-Chapter 232-

Unexpected Reunions

"Clove?!" Hope exclaimed as she embraced the pronghorn. "Holy crap, i-it's really you! I haven't seen you in years!"

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Clove said, smiling warmly as she hugged Hope back. She put a hand on the human's head. "It seems like only yesterday you were just a little girl. Now look at you!"

"Hope!" Cass cried as she practically tackled the Kintobor girl, hugging her tightly. "Omigosh, I haven't seen you in forever! How are you?!"

"Wait…" Hope perked. "Cassia?!"

"Yep!" The girl removed her mask, revealing a pronghorn around Hope's age. Like Clove, she had green fur and curved, a white muzzle (though her's was shorter and a bit more rounded than her sister's), and black-tipped ears. She had a pair of small, black horn stubs on her forehead, and yellow, almost amber colored eyes. The fur on her head was a darker shade of green than the rest, giving it the appearance of hair, which had been styled into a pompadour with a darker green spiral on the front, giving it the appearance of a cinnamon stick. "In the flesh! Miss me?"

Hope teared up before returning the embrace. "Only a whole lot!"

"'Ey! What am I, chop liver?" the biker said with a chuckle as he walked over to join the pronghorns. He removed his helmet, revealing the face of a Mobian water buffalo with skin, fur, and eyes all varying shades of brown.

"Axel!" Hope cried, running over and giving him a hug.

"Whoa! Easy there, pint-size!" Axel exclaimed.

"Sorry," Hope apologized. "I'm just…really happy to see you."

"Happy to see you too, kiddo." Axel said as he returned the hug.

The sound of a throat clearing reached their ears, and they turned to see Team Dark looking at them in confusion.

"Hate to break up this…touching reunion." Shadow said awkwardly, "But who are you people?"

"Running database search…" Omega turned to Axel, his optics glowing for a moment. "Searching complete. Subject identified as Axel the Water Buffalo, leader of the Efrika-based bounty hunter group known as the Engine Corps. Specializes in vehicular combat and chain whips."

"Wait a minute," Jewel exclaimed. "Bounty hunters?!"

"Yup!" Axel stated. "And these little ladies are my proteges…"

"Clove and Cassia the Pronghorns," Rouge interrupted. "The Twister Sisters. Named so for their ability to dispatch marks with the speed and ferocity of a raging cyclone."

"I see you've done your homework, Rouge the Bat." Clove said, a hint of scorn in her voice.

"All part of being a good spy, honey."

"Hold on, Rouge the Bat…?" Cassia squinted her eyes as she looked at Shadow and the others. "Holy shit! It's Shadow the Hedgehog and Team Dark!"

"Cassia, language!" Clove admonished.

"Clove! Shadow! Rouge! Ultimate Life-Form! Jewel thief! Robot! Errr…kid and bug lady! Team Dark! GUN super-spies! Here! With us!" Cassia gushed frantically.

"Robot?" Omega said in annoyance.

"Bug lady?" Jewel added.

"Kid?" Sam finished.

"Easy, Cass," Axel said as he grabbed the hyperactive antelope. "You're gonna have a fit if you keep that up."

"Eh heh, sorry…" Cassia said sheepishly, before perking again. "Hold on…Hope, what are you doing with these guys?" She gasped. "ARE YOU A MEMBER A TEAM DARK!?"

"Cass, don't be ridiculous." Clove said. "There's no way GUN would ever let Hope join, she's too young…"

"Yup! I'm a full-fledged agent and everything." Hope replied as she pulled out her GUN ID.

"Wait, what!?" Clove did a double take.

"So COOOOL!" Cassia squeed.

"What the actual hell!?"

"Clove, language!" Cassia scolded.

"I just learned that our best friend - who is only fourteen - is working for the most powerful military organization in all of Mobius!" Clove exclaimed. "I am within my rights to be shocked and horrified!"

"Alright, settle down!" Axel shouted. "Look, we all have a lotta questions. So, what say we tie up the skunks, kick back, and take a moment to catch up. Sound good?"

"Uhhhh…" Hope tried to speak up.

"That sounds like a good idea." Rouge cut in. "I still feel light-headed from that stink bomb."

"But…!"

"Cass, why don't you and Hope get the stuff from the jeep?" Axel said.

"You got it, boss-man!" Cassia saluted as she grabbed Hope by the hands. "This is gonna be fun! Come on Hope!"

"Hold on! Cass, I…AGH!" Hope protested, only to be dragged off by the younger pronghorn.

