"He's alive-."

"We need to tell you all something-."

"He's been Robotisized."

With a yell, he crushed his bandaged fist against his hay-stuffed opponent.

"Is everything okay-?"

"It's real. He's alive-."

"We can do it together."

With a hexagon wooden table between them all, she rested her hands on it's top, inhaled and looked to many pairs of wondering eyes.

"We can't stand against that-."

"That's quitter talk-."

"What's wrong-?"

"I think it's time we bring back the Freedom Fighters-."

"Sal'?"

Her gaze turned to the opening door where a blue hedgehog slipped past, rubbing an arm across his head and undoing bandages twisted around his hands. She glanced to the door's neighbouring window where the setting sun leaked into the room.

"You're late."

"Fashionably." He flashed his fangs in a grin.

"Seeing as everyone's finally here, what's this about?" Knuckles asked, elbowing his blue friend when he joined them all at the table.

Right. Sally had gathered everyone here, interrupting their day of training to hold a meeting regarding the upcoming "Prison Break" (in a way, but Sonic insisted on the name).

"You guys know what we're trying to do soon. But we need a concrete plan. Myself, Nicole, Rotor, Tails and-." She briefly watched a smiling pink hedgehog (such a sugary sweet smile it made her clear her throat and return to the group).

"Amy, here, believe we've got something half decent. However, there's something you're all missing. It's only right you all know why we're suddenly acting now." Sally looked to Sonic, who seemingly soon caught on and hopped to her side.

"Ah jus' assumed ya'll were tired of Robuttnik." Bunnie mused.

"We are, but we couldn't just go in blind. We needed a clear goal."

"Overthrowing him isn't enough?" Knuckles raised an eye-ridge.

"That's a bit difficult with just us here."

"Well, I did suggest we ask GUN for help but...." Amy muttered.

Sonic cleared his throat, resting a hand on Sally's rising shoulder as he shoved on a smile. "Take this as more of a tester. Trust me, I'd love to show that large oaf what little power he has- but trying to take down his entire empire after years and armies have tried is a bit...wishful."

"Never zought you'd postpone a chance of zeh battle." Antoine remarked, receiving a swift inhale.

It was gone with a grin as fast as they all blinked. "We'll be showin' him up anyway-."

"With what? All we know is that we'll be charging into Robotnik's hell within days." Knuckles replied.

Noting Sonic's slightly darker mood, Sally intervened. "We're gonna break into one of his bases and save the prisoners he has there."

"You sure we can handle that?"

The Princess smirked. "We've handled crowds of his robots plenty, but with you guys we can take on an army."

Knuckles threw his fists together. "I'm in."

Bunnie's robotic arm twisted from her elbow socket and clicked back into place. "You know I'm up fa' it, Suga'."

"Thing is, there's someone in this base we're specifically after. With him, our chances of winning will become that much greater. With him, we can do more than break out prisoners."

"Who?" Amy asked.

There came a wobbly breath and the room of friends looked to Sonic. "My Uncle."

—————

He gave a fighting shout as his leg twisted around his opponent's neck, making him feel his limbs muscles squeeze against the hay and cloth. His teeth scraped across each other as he yanked the enemies head off, swiftly twirling into a dagger-sharp ball and zooming straight through it's chest.

She watched from afar. Observed how he bounced back on his hands, smirking all the way, and spinning back onto his feet. Noted how the holo-lynx once again formed at his side and built another dummy (she soon left to do the same for the others). In a room full of training 'Freedom Fighters', he was her only focus. He fought like he was dancing, and acted as if the floor was some worldwide Bouncy-Castle.

But then he was a ball again and she found herself watching from just behind. "How do you do that?"

He stood and stretched from the other side of the newly broken dummy, ear flicking as it caught her gulp. He looked over the sliced 'neck' and found a pink hedgehog.

"Amy? Do what?"

Her hand waved to nothing. "Curl up like that."

There came that grin again. "You mean Spindash?"

"Spindash?" She echoed as he neared her side (her heart didn't begin pounding).

"That's what I'm callin' it, yeah."

"'Course you are." Amy giggled.

"You never done it before?"

She shook her head, thus he stepped behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. Her ear twitched when he began speaking.

"It's pretty simple really. Just gotta lock onto your target, imagine you're a bullet and, well, shoot. Move's saved me from plenty of falls." He snickered.

"Emphasis on plenty."

Amy glanced passed him to see Sally. The FF's leader leaned against her dummy and held her sword towards the floor in her other hand. Noting the piece of paper on the floor (with a chart messily scribbled on- no doubt Sonic's writing), she voiced a question.

