Chapter Six: It's All a Blur and so Unclear

The alarms were going off when Tails, Espio and Charmy returned to the base. "This is not a drill!" a loud speaker was assuring the frantically packing members of the Resistance.

"We have twenty minutes at the most!" a cat was saying to Knuckles. She had a helmet under her arms.

Knuckles shook his head. "Not even that," he said quickly. "Eggman will send the robots in the city here immediately!" He turned to address the other animals. "Leave everything!" he shouted. "Just get out!"

Espio ran to Knuckles with Tails at his heels. "What's going on, Knux?"

"They broke Shadow."

Tails' stomach dropped and he suddenly felt a little sick. "Come on, Tails!" Charmy shouted, grabbing his arm.

"Charmy, take him to Escape three! I'll meet you outside the city," Espio called. Charmy nodded and he and Tails took off down the hallway, only stopping for a moment while Charmy grabbed a gun and handed one to Tails as well. Tails stayed as close to the bee as he could.

"We're almost there!" Charmy assured him. They ducked into a corridor and opened the door at the end of the hallway. They were greeted by a storm of bullets. Charmy slammed the door and pushed Tails down the hall and back the way they had come.

When they got to the commons, the panic had subsided, but just for a moment. Before anyone had time to say anything, robots streamed into the base. Charmy held onto to Tails' arm tightly and looked around. "Surrender now," one of the bots commanded, "and you will be allowed to live."

Tails looked around the room. There were only ten of them in the common room and all exits had been blocked. He looked up at the ceiling, but knew they couldn't escape by going up. Gunshots were going off in other rooms, followed by horrified screams. The robots all had their guns trained on the ten soldiers.

"Lay down your weapons," the robot said. One of the soldiers moved; a bird. A few of the robots shifted their guns to be trained solely on him as he lifted his gun and very slowly laid it on the table.

"What are you doing?" Charmy gasped.

"It's over, kid."

"It's not over! We can fight our way out of this!"

Tails wasn't sure how much he believed what Charmy was saying. There seemed to be no feasible way to escape. Would Eggman even let them live? Surely not. He imagined that the moment their weapons were down, the squad of robots would become a firing squad. His eyes darted around as Charmy argued with the others, even as they placed their own weapons on the floor. There had to be something… Anything…

"Charmy, lay down your gun."

"What?" Charmy was aghast that Tails would give in as well.

"Just do it." Charmy narrowed his eyes, but he seemed to see some logic in the request because he slowly bent down and placed his gun on the ground as well. Tails followed the action.

"Good. At the ready," the head robot said. The other robots lifted their weapons and their guns cocked. Tails nodded. It seemed Eggman, or Infinite, was not taking any chances. When the guns started, Tails and Charmy leapt into the air, hurling the other soldiers out of the line of fire. With only two of them, they had known that not everyone could be saved. The ones that managed to land on the other side of the robots took off running while Tails and Charmy navigated the air space above, dodging bullets.

Charmy dove into another hallway and Tails landed and then ran down to the workshop. "Kyte!" he called, but their mechanic had already fled. Or she's dead, Tails thought grimly, but he couldn't let those thoughts stop him. He ripped through the tech, trying desperately to find something to use against the robots, but he hadn't been able to come up with something to counter them yet.

He looked at the robot on the table that he had been examining and nodded, his mind made up. He ran to the bot and started ripping it apart for the mounted guns on the arms and shoulders. If he had been given more time, he would have reprogramed the thing, but time was not on his side. He mounted the weapons to his own gun while the sounds of fighting continued upstairs. All fear that he had felt about being in this situation was turning into hatred. Each gunshot meant that someone's life might be over and for what? A world? A world that would have accepted Eggman and Infinite as members of society had they just gone about it without the world domination angle! They had no one to blame but themselves for the hatred directed at them!

Tails finished mounting his weapon and ran up the stairs. There were a few of their army still fighting against the robots, but most were either huddled behind things or dead. Tails cocked the machine gun from the robot downstairs and opened fire.

