Chapter 6: Code Yellow
There weren't many children scampering around the Bunker. A few… Mistakes or happy accidents… Whatever you wanted to consider them, had been made, so a small population of youngsters were present. Three such rapscallions, a racoon, a porcupine, and a bandicoot were messing around in places that they really shouldn't have been that early in the morning. The communications room with that old burnt-out radio was definitely on that list.
"Guys, I don't think we should be here…" The bandicoot, the lone female of the group said worriedly as her friends were messing around with equipment that they probably shouldn't…. No, they definitely shouldn't be. "Mr. Prower says that only authorized personnel are supposed be down here…"
"Oh, who cares what that grumpy old fox says… I'm not afraid of him!"
"Yeah, and I don't think he's as smart as everyone claims either," the racoon agreed. "He can't even fix this stupid radio, and all of our crops are dying because his lame inventions don't work! My dad says that he isn't fit to lead anymore, and he's trying to get some of the other adults to band together and take control of the bunker before he leads us all to ruin… Whatever that means."
"But… My mom says Mr. Prower protects us, and none of us would've survived this long if it wasn't for him."
"Your moms just brainwashed because of what he supposedly did in the past!" The porcupine spat as he played with a wrench that he'd found on a table next to the busted radio. "Him and those other loser Freedom Fighters who couldn't stop some fat crazy guy from taking over the world! This weirdo even names his own tools! What kind of stupid name is 'Rotor' anyway?"
"One you should only speak of with the highest amount of reverence and respect… BRAT!"
The three children froze in place, the porcupine dropping the wrench as a seemingly impossibly large shadow engulfed them before a very pissed off looking fox with a robotic eye came into their view. All pretense from the boys that they weren't afraid of the infamous Miles Prower immediately flew out the window and proceeded to shit all over itself.
"M… M… Mr. Prower… We were just…"
Miles ignored the spikey one, instead choosing to kneel down and glare directly into the eyes of the young racoon, his face just inches from the kids. He could already hear the piss running down the boy's leg. "You… Can tell your father that if he has a problem with the way I run things he's more than welcome to come voice his concerns to me… Personally. If he's so unhappy here, he's always free to pack up the family and take his chances on the surface with Robotnik's robots roaming every corner of the planet..."
The racoon boy gulped as Miles stood up, towering over the three small children. He glared down at them and uttered one simple command. "GET… OUT!"
The kids wasted no time obeying and disappeared from his sight faster than Sonic when he put on the jets after hearing the ring of a chili dog cart. Miles picked up the wrench off the floor, the item he'd set out that morning to collect in the first place. He needed to run it back to his quarters quickly or else he risked being late for his own bunker-wide meeting that he'd arranged for that morning.
Thirty minutes soon passed, and what basically amounted to the entire population of the bunker had gathered in the commons area, all gossiping over what this meeting could be about. Word had already spread that Miles had returned the night before, and news of the crop failures had been common knowledge for weeks. Ellie D'Coolette stood nervously in front of the crowd, unsure of what exactly she should be expecting herself. She knew the situation wasn't good according to the few details her uncle was willing to offer up the night before, but what could be done about it? There was as small movement growing within the bunker that didn't exactly have favorable opinions of how Miles had been running things as of late, his frequent absences from day-to-day life being chief amongst the concerns. The crop failures had been the last straw for some.
A minute or two later, The Wanderer himself made his entrance, his mere presence absorbing all the sound in the room as the crowd went quiet. With as much trash talk as some were willing to do behind his back, nobody dared risk acting out of line when in the presence of the man himself. The fear of him was very real, as was the desperation so many of these poor souls were feeling.
"Is everyone physically capable of being here accounted for?... Good… I want everyone to pay close attention because the news I'm about to share with you is of vital importance… And none of you are going to like it. Upon my arrival last night, I was brought up to speed on the mass crop failures that are putting a massive strain on the bunker's food supply. I've inspected each of the affected greenhouse stations extensively and have concluded that there's nothing wrong with them mechanically. What I have discovered… Is that pollutants from Robotnik's manufacturing operations have reached the bunker's doorstep and seeped into the ground, poisoning the very soil we use to grow our crops. Even our water supply has been contaminated, and in all honesty, we can't be sure what started where… What I do know is that the water here is getting to the point where it's probably too polluted to drink without risking serious health risks. There's no easy way to say this… The bunker is no longer a viable place for any of us to live."
Miles paused, waiting for the inevitable explosion of discourse and this crowd did not disappoint. Formerly reserved within the all-encompassing presence of the bunker's unofficial leader, the entire room erupted into a hysterical mosh pit of panicked faces all talking over one another. Miles gave the crowd a few moments to get their frustrations out before attempting to reign in the chaos. "Everybody, calm down! Voice your concerns one at a time, and I'll do my best to answer them… If there's a suitable answer for me to give at least…"
"How can the bunker suddenly be uninhabitable!? This was supposed to be our haven!... The one safe place for us left on Mobius!"
"There are no safe places left!" Miles snapped back. "Security is a luxury that isn't allowed in a post-apocalyptic world… Every last one of you that followed us down into this bunker knew the risks, and you were never promised or guaranteed you'd always be safe or that 'this' experiment would last forever. Only that we'd do our best to protect anyone who chose to follow us and were willing to contribute to the community we've built here… We've always been one major mistake or disaster away from extinction at any given time… There's always been a threat that Robotnik might find our location, or some other catastrophe might descend upon us and wipe away everything we've struggled to build… That day has unfortunately come."
"What are we supposed to do now?!" a female mongoose asked. "The surface is a death sentence, but if we stay here, we'll starve…"
"We established a backup site further north… Up in the mountains, just in case a disaster like this one ever befell the bunker… There's still some construction that needs to be completed and the terrain and climate are both harsher than they are here, but the location is remote… Meaning there's less of a chance of the same disaster affecting us there any time soon… And hopefully less of a chance of Robotnik discovering our location."
"And why should we keep following you?" a crotchety looking old rabbit asked. "A lot of good that's done us so far… Livin' underground like rats, trapped in an endless cycle always worried if tomorrow is even goin' to come…"
"And where the hell would you be if you weren't here?" The middle-aged rabbit flinched as if he expected his comment to be ignored as rhetorical. Obviously, he wasn't the type to pay very close attention to what was going on around him, or perhaps in his anger he'd forgotten who he was getting snippy with. "You've had as safe of a place to sleep at night as could possibly be provided for you, and until recently, you never had to worry about where your next meal was coming from. So, tell me old man, what's YOUR brilliant idea to ensure our survival? Where exactly is it that you'd rather be? Come on, tell us about this haven that only you appear to be aware of… I'll wait…"
The rabbit had no retort to this, grimacing as he hung his head in defeat. Miles turned his attention to the rest of the gathering. "Anyone else have anything to say?"