"I'm not interrupting something, am I?" Amy asked, eyeing the Princess with slight aversion.

Sonic laughed and guided her towards his, well theirs she decided, hay-stuffed opponent by the hand. "Nah, I need to give Sally a chance to catch up with me anyways."

"That I can do. But that ego of yours? I'm afraid that's always going to be beating me."

He feigned a gasp. "And here I thought you found it charming."

"Absolute delusion." She winked prior to N-I-C-O-L-E showing at her side, offering the princess a "Well done."

Amy cleared her throat, nudging a distracted Sonic and wiggling her eye ridges when he faced her. He lightly shoved her back, smirking when she repeated the behaviour. Her heart ached at the scene, but he was constructing words of direction already.

"Try and scrunch up your legs first, when you push yourself forward with 'em it'll give you more momentum. The amount of force and angle you give it changes where you'll end up." He mimicked the movements pointedly.

"Sounds like a lot of physics for you." The pair looked up and found Knuckles grinning back, broken dummies in his arms.

"Be nice Knuckles, let him have this." A twin-tailed fox approached.

"Har har. Shouldn't you be droning on about the Master Emerald Knucklehead? And you, Little Buddy- aw. Well, look at ya!" Sonic hopped up. "You're too adorable for me to make fun of." Tails going red was enough for Sonic to bask in his victory.

"Shouldn't ya'll be trainin'?" Bunnie asked in passing, stopping at the fox's side.

"At this rate those chilli dogs will be in my hands easy." Sally teased, tapping her sword by their charted paper.

"Do not forget, Madame-." Antoine, from her left, started before the War Alcove's doors swung open- revealing a panic-eyed Rotor.

"Sally, Sonic, you gotta see this."

———

They were guided out of the War Alcove and traversed across Knothole Bridge to approach Rotor's workshop. In a quiet hurry they slipped by the door and Sonic and Sally observed a scattered Rotor hop around the space. He scooped up the Tails Electric and practically shoved it into the Princess' hold, leading a long wire to his computer where N-I-C-O-L-E's small handheld device sat beside. He held the latter up pointedly.

"What about it? Rotor what's going on?" Sonic questioned.

"You found something." Sally airily said.

"Bingo." The walrus waved the pair over and plopped down on his stool upon their arrival.

"Couldn't have done it without Tails, he's-."

"Yeah, shouldn't we get him for this?" Sonic swallowed when Rotor's dark eyes and thin frown met his inquiry.

"Think it's best you guys know first."

"This sounds worrying. Rotor, what's wrong?" Sally pushed.

"I- well, Tails managed to breach past Robotnik's security. We could access those documents, and I have." The walrus turned to his computer. "Thing is, there's only one here."

"That's odd."

"Me and Tails concluded when Robotnik breached Nicole's systems he wiped out what he could here. 'Course, she managed to overrun him before he could get everything."

Sonic's fingers snapped. "Hence the few documents we have."

"Exactly."

"Well." Sally tapped the computer screen. "What's the document?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"It's called, well you can see, 'Project'. But every time I try to open it the whole thing crashes. I'm worried if I keep poking around I'll damage Nicole."

"Silly that Robuttnik would keep his plans on her. The egghead." Sonic snorted (Sally giggled). "But uh, if that's the case why hasn't he used this 'project'? He hasn't been able to use Nicole for years, so this has gotta be old."

"That's the thing, I don't think Robotnik did this."

Sally's face twisted into confusion. "What do you mean?"

Rotor merely pressed his mouse over the image of a piece of paper, but the entire screen flashed black, blue, white and red before returning to normal.

"Wait, do that again."

And he did. This time, Sally swore she saw the faintest outline of a 'G' and by Sonic's expression she became much more sure of it.

"G.U.N?" She almost croaked.

"I think Robotnik, somehow, got this document from them. I don't think he's been able to access it. If Tails couldn't there's no way. Right?"

Sonic rested a hand on the wide eyed walrus. "Tails is the smartest fox around, but Robotnik's always been a step ahead of us. If it was an even playin' field then...."

"Sonic's right. But whether he has or hasn't, we need that document. Clearly it's important to Robotnik, so if we have it we'll have something over him. In the meantime, can you up Nicole's security?"

"Already working on it."

"Thank you, Rotor." Sally turned to Sonic. "We need to get back to the other's, tell them-."

"H-hold on. That's not everything."

Sonic pinched his nose. "It's not?"