In the resulting confusion, many of the remaining soldiers trapped in the base fled as Tails mowed down a good plenty of the robots with their own bullets. The attack came from behind and sent him flying forward. His gun clattered to the floor and he scrambled to reclaim in. The moment his hands wrapped around the weapon again, he sprang up with the barrel pointed forward to face his attacker.

"Well, well, well…" Infinite said. He also had a simple pistol aimed at Tails' head. He laughed with a shake of his head. "If it isn't Miles Prower… I must admit, Miles, that is it extremely difficult to surprise me, but this… If I was not the only one standing in this room that could utilize the Phantom Rubies, I would believe I was under the influence of them! Where have you been? And why haven't you grown since last we met?"

"Doesn't matter," Tails snapped, gripping the weapon tighter. "Are you going to shoot first or should I?"

"If you shoot, these robots will make sure you don't make it out alive."

"At least I'll take you with me."

"Does that make you feel better, little kit? Does the idea that I will die with you make your death any more meaningful? Would you close your eyes and accept death in the comfort that you managed to take my life in the process?" Infinite laughed and lowered his weapon, opening his arms so Tails had a good aim of his chest. "Do it, then, kit! Take me with you!"

Tails aimed the barrel at Infinite's heart and his finger rested on the trigger. He tried to still his shaking, but couldn't. Taking a life, even one as foul and disgusting as Infinite's, was repulsive to him.

Infinite laughed harder. "What? Are you really having second thoughts? Shoot me!" Infinite took a step forward. It wasn't even that Tails would feel bad about killing him. He knew Infinite was right. The moment he put a bullet in Infinite's body, the robots would put several hundred into his. Knuckles had a plan and that plan involved him being alive long enough to get back to his time and fix this mess.

But he didn't lower his gun. "How much do I have to pay you to not kill me?" Tails asked. "This isn't my fight. I'm from a different dimension."

Infinite waved his hand, annoyed. "I'm not going to kill you, you little brat," he said. "No… I was thrilled to be able to unveil my newest weapon, and now this is just the icing on the cake. There is no greater stage than this for me to unleash your death!"

Before Tails had a chance to question what Infinite meant, a blue streak ran through, knocking the gun out of Tails' hands. The new attacker landed in between Tails and Infinite and the fox's blood ran cold. "So-…"

He couldn't even get the word out. The hedgehog that stood in front of him might have once been Sonic the Hedgehog, but all that was left seemed to be a monster. Despite Sonic's right eye being red and robotic, it was his left arm and shoulder that had been replaced. Unlike Knuckles, who had been roboticized in order to save his life, Sonic had been torn apart and put back together. His right hand and leg had both been replaced, along with his jaw and ears. His one green eye was dull and lifeless and in his hand was a pistol.

"What are your orders, Infinite?"

Tails shuddered. His mouth didn't move with the words, and his voices sounded soulless and robotic, meaning that they had implanted him with a mechanical voice. "Sonic…?" Tails whimpered. The hedgehog lifted the weapon and aimed it at Tails. Tails felt like it would be a mercy to his friend to shoot him, but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger. "It's me…" he begged. "I came back, Sonic! Please…!"

"But this one out of his misery," Infinite said.

Sonic nodded. "Of course."

Tails bit his lip and lowered his own gun. He couldn't shoot his friend, even if this creature in front of him wasn't his friend anymore. "Fine…" he whispered. He flinched when the gun cocked and stared Sonic in the eyes without looking away. He'd face this with dignity.

Sonic hesitated. For a brief moment, recognition flashed in his one green eye. "T…" The moment's hesitation was all that was needed. Knuckles jumped between Sonic and Tails and he started his attack on the blue hedgehog. Sonic let out a few bullets before tossing the gun and engaging in hand to hand. Tails picked up his on weapon and fired at the robots while Infinite called for a retreat of the bots.

Knuckles grabbed a punch from Sonic and then he finally seemed to realize who he was fighting. "S-Sonic?!" he gasped. Sonic threw Knuckles into the air and Tails jumped up to catch him. He hurled a small bomb at the ceiling and it exploded, leaving a hole to the street above. Tails dropped Knuckles and the two ran through the streets. They both knew that outrunning Sonic was impossible, but they could lose him in the city.

