-Chapter 261-
The Alliance Gathers
Knothole
Sonic and Geoffrey continued to fight, wrestling on the ground. The others had cleared away to avoid getting caught in their brawl.
"Both of you, settle down!" Clove shouted.
"Woo!" Cassia cheered. "Go, Sonic! Kick his butt!"
"Go! Go! Go!" Tangle declared.
"Cassia!"
"What? I'm being supportive."
It was at that moment Elias entered.
"Sorry I'm late everyone, I..." he stopped short, seeing the fight. "My word!"
"Ah, Elias," Sally greeted, a sickly sweet smile on her face. "Please, come in."
"Sally, what in the name of Aurora is going on here!?"
"I believe that would be the inevitable fallout of your decision to put Sonic and Geoffrey in the same room," Nicole said matter-of-factly.
"What are you-" Realization dawned, Elias going pale. "By Aurora, how could I have forgotten…"
"Seriously, you know how much they can't stand each other!" Sally cried. "What were you thinking?!"
"I wasn't! I thought that they would have grown up by now! Matured! Or at the very least been willing to tolerate each other long enough to do their jobs!"
Sally gestures to the mess. Elias sighed.
"Right. I'll get Hershey..."
"I should've figured as such!" Geoffrey yelled. "Two years of fighting and you're still the same short-sighted, impudent, little brat you've always been!"
"Don't you dare judge me, you overgrown stinkbomb! You have no idea what I've gone through!"
Sonic attempted to spin kick Geoffrey, but he blocked the blow, grabbed his leg, and got him in a submission hold. "Too slow! Perhaps if you spent more time fighting and less time making quips, you would–"
Sonic licked Geoffrey's arm, causing him to yelp and recoil in disgust, allowing Sonic to get free and nail him with a punch to the face, knocking him into some chairs.
"Heh! Perhaps if you spent less time telling others how much better you are than them and more time fighting, you wouldn't–!"
Before Sonic could finish, Geoffrey had got back up and slugged him.
"You...repulsive, blue...were you raised in a barn!?"
"Better than with a stick up my-!"
"Enough!"
Sally promptly whacked Sonic over the head, with Geoffrey suffering the same fate from a Mobian cat with black-and-white fur and green eyes donned in a similar special-ops suit to his, along with a red bandana around her neck and a similar visor. Several Freedom Fighters winced.
"Ooh! Right in the noggin...!" Cassia let out.
"That's gonna swell," Rotor commented.
"Geoffrey St. John, what the hell do you think you're doing!?" the cat shouted.
"Hershey!?"
"You're supposed to be getting Sonic and the others, not beating the ever-loving tar out of them!" Hershey shook her head. "Honestly, you're head of the Secret Service! What would your father think?"
Geoffrey winced in shame. "Yes, you're right, I'm sorry. That was childish and things got out of hand."
"Sonic, you know how important this summit is," Sally added. "If the delegates saw this…"
Sonic winced. "Yeah... bad first impression."
Sally sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
"Tie them up in one of those two-person sweaters on Flickee?" Hershey suggested.
"Maybe once this is over."
"Whoa, pretty kitty..." Tangle let out.
Hershey turned to her. "Pardon?"
"Oh!" Tangle turned beet-red. "Was that out loud?" Sorry!"
The cat chuckled, "No need to be sorry. Allow me to introduce myself." She extended a hand. "Agent Hershey the Cat, Acorn Intelligence. You must be the new recruit Princess Sally mentioned in her report."
"Yes ma'am. Tangle the Lemur at your service."
"A pleasure to meet you, Tangle. I look forward to working with you on this mission. As well as seeing more of what you're capable of."
"I look forward to seeing more of you too." Tangle realized what she just said, her blushing intensifying. "During the mission! The mission!"
Hershey laughed good-naturedly. "Of course."
Clove sighed, shaking her head. "Classy, Tangle. Very classy."
"Like you're one to talk, sis." Cass pointed to her nose.
"Hm?" Clove wiped her nose, finding her hand coming away bloody. She yelped and fumbled for something to cover it, with Cass immediately providing a tissue.
"Yeah, the poker face doesn't work well when your nose is bleeding like you're an anime otaku." the younger Pronghorn grinned devilishly. "Be glad Piper wasn't here to see that."
Clove's eyes widened as she began to sweat. "Right..."
"Can we please get back on topic?" Sally asked, sounding exasperated.
"Indeed," Elias agreed.
"Right," Sonic nodded. "So, what was it you needed, Elias?"
"Ah yes." He cleared his throat. "The delegates have arrived."
"Say what!?"
"I sent Geoffrey in advance to inform you," he glared at his subordinate. "But..."
Geoffrey flushed in embarrassment, coughing into his hand. "My apologies, Your Highness."
"Please try to control yourself in the future, Agent St. John. You're one of Acorn's finest."
"Finest pain in the-" Sonic was cut off by Sally discreetly stamping on his toe. "Ow!"
"In any case, the delegates have arrived." Elias turned to go. "Come along, everyone. It's time to make history."
Elias headed out, the Freedom Fighters following after.
Mobotropolis
Sometime later, the group arrived at Castle Acorn via plane. As they approached, Tangle looked out the window in wonder.
"Whoa...this is so cool." she let out.
Sonic was pacing the entire time, clearly restless. "Ugh, could this thing be any slower? Why did the Warp Rings have to be so vertigo-inducing lately? I thought this would stop once Avery's tower went down."
"Me too..." Tails agreed. "Seriously, this is weird."
"We'll have plenty of time to worry about that later," Sally said. "Right now, we have a meeting to get ready for."
Geoffrey stared at Tangle, grumbling to himself.
"I know that look," Hershey said, getting his attention. "That's the 'maybe if I stare at them long enough, they'll spontaneously combust' look. What's bugging you, Geoff?"