"It's not that I don't appreciate what you've tried to do for us," a female chipmunk spoke up hesitantly. "It's the opposite actually… I was taking shelter under scrap metal and scavenging on old garbage in the ruins of New Mobotropolis before I came here… The bunker was a godsend for my family… It's the only home my children have ever known… It's hard for me to even fathom leaving here and going back to the surface world where… Where it feels like everything up there is out to kill you."
"I do sympathize with how you feel… But you must understand that we're living in the end times… Robotnik has won. There are no greener pastures or hopes for a better future at the end of this road… This is Armageddon, and the best we can hope for is to try and survive as long as possible if for no other reason than to show Robotnik he hasn't succeeded in completely eradicating our will to live… 'Comfort', I'm afraid is one of those luxuries we can only hope for, not expect… And to understand that what luxuries we still possess can be taken away from us at any time… Exactly like what's happening right now…"
"But… My Children…"
"I wouldn't be citing your youngins hopin' to fish for sympathy from this one," said a smarmy looking racoon as he placed a hand on the concerned mother's shoulder. "He's displayed on many an occasion that he doesn't care much for our little ones. Just this here mornin' he was hollerin' at my boy and his friends just for touchin' some ole tool of his…"
"Your brat and his friends were loitering in a restricted area while disparaging the name of someone whose done more to defend the Mobian race than everyone else in this bunker combined! Come to think of it, who the hell are you to tell me who I care about and who I don't?" Miles snarled, causing the pompous racoon to shiver and retract into himself, all his bravado immediately melting away the second the intimidating fox focused his attention on him… Just like every other soul living in that bunker. "For your information, I happen to care deeply for the children of this colony… In fact, I feel sorry for them. Sorry they have such irresponsible parents who somehow thought it would be such a brilliant idea to bring a child into this waking nightmare of an existence we're all living in, knowing there was no hope for any kind of future for them! Anyone living in this bunker with a child under the age of ten whose wellbeing you're concerned about, then you all have no one else but yourselves to blame for the position you've put them in!"
You could hear a pin drop in that room if someone had been careless enough to let one fall. Even Ellie, his biggest supporter, had her hands covering her mouth in shock. She was well aware that Miles had pretty much become numb to what others thought about him, but was he really so detached that he could no longer recognize the 'quiet' parts that were probably better off left unsaid? "Uncle Miles…"
"Oh, and by the way…" Miles gazed hardened, still firmly aimed in the direction of the increasingly uncomfortable looking racoon. "I overheard your son blabbering on about how you were unhappy with the way things are run down here, and the little coup you and some of your supporters were plotting. I can only assume the boy gave you my message and the offer still stands… If you've got the balls to attempt to take over, then, by all means give it a try…" Miles normally stoic expression, lifted into a sinister little smirk. "Let's see how things work out for you."
The racoon appeared to have miraculously gotten shorter as he tried to disappear into the crowd. A couple of the blokes around him looked equally nervous. Well, it looks like Miles had identified the co-conspirators.
"Look… I don't blame anyone for not being happy with this development… How could I expect anybody to be? But not a single one of you was forced to move down into the bunker with us when Robotnik forced us underground… And we won't force anyone to follow us to Site B if you've lost faith in me and what we've tried to do for you down here. You're welcome to take your chances on the surface or stay here and risk slowly starving to death if that's what you'd prefer… Quite frankly, I don't care. I'm not going to drag anyone with us kicking and screaming, though I will continue to offer protection to whoever still wants it, to the best of my…"
"It never should've come to this…"
There were a few gasps from the crowd as everyone looked towards the back of the assembled group at the individual who dared speak out of turn. The words, sharp and bitter, had come from an eye-patch wearing otter, dressed in raggedy clothing, and health-wise looked like he'd seen better days. His eye focused on the ground, as if summoning up the courage to look up and face off with the monster that ruled over the bunker.
"I don't disagree with that… But there were variables we just couldn't predict…"
"I'm not talking about the crops or being forced to flee this 'paradise'!" The otter seethed as he finally built up the nerve to hold his head up and glare in the cybernetic vulpine's direction. "Things never should've gotten so bad that we were ever forced to retreat underground in the first place! Barely hanging on, staving off extinction… The Freedom Fighters were supposed to be our salvation… They were supposed to stop Robotnik and bring peace back to the kingdom… The world even… I should know, because I was one of the many fools who stupidly bought in to all that flowery Resistance talk… I was one of the first recruits to sign up to serve under Princess Sally back in Knothole when the war really started to heat up. I believed in the cause back then… Believed in her, believed in Sonic, believed in Amy, and even in you at one point… Just to watch each one of you fail and fail time and time again while the world went up in flames all around you as body after body piled up. We had that tyrant on the ropes but instead of finishing him off when she had the chance, the princess was too busy building a doomed city to pander to the populace, so they'd accept her sovereignty after a war that hadn't even been won yet! Then there was you, face-to-face with that fat egg with the perfect opportunity to take him down, and like the Freedom Fighters always seem to do, you failed when it mattered most… And lost part of your face in the process! For thirty damn years I swallowed that worthless Freedom Fighters mantra, convinced that if we just fought hard enough then we'd finally overcome Robotnik and build towards a better future for everyone… That never happened though, did it? What did we get? A land of stone and dirt with rotten food in our bellies, while washing it down with poisoned water down our gullets… If there was one thing you Freedom Fighters were good at, it was being disappointing failures while everyone else around you suffered and had to pay the consequences for your…"
The otter's rant was silenced as a single shot from a blaster sailed over his head and left a scorch mark on the cavern wall behind him. More gasps filled the commons area, and the only thing preventing all out panic from breaking out was everyone's fear of what their leader might do to them if they stepped out of line. Realizing how close that shot came to removing his scalp, the one-eyed otter began to shiver, which only worsened once he saw a monumentally pissed off fox stomping in his direction.
"Look, I'm sorry… I didn't mean too…"
Miles wasn't interested in hearing any apologies. He grabbed the terrified otter by the throat, with his robotic hand, and slammed him hard up against the wall. Even with only one organic eye, the two-tail's glare was absolutely piercing.
"Uncle Miles! Please stop!"