"Where are the others?" Tails asked.

"Outside the city limits! We'll meet up with them when we lose Infinite and…" He cut off and Tails nodded in understanding. Knuckles suddenly grabbed Tails and threw him back into the sewer. They didn't stop running until they were outside the city limits. Only then did they emerge from the sewer and even then, they continued jogging down the old train tracks until they could no longer see Station Square in the distance.

Neither spoke as they walked on the tracks. Tails could see that Knuckles was troubled by the revelation, but Tails felt utterly sick to his stomach. The thought of what they had to do to Sonic to make him so devoid of life and to turn him into a cyborg in such a patchwork way twisted his stomach. He stopped suddenly and opened his mouth, relieving his stomachs of its contents. Knuckles waited patiently while he retched on the ground.

When he finished, they started moving again. "How did this happen?" Tails whispered.

"I don't know…" Knuckles admitted. "We thought he was dead… We were sure he was dead…" Tails nodded and looked at the tracks below his feet as they walked. It wasn't long before they met up with the other survivors. Tails' breath caught in his throat. There didn't seem to be more than twenty stragglers.

Espio came running towards them. "Is Charmy with you?"

Tails' stomach dropped. The last he had seen of Charmy was the bee dodging bullets and diving into a room.

"No," Knuckles answered.

Espio swung his fist at the flesh side of Knuckles' face. He took it without dodging. "You idiot!" Espio shouted. "We should have surrendered when we had the chance! Now we won't even get the courtesy of dying with honor! Look at this, Knuckles… It's over! You've screwed this whole operation up! I told you we couldn't win a war on hope alone, but you went through with this ridiculous scheme anyway and why? Because Tails showed up? Well, look how much damn good that's done for us!"

Knuckles didn't move during the entire rant and when Espio paused, all he did was sigh. "Are you finished?" Espio could only stare back at him, dumbfounded. When he didn't offer a retort, Knuckles spoke again. "Sonic is alive." The bluntness of his delivery sent a shiver up Tails' spine.

"What?"

"They roboticized him."

Espio scoffed, throwing his hands in the air. "Great, so Infinite isn't even the worst we have to worry about now. It's time, Knuckles…"

Knuckles closed his eyes and walked away without answering Espio's assessment. Tails watched him and then turned back to the chameleon. "He was dodging gunfire the last I saw him," he muttered.

Espio scoffed at the comment. "That doesn't make me feel any better," he muttered. He walked back to the other survivors and sat next to the small fire that they had built. Tails didn't join them by the flames. Instead, he went to a tree and jumped into the branches. His first instinct was to start crying. It seemed like the only rational thing to do, but he had no more tears to give them. Crying wouldn't begin to fix any of this.

"Is there anything to fix at this point?" Tails asked the starry night sky.

"Sir?"

Tails looked down to see Kyte staring up at him. "Oh… You…" lived, he thought, though he didn't want to say the words out loud. How morbid was it that the standard greeting was now "good to see you're still alive"?

She giggled and climbed into the tree as well, stopping a few branches under Tails. "Yeah," she said, obviously understanding where his comment had been going. "This is rough…"

"Rough doesn't even begin to describe it," Tails muttered.

"I suppose not." She looked out into the night with a sigh. "I don't think Espio is wrong…"

"Neither do I…"

"But that doesn't mean he's right."

"Hm?"

"This may all seem hopeless and scary, but at the same time, we might finally have an advantage."

Tails looked down at her, confused. How could they possibly have an advantage? "What are you talking about?"

"Infinite thinks this will break us. They might not be sure we'll come back… If we can manage to not let this tear us apart, we can still come back for one final battle."

"It's over," Tails muttered. "There's nothing else we can do. They won and it's time we understand that."

Kyte looked up at him, dejected. Tails hated to break her spirit, but Espio was right. It was time to throw in the towel and be thankful they were still alive. "I don't agree, Miles," she said.

"Agreeing doesn't have anything to do with it. I don't care if you don't agree that two and two equals four, it still does."

"Two and two can equal twenty-two," Kyte argued.