Geoffrey just looked away. "She shouldn't be here. She's too green. An unknown variable."
"A lot of these kids are green. They've only been fighting for two years." Hershey's eyes narrowed. "This is about her father, isn't it?"
Geoffrey blinked. "How–?"
"I'm an intelligence officer, Geoffrey. Knowing and figuring things out is literally my job. You think I wouldn't recognize Scrape the Lemur's daughter? You don't trust her because her old man works for GUN."
"He's a sellout, Hershey. He turned his back on his own people for Overlander money!"
"No," Hershey scolded. "He gave cooperation a chance. The Great War is over, Geoffrey."
"War never ends, Hershey." He shook his head, closing his eyes. "It just goes to sleep for a while."
Hope turned to him at that. "Seriously, the war has been over for years. What's your beef with humans, anyway?"
"You really want to know?" Geoffrey whirled on her. "My father, Ian St. John, was killed by your kind while escorting King Frederick and his family to safety! Not long after your uncle became the Warlord, in fact!"
"My Uncle was loyal to Acorn. He risked his life multiple times in the war for the benefit of this country. They saved his life."
"Yes, I know the story," Geoffrey shot back. "How Sir Charles' brother found him badly wounded in a small border village and nursed him back to health. And now he's one of this planet's biggest threats." he scoffed. "Humans are all the same! They lie, they squabble over everything they can, and they'll fight and kill for any damn reason! A dispute over territory, an assassination of a ruler, or just because they want to. They're the real animals here!"
Hope crossed her arms. "Lying, squabbling, fighting, and killing... you speak as if Mobiankind is any different. Like no Mobians commit any crimes or are hostile to their own kind."
"She's got you there, Geoff," Hershey pointed out.
"Hershey!"
Elias cleared his throat, getting their attention. "We've arrived."
Hope got up, joining her friends.
"Remember what I said, Geoffrey," Elias warned. "You're one of Acorn's best."
Within minutes, the group disembarked and found themselves in the castle's airport. Once everyone was out, Elias turned toward them.
"Everyone, I bid you all welcome to Castle Acorn!" He gestured grandly to the castle, eliciting oohs and aahs from everyone, especially those who were visiting for the first time.
"So, this is the heart of Mobiankind's largest kingdom?" Clove said. "It's...awe-inspiring."
"It's fugging radical!"
"Cassia!"
"What? It is!"
"Try not to use that language during the Summit. This isn't the bar."
Cassia grinned sheepishly. "Right, right…sorry"
"Ahem!"
Everyone turned to see Armand and Antoine walking over with a group of soldiers.
" Bonjour , Prince Elias," Armand greeted.
"Ahh, General D'Coolette. I trust you and Antoine have everything ship-shape and ready?"
" Oui, " Antoine confirmed. "Everyone is gathered and waiting in the grand hall. Soldiers are on standby, and the meeting is waiting to begin."
" Très bien! Everyone, let's go meet our new brothers and sisters in arms."
"Shall we?"
"Sounds great!" Sonic said.
"Woo! Let's do this!" Tangle cheered.
As everyone set out, Geoffrey stopped and stared at the soldiers, a yellow-furred Mobian dog with brown spots on his back and over his left eye, brown-tipped left ear and tail, and blue eyes.
"Geoff?" Hershey asked.
"Something bugging you, Stinkbrain?" Sonic chimed in.
Geoffrey's eyes narrowed. "You there!"
The dog perked, turning to Geoffrey. "Me, sir?"
"I don't recognize you. Name and rank."
"P-Private First Class Ben Barker! Company 2, Platoon 5, Squad 4. Soldier Number 10302013!"
Geoffrey stared at him for a moment. Barker sweated and swallowed nervously. Eventually, Geoffrey calmed down and smiled.
"Very well, then. Sorry for the scare, lad. Carry on."
"Y-Yes sir!"
"Well, you heard His Highness, let's get going."
They resumed walking as Barker sighed in relief.
-X-
Once inside, everyone looked on in awe at the sight of the castle's interior.
"Whoa..." Tangle gasped. "Oh, my gosh...look at this place!"
Geoffrey rolled his eyes. "Tourist…"
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Tangle snapped.
"It means that we're not here for sightseeing," the skunk replied. "Focus."
"Hey! Lay off, Stinkbrain," Sonic defended. "It's her first time in the castle."
"Then maybe she should go join the guided tour and let us do our job."
Sonic rolled his eyes. "Oh, and you're so good at your job."
"You wouldn't be mocking me, would you, hedgehog?"
"Oh no, no, no- GEOFFREY LOOK, IT'S EGGMAN!"
"Where?!" Geoffrey turned, drawing a hand-crossbow before looking around, but found no Eggman. Realizing he'd been duped, he turned to Sonic, glaring at him as the hedgehog broke out laughing.
"Oh, grow up, you twit!"
Sonic just chuckled in response until he heard someone clear their throat right behind him. He stiffened, then looked over his shoulder to find Sally, tapping her foot and glaring at him.
"Uhhh…" he swallowed hard, rubbing the back of his head. "H-Hey Sal…what's up?"
"Sonic," Sally began. "I know you don't like Geoffrey and he can be…difficult to deal with, but would it kill you to at least pretend to tolerate him?"
"Sal, you know I can't lie to save my life. Especially when it comes to pretending to like someone who is my complete antithesis."
"Oh good grief..." Clove shook her head.
"Why do you hate him so much?" Tangle asked. "I mean, he's kind of a snob, but still…"
"What's to like about St. John?" Sonic asked. "He's a pompous, protocol-obsessed prick. The best thing you can say about him is that he STINKS ."