"Stand back Ellie!" Miles commanded. The teenaged rabbit immediately complied, though maintained a position close enough to her uncle that hopefully she could intervene if things got out of hand. Miles never took his eyes off the otter, gripping his neck just hard enough to hurt without actually choking him. "Don't you think I know all that? How much blame I put upon myself for the Resistance falling apart and failing to bring Robotnik to justice?! You don't think I'm reminded of those failures every time I look into the fucking mirror! Every time I use this hand clenched around your throat and I'm reminded it's no longer my own! Every time I close my eyes at night and see the faces of all the friend's I've lost to this endless god damn war! All the people I've watched die! We might've failed to stop Robotnik… There's no way around that reality, but every single member of the Freedom Fighters gave everything they had, including their lives, trying to stop him! Nobody in this bunker would be alive today if it wasn't for them, and I won't suffer any ungrateful fucking shits like you slandering their names and dismissing everything they sacrificed trying to stop that monster!"
Miles finally loosened his grip on the otter, allowing him to drop to the ground and gasp for much needed breath. Miles wasn't quite finished with him though. He knelt down to eye level with the terrified water mammal, faces inches apart. "You can hate me all you want… Blame me for all your problems if that's what makes you feel better about yourself… And this goes for all of you!" he shouted out to the rest of the crowd. "But if I ever hear you speaking ill of any of the Freedom Fighters who fell so you could live, I'll make sure the next shot is aimed right for the middle of your forehead… Understood?!"
The otter nodded his head, his spirit completely broken. Miles stood up and gave the decenter one last inquisitive glance. "You know it's interesting… I've got a damn good memory, and I've been working with the Freedom Fighters in some capacity since I was eight years old… You'd think I would've noticed you once in thirty years… Kind of funny when you think about it isn't it?"
Miles walked away from the browbeaten otter before returning to his makeshift podium. The tension in the room was so thick you'd need a chainsaw to even dent it. Miles kept his back to the frightened onlookers as he gave his final orders. "Three days… That's how long you all have to get your affairs in order and decide whether or not you're going to follow me to Site B, stay behind, or follow one of these other idiots if you feel they're more fit to lead you. Ellie, I'm taking it I can trust you to divide out the rations evenly and make sure all essential supplies are packed and ready to go when it's time for us to move out."
"Of course, sir… I'll get on that right away!"
Ellie, for once, was kind of thankful to see her uncle leave, even if he was heaping the bulk of the work on her shoulders. She wasn't looking forward to talking down her shaken fellow denizens of the bunker, but she'd gotten used to it in recent months as Miles' people skills continued to deteriorate. Then again, she was fully aware of how defensive he could get of his fellow Freedom Fighters and how much it bothered him that their small crop of survivors seemed to have forgotten most of them even existed… And more importantly, everything they sacrificed. Perhaps she should check up on him later just to see if he was doing alright…
Ellie wasn't the only Mobian close to him that had taken issue with how Miles conducted himself during that meeting. Nicole was currently, and quite literally, giving him an earful over it. "Do you remember how Tikal warned you that the Chaos Emeralds might deem you unworthy because of how cold and detached you've become?… Well, its stunts like the one you just pulled that I highly doubt are proving to any Chaos Deity that might exist that you're still worthy!"
"That worm shouldn't have run his mouth about the Freedom Fighters… The people who fought and died so assholes like him could live and he runs them down for it… I don't see what your problem is… You're harping at me like I actually killed him."
"But you wanted too… I could sense your anger rising with every word he spoke… When you fired that shot, I fully expected to see a dead otter plastered all over the wall… Then there was the issue of you basically shaming every bunker resident who's dared to have a child within the last decade… You're at serious risk of losing their confidence Miles."
"Was I wrong? Isn't it highly illogical to bring kids into a world where they can't be properly nurtured or cared for?"
"Of course it's illogical, and I don't disagree with your assessment… But I've learned over the years when it's proper to speak one's mind, and when it's best to keep one's opinion to themselves. A skill you appear to have completely lost. Exactly when was it that you decided that leading by instilling fear in your followers was the best route to take?"
"When my responsibility's started to pile up and I no longer had time to pretend to be everyone's friend… Fear is simply the simplest and quickest method of keeping people in line… It's not like I enjoy being a hard ass."
"You could've fooled me…" Nicole sighed. How exactly could she go about convincing Miles to take Tikal's warnings seriously, or was he already so far gone that it didn't matter? "Need I remind you to keep your eyes on the ultimate prize here Miles. You have the chance to go back in time, save Sonic, and spare every soul in this bunker from ever having to live through the aftermath of this war in the first place!... I don't want to see you blow that opportunity because of your apparent determination to make Shadow the Hedgehog look like a people person in comparison!"
"Who are you exactly Nicole," he snipped, voiced dripping with sarcasm. "My advisor or my conscious?"
"The roles aren't mutually exclusive Miles… You'd be amazed how often they intersect."
With a heavy sigh and a rub of the bridge of his nose, Miles strategically switched topics. "Have you gotten the chance to research that clue Tikal gave us about the chemical plant?"
There was a long drawn out pause before the sentient AI responded… A none too subtle hint that she had an answer for him but was reluctant to give it, drawing another sigh from the fox. "What exactly have you learned that you don't want to share with me Nicole?"
"I've… Scoured over the data we have on all the decommissioned chemical plants Robotnik has utilized across Mobius, and I believe I've pinpointed the location most likely to be housing the Chaos Emerald."
"So, soon? That's excellent…" Miles' brow dipped in suspicion. "Why would you be reluctant to share that information with me?"
"Well… Do you remember that conversation we had in regards to keeping you on the straight-and-narrow to stay worthy in the eyes of the Chaos Emeralds?"
Miles rolled his eyes. "You mean that talk we just had about 90 seconds ago? Vaguely…"
"Well, let's just say that the intel I've gathered might put your willpower to the test, and I wanted to wait until… You were in a more accommodating mood before I dropped it on you."
"This is pretty much my default mood nowadays Nicole, so why don't you just spill? How bad could it possibly be?"
"Could we go somewhere more private for the briefing?... Preferably somewhere where there isn't anything you can break…"
"I don't think such a place exists anymore Nicole…" Miles only half joked. Less than half a minute later, he entered a large meeting style room, decorated with a long table that had about a dozen chairs surrounding it. Miles sat himself down in the room's most inward seat, directly in front of the large whiteboard hanging on the exterior wall, his back to the entrance.