"Cass, the jeep is the other way!" Clove shouted as she ran after them. Axel sighed in fond exasperation as he began chaining up the Skunk Bros.

"Crazy kids."

"Don't I know it." Shadow added. "Sam! You and the others start looking for Omega's arms!"

"Got it!"

As Shadow and Axel dealt with the skunks, Rouge and the others began searching."

"Well," Sam said. "Can't say I expected THIS to happen."

"Indeed." Jewel concurred. "But, at least something good came out of it, right?"

"Speak for yourselves," Rouge griped as she cringed at the smell of skunk. "I really wish Sonic were here. Him and Shadow could've taken those two out in the blink of an eye."

"Found 'em!" Sam called out as he held up Omega's arms.

"Hooray." the Goodnik droned.

"Speaking of," Jewel asked. "Where is Sonic, Miss Rouge?"

"Come to think of it, where's Omochao?" Sam asked. "He wasn't with Hope."

"Well…"

Green Hill

In a secluded corner of Green Hill, Sonic was speaking with Longclaw, outlining recent events. Omochao was seated on a rock nearby.

"Not sure how much Dad and Uncle Chuck told you, but you've probably heard about our recent fights with Eggman," Sonic began. "To put it bluntly, his two latest goons whipped me good; the only reason I'm still alive is because Egghead himself had to rein them in."

"I see…" Longclaw mused.

"The biggest threat so far is Akhlut. Know anything about him?"

Longclaw grimaced at that.

"The orca… yes, I know him. He gave Jules and I nothing but trouble during the Great War." Sonic's jaw dropped.

"Hang on. Dad fought him? You fought him?!"

Longclaw nodded.

"It was during Jules' days in Squad Saturn," she explained. "I crossed paths with him and his comrades during a mission in Artika. We were investigating a GUN base that'd been secretly capturing people from nearby villages and forcing them to mine for Power Gems." Longclaw glowered in cold, tranquil rage. "We were right in the middle of sabotaging the operation when Akhlut and his Black Ice Raiders barged in looking for 'blood and glory', blowing our cover and nearly burying the whole base in an avalanche."

"Seriously?!" Sonic demanded.

"The man is a bloodthirsty killer, as I'm sure you've noticed," Longclaw remarked.

"Akhlut and his tribe have been known to raze entire cities to the ground." Omochao chimed in. "I'd go further, but my parental control chip won't let me."

"But above all else, he's one of the best there is at what he does," Longclaw went on. "Born, bred, and trained to be a warrior. And to be blunt Sonic, you... aren't."

"Okay, so I learned to fight on the streets and improvise," Sonic admitted. "It's gotten me this far. But yeah, after our latest fights, that's not gonna cut it anymore. So...do you think you can help me?"

Longclaw smiled at that. "Of course."

"Thank you!" Sonic grinned. "Omochao, show her the list."

Longclaw raised an eyebrow. "List?"

Omochao beeped for a few moments, then printed out a list.

"Alright!" Sonic cheered.

"And this is…?" Longclaw questioned.

"Back when Tails and I first met, we used to run experiments on my speed to see what all I could do," Sonic explained.

Longclaw looked over the list.

"Kinetic energy manipulation? Phasing through objects via molecular vibration? Infinite mass punch?"

"My 'Hedgehog Speed' lets me do more than move fast." Sonic continued. "According to Tails, it actually gives me complete power over the forces of motion. If I can figure out how to use that, I can…"

"You got all this from those old Blurr comics you'd pester me to buy every month, didn't you?"

"H-Hey!" Sonic shouted defensively. "The science is surprisingly well-researched!"

"Uh huh…" the owl deadpanned. "Well, I'm no scientist, so I'm not sure how well I can help you learn...these." Sonic sagged in disappointment. "Although...I might be able to help with something else: Wind manipulation."

Sonic perked. "Wind manipulation?"

"Also known as aerokinesis, aeromancy, and-" Omochao began.

"Alright, we get it," Sonic cut him off.

"It's a common power among avian Mobians due to our natural connection to the skies," Longclaw explained. "Allow me to demonstrate."

Longclaw closed her eyes, focusing. After a moment or two, she summoned an updraft beneath her wings, propelling herself into the sky and swooping around before landing (1).

"Whoa…" Sonic let out. "I've pulled it off a few times myself. Mostly by just running around and making tornadoes, but that's about it."

