should be investigated…" Sonic nodded, agreeing with Knuckles for once. It almost felt strange to do so. "Now."

Aaaand there it is. Sonic thought to himself as he watched Knuckles stomp past him. "Where are you going?"

"To investigate."

"Hold on, you bonehead. You can't just waltz into Robotropolis by yourself."

"Watch me." Sonic was too fed up to argue, as he stood up and ran directly in front of the echidna, halting him in place.

"Listen, I know you want to get those fragments back, so do I, but you're not thinking. If the swarm of bots doesn't tear you to shreds, then Shadow will."

"We can't just sit back and allow Robotnik to devise whatever scheme he has going. The spy can wait. I'm going to get the emerald back, with or without you. That's how I've always done it."

Every fiber of Sonic wanted to groan and chastise him, but he started to learn that butting heads with someone as stubborn as he is was not going to change anything. "We will help you, I promise, but not by storming in. They could've reinforced their defenses since the last time I was there. You could be walking into a trap." Knuckles began to ease his tense muscles. "However, the spy might know a thing or two. With enough leverage, we could convince her to tell us about the facility."

Knuckles grumbled, knowing that there was reason in his words. It went against everything he knew, but now he thought it wise to calm down. The echidna stepped away from Sonic, approaching a tree. With one simple pull, Knuckles tore the entire thing off from its stump, laying it on the ground for him to sit on. Sonic, while dumbfounded by the insane methods of finding a seat, sat next to Knuckles. "Patience was never ingrained in my nature," Knuckles reflected, staring into the treeline above him. Their leaves covered the sky. "I guess I'm not used to being so grounded. My home was once in the sky. We relied on the Master Emerald to guide us across the horizon. I was young when it happened, but one night, something just…broke. Our home plummeted into the soil, marking a grave for many of us. I…I might actually be the only one left."

Sonic stared at Knuckles, expressing a sense of sorrow and sympathy. "The Master Emerald is all that remains of my people. Even then, my oath is to them. It was their legacy, and I must honor it. But…how are they to know if I fulfill my duty? I'm fighting for them, yet they'll never see. How can I go on knowing my line ends with me?"

"My foster parents were taken by Robotnik a long time ago. No matter how many times I've been in that horrible city, I could never find them. They're the reason I'm here, pushing for a new dawn, but I don't know if I will ever see them again."

"Then why are we still doing this? For people out of our lives?"

"No," Sonic gave Knuckles a consoling look. "For people who are still in it. To keep moving forward with them. You may have lost everyone, but we can still fight for what they believed in."

Knuckles took his words into deep consideration. He found value and purpose given the meaning, coaxing him to maintain his honor for both his tribe and the ones who welcomed him, despite his off-putting nature. "You are much wiser than I thought you would be. To speak plainly, I originally thought that you were just dumb."

Sonic sighed with annoyance, realizing that the moment was over. "Why do I even try with you?" Sonic mumbled under his breath.

"Hey, you guys got a second?" Sally appeared out of nowhere, briefly catching the two off-guard. "The trap is about ready. All we need now is for you two to follow the script."

"Script?" Knuckles looked lost. "I was not aware that we were putting on a play." Sonic's eye twitched. If they weren't allies, the hedgehog's intrusive thoughts would no longer be just thoughts.

In the outskirts beyond Knothole, Starline ventured deep into the forest, surrounded by enough foliage to obscure his figure. He raised his gloved hand, powering up the Warp Topaz. He winced as he felt a hot sting beneath the gemstone, burning a part of his skin as he strained to open a portal.

The platypus left the gateway open as he hopped through, entering another part of the world: a soft and vibrant meadow. The grass was long and rich, the sun centered in the sky without a cloud in sight, and a warm gust of wind blew graciously through him. He swept his fingers through the tall grass as he passed forward, feeling the gentle fibers on his calloused skin.

He made his way to a small campsite, where he, Aleena, and Tails used to hide out when they were operating in secret. He stumbled open a locked chest, concealed within the greenery. He opened the lock with a silvery key, peering into the chest to find everything properly placed. There were still a few rations, supplies, one of the Chaos Emeralds, and a binder full of documented secrets. Starline removed the binder as he locked the chest. He then placed the binder on a wooden bench facing a firepit full of ash. He looked around the site, noticing that they were out of firewood.

Starline took a detour, leaving the hideout to search for some logs. He took a leisurely walk, basking in the golden sun until he reached a sparse collection of trees, many of which were already chopped down. Starline collected scraps of bark and small twigs. The fire didn't need to be that fierce to burn the evidence. Starline made his way back through the meadow, but as he reached the hideout, he dropped the wood in shock, seeing that the binder was missing. He frantically investigated, hoping that it was just the wind that blew it away, but nothing was in sight.

Starline ran back through the portal, appearing back on the outside of Knothole. "Fancy seeing you here." Starline looked above, spotting Rouge. Her legs were wrapped around a tree branch, allowing her to hang upside down as she glared at Starline. "Dr. Starline, in the flesh."