"We looked at your's and Metal's...connection thing too. We know it goes both ways, so us being hidden here will only last a little longer. That said, Tails thinks it can be broken. At the least, damaged."

"How?" Sally hurriedly asked.

"Metal Sonic needs to be destroyed."

———

Training was cut short (more so, eating the prized chilli dogs was interrupted), and they all followed their leaders to The HQ. The pair were hushed, which was unsettling. Sonic actually looked worried too, if one looked hard enough. And he did, he could see the speedster's shrunken pupils and thin lipped smile.

"Something's wrong." Tails stated.

"Not wrong, exactly." Sally held The HQ's entrance open, allowing everyone to slip inside prior to her shutting it behind herself.

"You've all done very well by the way. And we really appreciate what you're doing. I-in fact you've all been doing so well we're actually going to be, um, we're paying Robotnik a visit faster than expected."

Above the mutters, Knuckles asked, "How much faster?"

"Tomorrow."

"Oh gosh. Do you really think we're ready?" Amy gulped.

"We don't exactly have a choice."

"Wha not?" Bunnie questioned.

Sally rubbed her arm and looked to her blue companion, who flicked his nose. "It's only a matter of time 'til Robotnik gets to us. We realised if we've just figured out Metal can show him where I've been, not only would he have known for longer but he's probably got a plan on the way too."

"So." Sally directed. "We need to get some kind of upper hand over him before then."

"What did Rotor show you?" Amy asked.

"Ah. Well, it changes our plan a little. But it's the same basis of multiple groups." The Princess' hands rested on the hexagon table.

"We've found this document, from G.U.N-."

"Zeh military?" Antoine paled.

"Yes. Rotor says if he and you, Tails, had the tools you could get to it."

"I mean...probably. But even then we'd need time."

"We'll worry about that. Robotnik will be pretty distracted by us running around his base anyways."

"So, what's the plan Sally-Girl?" Bunnie inquired.

"Like before, me, Sonic and Nicole will seek out Uncle Chuck. However, Tails and Rotor, you guys will be grouped with Amy- so you've got someone to look out for you-."

"You're sidelining me?" Amy pouted.

Sally sucked in a breath. "You've got an important job."

"Sal, don'tcha think maybe...other's will be a better fit?" Sonic uttered, glancing at a fiddling coyote.

"For once, I agree. I zink Madame Amy is better zuited than I in zeh battle." Antoine gulped.

Bunnie squeezed his hand. "Don't cut ya-self so short Sugar-Twan."

"Well, the final group, consisting of Knuckles and Bunnie, are in charge of making sure anyone they come by are freed. They'll be on Robotnik's radar." The Princess turned to Amy who sweat dropped. "If you think you can handle it then fine."

"I...yeah. I can! Let me prove myself!"

"...Alright then. Follow Bunnie's and Knuckles' lead though."

"You got this." Came Sonic's whisper with a wink.

Sally cleared her throat, eye twitching. "Anyways, Rotor and Tails, when you get to one of his offices try and not only get that document, but if you could also find some sort of map that'd be great."

"How'd we relay that info' to you?" Rotor asked.

"I had this idea to build wrist-communication devices. I call it 'Comlinks.'" Tails grinned.

"That's...really brilliant, actually. How fast can you get them done?" Sally asked.

"I can help." N-I-C-O-L-E smiled.

"Thanks!"

"So that's the plan?" Knuckles questioned.

"Pretty much. The rest is the same, really. We'll get as close as we can by the Tornado yada yada. Remember, the whole place will be filled with traps no doubt."

Sonic wagged a finger. "No adventure's too fun if it's too easy."

Sally giggled, taking his hand. "We'll leave tonight and set up camp. Thank you all for helping us. Let's do it to it Freedom Fighters!"

"Let's do it to it!"

—————

"There's a storm coming, so we warn everyone to stay cautious and inside when this rain takes a turn for the worse. Furthermore, we are having technical issues between radio stations and news outlets. Only one has the ability to cause these issues but...he will remain nameless. Apart from the upcoming storm, I warn you all to be aware of the common sightings of...Badniks. More reports are coming in about disappearing Flickies and the kidnappings of mobians. Of course, this is unnerving news as for a few years...the man behind this seized attempts in these abductions. However, the Doc- many are reporting these crimes once again. It seems the little freedom we had is...." The camera cuts for a moment and returns to show the same red-haired reporter watching the darkening sky.