Nicole was less than thrilled with the stubborn fox's choice of location. It was clearly chosen out of simple impatience on his part, or perhaps even spite just to get under her digital skin. "Is there somewhere else we can discuss this Miles?… Like your quarters perhaps? This room doesn't even have a door…"
"This is the war room Nicole… And since we no longer have soldiers to fill these seats, nobody else ever comes in here… Even if someone thought to try, they'd turn around and hightail it the second they saw me in here. Now, please show me what you've found…"
"As you wish…" The sentient AI sighed. Hacking into the ocular sensor of her friend's artificial eye, Nicole projected the overhead image of a familiar chemical plant across the whiteboard.
"Wait… Isn't that?..."
"The chemical plant near Emerald Hills," Nicole confirmed his unfinished question.
"That's not all that far away from the Mystic Ruins…" Miles observed as he massaged his chin in thought. "So Robotnik appears to have gotten his hands on more emeralds than we thought… He doesn't appear to be trying very hard to hide them from me though is he?… Or has he become so overconfident that he believed I'd never try to go after them again… Are you positive this is the location?"
"99.78 percent certain Miles… Mainly because it's the only chemical plant outside of Robotropolis that's currently in active use, so I was already fairly certain that location was going to be our target before I even began my sweep. I'm afraid I don't have much data on what Robotnik has been working on out there however…"
"That would make it the only location that could possibly line up with Tikal's clue, doesn't it? Why were you afraid to show this to me though? It's not like that plant is a trigger location for me or anything… The Freedom Fighters took this place rather easily, a couple of times actually."
"Miles…" Nicole hesitated before continuing. "You're aware that one of the reasons Robotnik keeps a few select Mobians under his employ is because there's just certain tasks that robots can't do… The transporting and overseeing of the creation of certain chemical concoctions being one of them…"
"Hmph, I see now… So, you're concerned that Robotnik's got another one of the fugitive Mobians working there, and you're worried I'm going to try and execute them on my way to the emerald… I guess I can let this one walk away considering the circumstances…"
Nicole hesitated again. This was the part she'd been dreading. "I'd beg you to promise me to do just that, but once I tell you exactly who it is that's stationed there… I highly doubt you'd honor that request."
Miles frowned, wondering who on Mobius was still out there that Nicole feared he'd hate enough to risk fixing their future by killing them. "Who is it, Nicole?"
"…Geoffrey St. John…"
"St. John!" Miles roared as he jumped out of his seat. "You mean to tell me that little fink is still drawing air?!"
"Yes Miles… He's been overseeing operations of that plant for quite a while now…"
"How long have you known about this?" Nicole's lack of response was all the answer the fox really needed, but he still wanted to hear the actual words from the digital mouth of his alleged friend. "How long Nicole?! How long have you known that St. John has been hiding out in that chemical plant?!"
His interrogation of his inner voice was interrupted by the sound of glass shattering. As Nicole shut off the projection, Miles turned his head to see a teenaged rabbit holding a now empty tray and noticeably shaking. Glass shards and puddles of what appeared to be lemonade spread across the floor. "Ellie…." Miles rushed forward and grabbed the trembling girl by her shoulders, hoping he could calm her. "It's okay… Tell me what's wrong."
He already knew well what was wrong.
"I… I… You said St. John, right?"
"Yes… I did…"
"St. John…" Ellie's lips stopped quivering and formed a reproachful sneer. "The creep who killed my daddy… Is hiding out in that chemical place you were just lookin' at…"
"Yes, he is…" Miles looked towards Ellie with a kind, sympathetic eye that was quite rare to see on his face nowadays. The girl hadn't even gotten the chance to know her father. He was gone before she'd even spoken her first word.
Neither he nor anyone else was completely sure what happened that night. There was plenty of evidence to piece together most of the story, but there were still some questions left frustratingly unanswered. The incident occurred roughly five years after Sally's death… Robotnik had slowly begun to regain momentum and was pushing back against the Resistance hard. Amy Rose, despite pretty much everyone around her anonymously agreeing that she was doing an admirable job doing the impossible, filling the boots of Sally Acorn, Amy herself was concerned that the movement had taken a few steps backward under her command. Naturally it had at first, losing the princess was a massive blow to morale, but Amy had done the best she possibly could at picking up those pieces. Despite her best efforts, she felt like the Freedom Fighters needed a big win to halt Robotnik's advance and prove to the doubters that the Resistance was very much still a force to be reckoned with. After months of careful planning, Amy was going to personally helm an all-out assault on one of Robotnik's key robotics factories. If they could take it out, it would seriously cripple the Egg's ability to mass produce his machines of war and potentially stifle the tyrant's recent comeback entirely.
What Amy, nor anyone else amongst the Resistance had realized, was that they had another traitor in their midst. Geoffrey St. John had always been fiercely loyal to the Acorn Crown too, so selling out to Robotnik came as a shock to everyone. Apparently, he'd taken the death of Princess Sally hard, and gradually began to blame her fellow Freedom Fighters for allowing it to happen. With the last of the Acorn line now deceased, it became clear that the monarchy was doomed to die with her… Thus, his loyalty was put up for sale, opening the door for Robotnik to recruit him. The treacherous skunk had warned Robotnik about the impending attack, giving the madman plenty of time to plan a trap that would ensnare and potentially wipe out most of the remaining core members of the Resistance.
Thankfully, an unexpected savior would spoil those plans. Antoine had somehow gotten wind of St. John's betrayal, he never did trust the skunk, and got the word out to Amy and the attacking force before they deployed towards their target and Robotnik's trap… That's where the details began to get murky. Antoine and St. John had gotten into what appeared to be a brutal struggle where Antoine had, at least briefly managed to subdue St. John, even leaving a nasty scar across his right eye. Post haste, Antoine contacted Amy over the radio and informed her of the trap and St. John's treasonous actions, only for the message to get interrupted by a pained shout followed by sudden silence. Tails could remember vividly clutching on to a trembling Bunnie's shoulder to offer some form of support as no one listening to the transmission really had any idea what had become of her husband just yet.
They found Antoine's body next to the radio, still clutching the receiver in his hand… The center of his torso had been pierced by several telltale arrows from a crossbow. Antoine had died a hero, his last act to warn his friends about a turncoat's treachery and saving countless lives…
St. John was long gone by the time they had arrived, and it would be quite some time before anyone would lay eyes on him again. Miles had to suffer a couple of run ins with him over the years, but the slippery skunk had always managed to stay just out of their reach. It had been years since the last sighting of Geoffrey St. John, and Miles had assumed the skunk was probably dead… Likely done away with by Robotnik as he tended to do with all his underlings when they no longer served a purpose to him. Obviously, he was wrong… And now Ellie had to deal with the knowledge that the man who murdered her father was still on the prowl.