"Do I know you?"

"Maybe not, but I know you. I've heard all about you, and your dirty little secrets." Rouge taunted. "I can see why you wouldn't want that file to go missing. Oh wait, I suppose that's too late." Starline, out of anger, pointed his hand at Rouge, ready to create a portal on her and close it while she was only halfway through. "Ah, don't be too jumpy. Or else you wish to lose those secrets forever, and we can't risk that, can we?"

"What are you talking about? What did you do?"

"I've planted it in a spot only I know, one that in time, someone might stumble upon, and feel a little adventurous around your folder. So, if I were you, I'd simmer down and listen to what I have to say."

"You're bluffing," Starline growled, narrowing his eyes.

"If you say so. But are you willing to face what happens when you're wrong?" Starline gritted his teeth as he lowered his arm. Rouge smirked as she descended, landing gracefully on her feet. "Now, let's get down to business."

"So, what are you? One of Robotnik's pets?" Starline grumbled.

"Careful, darling, you're playing my game now, so you better behave." Rouge started to pace around Starline, eventually resting her arms on his shoulder while whispering in his ear. "The rules are simple: abide by my occasional orders, and no one will be the wiser of your itty-bitty secrets. Oh, and don't bother trying to tell anybody about this…I'll know, and you'll never be welcomed here again."

"You know, I've been thinking about ripping that band-aid off." Starline attempted to sway authority back in his favor. "Keep pushing me, and I'll be sure that they lock you away forever."

Rouge instantly laughed, recognizing his play for dominance. "Deep down, we both know you're too much of a coward to do it." Rouge rubbed her fingers down Starline's hair and onto his outfit. "Look at how many layers you wear to hide who you are: a monster, just as guilty as Robotnik. How will the others react once they find out you're the one responsible for all their suffering?" Rouge pushed away from Starline, leaving him unsettled. "Or better yet, once they find out that their old leader covered it all up."

Starline stared at the ground, defeated and coerced to do her will. "What do you want…?" He murmured.

"Nothing much for now, other than proof of your willingness."

Away from them, Sonic and Knuckles stood out in the open, awkwardly standing around like they were waiting for instructions. Knuckles was holding his burlap sack full of the Master Emerald's shards, tightly holding on to it. They both inched their heads in one direction, watching Sally hide in a nearby bush, giving them the thumbs up as she dipped her head into cover. "That's our cue," Sonic said. "Don't screw it up this time. We've rehearsed this enough already."

"Fear not, for in my free time back home, I regularly attended the stage."

Sonic took a deep breath, getting into character as he suddenly shifted his expression to appear more cheerful and confident. "Well, Knuckles, I'm so glad you've decided to stay! I'm sure you've been wondering where you wanted to sleep and put away your stuff." Sonic strained his voice as he emphasised that last word.

"Indeed, pipsqueak-rodent," Knuckles replied in a forced, monotone voice. Sonic briefly glanced back at Sally, knowing it was she who gave the echidna that line. "All this heavy lifting has gotten me quite drained. I need a place to store these valuable gems."

"I got just the place. Follow me!" Sonic and Knuckles merely walked four steps to the side as they came across a small, makeshift hut built from twigs and moss. "Here we are, all for you."

"Thanks!" Knuckles then patted Sonic on the back a little too hard, sending him falling forward and into the hut, destroying it in an instant, and trapping the hedgehog beneath. "There's no place like home." Knuckles, remaining in character, dropped off the burlap sack under the hut. He grabbed an unconscious Sonic, dragging him away as they made for the path to the main campsite. "I am rather famished, let us get some grub!" Knuckles and Sonic disappeared from sight, but later, they met up with Sally inside the bush. "How was that?"

Without Knuckles noticing, Sonic awoke from his forced nap and eased his hands closer to the echidna's neck, prepared to strangle him. Sally shook her head at him, diffusing Sonic's malice. "You have the future of a star, Knuckles." She played along.

"Yeah, yeah. Now what?" Sonic asked as they all collectively watched the hut.

"Now we wait." The three remained shrouded, patiently observing as time carried on. It was roughly noon when they started, and as they took turns on lookout, the sun kept easing closer to the edge. For every hour, one would take over to watch, while the others tried to find ways to pass the time. Sonic and Knuckles played a few games of rock, paper, scissors, where Sonic kept going with paper because Knuckles couldn't make a scissor with his hand. Sally and Sonic would make conversation, keeping their voices low to not blow their cover. Finally, Sally and Knuckles would take sticks and draw in the dirt. Knuckles even drew his old home: a floating island surrounded by clouds.

The moon was hanging high above them, and still, no one took the bait. Knuckles, who was currently on watch, commented on his frustration. "This isn't working." He sighed wearily. "We've wasted enough time. We should just stop."

"We should wait until sunrise, at least," Sally said. "I bet our thief will be more likely to steal when it's dark out. If you want, Sonic and I can stay while you get some shut-eye."