"And how can I not hate Sir Charles' nephew?" Geoffrey chimed in. "He's a petulant, immature, irresponsible, reckless hooligan who can't go five seconds without some kind of thrilling stimulation and can't be bothered to think his actions through to save his own hide. Or those of others."
"You don't get to judge me," Sonic spat. "You don't know the shit I've been through the past two years, St. John. And if that 'those of others' bit is about the Shengchun massacre... by all means, keep going. Gimme a reason to add a black eye to your new haircut."
"Haircut?"
Sonic smirked, pulling an electric trimmer out from his jacket pocket and giving it a little shake. Geoffrey felt the back of his head, finding the word "SNITCH" shaved into his fur. Several people snorted.
"Yeah, that's what happens when you blow the whistle on my birth name, pal."
Geoffrey scowled. "You realize you're only validating everything I've said about you, right!?"
"So what? I could give a Micky's ass what you think of me, Geoff. I've got more important things to worry about than winning your approval."
"It's couldn't give a Micky's arse, you twit."
"And I hate how you always have to have the last word!"
Before this could continue, Hershey grabbed their heads, clunking their foreheads together.
"Both of you knock it off!"
"He started it!" Geoffrey objected.
"Me?! You're the one who-!" Sonic was cut off by a slap in the head from Knuckles. "Ow! Knuckles!"
"I don't care who started it!" Knuckles snapped. "I'm ending it!"
"Thank you, Mr. Echidna," Hershey said.
"Finally, we're here," Elias cut in, getting their attention as they found themselves at the doors to the grand hall. "Ladies, gentlemen, welcome to the grand hall. Now, while I understand you all tend to run a more casual operation, a lot of the delegates don't. So, I'm going to need to ask that everyone try to show a little more decorum than usual. Understand?"
He glared at Sonic and Geoffrey especially.
"Yeah, yeah," Sonic sighed.
"Very well," Geoffrey said.
"Oh, and Hershey?" Elias began. "Try to keep an open mind."
Hershey raised an eyebrow. "Uh, okay?"
"Right! Now…" Elias opened the doors. "Let's get this meeting–"
An arrow struck the wall right next to him.
"My word!"
"Darn it, I missed!"
The shooter in question picked up an apple, revealing him to be a Mobian sparrow with light brown and tan feathers, three tail feathers, and light brown irises with black pupils. He had two tan shoulder wings on each arm, and two hair-like whips; the tips were also colored tan. He had chest feathers, which were colored white. For attire, he wore a red tunic with black edge stripes that covered the lower half of his torso, along with brown boots with red plating on the front and back, belts around his waist and boots, and brown gloves. He was standing beside Rob, alongside a Mobian rabbit with white fur in a green dress that had purple, spike-like patterns on the bottom. She had piercings on her ears and a purple scarf on her neck, along with brown shoes, purple eyes, and gray ears.
"Of all the rotten, lousy…"
"Uh, Bow?" the rabbit began, her speech bearing a noticeable accent. "I think maybe ye should stop."
"I can hit a Serpenthold soldier from a hundred yards away in the middle of the forest, Thorn. I ain't about to lose to some little, red fruit!"
"Bow, you almost hit Prince Elias!" Rob cut in.
"Eh?" Bow perked, seeing the arrow in the wall next to Elias' head. "Oh, oops!"
"Bow, you idiot!" Everyone turned to see Amy running toward them, bowing profusely to Elias. "Prince Elias, I am so sorry. They got anxious and I made the mistake of telling them to de-stress. Of course, these two use archery practice as stress relief, and since we couldn't leave the room, well..."
"I-it's quite alright, Amy." Elias took a deep breath. "No harm done."
"Rob!" Sonic greeted, giving a two-fingered salute. "Been a long time. How've you been?"
"Doing well, all things considered. Especially since ol' Mordred seems to have gone silent."
"Last I heard, he got locked up in His Eggnesses' dungeon for insulting his mustache," Thorn remarked.
"Yeah, that sounds accurate," Rob perked. "Ah yes! Allow me to introduce my associates." He motioned for them to come closer. "This is Thorn the Lop, our spear expert, and my self-proclaimed apprentice and second-in-command, Bow Sparrow."
"Top of the evenin'!" Bow greeted.
"How do ye do?" Thorn asked, curtseying to them.
"Amy's said good things about you," Bow mused. "Thanks for looking after her."
"No prob, she's been a big help and good friend."
"I'm sure she has," Bow said, his expression changing to one of annoyance. "Now that she's finally done puttin' arrows in peoples' butts."
"One time, Bow! One time!"
"Shots to the back are an archer's shame, lass!"
"I said I was sorry!"
"Tell that to me tailfeathers!"
"Oi!" Thorn shouted. "Knock it off, ye idjit!"
"Yeah! Some of us are tryin' to focus!"
The group turned to see a trio of Mobians: a tan rabbit, a brown crocodile, and a violet magpie. Each was wearing matching blue mechanic coveralls, red bandanas, yellow-tinted visors, brown work shoes (except the croc's were green), and black gloves with white fingers. The rabbit was playing on a portable game console - a racing game from the engine sounds and fast-paced guitar music - while his friends watched excitedly.
"C'mon Bumper!" the croc shouted. "You got this!"
"Ten more miles! Ten more miles!" the magpie cheered.
Bumper gritted his teeth as he grinned manically at the screen. "C'mon, baby...gimme all ya got!"
Suddenly, the game let out a crash and the screen flashed.
"Game Over. Wasted!"
"Ooh…" Sonic winced as he went to join them. "Bummer, man."
"No way…" Bumper said in disbelief. "That was AWESOME!"
To everyone's surprise, Bumper and his friends cheered.
"Wait, what?"
"Oh man, did you guys see that fireball!?" Bumper asked excitedly. "That thing just went EVERYWHERE!"