"Don't you worry about him… I'll make sure he's taken care of, for good this time. I promise you that."
"I… I wanna go with you!"
"Out of the question! There's a good chance there's a Chaos Emerald in that plant, which means there's also a good chance security will be high. It would be far too risky to take you along…"
"But I'm ready for this! What was the point of all that trainin' you and the others put me through if you're never gona let me use it?!"
"We trained you so you could use those skills to protect yourself and others if the need ever arose, not to actively seek out trouble! I'm not allowing you to go risking your life for petty revenge!" Tail's expression softened as he saw the anger swirl in the girl's blue eyes… The eyes of her father. "I won't allow you to taint your soul that way… You're better than that…"
"But you're doin' the same damn thing by goin' after him arentcha? How is that any different?! Ain't ya worried about taintin' your own soul?!"
"I'm already tainted Ellie… Far worse than you can possibly comprehend…" Ellie's ears dropped a bit upon hearing that… She had her fears but… "You're not going to follow the same dusky path I have Ellie… There's nothing but emptiness and broken dreams on that road… Let me do this for you…"
"You can't keep me down here forever ya know?" Ellie continued stubbornly. "I can go find that plant myself if I had a mind too… Which I do, and I'm tired of gettin' left behind all the time to clean up the messes you leave behind like handlin' them yourself is beneath you… I'm not obligated to follow your lead anymore than anyone else in the bunker is…"
"That is true… But if you think I'm letting you go after St. John, you're sorely mistaking…"
"You can't keep tellin' me what I can and can't do! You're not my father!"
Miles flinched at the venom in the girl's voice but quickly recovered. As brief as it was, Ellie saw the flash of pain in his lone eye and immediately regretted everything she said. "I know I'm not Ellie… But I promised your mother I wouldn't let anything happen to you… And that's a promise I intend to keep by not allowing you to throw your life away… Hell itself could rise up, invade the bunker and try to claim you, but they'd still have to go through me first…"
"Uncle Miles… I'm sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded…"
"I know… You're upset, I get that… I've become quite familiar with the emotion of anger throughout my life… Please listen to reason though. You don't even know how to get to the chemical plant, let alone do you have the experience to breach its defenses or to fight your way through potentially swarms of badniks just to get a chance at St. John… Let me do this for you… You don't want to be like me Ellie… You're the type of person who was meant to safeguard life… Not take them. Leave that part to me." The irony dripping from his words was not lost on him. Once upon a time, he was that innocent youngster who believed the very thought of taking another life was morally repugnant. Oh, how times had change… He wasn't going to let the same thing happen to her.
"O… Okay…" the young rabbit finally submitted. Miles was right… This situation wasn't just the simple matter of strolling through the front door of the chemical plant and finding St. John loitering around waiting on her… Also, she couldn't forget that her mother would never have approved of her little girl taking a life, even if it was to avenge her husband. To be fair, her mom was probably the one who inspired her uncle to keep Ellie away from the messy stuff, since she knew for a fact that Miles wasn't above terminating somebody if they harmed someone he cared about. The first and last time someone had tried to kidnap her in order to get to Miles well… That poor fool got shipped back to his employer in multiple pieces.
"Good… I promise you Ellie, your family will finally get the justice they deserve… You have a far more important job that requires your attention anyhow. I need you here organizing the evacuation, so that when I get back in about three days, we should be ready and raring to go… Anyone who still wants to come with us that is... Are you okay with that?"
"Yeah, I can handle that… Ha, I've been keepin' these characters in line for a while now…"
"I know I can count on you…" Miles managed a smile but couldn't hold it as concern overtook him. The crippling kind, the reality of which he didn't really want to face. "Ellie… Before I head out, there is something I need to know… I'm aware there are… Factions within the bunker that have become discontent with the way I've been running things, so being forced to tell everyone they were going to have to uproot themselves and leave the only place they've felt safe is only going to amplify that discord to a fever pitch. I want to believe the residents of the bunker are above resorting to violence against one another, but I can't help but worry that one of those dissenters might try to target you while I'm away, if only to get to me…"
Ellie tried to laugh off his concerns, and while normally her twangy titter could do just that, his fret for her wellbeing was quite serious. "I hate to break this to ya Uncle Miles, but a lot of folks down here haven't been happy with you for a while… This ain't nuthin' new."
"I'm well aware. I'm trying to keep people alive, not win popularity contests. This is a completely different situation though. Most of the 'complaints' we get down here are almost trivial when you compare them to the alternatives up on the surface. Now that we're asking people who are already living in a less-than-ideal situation to completely uproot and risk their lives to relocate a hundred plus miles away to an uncertain future where living conditions will almost certainly be worse than they are now… I don't blame anyone for being upset over this situation, as you can only ask so much of a downtrodden populace before it becomes too much for them to take. People are upset… Others are desperate, and some like that pompous racoon, opportunistic. I just want you to look out for yourself, and I need to know that you're going to be willing to defend yourself if anyone is foolish enough to try anything…"
"Of course, Uncle Miles… I'm the only gal in the bunker with any kinda trainin' except maybe that otter guy, and no offense to him or anybody else, but there's nobody here I'd really sweat in a fight… I'm also the only one here who's armed, so there's that too…"
"I'm not concerned with whether or not you'll be able to handle yourself if a couple of malcontents get rowdy… What I'm worried about is if someone decides to try and get organized and come after you with less than friendly intent… Are you prepared to do what's necessary to defend yourself and the citizens of the bunker if somebody becomes hostile enough to cross that line no Mobian should cross?"
Ellie still appeared confused by what her uncle was trying to ask her. "Well yeah, I just said I would… I have no intention of going down without a fight…"
Miles shook his head. "Ellie, listen to me… Five minutes ago you were ready to march right out of this bunker to hunt down St. John, and I doubt your intention was to give him a stern talking too… What I'm asking is, do you have the capacity to take a life if somebody is threatening yours?! Even if it's a bunker resident you've known all of your life?"