"Wind is just moving air," Longclaw explained. "And since you have complete power over the forces of motion…"

Sonic grinned. "I could do things like launch razor gales, create cyclones and air shields...yeah, that's perfect!"

"I warn you. It won't be easy."

"I don't need easy, Longclaw." Sonic said with determination. "I just need possible."

"Then what say we get started?" Longclaw pulled out some very heavy looking training weights. "Put these on."

Sonic looked at her, confused. "Ummmmm...wait, what? What do these have to do with wind manipulation?"

"You'll see…" Longclaw gave a menacing smile. Sonic smiled nervously at that.

"Oh boy… what did I get myself into?"

"Have no fear, Sonic!" Omochao said cheerily. "I, your motivational coach, am right behind you!"

"Yay…" Sonic said unenthusiastically.

Northamer

Some time later, Team Dark and the Hunters had gathered in the clearing and were catching up over snacks. Clove had just finished pouring herself a cup of tea from a thermos when she noticed Cassia near the still bound and unconscious Rough and Tumble, a box of markers sticking out of her coat pocket.

"Cassia, what are you doing?" Clove asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Just a sec, Clove." the younger pronghorn replied as she pulled back Tumble's mouth, a red marker in her other hand. "Let's put a smile on that face."

"Cass…"

"Tadaaa!" Cass exclaimed, drawing everyone's attention to her. "I give you the newest additions to the Cassia Pronghorn Collection: 'Why So Serious?' and 'Mime Time'!" She stepped aside, revealing Rough and Tumble decked out in full-on circus makeup. Rough looked like he'd stepped right out of a busy Mercian city street, while Tumble looked like he was ready to kill Nightowl (2). "Perfect look for a pair of clowns like Stumpy and Stubby, ne?"

Cass took a bow for her audience, who were laughing at the sight. Except for Clove, who facepalmed.

"I thought I told you to stop doing that." Clove chided. "What if they'd woken up?"

"After taking a punch from Axel?" Cass scoffed. "Please, they'll be out 'til next August!"

"She's got a point, Clove." Axel said as he opened a pack of trail mix.

"Don't you encourage her! We're supposed to be professionals!"

"Clove, it's just Hope and her friends."

"Her highly trained, heavily armed friends who work for GUN." Clove pointed out.

"Excuse me…"

"Oh! My apologies, Omega." Clove said to the Goodnik, who was reclining against a tree as Hope worked on reattaching his arms.

"Hrrrrrm…"

"Don't worry, Omega. I'm almost done." Hope reassured. "Just need to tighten this last bolt, aaaaaaand…finished!"

Once Hope was done, Omega examined his arm; moving it up and down, left and right, bending, twisting, and flexing his fingers flawlessly.

"All systems operating at 100% capacity."

"Amazing!" Jewel said in awe. "I can't believe you actually managed to fix that!"

"You kidding? She fixed my motorcycle when she was eight!" Axel said. "Now she's making robots and stuff for GUN? Crazy."

"I still can't believe they let you join." Clove added as she offered her thermos to Hope.

"I can't believe you let Cass get a hunter's license." Hope said as she took the thermos and poured herself a cup.

"Hey! I'm legally an adult by Mobian standards." Cass objected.

"Legally." Clove snarked. Cass responded by sticking her tongue out.

"I'm more surprised there are still bounty hunters at all." Shadow added. "I thought they only existed in movies and books."

"Nope, they're real." Sam explained. "During the Great War, many nations' militaries and law enforcement groups were stretched thin, allowing bandits, warlords, and other crooks to run rampant. So, they formed the Hunters' Union to help combat the rise in crime. Nowadays, the hunters act as support for local law enforcement or work in areas that lack a centralized military."

"You've done your homework, I see." Axel mused.

"My family has been part of GUN for over six generations." Sam replied, "My dad made double sure to drill this stuff into my head."

Axel raised an eyebrow, looking impressed.

"Me, I just knew them from school when Aggie and I were little," Hope explained. "Cass was one of my best friends and Clove was our babysitter whenever my grandma wasn't available."

"That reminds me…" Clove sighed, looking at her. "We heard about what happened to Miss Agnes. How are you holding up?"

Hope sighed. "Honestly, it's been rough. Between all the craziness going on and everyone bringing up my…family history…" Before Hope could continue, she felt something soft and saw that Cass was hugging her again.

"It's okay, Hope." the younger pronghorn said. "You're not like him and you never will be."

Hope froze, her eyes misting a little before she returned Cassia's hug.

"Thanks Cass." she said. "I needed that."