"You have got to post this replay on Flickee, dude!" the magpie said. "Think we should add some sound effects?"
"Ehh, maybe as a separate video," the croc suggested, wiggling his hand side to side.
They were pulled out of their stupor by Sally clearing her throat. They looked up, and as they saw her, Bumper's eyes widened and his jaw went slack.
"I'm sorry," Sally began sternly. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Bumper grinned. "Oh, not at all." He set his game aside and smoothed out his coveralls, before walking toward Sally with a coy look in his eye.
"Hey there, sweetheart. Name's Bumper. You wanna go for a ride?" He clicked his mouth and gave her a wink.
"Hey! Back off, pal!" Sonic snapped as he got between them. "She's taken."
"Sonic," Sally gently pushed him aside, "thank you, but let me handle this."
She turned to the rabbit. "Bumper, was it?"
"That's me!"
Suddenly, Sally backhanded Bumper as hard as she could, sending him spinning back to his friends, who caught him.
"Bumper!" the magpie cried out.
"You okay, man?" the croc asked.
Bumper rubbed his head.
"Yeah." He winced as he rubbed his cheek. "I guess I kinda had that coming."
"That you did," Clove said, a fond but exasperated smile on her face.
"Seriously Bumper, that was stupid," Cassia concurred.
Upon seeing the Pronghorns, Bumper and his friends lit up.
"What's up, Dumb-Bunny?"
"Clove!" Torque shouted.
"Cassie!" Bumper and Revy cried out.
The trio ran over to the Pronghorns, the five hugging and laughing.
"Hey there, girls!" Bumper greeted. "Haven't seen you two in ages!"
"You still keeping ol' Axel on his hooves?" Torque asked.
"You know it!" Cassia grinned. "Revy still tripping over her own two feet?"
"Hey!" she shouted. "I'll have you know, I haven't fallen over in five–!" As she stormed off, Revy accidentally tripped over something and fell over with a loud thud. "Nevermind."
Clove sighed. "You three never change."
"No, they don't."
The group turned to see a Mobian rhinoceros walking toward them. He had gray skin, a lighter-colored belly, an ivory horn on his nose, and blue eyes. He was tall, broad, and stocky, but noticeably muscular, with thick and powerful arms and legs. He wore a dark navy blue denim vest with matching colored gloves and boots (the latter with steel plating on the toes that resembled the hooves of his species), and blue jeans, but no shirt. He wore a pair of brown belts, one along his waist, and the other diagonally across his chest from his lower right to the upper left. Finally, he wore blue shoulder, knee, and elbow protectors.
"Fender!" Cassia called out.
"Hey girls!" the rhino ran over toward the Pronghorns, scooping them up in a (possibly literal) bone-crushing hug.
"Good to see you too, Dirk," Clove grit out, wincing in pain from the rhino's strength.
"Oi, Dirk!" the group turned to see Axel walking toward them. "Save the crushing for the bad guys, not the girls."
"Whoops! Sorry, Ax," the rhino said sheepishly.
"Ahh, Princess Sally," Axel said. "We meet at last."
"Hello Axel," Sally greeted. "Hope told me all about you." She then turned to the others.
"I take it these are your bounty hunter guildmates?"
"Yup," Axel nodded. "Say hello to the Engine Corps." he gestured toward his comrades. "The big guy here's my partner."
"Dirk Fender the Rhino," he said with a bow. "Good to meetcha."
"Oh, so you're Dirk," Hope added.
"You know this guy, Hope?" Keith asked.
"Not personally," she explained. "Clove and Cass mentioned him a few times while we were hanging out. He's Axel's partner.
"Heh! In more ways than one," Dirk gave Axel a peck on the cheek, eliciting a blush from him, followed by a playful shove.
"Dirk!"
Dirk's only response was to laugh.
"Oh yeah!" Tangle said. "He mentioned he was gay back at the museum."
Axel shook his head, getting back on track. "Anyway," he motioned toward the trio. "Over here, we have our walking disaster crew–"
"The Crash 'N' Burners!" Bumper shouted. He then struck a pose, like something out of a superhero show, the others joining him. "Bumper the Hare!"
"Revy the Magpie!"
"And Torque the Crocodile!"
The trio struck a pose, only for an explosion to go off right behind them, sending them flying into a wall. Everyone cringed as they fell to the floor.
"Ow…" Torque said.
"That hurt," Revy added.
"So worth it!"
They all give a thumbs up.
"These guys remind me of the Three Dingbats meets Swift & Splenetic (1)," Chris said.
"That's one way to put it," Sally said.
"Hold on, Torque's a crocodile?" Keith asked.
Torque regained his bearings and got up. "Did you think I was a monitor or something?" he asked as he dusted himself off.
"Well, it's just…" Keith thought for a moment. "You seem a little…short for one."
"Short!?" Torque's eyes widened in rage.
"Uh oh…" Bumper and Revy uttered as Torque tackled the boy and started swinging him around like a ragdoll.
"Shorty!? Could a shorty do this !? What else you wanna call me, a half-pint, beansprout midget!? I'm still growing, you four-eyed, pencil-necked monkey-boy!"
"Torque!" Suddenly, he was pulled off Keith by a female, Mobian zebra with a wild mohawk, red highlights in her fur, and a fairly revealing red tank top, black short shorts, a black denim vest, and gold rings around her arms and ankles.
"P-Piper!"
"Piper!?" Clove said, turning beet red.
"What the hell do you think you're doing attacking our allies like that!?" Piper shouted.
"Piper, you don't understand!" Torque defended. "That little bastard called me short!"
"You're a dwarf crocodile , you idiot! Of course, you're short!" She then threw Torque back to Bumper and Revy. "Now get back there and cool off before I lock you in the freezer!"