"I…" Ellie's eyes widened, her fifteen-year-old mind having trouble wrapping itself around the idea of taking another Mobian life. Geoffrey St. John was a different story, Ellie didn't look at him as a person… Just a monster who murdered her father in cold blood and needed to be put down. While she didn't necessarily like every Mobian that lived in the underground bunker, she didn't consider any of them monstrous. "I… Doubt it would have to come to that…"
"But if it does? Can you protect yourself Ellie?" Miles placed a hand on each of her shoulders. There was no malice in his eye, just concern, almost a desperate plea for assurance that the girl would be able to keep herself safe. "I know how contradictory this must sound since I just had to talk you down from going after St. John on your own, but there's a big difference between hunting someone down with the intent to kill and defending yourself from a hostile threat. If the answer is no that's fine, I won't think any less of you… I just need an honest answer. I can always wait to go get that Emerald and take care of St. John another time, after we've moved sites and tempers have calmed down…"
"No!" Ellie refuted, determination filling her eyes. St. John needed to pay. Her family had been denied justice long enough, and she didn't want that bastard slithering away again because Miles was concerned that she couldn't handle her job. "You go do whatcha gotta do Uncle Miles, I'll be fine… I can get mean when I hafta. Anyone dumb enough to try and mess with me is gona get my boot straight up their poop shooter!"
"That's my girl… Now I don't expect anyone to be dumb enough to try anything… They like to run their mouths, but I can't see any of them having the stones to cross us. They know if they went after you, I'd hunt them down and use their pelts for toilet paper." His declaration drew a soft chuckle from the rabbit, despite the fox's threat being entirely authentic. "Now, can I see your communicator? I'd like to try and fix it before I go just in case you need to get a hold of me. I'd…"
"I'll tinker with it myself when I have some free time later… Just trust me, okay? I'll keep any wanabe hooligans in line. You've got more important things to attend too! Now get movin', so you can get back to us…"
"Alright… And the sooner I can do that the better… Just… Sleep with one eye open and one hand on your blaster if you have too."
"I'll be fine!... Just go…" Ellie gently pushed him away as she muttered something in French. Miles couldn't help but laugh.
"You just called me a stubborn near-sighted microwave."
Ellie blushed faintly at her gaff. "Dang it, I was going for horse's ass! Now will you just git already!"
"As you wish… You know, if you'd like, we can brush up on the French lessons once we get settled into Site B… Wouldn't want another incident of you asking where the bathroom is when you were aiming for a fancy way of asking somebody to pass you the salt at the dinner table."
"You're never gona let me live that one down, are ya? But yeah, I think I'd like that…" Ellie said genuinely… She'd missed that one-on-one time with Miles that he had always made sure he carved out for her when she was younger. With a smile, she left the room and decided to head for the kitchen… Making sure the bunker's food supply was properly rationed and packed for the relocation was priority number one.
As he watched the young rabbit scamper out of his line of sight, that oh so rare smile on the fox's muzzle drooped into a frown. If anything did happen to that girl… Well, it was best not to think about it. Ellie D'Coolette was certainly her own person, but she reminded Miles so much of her mother that it almost made him sick at times. He still remembered the day he'd promised Bunnie that he'd always look after her little girl…
It was one of the worst days of his life after all, and there was stiff competition indeed.
Approximately ten years earlier…
It had been one hell of fight, but the Freedom Fighters had come out on top. There was no time to celebrate, however, there was still the small matter of running for their lives to see too, as the building they'd basically demolished during the battle was now collapsing, and it didn't seem to care that they were still inside. They also didn't want to stick around for any Robotnik reinforcements to show up and put more stress on the already exhausted team.
Tails was never one to revel in small victories anyhow, and he found it disheartening that the Freedom Fighters had devolved into a glorified mercenary group. It felt like they'd gone back to square one, when Princess Sally had first formed the unit. It hadn't been all that long ago when the Mobians had their own small city to call home and were fighting on equal footing with Robotnik's Army. As the losses for the Freedom Fighters piled up, along with the Resistance as a whole, they just couldn't replenish their numbers as fast as Robotnik could crank out more mindless machines. As a result, New Mobotropolis finally fell, its citizens retreated underground, and with victory no longer a realistic option, what was left of their militia had to settle for annoying the hell out of the maniacal tyrant as much as possible. It was just another day at the office for the Freedom Fighters, tasked with taking out a crucial resource hub that would significantly slow down Robotnik's production of death machines, in that area of Mobius at least.
Tails and Bunnie had stayed behind to cover the team's escape by taking out what was left of the building's security, and with any luck, divert attention from their escape route before they fled themselves. Now the pair found themselves running through an old garbage tunnel that Robotnik's custodial bots used to transport broken robot parts, amongst other waste products, outside of the facility. The tunnel was also the perfect size for a small team of Mobians to use as an entry and extraction point, though that convenience became rather moot while the ceiling was threatening to come crashing down atop your head at any second.
"Hey boss, are you guys about done playing around in there?" Tails heard Espio ask through his communicator. "It's not looking good from my vantage point. That entire structure should be coming down any second now!"
"We noticed… We're headed in your direction now Espio! Are Tangle and Whisper with you?"
"No, I haven't seen them exit the tunnel yet… They were right behind me, but Tangle kept waffling over the idea of leaving you behind and where she goes, Whisper follows."
"Damn it Tangle… Whoa!" Miles was nearly knocked off his feet as the ground shook violently. "Okay, so much for slipping out quietly during all the chaos, we clearly don't have time to screw around. Are you good to fly Bunnie?"
"Sure, thing sug… Just… Give me a second to catch mah breath…"
As Miles examined his friend more closely, he could see that she was sweating profusely in addition to being short of breath… Which was out of character for the Freedom Fighter's resident cyborg. She may have been forty percent machine, but the sixty percent of her that was still Mobian was in damn good shape. That's also when he noticed she was clutching her side with her organic arm. "Bunnie… Were you injured back there and didn't bother to tell anyone?"
"Awe, it's nuthin' to worry 'bout Sugar-Fox… Just got a little nicked that's all… If I'm bein' perfectly honest though, I'm not sure I can fly straight in my current condition…"
"Well, I guess I'll just have to carry you then."
Bunnie smirked at her younger friend and the casual manor of his suggestion. "Awe, look at you wantin' to be like ole Sugar-hog, scoopin' up the lady in your arms and carryin' her away from danger just in the nick of time! You sure you can handle me though sug? I weigh a lot more than I look on account of the extra weight I'm carryin' around in some of these limbs."
"I'll manage," Tails insisted with resolve as he revved up his tails. "Now hop aboard, and let's…"
Before the fox could scoop the cyborg rabbit off her feet, the ceiling of that tunnel decided to rudely interrupt them by attempting to flatten them into Mobian pancakes. A quick-thinking Bunnie used her robotic arm to prevent the steel roof from crashing down and crushing them both. She struggled to hold the slab of steel up, preventing the tunnel from caving in any further, her hat knocked clear off her head in the process. "Tails… You need to get outta here! I'm not sure how long I can hold this up!"