"I'm sorry we couldn't be there." Clove said as she put a hand on Hope's shoulder. "Things have been pretty tough for us too."

"Really?" Shadow added.

"Ever since Eggman came onto the scene, it's been getting harder for hunters like us to find decent paying work." Axel explained with a grimace, his hand on one of his armbands. "At first, all the other crooks started goin' underground, so they wouldn't get turned into robots. Now? Well, a lot of them are still hiding; but now that he's makin' cyborgs, some scumbags have been talkin' 'bout goin' to the doc for...upgrades." His last sentence made Hope flinch.

"That reminds me," Clove stood up. "I need to call the bounty office so we can turn these two in."

She stepped off to the side to make the call.

"Sooo, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Cassia asked, eager to change the subject.

"We're on a mission," Shadow explained.

"Ooh! What kinda mission?" Cassia asked. "Scrapping Eggman robots? Sniffing out a terrorist cell? Ooh! Assassinating government officials and replacing them with puppets?!"

"Cassia!" Axel, Clove, and Hope chastised.

"Sorry! Just kidding!"

"No, we're just looking for a Power Gem in Crystal Cave.," Jewel remarked.

"Jewel!" Team Dark all shouted in unison.

"You weren't supposed to tell them that!" Sam added.

Jewel winced. "Oops!"

"A Power Gem?" Clove asked. "What's so special about a Power Gem?"

"Yeah, aren't they like a Mobium a dozen?" Cassia added.

"This isn't any ordinary Power Gem," Shadow said.

"Sit back, you guys are gonna wanna get comfortable," Hope said.

A few minutes later, Hope outlined the events regarding the Power Gem and its properties; from when Jewel discovered it to her arrival in Knothole.

"...And that's the whole story."

"My word…" Clove let out.

"Damn," Axel added. "That's… that's nuts."

"Yeah, that's why we need to find this thing and get it into GUN custody," Hope said. "Before someone like Eggman gets their hands on it."

"Sounds like you guys could use a hand!" Cassia said cheerily.

Hope shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, Cass, but it's too dangerous, and we can-"

At that moment, they heard chuckling, and turned to see Rough and Tumble had somehow come to and freed themselves.

"How did you-?!" Clove demanded.

Before they could do anything, Rough unleashed a cloud of musk in their faces, the two scrambling away. Amidst the coughing and hacking came Rouge's dismayed voice:

"I'll never be clean again!"

Once everyone recovered from the attack, Axel examined the chains and found that part of them had been melted. When he touched them, he got shocked by a bit of static electricity.

"Dammit!" Shadow shouted. "How the hell did they escape?!"

"Maybe they used their stink juices to melt the chains?" Cassia offered.

"No way," Axel shook his head. "My chains are made of Diamondium-steel alloy. You'd need a freakin' laser cutter to get through them."

"Guess Stumpy and Stubby had a few tricks up their sleeves." Sam mused.

"We need to go after them!" Clove shouted.

"Wait!" Sam shouted, stopping the hunters in their tracks. "Maybe we can help each other out. Before you showed up, we found out Rough and Tumble are after this Power Gem too. They're most likely on their way to Crystal Cave to get it."

"Hmmm...that's not a bad idea." Hope mused. "We'd be able to finish the mission and be back in Knothole by the end of the day!"

"A team-up with Team Dark!?" Cassia squeed. "That sounds awesome!"

"I'm game if you'll have us," Axel decided.

"The tall skunk ripped my arms off," Omega spat. "I must have vengeance."

"Ditto." Rouge seconded.

"What about you, Clove?" Shadow asked. Clove looked deep in thought.

"Clove?" Hope asked.

"What's up, sis?" Cassia asked.

"I...don't know..." Clove admitted. "Rough and Tumble were a lot more dangerous than we anticipated, but...if we teamed up, we'd have to split the reward up even more, so…"

"So!?" Cass exclaimed.

"So, if we split the reward nine ways, we'll have even less for…" Clove paused as she gripped her arm nervously, earning her a curious look from Rouge.

"Sis, come on!" Cassia pleaded. "Pleeeease? It's Hope!"

"Cassia…" Clove sighed in exasperation.

"Hey, if it's money you're worried about, don't be," Hope assured. "You guys can have the reward for the skunks. We're just trying to get the gem."

"Well…" Clove began, still unsure.

"Clove," Axel interrupted. "Remember what I always told you? About the most important rule of being a hunter?"

"The importance of working as a team?"