She watches a red plane disappear behind the clouds, swallowing her confusion at the scene prior to facing the camera once more. "In these times I want to remind you all to stay hopeful. Never lose it. No matter how dire it may become we always have hope. We must also remember not everyone will roll over for...these actions to occur. There is someone out there. Fighting for all of us." She observes the sky again. "Let's pray he's enough."

The screen snaps to black and a silent trio of a bee, chameleon and crocodile are left staring into the abyss. Oh, Chaos, did they hope that one hedgehog was enough.

—————

It was as grande and hideous and somehow as magnificent as he'd expected. There wasn't a tree in sight. Not a bush or flower and luscious grass was stomped into sludgy mud. Red lights swept across the ground, in the symbol of a grinning arrogant man. Instead of tweets and squeaks of little animals there was only his pounding heart and the whirring of countless of machines.

"Zis is a horrid idea." Antoine whispered, gripping a long sword tightly between his sweaty hands.

His green eyes looked to the coyote, who's blue one's were shrunken and wide in terror. In a line, the group were all pressed up against a wall on the outskirts of one of Robotnik's many bases. However, discarding storage facilities and vast laboratories- the collection of factories became that much smaller. Of course, they accounted for Robotisized cities and towns but there weren't that many and the FF's leader decided (from his description of the place) it was a factory they were looking for.

So when they set up a mini base (it was nothing more than some sheets and a plastic table under one of the Tornado's wings), they decided to locate what factory they were searching for. Then, Tails had a brilliant suggestion to view Metal's memories (as they assumed Robotnik had done) to pinpoint where Uncle Chuck was. The fox explained they could run that data through N-I-C-O-L-E and see if she found anything-

"Don't get cold feet Antoine, you can do this. We all can." Amy hushed, saluting with her slingshot.

He had asked her about that. She once mentioned she was meant to have a weapon. Throughout their flight, when Sally had left his side to speak to N-I-C-O-L-E, he saw the pink hedgehog practising her aim. Thus, he asked.

"Sonikku! Oh, m-my weapon? I'm not too sure, but everyone in my family gets it sooner or later!"

Of course, he pried further.

"My father had an axe. I-I don't know about my mother's. I...never met her. I do hope I get mine soon though."

He didn't ask anything more. Even he could get the hint she wasn't wanting to discuss the subject then, and he could understand not wanting to talk about something.

"Okay. We're clear."

At the front, holding his hand, was Sally. She moved her head away from the corner and gave a thumbs up (huh, that looked familiar). At a crouch, as quietly as they could, the group followed the two in sneaking across a dirt road towards another hiding spot. Red lights swept passed and robots stalked the towering walls surrounding them. Despite the few storage and vehicle buildings, the main factory stood beneath the moonlight within this circular expanse. Banners of the Robotnik Empire drooped from practically any large enough space. Pointed roofs topped the divided quarters and weapons even beyond description were set up atop any half wall.

"Why'd he be in a factory? He's already been...what if we're wrong?"

"And he talks." Knuckles whispered.

"Really think this is tha best time for doubtin, Sugar?" Bunny hushed, holding Antoine's shaking hand.

"Sorry. I just-."

"Shh!" Sally silenced, pointing towards a pair of nearing Egg-Pawns.

"C'mon!" Despite the few squeaks of apprehension from Amy, they slipped around another storage building and successfully crept away from the Badniks.

Then, she squeezed Sonic's hand and delivered that one of a kind smile. "This is the place. You said Tails isn't wrong about these things."

The fox paled. "Well-."

"Where's that one and only Sonic Confidence that I-...I think we could all use some of it right now."

Sonic watched the Princess' red face swiftly turn ahead, thus he looked to their friends who all strained a smile.

"You've faced him before pal. This time you've got some backing." Tails gave a thumbs up.

'That's why it's so scary.'

"If you all can keep up."

It was funny, really, that with one wink and flick of the nose the groups smiles became more sincere and their eyes lit with newfound courage.

"We're almost there. See that?" Sally pointed towards the nearest wall of the Factory, specifically what seemed like a vent with thick smoke pouring out of it.

"That don't look safe, Sally-Girl." Bunnie argued.

"Or hygienic." Amy stuck her tongue out.

"Did you think Robotnik was gonna let us in the front door? With how little windows there are, the smoke'll come through the vents. We'll be okay if we hurry."

"Now that I can do." Sonic grinned, took Tails' hand and at a low crouch scurried towards the vent.