Tails looked down at her, somewhat shocked that she would even think to use that kind of logic… or lack of… "Great, you figured out how to cheat math. Now let's figure out how to fall the Eggman Empire and then we can talk."

"I have an idea. We still have agents in Eggmanland."

"Who we can't contact."

"Right, but…"

"Look, Kyte, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but it's time to face the music. This war is over. We didn't stand a chance and my presence in this stupid place isn't going to change squat, so count your blessings because you're still alive."

Kyte climbed up onto Tails' branch and stood in front of him. "You call this living?" she snapped. "I was only five years old when Robotnik took over Metal City. Whatever life I had before his takeover is gone. I watched his robots kill my family, and then I survived two years in Eggmanland before I escaped to join the Resistance and I won't sit here and watch everyone give up because it became more difficult!"

"It didn't become difficult," Tails retorted, "it became impossible. We aren't going to win this!"

"So we should stop trying?"

"When trying means certain death, I'd say so."

"But not trying is a slower and more painful death while they hunt us down and torment us until they finish off our band. Is that what you want?"

"I want to go home," Tails muttered.

Kyte narrowed her eyes at him. "And you won't get to go home until you get off your butt and do something."

Tails sighed and leaned against the tree trunk. He knew she was right, but what hope did they have? What could they possibly hope to accomplish? Tails laughed. Hope… They didn't even seem to have that anymore. Everything had broken and destroyed them and now they were dealing with the horrific aftermath of a desperate war.

Then, an idea hit him. "The other resistances…"

"What?"

"Eggman will use this defeat to try and convince the other resistances that we are dead. We have to contact them and bring them here! We have to rally support!"

Kyte looked confused for a moment, and then it seemed to dawn on her. "We've been operating in the shadows too long! It's time to start fighting back publically!"

"We aren't going to win this war without a PR campaign! We have to rally the rest of the world to stand up against Robotnik!"

Kyte smiled and jumped from the tree with Tails following closely behind her. They ran to where Knuckles was sitting on a rock, staring out into a mirror-still lake. "Knux!" Tails called.

He flinched, but didn't react much beyond that. "You sound excited about something…"

"This isn't the end!" Tails said.

This grabbed Knuckles' attention completely. He turned to the two excited kids and cocked his head. "Espio's right, Tails. We should have surrendered. I was just too dead set to see that we had no chance."

"That right," Tails said, nodding quickly. "But not for the reasons you think."

"It's time we go public with our war effort." Kyte chimed in.

"Public?"

"Yessir! If we start rallying support, then we'll get enough troops! There are already other resistances in different sectors and we were the heart that kept this thing going, but a heart in isolation is meaningless! If we can contact the other resistances and start rallying civilians to fight back, then we might stand a chance!"

Knuckles stayed quiet for a moment, mulling over to details, then his eyes widened. "It just might be crazy enough to work!" He jumped off his rock and the trio hurried back to the gathered group of survivors. 21 in total sat around the fire as Knuckles relayed the idea. He made it sound better than Tails had and he smiled despite the terrible circumstances. His anti-social, loner friend had become quite a leader in his own right.

Just as he finished and seemed to be getting support, Espio stepped forward. "No," he snapped.

"No?" Knuckles asked.

"No! You're going to get more people killed! A group of trained soldiers couldn't do anything and you want to bring civilians into this war! Face it, Knuckles; we lost! It's over and the sooner you realize that, the sooner we can all get on with our lives!"

"Lives?" Knuckles retorted. "You call this a life? This is a slow and painful death, Espio."

"Maybe for you, but for me…"

"For you?" Knuckles asked, cutting him off. "I know you've lost a lot, but so have I…"

"At least Tails and Sonic are still alive," Espio grumbled.

"I wish Sonic was dead. You didn't see what I saw."

"No… You don't," Espio grumbled.

Knuckles dropped his shoulders. "Both Sonic and Tails were dead not a week ago, but I fronted this Resistance for ten years. I'm sorry about Vector and Charmy, but they wouldn't want you to give up this effort. You know that. Vector would want you to try fixing this hellhole, or die trying."

Espio crossed his arms. "Like Charmy?"

Knuckles shrugged. "You've got nothing to lose… right?"