Torque crashed into his fellow Crash N Burners, bowling them over so hard, you could hear pins knocking about.
"Idiot." Piper dusted her hands off before turning toward the others. "Sorry 'bout that, folks." she said, her attitude suddenly becoming friendly and cheery. "Torque is–"
Before she could continue, she noticed Clove.
"Uhoh…" the pronghorn whispered nervously.
"Clovey, there you are!" Piper immediately ran over to Clove, hugging and squeezing her with all her might. "Oooh! Clovey, I missed you! Don't ever leave me again!" Piper kissed Clove full on the mouth, the elder pronghorn turning beet-red as steam poured out her ears with an audible whistle.
"Oh, so this is Piper," Hope mused.
"Yep!" Cassia chimed in. "Piper the Zebra. She's Clove's partner. In more ways than one."
Piper nuzzled Clove, who was getting increasingly uncomfortable.
"Piper, please! There are children present!"
"But I love you! I haven't seen you in months ! And Bumper won't stop bugging me to play games with him."
"I will beat your score, Stripes!" Bumper yelled.
"Fat chance, Dumbbunny!" Piper shot back.
"Piper, we're about to have an important meeting that could decide the fate of Mobius. Could you please take this seriously?"
"Okay, okay…!" Piper backed off, only to notice Sally and the others.
"Hello there…" she walked over. "You must be Sally Acorn and the Freedom Fighters."
"You would be right. It's nice to meet you, Miss Pipe–"
Piper got in Sally's face, whispering in her ear. "Let's get something straight here, Squirrely. I don't care if you are the princess of an entire kingdom, a Freedom Fighter, or Sonic the Hedgehog's girlfriend. If you or any of your other gal pals even think about making a move on my Clovey or hurting her and Cass in any way, I will end you. Got it?"
"Huh!?" Sally gasped, blinking.
Piper went to sit down. As she did, she passed by Amy and gave her an "I'm watching you" sign.
"What was that about?" Amy asked.
"I have no idea." Sally said.
"Sorry about them, Princess," Axel said. " "My crew can get a little...nuts."
"That's one way to put it," Geoffrey deadpanned.
"Geoffrey…" Hershey sighed.
A laugh cut in at that. "They're certainly a lively bunch, I'll give them that."
Everyone turned to see Sab, a Mobian bear, and a slender, elderly eagle approach.
"Sab," Sally greeted. "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise," Sab replied with a small bow. "Thanks again for accepting our application."
"Of course, though I see that the flock has expanded its ranks a bit."
"That it has. With the Empire's growing power, we deemed it necessary to grow ourselves. So, we entered into a mutual defense pact with the Hilltop People and the Bear Pack."
"An alliance that has borne much fruit," the eagle declared as he bowed to Sally. "I am Chief Kordon, leader of the Hilltop People. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Chief. But, we've already met."
"Oh?" He chuckled lightly, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, here's to our paths crossing again."
"Now then, allow us to introduce the third leader of our group," Sab gestured to the bear. "Polo the Grizzly."
Polo waved before beginning to gesture with his hands. Sally blinked for a bit, then quickly recognized that he was using Northameran Sign Language.
"Oh, is he deaf?" she asked.
"Mute, actually," Kordon corrected.
"There was...an attack on his settlement." Sab gestured to Polo's neck, the bear pulling down the scarf he was wearing to reveal a nasty-looking scar. "He took a blow to the throat."
Sonic winced at the sight. "Oooh… you have our condolences."
Polo released his scarf and began to sign. It's alright. I was never much of a talker anyway. Sab provided a quick translation as Sonic sighed.
"Note to self, learn sign language."
Hope perked up at that. "Oh yeah! That reminds me!"
"What is it?"
Hope began digging around in her pockets. "I almost forgot. Dr. Bennett asked me to give this to you."
She pulled out a strange device that looked somewhat like an earwig, or a hearing aid.
"What is that?" Sonic questioned.
"Her latest invention: a universal translation device. We call it the Babble Node."
"Babble what now?"
"The Babble Node. Shears' idea. Anyways, the Doc figured this summit would be a good chance to test it, especially given the international scope of the project." She held it out for him, letting him take it. "You just stick it in your ear and it translates all speech into a language you can understand."
Sonic looked at it, shrugged, then slid it in. It slotted into place easily.
"The nanites infused with it will ensure a comfortable fit, and that it doesn't impede your ear's actual functions. You won't even know it's there."
"Sweet! Just need someone to test it on." Sonic turned to Antoine. "Antoine! Say something in Mercian!"
Antoine looked over, confused. "Well…What exactly do you want me to say?"
Cass' face lit up with excitement. "Ooh! Say ' Qui a coupé le fromage! (2)' C'mon, say it, say it!"
With an annoyed sigh, Antoine reluctantly repeated, " Qui a coupé le fromage? "
Sonic snorted. "It works!"
"Awesome." Hope clapped her hands happily. "Feel free to keep this one. Consider it a gift."
"I said no!" a female voice called from the hallway, drawing everyone's attention.
"Oh come on, I just want to take a look," a different female voice insisted.
"Oh, dear…" Kordon groaned, pinching the bridge of his beak.
"Not this again…" Sab bemoaned.
Two figures entered the room: a Mobian lamb, and a very familiar purple swallow. The lamb had cloudy white wooly fur on her head for hair, a light tan muzzle with a salmon-colored nose, and slate blue eyes with two eyelashes on each one. She possesses black pointy and stubby horns on top of her head, droopy medium-long ears with light tan canals, and black hoof stubs for fingertips. She also had a large tuft of wool on her forehead while the rest of her hair was kept in four buns. For attire, she wore a black sports bra, an orange/yellow tank top, green cargo pants, a brown belt with a golden buckle, brown and tan combat boots, orange/yellow hairbands, black elbow sleeves, and brown fingerless gloves, along with a green choker with a bronze cowbell attached.