"Like hell I'm leaving you behind!" Using his own robotic appendage, Miles stood next to Bunnie and used it to help ease her burden. His mechanical forearm wasn't even a quarter as strong as Bunnie's robotic limbs, but he was strong enough to give his friend some relief.
"That's sweet of ya sugar, but you probably know better than I do how this is gona work… As soon as we let go, this entire tunnel is gona collapse and crush any poor fool still inside it…"
"Then I guess we'll both have to get crushed then! I'm not leaving you behind to save my own pelt!"
Despite the urgent need to get the fox to see reason, she couldn't help smiling at his determination. It took an unstoppable force of nature to get that man to give up on a friend and likely always would. "Doesn't matter how old ya get, you're still just precious… I can't letcha sacrifice yourself for me though. The Resistance still needs its leader… My daughter still needs ya…."
"They need you too! Ellie especially needs her mother!"
"Oh, sugar you just don't understand… I was already a goner either way… Just look down if ya don't believe me…"
Tails complied and was immediately aghast at the sheer amount of blood he saw pooling around Bunnie's feet… In fact, there was a trail of it leading back up the tunnel as far as his sharp eyes could see. The blood was still gushing out from the nasty looking wound to her side. "That's a lot worse than just a nick! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I'm sorry… I thought I could tough it out but… I think I've lost too much blood already. I'm a dead rabbit walking here Tails… So please… Lemme do this…" The ceiling creaked violently, and in her weakened state, Bunnie was forced down to one knee. "Please Tails! GO!"
Tails hesitated as he stared at the struggling rabbit in disbelief. This just couldn't be happening again! Not to her… Bunnie had always been the Yin to Sonic's Yang. Where Sally was always the doting but somewhat strict Aunt, Bunnie was every bit the big sister to him as Sonic was like his big brother. She was the one who'd always go to bat for him whenever Sally felt that a mission was too dangerous, and she was the one who eventually talked Sally into letting Tails out of lockdown in the wake of Sonic's death… She was also never afraid to smack him down a peg whenever he got too full of himself. She had been there with him to see him through everything… She was his biggest supporter when he took over the reigns as leader of the Freedom Fighters, showing tremendous faith in him as where Tails was struggling mightily with confidence in himself. He never would've made it where he was today without her…
But perhaps most devastating of all, she was the only member of the old guard still standing. Sonic, Sally, Knuckles, Amy, Antoine, Rotor… All gone. She was his last link back to that world he was brought into at the tender age of four. And now here he was, forced to have to say goodbye to her too…
"Thank you, Bunnie… For everything you've done for me since I was a kit… I love you."
"Right back at you sugar… And please… Take care of my little girl for me… Now please go!"
"I promise you I'll die before I let anything happen to her…" His goodbye said, Tails turned his back to her out of fear he might lose his nerve if his gaze lingered. Noticing Bunnie's cowboy hat on the ground, he picked it up before revving up his Tails. Calling upon his latent Chaos Energy for a boost, he sped off in a glowing streak of light.
Moisture he refused to acknowledge pecked at his eyes as he sped forward. As the light from the tunnel exit entered his vision, the ceiling above him finally gave way and started to rapidly collapse almost at the same rate as he could fly. Tails pushed himself harder to reach the exit and along the way, Tangle and Whisper came into view. They were probably on pace to make it out of the tunnel before getting crushed to death, but the fox wasn't going to take any chances. He scooped up both girls, one in each arm as he caught up to them, drawing startled yelps from both of them. Tangles at least morphed into an excited whoop as they sped out of the garbage chute seconds before it finished its collapse, the rest of the structure following suit shortly after. Miles kept up the pace until they were safely out of range from any falling debris, slowing down and descending upon noticing Espio flagging him down near their designated rendezvous point. Almost on autopilot, Tails landed next to the crossed arm chameleon before loosening his grip on the girls. Tangle had leapt out of his arms before he'd even touched down, pumping her arms in the air. In contrast, Whisper did a twirl before hunching over and placing her hand over her mouth like she wanted to hurl.
"Whew! Now that was a rush! Made it out just in time, the only way to escape!" Tangle cheered, tail waving behind her excitedly while Whisper shot her a bit of a glare, clearing not having enjoyed the abrupt ride out of the tunnel as much as her friend had.
Espio regarded Tails with a small smirk. "You sure are developing a flair for these dramatic exits lately… I guess Sonic rubbed off on you more than we thought." His smirk dipped into a frown once he realized Tails wasn't even listening to him… The fox was staring off into nothing with this blank angry look on his face. It was at this point too that Espio realized that a certain cybernetic rabbit was nowhere to be seen. "Wait a minute… Where's Bunnie?"
Tails' breath hitched as his body went rigid, drawing everybody's attention over to him. Tangle immediately came down from her adrenaline rush, now extremely concerned. Whisper was the first to notice that Tails was clutching Bunnie's cowboy hat in his organic hand. Anyone who knew him understood what it meant when the fox collected an item that used to belong to a comrade… Whisper in particular knew exactly and emphasized with what that particular gesture meant, and it made her heart sink. She understood as well as anyone how difficult it could be to process the loss of friends and teammates… That was what she and Tails had initially bonded over after she found her way back to the Freedom Fighters.
Unable to face his friends, Tails turned his back to them and lowered his head before revealing exactly what had happened. "Bunnie… Was mortally wounded while attempting to cover our escape. Because… She knew that she was likely going to bleed out before we could get her proper medical attention, she decided to stay behind and hold up the tunnel before it could cave in and crush everyone inside it to death… She sacrificed herself so the rest of us could live, and that's how we're going to remember what happened here today… Is that understood?"
Getting nothing but blank disbelieving expressions in response, Tails appeared satisfied. "Good… Now let's get the hell out of here… I still need to figure out how to tell a five-year-old that her mother isn't coming home…"
"Tails wait!"
The fox felt a prehensile tail grab him by the shoulder, which he gently swatted away as he continued to walk in the direction of their planned escape route. The light tap may not have hurt the tail's owner physically but emotionally was a whole different story. Tails could hear Whisper and Espio's soft voices as the wolf held the lemur back. "Let him be Tangle…"
"Whisper's right… You know how he gets when he loses someone… And this is Bunnie we're talking about here!"
Back in the present, Miles was clutching at the charm around his neck tightly, teeth clenched in anguish and anger as the memory ended. There were some that claimed that the seeds that would eventually sprout and become The Wanderer were planted that day, but his descent was never that cut and dry. Those seeds had been cultivated slowly over two and half decades of pain, loss, hardship, and failure that would eventually mold him into the no-nonsense and emotionally stunted beast of a man he was today. There was no one event that started or otherwise heralded in the metamorphosis of Miles Prower… That took years of cause and effect, the cost of too much burden placed upon a pair of shoulders that could not handle the emotional weight… Which is why Tails had to die, so Miles could take over, someone who could shoulder that responsibility.