"And more importantly, you look out for the rest of your crew. And before Hope rode with GUN, she rode with us."

"She's not part of the gang, Axel."

"No, but she's still a hunter in her own right and she's still our friend. That makes her part of our crew, and the crew always looks out for their own..."

"No matter what…" Clove reluctantly finished.

"Besides, Rough and Tumble are craftier than they look. The same tricks won't work twice."

"Yeah, sis! You wouldn't want Hope to get captured again, would you?" Cassia pleaded.

"That's true..." Clove sighed, then smiled. "Alright, you've got yourselves a deal.!"

"WOO! YEAH!" Cassia cheered. "Team Dark X Engine Corps, Big Hero Team-Up! This is gonna be aweso...GURGH!"

Cassia fell to her knees and started coughing. Clove practically materialized by her side, the others watching in concern.

"Cassia!"

"What in the world…?!" Shadow demanded.

"Cassia, are you okay?" Axel demanded.

"I'm fine!" Cassia pushed them aside as she pulled an inhaler from her pocket and took a puff, getting herself under control. "Sorry about that. The stink brothers' fumes must have borked up my lungs a little."

"A little?!" Sam repeated. "You sounded like you were suffocating!"

"And you're surprised?" Rouge asked. "That stuff is like tear gas!"

Sam conceded the point with a nod. Hope looked at Cassia suspiciously, but decided not to question it.

"Alright then," she said. "We have our mission. We have our target. Let's get this done."

"Right!"

As they prepared to head out, Rouge sniffed her wing, cringing.

"Hope, honey, when we get home, remind me to make a run for the store and get tomato juice," she said.

"Rouge, that doesn't work," Hope told her. "All it does is mask the scent."

"And make a big mess of things," Clove added. "Trust me…"

"Then how am I supposed to get rid of it?!" Rouge demanded.

"Searching…" Omega piped up. "Add two to four cups of baking soda and vinegar into a tub of hot water. Soak for fifteen to twenty minutes and wash with deodorant soap."

Rouge nodded. "Duly noted. Shadow, I'm borrowing your body wash."

"Would you people please stop bringing that up already?!"

"Wait…that's you?" Cassia asked incredulously.

"Actually, it's me." Hope clarified. "I just borrowed his."

At that, Cassia burst out laughing.

"Huh, you use lavender too?" Clove said.

"I'm more a honey-lemon or cinnamon man, myself." Axel added.

"I…that…you…RAAAAGH!" Shadow screamed before storming off. As he did, Sam turned to Omega.

"Isn't looking up random trivia and info Omochao's thing?" Sam noted.

"One of my secondary directives is to fill in for him when he is unavailable." Omega explained. "Laugh and I will vaporize you."

"Wasn't gonna!" Sam responded with a chuckle.

-X-

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Rough and Tumble took a moment to get their wits about them.

"Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!" Rough ranted. "We were THIS close! THIS close! We almost offed some freakin' Freedom Fighters! But then Burger-breath and the Venison twins show up and wreck EVERYTHING!"

"She cut off my tail, Rough!" Tumble sobbed. "That green deer bitch sliced off my tail!"

"I KNOW!" Rough screamed as he threw his arms in the air. "Screw this! This job ain't worth a hundred grand! Come on, Tumble! We're gettin' outta here!"

"Going somewhere?"

The skunks stopped and turned toward the forest, where they were greeted by a familiar - albeit hidden - face.

"Hoodsey!?" Tumble demanded. "Where the hell did you come from?!"

"The bushes," Hoodsey replied.

"Har har, very funny," Rough spat.

"What do you think you two are doing, sitting on your striped behinds while Team Dark gets closer to the Power Gem?" Hoodsey questioned.

"Hey! It's not our fault!" Tumble objected. "They had help!"

"Someone tipped off the Hunters Union and they sent Axel the Water Buffalo and the Twister Sisters!" Rough angrily explained.

"Oh! That's…unexpected." Hoodsey said nervously, grateful that he was wearing a mask.

"We're willing to do a lotta stupid shit for money!" Rough spat. "But even we're not dumb enough to take on Team Dark and three S and A Class hunters at the same time! So you can take your stupid gem and your stupid suitcases full of stupid money and shove it up your stupid ass!"

"I don't think so," Hoodsey scowled. "I've been searching for that gem for a very long time, and I have no intention of losing it to Tower and his cronies. Plus, I gave you fifty. Thousand. Mobiums. And I intend to get my money's worth. So, you two are going to get back out there, get to Crystal Cave, and get me that Power Gem, or I'm going to make what the Pronghorns did to your brother's tail look like a papercut."