"Come on, just let me see it!" Wave insisted, much to the lamb's frustration.
"Can't you take a hint!? I said no!"
"Lanolin, what's going on?" Sab called out.
"Ahh! Ma'am!" the lamb saluted. "It's Wave, sir! She's trying to examine my bell again!"
"It's a fascinating piece of technology!" Wave whined, sounding like a kid being told they couldn't have a new toy.
"Wave! That's enough!" Kordon declared.
Wave jumped, her face turning a bit red. "Oh! Uhhh...Chief! I-I was just-"
"I know what you're doing." The Chief shook his head. "Honestly, your passion for your craft is admirable, but you need to control yourself."
"Y-Yes sir..."
"Hold on…" Tails perked. "Wave?!"
"Hm?" Wave turned to see them and turned pale. "Oh crap...!"
"Hey Wave," Sonic snarked, crossing his arms while smirking. "See your feathers grew back."
"And you got a new outfit..." Keith noticed, gesturing to her new ensemble.
Indeed, Wave had swapped her gear for a sleeveless, Hilltop-style dress, and her hair feathers had been styled into a ponytail. She blushed, turning away in embarrassment.
"Not by choice."
"Spill," Chris insisted. "What happened?"
"Extortion..." Jet's voice answered as he and Storm approached. The two were clad in nothing but simple loincloths and some body paint and looked very annoyed.
"Huh," Sonic let out, genuinely surprised. "So this is where you've been."
"Sonic..." Jet cringed. "I should've known you'd be here."
"This is a Freedom Fighter Summit in the Kingdom of Acorn. Why wouldn't I be here?"
"So what's with the get-ups?" Knuckles asked. "And what's this about extortion?"
"Seriously, you guys look…" Chris covered his mouth, stifling a snort. "Ridiculous!"
"Yeah, you can not pull off tribal," Hope quipped. "Except Wave. She actually looks pretty nice."
"Shut up!" Jet snapped. "It's not like we wanted to wear these!"
"Yeah, the Boss' grandpa made us!" Storm added.
"Storm!"
Sonic blinked. "Grandpa?"
"Indeed…" Kordon chimed in. "Jet here is my grandson on his mother's side. And to explain… I convinced him and his friends to attend the Summit as my protectors in exchange for not turning them over to the police."
"So you've been hiding out in the Hilltop Zone with the Flock since the race?" Sonic asked.
"Yes..." Jet grumbled. "It was supposed to be a secret..."
"Not much of a secret when you land a giant skyship in the forest a short walk away from the village," Kordon remarked.
"Gramps!" Jet grimaced, but could only sigh in defeat. "But yeah, the old man found our safehouse and threatened to rat us out if we didn't come with him."
"I see..." Sonic gestured to their outfits again. "And the clothes?"
"Traditional Hilltop attire," Kordon explained. "Jet is representing our tribe, his tribe. So, he needed to look the part."
"Doesn't change the fact that I'm sitting in the middle of the castle wearing a Vayu-damned curtain!"
"It's a loincloth," Knuckles clarified.
"It's embarrassing! Seriously, Storm and I are practically naked!"
"It's not that bad, Boss. I think those girls from the Wolf Pack are checkin' us out." Storm looked over at two pink-furred wolves over with Chief Lupe, clicked his mouth, winked, and flexed. The two girls just chuckled and looked away. Storm sagged in defeat.
"Honestly, these clothes aren't too bad," Wave said. "Just...hard to move around in."
"I can't imagine why..." Jet deadpanned.
Wave attempted to reach for Lanolin's bell again.
"I said, hands off!" Lanolin snapped, slapping her hand away. "I will bite your hand off if you try again!"
"Lani!" Sab snapped.
"Ma'am!"
"Quit messing around with the birdbrains and introduce yourself."
"Yes, ma'am!" Lanolin gave a salute, then marched right over to Sonic and Co. She actually clicked her heels and saluted again before finally introducing herself. "Hilltop Union Flock Division Private First-Class Lanolin the Sheep, reporting for duty! It is an honor and pleasure to meet you, Sonic the Hedgehog, sir!"
There was a good ten seconds of silence in the wake of this introduction.
"Okay... wow." Sonic took a breath. "You're at like an eleven. Can we tone it down to... a six?"
Lani faltered slightly. "Uhhhh...a six of what?"
Sab sighed, rubbing her face. "You'll have to forgive Lani. She's a good soldier, but she can be a bit…" she mulled on the word for a moment. "High-strung."
"We'll keep that in mind," Sally promised.
At that moment, they heard a feral hiss. They turned to find Hershey glaring at the Wolf Pack delegates, her fur standing on end and claws bared.
"Hershey?" Sally asked.
"What is he doing here?" Hershey growled.
They turned to see she was referring to a white-furred wolf with yellow eyes, wearing a blue shirt with ripped sleeves, with matching boots and pants. The wolf turned to see Hershey. His eyes immediately widened with fear.
"Oh Luna..." he gasped.
"Is something wrong, Drago?" Lupe asked.
"Just my past coming back to haunt me," Drago gulped as Hershey came over. "Hershey! Hi!"
"Don't you 'Hi' me, you lying, manipulative, son of a literal bitch! Who the hell let you in here!?"
"I did," Lupe cut in. "He's a member of my pack and a trusted ally."
"Trustworthy?" Hershey scoffed. "You know Lupe, I thought when you formed your Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters, you'd draw the line at recruiting gaslighting wifebeaters!"
That left everyone stunned as a sheepish Drago attempted to speak.
