Author's Note: Hello everyone. I return after a more or less an inexcusable eight month hiatus. Not even school and military training can justify such a ridiculous wait. But what's done is done, and so I present to you Chapter 6 of Failsafe. I hope you all find it up to snuff; otherwise just let me know in a review. Enjoy!

Legal Disclaimer: I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, the Freedom Fighters, or any SatAM/Archie/SEGA characters.

Chapter 6

The sun rose slowly in the sky, soft streams of light pervading through the Great Forest, ushering in the morning. The day started on a quiet note, much different from the previous night's events; a welcome rest for the residents of Knothole. Two residents in particular were taking a much needed break, both still sleeping soundly in the small village infirmary. Sonic lay in the clinic snoring lightly, while Sally slept silently seated next to him, her head resting on his bedside. The hedgehog continued to cradle the princess' hand with his, as he had throughout the night.

The sun continued to rise into the sky, cresting over the treetops surrounding Knothole; light beginning to spill into the infirmary. Creeping farther into the room, the soft morning light glided over Sonic, rousing him from his slumber. Good eye opening slowly, he was momentarily blinded by the shining light, forcing him to squint for several seconds as his vision adjusted. As his vision continued to adjust Sonic was surprised at the lack of sight from his right eye. Immediately jagged thoughts of a laser blast across his face flashed in his mind. Oh, yeah. Sparse memories continued to flash through his head, as his rested mind attempted to catch up with the events of the previous night. Weird. I can't remember how I got here. Guess I'll have to let the others fill me in, he thought. Ignoring his hazy memory for the moment, Sonic attempted to survey his body, but found the resulting pain excruciating as he tried to raise his head. Likewise he tried to move his left arm, with similar results. Gradually he became more aware as he attempted to tense various muscles; each time greeted with a jolt of pain. Well I guess I won't be moving, Sonic thought glumly.

Suddenly, he felt something soft, almost delicate in his hand as he tensed his right arm. Despite the pain, whatever he held in his hand seemed to put the rest of his body at ease. Heart quickening, Sonic attempted to look to the right with his good eye, but to no avail. Cursing the lack of vision in his damaged eye, the hedgehog turned his head, ignoring the pain that shot through his neck. A massive smile immediately spread across his face. Sally was seated next to him; her head resting on the bed by his leg. Turned toward him, Sonic could tell that she was still asleep. Her hand rested in the palm of his; such simple contact sent butterflies through Sonic. Wow, he thought. Though he had seen Sal a thousand times, seeing her sleeping peacefully by his bedside, her hand in his, roused immense feelings of affection. He then noted that the bedding around where the squirrel lay was damp; Sally had been crying. Oh man, guess I went a little overboard this time. You don't ever stop worrying about me do you Sal? Sonic thought, still smiling as he gently squeezed the princess' hand.

Sally began to stir slightly, pulled from a deep and surprisingly peaceful sleep. Even before she opened her eyes she knew it was morning; the sunlight bathed the room in a warm aura. It reminded her of a time when she was child, when she could wake safely on a summer morning. Such thoughts comforted her. And yet, there was a tug in her mind, disrupting the memory. What is it? The princess thought. It was paramount, she knew, but it eluded her, sleep still clouding her memory. Slowly, she began to become aware of her surroundings. She wasn't at her hut. But where was she? Where am I? What happe- Then, suddenly, flashbacks of the past twenty-four hours struck her like a lightning bolt, blasting away the fogginess of sleep.

"Sonic!" Sally silently gasped, as her eyes shot open. Already the dread, pain and worry began to renew itself within her, though somewhat muted. However, the sight she beheld replaced every fear with joy.

Sonic's vibrant green eye gazed down over the princess, his mouth curled in a smile. "Hey Sal! What's up?" He greeted her lightly.

Sally took the briefest moment to take in what was before her, a stunned disbelief on her face.

Sonic stared back awkwardly. "Uh, Sal, are you-" Cutting him off, the princess leaped from her seat and pulled the dumbstruck hedgehog into a hug.

"Sonic Hedgehog you stubborn idiot!" Sally choked in relief, as she clutched onto him tighter. "Don't you ever do that again!"

"Hey, whoa, easy there Sal!" Sonic managed to say, as the princess held onto him. "It's not like I was dying or anything!"

Sonic's words only solicited a wince from Sally as she held onto him all the tighter. However, as the seconds passed, a nagging, cold feeling in the back of her mind began to surface. She was familiar with this feeling; it had served her well in the war against Robotnik, but in recent days she had only wished it would leave. And yet, it had held her together throughout the night, when hard decisions had to be made. It was a maddening coexistence, demanding that she withdrawal her emotions, and do what had to be done.

Slowly Sally pulled herself away, composing herself. It was hard, but she knew she had to reprimand Sonic. Though she would rather just sit and be with him; to ease her pains from the previous days, Sally couldn't ignore Sonic's actions. Please understand me Sonic; I have to hold all of us together, I'm not trying to hurt you. Resting her hands on her hips, she gave Sonic a somewhat hard and inquisitive stare.

