Chapter 5: The Ambassadors-Part 1

Hideout

A single campfire burned in the middle of the cold night. Darkness stretched endlessly around as only the barren grass nearby was illuminated in radiance. Three figures sat around, hidden beneath black cloaks that obstructed their every feature. "I heard you made an appearance the other day." A woman's voice whispered through the tallest of the cloaked individuals.

"I kept my distance if that makes you feel better." One of the other cloaked figures spoke. This one had both of his webbed hands outside of his sleeves. One was wearing a brown glove laced with golden fingertips, along with an orange gemstone inserted at the back of the hand, one which had a red spiral pattern. "What? Would you've been happy if I just let the leader of the freedom fighters die?"

"And now they won't stop talking about you. We're not ready to reveal ourselves yet. Robotnik can't discover us."

"And when will that time come?"

"When our business underground is finished. You know this."

The cloaked man repeatedly tapped his fingers along his glove, wrestling them against the seams of the gemstone. He was anxious to get going and to make a change. "I've been thinking about that lately. Perhaps now is the time to inform the fighters of what we've been up to. They could be of great help."

"We shouldn't distract them from what they've been doing in Robotropolis. They can handle the fight up there, while we keep working down below."

"I'm afraid it won't be that simple anymore." The hooded man looked to his side, eyeing the last of the cloaked figures tinkering with a small gadget shaped like a bouncy ball. The smaller figure worked tirelessly to loosen a jammed circuit, eventually reaching a block in their progress as his screwdriver got stuck between the wires. The web-handed figure gently took away the gadget, and with a quick turn in the right spot, reset it back to a smooth surface before handing it back. "Shadow is awake, and he's leveraged to do Robotnik's bidding. Sonic won't stand a chance unless we get him up to speed." The hooded woman slightly slouched forward. It was obvious that she was troubled by this news. "Listen, I understand your reluctance. Maybe we can compromise? You keep yourself hidden. You won't have to risk Robotnik finding out that you're still alive. Meanwhile, the kid and I will meet up with the freedom fighters." The cloaked kid perked his head up with curiosity, looking away from his gadget and intently gazing into the man.

"Just be careful." She spoke in a tone of caution. "This is all happening so early. I fear that he won't be ready when the time comes."

"Don't worry about Sonic. He's come a long way."

Knothole

Sonic had been resting at the medical camp for a couple of days now. His injuries were far more severe than what they seemed at the surface. The volts that seized his arm from Shadow's chaos spear significantly damaged the nerves there. He could still move it around without much pain, but there was a delay between when he tried to move it and when it actually did. That was problem number one. Problem number two was with Sally. She was all over the place. She obsessed not only with Sonic's injuries but also with the underground city that they discovered the previous day.

Ever since that unveiling, Sally frantically kept looking for an excuse to go down there and get to the bottom of it. But to her dismay, her friends and peers thought that it was too dangerous, especially with Shadow around. Speaking of, Sonic couldn't stop thinking about him. He got a sense that there might've been someone that Robotnik was holding against him as a means of control, but there was no evidence he could base this feeling off of, much like his intuition these past days. He was confident that he'd be able to take Shadow down, but twice he was proven wrong. He would barely consider his escape a victory, as it came solely off of a miracle. He thought about the energy from Chaos, and how it allowed him to conjure magical winds. He wasn't sure that if he had the chance to do it again, he'd be able to. That one-in-a-million moment was out of pure desperation, not only for the sake of his own life but for Sally and Bunnie who would've undoubtedly been caught in the battle if he hadn't gotten them out of there.

"When can you get back on your feet?" Sally sternly asked.

"Sally, you can't rush him. He'll be ready when he's ready." Rotor came to Sonic's aid as he planted himself in front of her. Sonic blankly ignored their bickering as he kept his mind on Shadow and the Chaos energy.

"I've seen him get back up from worse. He can shake this off."

"That's not fair. He's really hurt, and you just can't see it."

"I need a timeframe. Robotnik is harboring an entire civilization right under our noses. We need to know what's out there, and I need his help to formulate our next plan." Sally presses her hand anxiously against her forehead. "Who knows what else the doctor has been hiding from us."

"That's no excuse to push recklessly. We still have the advantage. Robotnik has no idea where Knothole is. As long as we have this place to call home, I'm sure we'll figure out a way through."

"Everyone!" Suddenly, Antoine burst through the tent's flaps, out of breath as his fur was drenched in sweat. "Our outlook spotted two strange figures coming from the south. They don't think it's robots, but they're definitely not one of us." That was enough to gather the undivided attention of everyone inside, as they rushed to follow Antoine outside the tent, including Sonic, who was back on his feet.