When there, the fox stood on his brothers shoulders (his flight, he found, caused an unwanted whirring for a mission such as this). He dug in his brown backpack and revealed a wrench, using it to screw off the vents bolts. For a blink of an eye, Sonic swiped the door, settled it on the ground and lowered his brother beside him. Only then did the pair wave the group over, Sally checking their surroundings before doing so. One by one, they crept inside, doing their best not to cough. It was tough, through the turns and route changes, and their lungs could feel the smoke blanketing them. Burying them. Suffocating them.

But then there was light and Sally took Tails' wrench to remove the other vents door, reaching but failing to catch it. She gasped as it fell and flinched when it crashed to the ground. Apart from drains and red lights lining the floor, she couldn't make out what the room could be. N-I-C-O-L-E's little device lit up but all were consumed when a Badnik appeared, examining the vent.

"Chaos...." Rotor whispered before squinting when a flash of green smothered his vision.

As it did to them all, and in the same breath came a swift bang and crash below. Sally opened her eyes to see little green cubes floating everywhere and a robot lying in tiny pieces across the stone floor. A holo-lynx towered over it and she looked up with a smirk, those same small cubes dancing around her. Huh, there was something about N-I- -

"Let's get moving." Sonic instructed and somehow rather gracefully shifted by the Princess and hopped down in a ball.

With a bounce he unraveled and held out a hand, biting his tongue to hide his snicker when Sally squeaked upon falling. N-I-C-O-L-E checked on her when she was down and with Tails' help, Sonic brought the rest of the group to their level. Of course, he failed to hide his laugh when Amy dropped with a yelp (but he allowed her a smack in return).

"Sweet Gaia...is that...?"

The speedster turned to Sally, who's eyes were locked on ahead. Quickly, he found, so was everyone else's. He turned and did his best not to stumble. His quills sharpened, shoulders raised and ears began twitching. Two tables lined the side walls, tools and scrap parts scattered atop them. A desk sat just in front of them and further on stood three glass cylinders. Wires twisted up to the ceiling and the lights within them flickered.

"Sonic...are those Robotisizers?" Sally peeped out. "Is that what you...?"

"Yeah." He practically croaked, slowly nearing the inventions and tracing his hand across one- only then noticing it's cracks and dents.

"I don't think these one's work. They're old. Out of use."

"Why'd he keep them here?" Amy asked.

"Maybe he was feeling nostalgic." Knuckles punched his fists together.

"Whatever the case, we need to get moving." Sally hurried.

"H-hold on. Let's look around first." Sonic hopped towards some boxes.

"Are you-?"

"Maybe there's something useful here. Something that'll lead us to Uncle Chuck." Tails offered, copying the others in their search.

It was odd, Sally mused. Perhaps she was thinking too much into it, but as she watched her blue companion she couldn't help but find the irony in the situation. On the Tornado, he pushed for a quicker route, a faster way, but just across the room he was digging in some draws- postponing what they came here to do.

"What about the other factories? What about those other mobians?"

"They won't just be in factories, Sonic. And we can't be in every place at once."

"We can't leave them."

"I didn't say that."

"They're terrified, Sal."

"I know that-."

"Then we gotta do something."

"What do you suggest?"

She remembered him going silent, watching the little grey device strapped to her boot.

"You think Nicole can get through his security? Get to his computers and stuff?"

"I- why?"

"Just wonderin' s'all."

"Probably, if she was hooked up directly to his mainframe. But someone would have to be there with her, at Robotnik's main office. That's...that's a one way mission."

"Huh."

"We should get going." Sonic abruptly instructed.

"Didn't you-?"

"There's nothing here."

But he lied, she knew. The others could sense something was off, yet obliged and crept out the room, sticking to the wall and awaiting their leaders. Sally grabbed his arm before he could follow, gesturing towards the rolled up paper he attempted to hide within his quills.

"What is that?"

He sighed and unraveled it, revealing messy doodles and scattered notes. "Blueprints."

Her eyes widened upon one, where a ring was sketched in the middle. "That looks like a Golden Ring."

"That's 'cause it is. To my understanding at least. But that's not it." He shuffled through some more papers until he found one with a cylinder shape.

There were notes and doodles of wires and particular sections of the invention- oh.

"That's...that's a Robotisizer." Sally became dizzy.

"There's more."

"R-really?" She swallowed, finding Sonic's lower voice slightly unnerving.

He moved his thumb from the corner to show a little scribble of a name. The paper shifted just enough to show the same corner on all. The same inscription. The same name. Sally yellowed.

"Sweet Gaia Sonic that's...that says Charles Hedgehog."