"No," Knuckles was quick to shut down the offer. "I won't leave as long as the shards are here." Sally turned to Sonic. The hedgehog shrugged, prompting them to continue their own conversation as Knuckles maintained his sight on the hut.

Just then, an orange flash suddenly emitted from within the residence. It was fast and was gone in an instant, but it was apparent enough to Knuckles that something was brewing. Knuckles looked around the hut, trying to see if anyone was around, and yet, there was nobody. The echidna then did the next best thing to verify if something went wrong. He concentrated, trying to get a grasp at the shard's energy. His eyes widened at what he felt: nothing. There was no remnant of the Master Emerald left, and it brought Knuckles to erupt from cover and hurry over.

Sonic and Sally were close behind as Knuckles dug through the hut, looking for the burlap sack. His face filled with dread. "They're gone!" Knuckles slammed his fists on the ground, cracking the earth beneath them. The echidna snapped his head toward Sonic, holding a ferocious glare. "We've done it your way, now we do it my way. Where's the fox? We need to talk."

Chaos soon erupted in Knothole's workshop. The echidna made a sudden entrance, as Tails and Rotor were just about to wrap up for tonight. Sonic and Sally weren't far behind, trailing the deep footprints that Knuckles left outside. "You, fox, you mentioned before you had a scanner. Give it to me." Tails shot a glance past Knuckles and at Sonic and Sally, who both looked embarrassed for the echidna.

"What's going on? Why is this happening out of nowhere?"

"There's been uh…" Sally paused. "Mishap."

"You can say that again." Knuckles growled.

"What happened?" Rotor attempted to get things back on track.

"Someone foiled our trap," Sonic said. "We used the fragments of the Master Emerald as bait, and we paid the price."

"Which is why I need your scanner." Knuckles resumed his pestering toward Tails. "You found the emeralds before, you can again."

Tails sighed, "That scanner only has a short distance. It was meant for finding the emeralds if we had an approximate position…but I think we have something better." Tails looked up to Rotor, asking if he had permission to reveal their newest project. Rotor nodded as Tails rushed over to the computer. The fox booted up the old monitor, where the rest noticed a thick, carbon fiber cable attached to a glass container, holding a Chaos Emerald within a metal ring. Tails swiftly typed in a few lines of code, enabling the software to collect all the data stored on the emerald. The monitor flashed to an overview of the world map, where a progress bar slowly filled.

"What are we looking at here, buddy?" Sonic asked.

"With my first scanner, I was able to compile a template of the energy properties of a Chaos Emerald. The only problem was that I didn't have the materials to enhance its range. But with everything that I've been supplied with in Knothole–thank you," Tails took a second to bow his head in appreciation. "I'm now able to send out a ping of Chaos energy, and if I did the math right, we'll get a response from all other sources of said energy." As the progress bar reached the end, numerous circles manifested on the screen, scattered across the world. The pings received were not of specific locations, but rather a general area of where the signal was detected. "Behold, the Chaos Radar."

"We can workshop the name," Rotor added.

"That's good and all, but those blips will only give us a vague direction of where to go. We might spend days looking for just one emerald." Knuckles pointed out.

"Which is where you come in." Tails spoke confidently. "I've heard that you've got a sixth sense. You were able to track me down all the way from those ruins. I'd say that if we got in range of the signatures, you'd be able to trace a path for us."

Knuckles pondered the thought, not seeing anything wrong with that deduction. "You may have a point." He said in a tone of stoic acknowledgment.

"Well?" Everyone turned to Sonic, who for once was stoked to get back out on the field. "What are we waiting for? Let's get to it."

Farther out from Knothole, Rouge intimately hugged the stolen burlap sack, enthralled by the sparkling gems within. Starline, whose Warp Topaz was glowing, remained dispirited. "My beauties, I should've never left you from my embrace. Which is why it pains me to do so again." Rouge looked back to Starline, ordering him with a single look. Starline hesitated to open another portal, one which Rouge dropped the bag through, warping the fragments from this place. "You've been of great service, I hope you know."

"Don't mention it," Starline grumbled. "I hope you know that this was a mistake. You'll only motivate them to chase after you harder. And in time, they'll reclaim what you've taken."

"And how's that?" As Starline felt he had her on edge, Rouge soon turned the tables. "Oh, the radar, that must be it." Starline's heart sank. "That does seem like it would be very useful in finding the other emeralds. Hold that thought, would you?" Rouge pulled out a disk-shaped transmitter, connecting to a line. "Yeah, it's me again. I got something new that might raise that mustache of yours…I'll need another increase to my salary…Why? Well, what if I told you I found a way to get all the Chaos energy you need? And what if I also told you that it would be your enemies that got it for you…? Yeah, I thought so." Rouge turned off the transmitter, leaving Starline stunned as she began to fly off.

"This alliance has been getting better and better with each moment. I hope you intend on keeping it." Starline clenched a fist, aggravated by Rouge to no end. "You know what'll happen if you don't." Rouge sang in a quaint tune as she flew into the moonlight.

To be continued…

Up Next: Showdown-Part 1