"I'd like to see you try!" Rough scoffed. "Let's get him, Tumble!"

"Got it, Rough!"

"Oh joy…" Hoodsey deadpanned.

"Eat fist, ya scrawny, little...!" Tumble tried to crush Hoodsey, only for him to dodge. "What the-?!"

He was promptly kicked in the chest, with Hoodsey proceeding to kick Rough as well.

"Now then...I think we understand each other," Hoodsey remarked.

The skunks looked at themselves, nothing happening.

"Uh... was something supposed to happen?" Rough asked. "'Cause you basically did jack-"

Tumble immediately dropped to the ground, dry heaving.

"And there it is," Hoodsey said with a smirk.

"You sunnuvabitch, what did you do to...GRK!" Rough collapsed as well.

"Consider that a sample of what I plan to do to you if you don't get back to work and get the gem.,For better or worse, my odoriferous 'friends', we had a deal. And I intend to make you keep it. Are we clear?" Hoodsey informed them.

Though they couldn't see his eyes, Rough and Tumble could feel Hoodsey glaring at them. His glare was filled with cold contempt and hatred that sent chills down their spines, a stark contrast to the meek, little nobody they met at the bar.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Rough stammered.

"Sh-Shiny...Err, pretty...errgh...C-Crystal clear!" Tumble confirmed.

"Good. I'm glad we had this little talk."

Hoodsey walked off, leaving the brothers looking scared.

"The nausea should wear off in about five minutes, I suggest you use this time to come up with a plan of attack."

"You ain't cool no more, Hoodsey!" Rough spat.

Hoodsey shrugged. "Yes, well... to put it bluntly, I don't give a Micky's rear what you think of me. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Wait!" Tumble shouted.

"Now what?!" Hoodsey snapped, turning to face him.

"Yer little file things only told us how to beat Sonic and his Freedom Fighter buddies! You didn't say anything about the hunters!"

"Hmmm...yes, the arrival of Axel and the Pronghorns complicates things." Hoodsey said, tapping his chin in thought. "Fortunately, I foresaw something like this and prepared some...insurance."

Hoodsey pulled out yet another briefcase from...somewhere.

"Where do you keep those things?" Rough asked, confused.

"Very deep pockets," Hoodsey said dismissively. "Here…" He handed them the case. "Hopefully, this will help turn things around."

They opened the case. At the sight of what was within, the skunk brothers grinned in ecstasy.

"Holy Aunt Gurdy!" Tumble exclaimed.

"I take it back, Hoodsey!" said Rough. "You're cool again!"

"Excellent!" Hoodsey said, clapping his hands. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I have other matters to attend to." But right before he left, he turned to Rough and Tumble once last time.

"Also, you have some…" he said as he pointed to his face. Confused, the skunks turned to each other and saw Cassia's "masterpieces".

"THAT LITTLE, SWIRLY-HAIRED BRAT!" Rough screamed. "I'M GONNA BREAK HER AND HER BITCH SISTER'S ANTLERS OFF AND SHOVE THEM UP HER ASS!"

"Yeah!" Tumble added. "Then we'll draw on their faces and see how they like it!"

As the skunks ranted and raved and swore vengeance, Hoodsey rolled his eyes and withdrew back into the shadows. Once he was certain he was out of earshot, he pulled out his smartphone and began dialing. A few moments later, the person answered.

"It's me." he said. "There's been a slight hiccup on my end. I had to give the skunks the 'insurance'. Yes, yes, I know how delicate she is, but if we're going to make this work, we need to make this look convincing." He paused as the person on the other end said something. "I know... yes, I know. I accept full responsibility if something happens. I'll even… Uuuugh…Triple what I offered you." he ground out. "Talk to you later."

With that, Hoodsey hung up and put his phone away, taking a moment to massage his temples as he vanished into the darkness.

"The things I do for science…"

Author's Note:

(1): Think Revali's Gale from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

(2): Mobian Batman.

Yep, that's right! Axel the Water Buffalo and the Pronghorns are here! A big thank you to WindstarOsprey for helping me work out their backstory here and connection to Hope.

Next chapter, things heat up as the race for Crystal Cave is on.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Axel - Patrick Warburton (Kronk from The Emperor's New Groove, Brock Samson from The Venture Bros., Joe Swanson from Family Guy)

Please R&R. Until next time!