"You sure you're fine to walk?" Rotor asked.

"It's just two of them, right? I'm sure I'll be fine."

As they run to the outskirts of Knothole, Bunnie is already awaiting their arrival, as she and a couple of other freedom fighters line a perimeter in preparation. Sonic stretches his arms, feeling out the damaged nerves. The others quickly primed their weapons too, as rustling started to show from within the cluttered bushes. Just then, two hooded figures emerged from the brush. One about the same as most of the freedom fighters, and the other just a little smaller. They both appear with their hands above their head, which Sally was wary about. "Hold it!" She commanded them. The smaller one quickly stopped in their tracks, seemingly spooked by the sudden demand. The taller figure pressed just a little closer forward until also coming to a stop.

"Relax, relax!" The figure spoke calmly. "We mean no ill intentions."

"Who are you? State your business!"

"We are benefactors to your cause. We share a common enemy. See, we've operated outside your warrant for many years now, even before you came to leadership, Sally Acorn."

"So you're saying you knew our previous leader?"

"Let's not dilute our discussion with redundant questions. I'm certain you know the answer already."

"Then let's get to the point." Sally started to get a little impatient. "Why are you showing yourselves now?"

"Because it's finally time to get you all caught up. A storm is coming, one that will sweep this resistance up with little endeavor. It is now that we ask for your cooperation and trust."

"I'm having a little trouble doing so. You still haven't told me who you really are."

"Then let us change that." The figure turned to the smaller one, nodding with approval.

"Are you sure?" An innocent-sounding voice of a child responded from the hood.

"There's nothing to be worried about. They're friends." The taller figure moved his hands along the edge of his hood, allowing the fighters to get a better look at his augmented glove. Bunnie immediately recognized it as the one from the dam. She felt better knowing she wasn't seeing things back then, but at the same time, she didn't know how to feel about this stranger yet. As he pulled back on his hood, the sun brightly reflected his thin white fur, along with a black-colored beak. He combed his three thick hair turfs to the side with his hand, adjusting it.

The second figure followed the platypus' lead, pulling back on his hood and revealing a soft and fluffy face underneath. His ears were large and triangular. His amber fur contrasted the white fur along his narrow muzzle and airy cheeks. Nervousness was plastered all across his face as he averted his blue eyes from the freedom fighters. "Where are our manners? I am Doctor Starline, and this is my apprentice, Miles Prower."

Later, the sun was slowly setting below the tree line—a honey-colored glare pierced through the panes of Knothole's command bunker, shining lustrously along Starline's face. Both Sally and Rotor were alone with him, still on edge as he casually unclipped the links keeping his cloak around him. He brushed off the cloak, letting it fall to the ground softly as dust kicked up in its descent. All eyes on him were in awe as he was wearing a well-tailored suit, consisting of a satin purple shirt with a red vest underneath. "It relieves me to find an occasion to put myself on full display." Starline fixed his golden cufflinks. "A good suit that's never seen is as disheartening as a voice that's never heard." Starline peeks out the window, watching as the freedom fighters were gathered around a burning fire pit. He saw them surrounding Miles, still wearing his cloak. His head was angled down, reserved and uneasy as all the attention in the world was on him. Starline stared sympathetically before returning his gaze to Sally. "That's what your father told me, at least."

Her eyes brightened and quivered at the same time. "You knew him?"

"I was a prominent figure in the kingdom's science department. I was close with the monarchs. They granted me more freedom than I could ever repay. Your father was certainly fond of my inventions." Starline suddenly glanced at his glove, fidgeting his other hand around where the gemstone was inserted. "More than he should've been." He mumbled.

"So you were there when Robotnik attacked. I'm sorry, that day must've been awful to bear."

"In more ways than one." Starline snapped out of his trance as his expression was more resolute now. "Enough about that. You deserve to know what's been going on behind the scenes. That city you saw below Robotropolis is more than just a hidden assembly. It's complicated, but down there possesses a great power that can turn the tide of the war. Unfortunately, Robotnik also knows this. After the battle that destroyed our kingdom, Robotnik forced a small portion of the survivors to build that city, creating an operation to uncover said power."

"What exactly is it that he's looking for?" Rotor spoke up.

"I'll show you." Starline raised his gloved hand and spread out his fingers. All of a sudden, the gemstone sparked and glowed, causing a red swirl to manifest within his palm. The spiral shot out, forming a gateway about the size of his head. His free hand passed through, returning only after it took hold of a black leather briefcase. The portal closed, dissipating into a shower of crimson sparks on the floor.