It was painfully true though that Miles was never quite the same after Bunnie had died, at least not in the interim. He still had his friends, but his family, the people who had taken that starving kit with the extra tail in out of the cold and raised him up like one of their own, were all gone… It would take a few months before he'd allow his newer friends back in and realize they'd become just as much his family as the Knothole Freedom Fighters had been.
"Miles…" Nicole spoke into his ear softly, sensing his distress through their neural link. "You're stress levels have spiked significantly…. You need to calm down… Take a deep breath…. Push the dark thoughts out of your mind… Just like we practice."
"Right, right…" Miles acquiesced, as he closed his eye and exhaled. He checked the pendant around his neck to make sure he hadn't accidentally done any damage to it, and once satisfied, sighed with relief as he allowed the chain to droop back down around his neck. "Sorry to worry you, but I've gotten ahold of myself now… Just got lost in a memory again…"
"I'm glad I could help you find your way back home."
"You've always been good at that… In fact, you've always been there for…"
Miles paused as he allowed that thought to marinate a bit. How blind and stupid could one fox be? Here he was, believing that the death of Bunnie ushered in the end of the original Freedom Fighters… The last of his extended family to fall… He'd more-or-less forgotten that wasn't true in the least… Because Nicole had been there this entire time, essentially serving the same role she had for every leader of the Freedom Fighters since her original PDA form had been gifted to Sally all those years ago. Miles hated to admit it, but it was easy to forget about Nicole sometimes, mainly because of all the different forms she'd come in over the years. First the static monotone voice that could occasionally be heard coming out of Sally's PDA, to a sentient AI in the beginning stages of learning to think and feel for herself, projecting herself into the form of a holographic lynx when necessary, and finally to a physical being who could think, feel, and experience life just like any other Mobian… At least to Miles and the rest of their friends, she was… Only to have her physical existence extinguished when her body was destroyed, and Miles had been forced to return her back to her electronic prison so she could continue on living in some form at least… When you really thought about it, Nicole had died somewhere along the way too, even if she was still with him in some form at least. Perhaps that's why he kept including her amongst the list of casualties.
"I owe you an apology Nicole… Here I was just lamenting on how when Bunnie died, it more-or-less marked the end of the original Freedom Fighters… Completely forgetting you've been with me this entire time… Always there to tell me when I'm being an idiot like only you can… I've really gotta stop taking you for granted. I honestly don't know where I'd be right now without your guidance."
"There's… No need to show me gratitude Miles…" The fox could swear he could sense Nicole's non-existent cheeks glowing red. "I'm just doing my duty as the personal advisor to the leader of the Freedom Fighters…"
"We're not having this argument again Nicole… So just to get it out of the way, you're not just an advisor, you're my friend. Physical form or no, you're as much a Mobian as anyone else in the bunker, and officially, the Freedom Fighters no longer exist… You're under no obligation to serve me in any capacity."
"I haven't stuck by you out of obligation Miles… I've done so because you're my friend… And with your self-destructive tendencies I'd hate to imagine what would've become of you if I hadn't…. I suppose I secretly enjoy torturing myself."
"Well, at least we have something in common then."
"We have quite a bit in common Miles. We're both…" Nicole paused in embarrassment, realizing she'd allowed her analytic AI side to take over. "Oh… That was a rhetorical comment not to be taken literally, wasn't it? My Apologies."
"Don't ever apologize for being you Nicole… I wouldn't have you any other way," he chuckled with as much mirth as he could manage nowadays. "Now, we should head out for the chemical plant immediately. That Emerald isn't going to collect itself, and I'd like to get back before any malcontents get any ideas… I know Ellie can take care of herself but still…"
"She's well trained and most certainly capable… I also have my doubts that any of those dissenters would be foolish enough to make a move against her knowing what the potential consequences for angering you would be."
"I'd hope so too but desperation can trump fear, which leaves the question, is anyone desperate enough to try anything stupid?… I'm not in the business of taking chances where others are concerned…"
"Especially not with her."
Unbeknownst to the cybernetic fox and teenage rabbit, their conversation wasn't exactly private. A dubious little bug had been creeping its way through every shadowy corner and crevice the bunker had to offer, canvassing every inch of the underground facility while keeping a particularly close eye on the burdensome fox that had given its creator so many migraines over the years. The surveillance device was of such genius design, it had yet to be detected, even by Prower's highly reliable AI companion. A certain autocratic genius with a fetish for robotics had been intently observing his nemesis' every move since the moment he crawled out of bed that morning.
"So… Prower will be embarking on another fieldtrip in the near future… And it even appears he's going to be kind enough to dispose of that petulant skunk while he's at it. Oh, how I love it when loose ends find ways to tie themselves up." Robotnik chortled before taking a moment to weigh his options with all this new information at his disposal.
"Let's see now… The vermin's food source has been tainted and they're now planning to pack up shop and move to another location… And it would also appear that Prower isn't as 'in control' of his little congregation as I anticipated… There has to be a way to use that against them. Obviously, I'll have to make my move before they have a chance to flee their little vermin hole, and it would be oh so satisfying to see the look on Prower's face when he arrives home to find everything that he's been working so hard to protect lying in ruins!... But no… I'd much rather he be present so he can watch as everything and everyone around him burns… So yes, I think I'll wait until he returns from the chemical plant to launch my assault on his precious bunker. I have little use for that facility anyway, so it's a nominal price to pay."
"Oh Prower… You don't know it yet, but every move you've made as of late has all been going according to 'my' plan perfectly."
End Chapter 6:
Well, I always joke that it takes me around 100 pages to get warmed up, and here we are. Not much to say this time around except a lot of the major plot points for this story have been put into motion, and hopefully I've given you all a good view into Miles' convoluted mind and why he is and how he became the person he is now. I've reached the point in the story where I enjoyed writing each subsequent chapter a little more than the last. Chapters 9-12 in particular were amongst my favorite to write for the entire story, and I'm looking forward to sharing them with you!
I know the main plot thread of this story can basically be summed up as, save Sonic and save the world… And it is, but in a lot of ways, it's also window dressing for the other main plotline of this story, the journey that's more layered and below the surface. I can't tell you what it is yet, that would be spoiling, but it becomes more apparent as the story unfolds.