"Hershey, I served my time. I'm clean, sober, hell, I'm in anger management. I've changed, I swear. The old Drago is dead."
"You got in my head! Made me feel small! Tried to pull me down to your size! You think I'd forgive you?!"
"Hershey!" Geoffrey grabbed her. "Breathe. It's alright. Calm down."
Hershey took a deep breath. "Right… Yes… Thanks, Geoffrey."
"It's why I'm here."
Geoffrey pulled her aside, taking one last moment to glare at Drago. The wolf rubbed the back of his head, sighing.
"I'm uh… gonna be over there."
Drago walked off, allowing Sonic and the others to go and check on the distraught cat.
"I'm sorry you had to see that..." Hershey sighed.
"Is...everything okay?" Sonic asked nervously.
"No…" Hershey shook her head. "Not at all."
"Hershey, who was that guy?"
"Drago Wolf," Geoffrey replied. "One of the nastiest pieces of work we've ever had the misfortune of encountering."
"He was…" Hershey took a deep breath. "He's my ex-boyfriend."
Everyone winced.
"And from your reaction, I'm guessing your relationship was...less than ideal?" Antoine asked.
"Try utterly horrendous," Hershey scowled. "Abusive, manipulative, drunk off his ass… I hated him with every fiber of my being. The last time I saw him, he was being hauled away by the police, cursing up a storm and thrashing like a rabid Devil Dog. And now he's..."
Hershey shuddered in fear and anger, hugging herself tightly as Geoffrey gave her a reassuring squeeze.
"Excuse me." Lupe's voice called out to them as she approached. She stopped in front of Hershey, her expression calm and understanding. "Hershey, was it?"
"Y-Yeah?"…"
"Pardon me for eavesdropping, but after that, I felt obligated to check up on you."
"You did?"
Lupe nodded. "I am well aware of Drago's past…" Lupe grimaced, "As well as his horrible treatment toward you. But, I want to assure you that he really has changed for the better and regrets what he's done."
"With all due respect, I find that hard to believe."
"I don't expect you to. Honestly, I'd be worried if you did, given what he's done."
"Be careful around him, Lady Lupe," Hershey warned. "I don't want you to suffer as I did."
Lupe put a hand on Hershey's shoulder. "Your concern is appreciated, my dear."
"Chief Lupe."
The group turned to see the two wolves Storm was trying to flirt with earlier approaching. Both of them had pink fur, blue eyes, and light purple hair styled in dreadlocks. Both of them wore bodysuits with golden accents and sandals, the one on the left wearing a blue one and the other wearing green.
"Ahhh yes, I almost forgot." Lupe motioned to her packmates. "Allow me to introduce my guardians for this meeting: Lyco…" the blue-clad wolf saluted. "...and her twin sister, Leeta." followed by her green-clad partner.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," the twins said in unison, bowing.
"Whoa, perfect synch," Johnny remarked. "Can you finish each others' sentences too?"
"So what if-" Lyco began.
"We can?" Leeta finished.
"You act as if-"
"It's a hard thing."
Johnny grimaced. "Well, I did ask."
"Yes–" Lyco began.
"You did–" Leeta finished.
"Okay, stop!" Johnny held up his hands. "That's starting to get kinda creepy."
The two grinned, again speaking in unison. "What are you talking about? This is normal."
"Stop it!"
"Girls, that's enough," Lupe ordered.
The two girls fell silent, looking away
"Sorry, Chief," Lyco said.
"Just a little joke," Leeta added.
Lupe sighed. "Honestly..."
"Is it me?" Tekno asked. "Or is everyone in this meeting totally wack?"
"It's not just you," Shorty added. "Then again, we're not exactly all there ourselves."
With introductions taken care of, Sally clapped her hands once, grabbing everyone's attention. "Alright, well if that's everybody, what say we get this meeting start–"
The doors suddenly slammed open, startling everyone as Ben Barker ran in frantically.
"Princess Sally! Princess Sally! Emergency! Emergency!"
"Private Barker!?" the princess shouted.
"Your Highness, we have a situation!"
"Easy there, soldier, what's wrong?"
"The Egg Army… They're here in the castle! They know about the Summit!"
"What!? How did they-!?"
"I don't know, I don't know!"
"Damn!" Sally cursed, before regaining her wits. "We need to get out of here!"
"My unit's managed to clear a path to one of the secret passages. Follow me and I'll-!"
Barker was suddenly cut off by Geoffrey stabbing him in the neck, his words catching in his throat. Geoffrey leaned in, his gaze cold and calculating.
"Sorry kid," he pulled out the blade, allowing Barker's body to fall to the floor. "But you're not taking her anywhere."
Everyone gaped at the sight of the murder that had just happened.
" Sacre bleu! " Antoine cried out.
"Agent St. John!" Sally shouted.
"What the hell, Stinkweed!?" Sonic added.
"All of you, shut up!" Geoffrey pointed at the fallen body. "Look."
Instead of lying in a pool of blood, Barker rose up and casually removed the knife, revealing sparking circuitry in his wound.
"He's a robot!" Tails exclaimed.
"Indeed." Geoffrey grimaced. "Unfortunately, he's not the only one."
Suddenly, several Acorn soldiers burst in and started shooting at everyone.
"Take cover!" Sally screamed.
Everyone dove under the table, turning it on its side to act as a shield from the shots.
"Arrows at the ready, men! Rob ordered.
"Right o, Rob!" Bow drew his bow and notched an arrow.
"Wave!" Jet yelled. "Get out that new toy of yours!"
"Lani, you too!" Sab ordered.
"Right!"
"Ma'am!"
Wave pulled out a metal sphere and lobbed it as Lanolin flicked her bell.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Wave yelled.