"Was that it?" Rotor was stunned. He'd never seen anything as incredible as that. A mystic gem combined with mechanics to conjure links between different places. He had so many questions. "That was unreal!"

"Yes, the warp topaz is quite the spectacle. But that wasn't what I was referring to, you see." Starline unlocked the briefcase, presenting it to both Sally and Rotor as he opened its lid. They were nearly blinded as a bright green glow emitted from the case. As they adjusted to the brightness, their eyes sparkled at the sight of a gem. It was the size of their palm and it was beautifully cut like a diamond in a jewelry store.

"What is it?"

"This…is a chaos emerald. This is only one out of seven, and if gathered in one place, it can create miracles. We found this one in that city. Fought through all kinds of nightmares to get it. We're not sure how many more are down there, but we can't rule out that we've picked that place dry."

"This reminds me of those crystal shards we saw in that facility," Sally said as she recalled the event of the other day. "Are those more of them?"

"Not quite," Starline responded. "We're not sure what they are exactly, but we know they're related. Miles' chaos scanner detected similar wavelengths emanating from them."

"His scanner?" Rotor commented. "He made something like that?"

"He may seem modest to you, but he's bloody well intelligent." Starline chuckled a little, seemingly out of pride. "Give that kid a little more time and I bet he could outsmart good ol' Doctor Robotnik."

Meanwhile, around the firepit, the young fox fidgeted his fingers as he blocked out the thunderous voices. He saw many of them looking straight at him–asking questions– making jokes. They acted like they knew him already while he didn't have a clue who any of them were. Every time he was called, he answered the same: with a faint smile and shallow response. He didn't know what to talk about. He didn't know who to talk to. As he was enveloped in the crowd, he noticed someone standing outside of the chaos. He saw the blue hedgehog, who he heard many stories about from Starline, sitting peacefully on a log next to the fire. His hand was trembling, which he tried to get under control as he grasped his wrist. Miles stood up and walked past the encirclement of freedom fighters and approached the hedgehog. As he did, Sonic spun his head around to look the fox in the eye, giving him a smile in return. Miles recognized this smile. He'd been giving the same one for a while now. It yielded no joy. There was sorrow hidden behind it. "Don't mind me. I don't want to distract you from the others."

"You're hurt, aren't you?" Sonic was taken aback by the fox's blunt question. Quickly, his smile faded into anguish as he held tighter onto his wrist. "Something to do with your arm's nerves? Electrical burns if I had to guess.

"You can tell?"

"Dr. Starline has them too. He gets too invested in his work sometimes. He tries to cover them the best he can…but those scars don't go away." Sonic let go of his wrist, allowing his arm to rest at his side.

"Sorry that you have to see it."

Miles' face fills with guilt. "No, no! I'm not saying that's bad."

Sonic sighs, gazing into the fire as memories of his battle with Shadow overwhelm him. "Well, this one's bad. I'm fortunate to only come back with this."

"If it means anything to you, I think it shows character." Sonic glanced back at Miles, puzzled yet intrigued. "The ones that Starline have are rough, but I know that he's passionate about his work. His scars remind me just how much he puts himself on the line for us."

"I've been told that scars make us stronger. That we can learn from them." Sonic lifts his hand. Within seconds, it starts to quake. "I'm not sure what to learn from this one."

"You shouldn't be ashamed of them. I've heard so much about you, and I know you can get through this."

"What have you heard about me?"

"You're strong, brave, and you never back down in the face of danger. You're a hero!"

Sonic apathetically stares at his hand. He runs his thumb through his palm, feeling a dull and empty sensation in his skin. He could barely feel anything in there anymore. "Do heroes fail?" He muttered. "They shouldn't. They stand for those who can't, and if they can't stand, then what good are they?" Miles starts to back off, discouraged that there was little to say to convince Sonic otherwise. He turned his back on the hedgehog and started to walk away, taking the trail into the woods. As he left, a certain freedom fighter spotted something along the back of the fox's neck. He couldn't make out what it was, but it almost looked like a mark from a branding iron. The cheetah narrowed his eyes as he snuck away from the crowd and started to follow Miles from a distance. Linus was curious to know who exactly were these people, and why they now showed up at Knothole.

Back by the firepit, Bunnie stared deeply through the window of the command bunker, keeping an eye on Starline, who she was certain was the one who saved her all those years ago. She had so many questions to ask him. Why did he decide to save her? Why was he there the night of the ambush? Why subject her to a life with these robotic parts? How did he know so much about robotics? Before her mind became an unraveling mess, Antoine snapped his fingers in front of her eyes, bringing her back to reality. "Anyone home?"