The metal sphere bounced for a bit, then unleashed an EMP causing several soldiers to spasm, while Lanolin's bell fired a sonic projectile, frying the rest.
"Nice!" Wave pumped her fist. "The Anti-Robot Charge works!"
"I wouldn't celebrate just yet if I were you." Lanolin pointed to several more soldiers bursting in.
Bow launched an arrow, which exploded, sending the soldiers flying.
"Alright!" Bow said, twirling another arrow like a baton. "Now we can celebrate."
Unfortunately, more just kept pouring in.
"Oh crap…"
"Everyone, battle formation!" Lupe yelled.
Everyone prepared to face off against the incoming soldiers, when all of a sudden, a familiar, trilling battle cry sounded. Then, the chandelier on the ceiling crashed down on top of the soldiers.
"Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed.
"By Aurora!" Sally gasped.
"Yes!" Sticks leaped out of the remains of the chandelier. "I got 'em!"
"Sticks!?" Everyone in the Knothole Freedom Fighters exclaimed.
She waved at the others. "Hey, guys! Miss me?"
"When and how did you get here!?" Sonic asked.
"On the plane. I saw you guys walking off with these skunk and cat guys I ain't never seen before, and my Sticks senses started goin' nuts."
Hershey raised an eyebrow. "Sticks... senses?
Sticks ignored him. "So, I snuck into the cargo hold and tailed you after you landed. And it's a good thing I did! You almost got your brains blown out by this G-Man and his G-Lady and their G-Bots!"
Geoffrey's eyes widened in outrage. "I beg your pardon, you psychotic vagabond!?" he shouted.
"Geoffrey!" Hershey reprimanded, before pointing to the fallen soldiers.
"Right." He turned to Sally, motioning her to follow him. "Princess."
Sally walked with him over to the soldiers. To her shock, each and every one of them was a robot.
"Auto Automata," Nicole said, having taken a moment to scan them. "They must have slipped into our ranks during the preparations."
Sally could only look on in shock. "Geoffrey, how did you–?"
"They made the mistake of using Ben Barker's name," he explained. "I've met him. He's the son of Peter Barker, one of Sir Charles' old research colleagues. Also, he's only seven years old. This one is seven teen ."
"But how is this possible!?" Antoine demanded incredulously. "We inspected the men thoroughly!"
"And I made sure to keep this meeting highly confidential to avoid any potential leaks," Sally added. "The only people who knew about this Summit were us and the other leaders!"
Geoffrey grimaced. "Then it would appear the situation is worse than we thought."
"Hold up," Sonic in. "What are you saying, St. John?"
"Simple, if the only people who knew about this meeting were you and the delegates, then the only way Robotnik found out is through them." He slowly turned to face everyone. "Gentlemen, ladies...there is an imposter among us."
Everyone gaped in shock.
"Dun Dun DUUUUUN!" Sticks sang as she peeked over Geoffrey's shoulder.
"Get off of me!"
Author's Note:
(1): Mobian Three Stooges and Fast & Furious.
(2) Who cut the cheese?
It begins...
Ben Barker is based on Ben Muttski, Muttski's post-Super Genesis Wave counterpart in Archie, while Lanolin is from IDW. Piper and the rest of the Engine Corps featured here are the property of WindstarOsprey.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Hershey: Jennifer Hale (Felicia Hardy/Black Cat in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, female Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, Naomi Hunter in Metal Gear, Rivet in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Sam in Totally Spies, Thorn in Scooby-Doo)
* Auto Ben: Chris Pine (main universe Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe, Jack Frost in Rise of the Guardians, James T. Kirk in the Star Trek reboot films)
* Bow: Cary Elwes (Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Lawrence Gordon in Saw, Garrett in Quest for Camelot, Aquaman in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox, Westley in The Princess Bride)
* Thorn: Kelly Macdonald (Merida in Brave, Peter Pan in Finding Neverland, Helena Ravenclaw in Harry Potter)
* Dirk: Edward Bosco (18-Volt in WarioWare, Alastor in Hazbin Hotel, Martin Lazzari in the Godzilla anime trilogy, Ed in Street Fighter)
* Bumper: Steve Blum (Vincent Valentine in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Jamie in Megas XLR, Wolverine in various Marvel projects, Mugen in Samurai Champloo, Vilgax in Ben 10, Orochimaru in Naruto, Spike Spiegel in Cowboy Bebop, Shishio Makoto in Rurouni Kenshin)
* Torque: David DeLuise (Coop in Megas XLR, Jerry Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place)
* Revy: Wendee Lee
* Piper: Faye Mata (NiCO in Dead or Alive 6, Petra in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Yukako Yamagishi in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable, Neon Nostrade/Amana in Hunter × Hunter, Aiya in Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon)
* Drago: Paul Dobson (Naraku in Inuyasha, adult Enzo Matrix in ReBoot, Happosai in Ranma ½, Sensei Wu in Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu, Juggernaut in X-Men: Evolution)
* Lyco: Connor Kelly-Eiding (Felicia in Fire Emblem Fates, Operator 21O in Nier: Automata)
* Leeta: Julie Ann Taylor (Flora in Fire Emblem Fates, Milly Ashford in Code Geass, Mutsumi Otohime in Love Hina, Natsuki Aki in Sword Art Online, Tsubaki Yayoi in BlazBlue)
* Lanolin: Jamie Marchi (Liz Thompson in Soul Eater, Masane Amaha in Witchblade, Mari Ohara in Love Live! Sunshine!, Mimi in Rin: Daughters of Mnemosyne, Mitsuko Kongo in A Certain Scientific Railgun, Charlotte E. Yeager in Strike Witches, Haruna Saotome in Negima!, Rias Gremory in High School DxD, Lucoa in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Panty in Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt)
Please R&R. Until next time!