"Oh my! Yes, sorry about that…" Bunnie fidgeted her fingers as Antoine briefly turned away to work on his stew.

"I don't know about these new visitors."

"What do you mean?"

"They don't strike me as the honest kind. The kid has had his cloak on the whole time he's been here. He's hiding something beneath it I can tell. Maybe weapons, or bombs!" Antoine emphasized that last word as he intently twirled his cooking utensil around the pot. "Sacre bleu! The possibilities are endless."

"Well, he's just a kid. Maybe you are being too paranoid–"

"That's not all!" Antoine abruptly yelled. "The platypus is the most suspicious of them all! Him and his neatly combed hair, pristine accent, SPRUCED UP ATTIRE!" Antoine says as he fixes his hair, straightens his outfit, and clears his throat. "Men like him are nothing but trouble."

"Men like who?" Antoine shrieks as he is confronted by Starline, who was standing right behind him. The platypus smirked as Antoine creaked his whole body to face him. "My, what a wondrous outfit you have. How do you keep it so spotless in these woods? I've gone through dozens of suits just by being a few seconds outside."

"I-I uh…They're dry cleaned?" Antoine stumbled out.

"Hm," Starline said, raising his eyebrows and nodding, appearing genuinely impressed. His attention soon turns to Bunnie as he examines her robotic limbs. "Just as I thought. How could I mistake them? You were my number one patient, after all." Bunnie inaudibly gasped in response.

"You remember me?" Bunnie asked.

"As if it happened yesterday. How are they holding up?"

As a demonstration, Bunnie grabbed a stone from the ground, placing it firmly in the middle of her metal palm. Without much effort, the rock was crushed into dust. "You should see what these suckers do in real action."

"Very impressive, indeed. However, this design was not my finest job, no offense. I was in a hurry, you see. The strength provided is immeasurable, yes, but that comes with the trade-off of flexibility and speed. But I bet you already noticed." Bunnie's look confirmed his statement. "If you'd wish, I would happily install upgrades to make those hindrances nonexistent."

"That's sweet of you, but…" Bunnie relinquished her arm back to her side, gathering Starline's attention to her eyes. "I still don't know you. I owe you my life, but what you've given me is something I never asked for. I get it. You were just trying to do your best to save me, and I'm grateful to be here today because of you. I just…I need to learn more about what happened before I go back to the operating table."

"Very well," Starline replied calmly and respectfully. "I'll be around if you have any questions."

Along the forest's trails, Miles had been wandering through. His white and red shoes tracked dirt and mud as he paid little mind to where he was stepping. He felt bad about what he said–what he brought up. It was clear to him now that Sonic was in a bad place, and that he was overstepping his boundaries. He felt stupid, thinking that he could connect with someone as cool as he was. When he noticed the hedgehog's injuries, he wanted to relate. Miles, too, had a scar. One that he had all his life. Starline wanted him to be proud of it, but after his conversation with Sonic, he wasn't so sure if scars were as stunning as he thought they were.

As Miles kept wandering, his ears flicked behind him as a small twig snapped behind a curtain of bushes. He swiftly turned around, spotting a cheetah freedom fighter leaning against a tree. "Where are you headed, kid?" Linus spoke condescendingly. "You don't want to get lost now, do ya?"

"I'm ok. I know the way back." Miles said with a little embarrassment.

"Oh, you do? You know a lot, don't ya?" Linus started to walk forward. Miles quickly became cautious as he started to walk backward in response. "But did you know how much I've lost to Robotnik? How much I lost to his…abominations? They took away the only friends I ever had and left me to suffer without them!"

"I-I'm sorry." Miles raised his hands halfway, trying to ease the tension. "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"Yes, actually. You can help by taking off that cloak."

"I can't do that."

"Why? Got something to hide in there?"

"No, that's not it!"

"Then what is it then? You don't want to go around making everyone believe you're plotting something."

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't know. And that's the problem: I know nothing about you. For all we know, you and the platypus could be spies for Robotnik."

"Why would you even say that?" Miles asked. "Why would–" Before he could finish, two figures snuck up behind the fox and grabbed hold of his arms. "Get off me!" Miles tried to squirm free, but two other freedom fighters had their grip locked tight around him.

"Keep him still, I want to see it clearly." Linus coldly told the two fighters. They complied as one of them kicked the back of Miles' knee, knocking him to the ground as they fully restrained him without struggle. The fox immediately started to cry as his tears drenched the dirt against his face. Linus walked above him, leaning down as his sharp hand shifted the fur on his neck. He found the marking he spotted before, and his suspicions were confirmed. It was a branding mark, one exhibiting the insignia of Robotnik's regime. "As I thought. He belongs to that monster." The cheetah looked to the two freedom fighters. "Remove the cloak. I bet Robotnik equipped him with all kinds of weapons."

"Please…" Miles pleaded, but it was far too late. As they removed the cloak, all three of them expressed shock as they didn't find any weapons on the fox. Rather, more interestingly, the fox had a twin tail.

"What's this?" Linus scoffed. "Are you some sort of freak? Some failed experiment that Robotnik didn't even bother to keep?"

"Linus, maybe this has gone too far." One of the fighters spoke up.

"Yeah, he's not even armed. We should let him go."

"No!" The cheetah commanded. "Not until I get answers." Linus trailed his claws up Miles' neck, breaking some of the skin underneath his dense fur. "And I will get answers."

"What…do you think…you're doing?" Linus' heart stopped as a menacing voice called to him. He and the other freedom fighters turned to the trail and saw a lone hedgehog staring them down. His fists were balled, his eyes were narrow, and nothing but disgust fueled his appearance.

"Sonic!" Linus quickly stood up like nothing had happened. The two freedom fighters restraining Miles followed the cheetah's lead as they faced Sonic. "Listen, you got this all wrong. This kid is not who he says he is. He belongs to Robotnik. I can prove it!

"All you've proven is that I shouldn't take it easy on any of you." Linus and the others started to back away from both Sonic and Miles, who was still lying flat on the ground. "Leave…" Linus and the fighters frantically ran away, leaving Sonic to approach the fallen fox. Miles curled his tails beneath his chest, trying to hide them from Sonic.

"They're right." Miles whimpered. "I'm a freak. I've always been one. The world would be better off not knowing about me." Miles clenched his tails, expressing anger at them. "Everyone always says that when they see these. They're nothing but scars."

Sonic crouched beside Miles. His face was filled with warmth as a smile cracked along his lips. This time, Miles saw nothing hidden behind it. It was a genuine smile. "Not everyone is as mean as them, I promise. You shouldn't hide who you are."

"They'll laugh at me. They always do."

"Did Starline laugh at you?" Miles tearfully shook his head no. "Am I laughing at you?" The fox shook his head again. "It doesn't matter if only a few people think you're weird. Here, you're safe to be yourself. We'll always stick up for you if you need us."

"Why…?" Miles asked. "Why would you do that for me?"

"Because heroes stand for those who can't." Sonic extended his weak arm to Miles. The fox's eyes started to dry as he looked up in hope. His tails flourished back out as he grabbed the hedgehog's hand. Sonic helped the fox to his feet as they both started to head back.

Later, Sally had rounded up the entirety of the freedom fighters as she and Starline stood before them. The crowd was murmuring to each other, waiting for Sally to speak up. "I'm taking a big risk trusting you. If you're not who you say you are–"

"Ms. Acorn, if I wasn't everything I told you I am, there would be nothing left of this place," Starline remarked. Just then, the crowd turned around as footsteps approached from the woods. Sonic appeared from the trail, as Miles hid close behind his back.

"It's ok, they're friends," Sonic reassured the fox. "They won't hurt you."

"Alright. Here goes nothing." Miles emerged from behind Sonic, having his whole body on display for everyone to see. There was a mix of reactions that followed, but many were in awe at the sight of the twin-tailed fox. As the two made their way into the crowd, the freedom fighters became more astounded, greeting Miles with warm welcomes. It became so much for the young fox that he started to blush. Starline was most pleased with this reveal, feeling that his apprentice was finally breaking out of his shell.

"The stand is yours." Starline directed the attention back to Sally as she made her way to the front of the crowd.

"The clock is ticking, everyone. Soon, the war will be over, one way or another. Robotnik thinks he has us in the dark. He's gathered everything he has to make one final push against us. To some, this sounds like terrible news. But for others, we now know that we have him against the wall! With the information Starline gave us, we can even the playing field once more. For years you've been dragged through the dirt, tossed around in this endless battle. No more, I say! Robotnik has been sitting on what was ours for too long! He's done everything to take your freedom away, acting like we never even cared for it. So I ask you this: fight your hardest now! Fight for another tomorrow! Fight because you deserve freedom!" Sally raised her fist in the air, followed by the entirety of the freedom fighters chanting and cheering her on. Now, they were more motivated than ever, ready to show Robotnik just who he was dealing with!

To be continued…

Up Next: The Ambassadors-Part 2