"Sonic," she started slowly, "do you even remember what happened after we talked over the radio?" Sonic could tell that Sally was still concerned, but now she seemed ready to chew him out at a moments notice. Ah crap, Sonic thought. He really hated it when Sal started on about how reckless he was. "Uh, well, me and Tails started to leave Robo-town, and uh..." Sonic trailed off, scrunching his face up, feigning deep thought. "I...don't remember?" Sonic said, smiling hopefully.

Sally sighed. "You almost didn't make it back." She said pointedly. "Do you realize how badly you were hurt?"

"Hey come on Sal, it was nothing I couldn't handle." Sonic said lightly, starting to get annoyed.

"But you couldn't handle it Sonic!" Sally held out her hands in a plea, trying her best not antagonize the hedgehog. "Bunnie and Antoine barely got you back in time, and with all the blood you'd lost we weren't even sure if you were going to make it!" Sally began to pace about the infirmary. "Do you realize how worried I- we were?" She pleaded. "Why didn't you just tell me that you were hurt? We could have sent out a team to help."

"Hey, I had Tails with me!" Sonic rebutted defiantly, crossing his arms gingerly.

"We both know that's not the point." Sally said flatly. "I know you're confident Sonic; you've done so much for all of us already, but you can't do everything."

Can't I? Sonic thought questioningly, as he stared back silently.

Sally moved to Sonic's side, seating herself on the bed. "You can't be reckless like this Sonic." She spoke firmly. "We would have never gotten this far without you. If we're going to rebuild Mobius we're going to need you."

"Then you've gotta let me do my thing Sal!" He argued, painfully pushing himself up. "Snively is still out there planning something!

"You don't think I know that?" Sally countered, standing up, voice raised. She did her best to keep from getting agitated, but with Sonic it could be difficult. "We've got to form a plan; we can't just go charging in!"

"And how long is that going to take?" Sonic said defiantly. "You didn't see what I saw Sal. Snively's got a whole army of bots! We can't just wait around for him to roll right into Knothole!"

"But that's why you can't just run in by yourself Sonic! You can't take on an army all by yourself! No one can!" Sally nearly yelled.

Pulling herself back slightly, Sally sighed, shoulders slumping. This isn't where I wanted to go with this; Sonic why can't you just realize I don't want you to get hurt? Why do we have to fight over this? Taking a moment, she continued. "We're the Freedom Fighters Sonic; a team. We'll do this together."

Sonic remained silent. Not unless people are going to get hurt, he thought, images of Tails staring down a Swatbot flashing through his mind. Not unless I'm the only one who can get it done.

Noting Sonic's calmer demeanor, Sally continued. "I'll come up with a plan so that we can finally win this." She said, trying to sound positive.

"Yeah, like your last one?" Sonic said sharply, without thinking.

Taken aback, Sally stood rooted in place, a pained looked flashing across her face. "I'm... sorry Sonic." She said quietly bowing her head. "I never meant for any of that to happen. I...know I get on you about these kind of things, but... it's only because of ... how much you mean to me."

Sonic immediately regretted his words, as Sally began to head for the door. Way to go Sonic you idiot, how could you say that?

"Sally wait." he said quickly. "Please."

Sally stopped in the doorway, taking her time to turn around, as she mentally steeled herself for the next barrage.

As she faced him, Sonic could tell that his words had hurt her. Her face had returned to its blank, somewhat stressed, leadership mask, but he could see the sadness in her eyes.

As guilt welled up inside him, Sonic struggled to speak. "I'm sorry Sal. I didn't mean that." Sonic paused, fidgeting as Sally watched him intently. "You didn't deserve that. I... I guess I'm just a little on edge. You've always done a way-past cool job."

Sally let loose a small breath as her tensed filled body eased. She hadn't even realized that she was holding her breath, so intent had she listened to hedgehog.

Sonic looked up directly at the princess, regret etched across his scarred face. "I'm sorry Sally. And uh-" he stumbled, as he tried to string the right words together, "you ... uh, mean a a lot to me too."

A grateful smile spread across the princess' face as she walked back to the hedgehog's side, placing her hand on his shoulder. "It's OK Sonic. We've all been through a lot; you especially. We'll figure this thing out." Now if only I could believe that myself, Sally thought offhandedly, but she batted the thought away as quickly as it came.

Sonic nodded.

"Good to see you're doing better sonny-boy."

Both squirrel and hedgehog looked toward the door as Uncle Chuck strode in.

"Unc!" Sonic shouted joyfully.

"Good morning Sir Charles."

Uncle Chuck moved to Sonic's bedside opposite of Sally. "And to you Sally." The robotic hedgehog turned to face his nephew. "So how are you holding up Sonic? I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner, things have been... busy." He finished tersely, glancing at Sally.

Sally knew all too well what that meant. Ever since his return from Knothole, Sir Charles had been running surveillance missions with Rotor, in order to determine the extent of Snively's geographic control. Looks like I've got a mission to plan, Sally thought, sighing to herself.

"You okay Sal?" Sonic asked, noting the princess' sigh.

"I'm fine. Just more work to do."

"Well if it's got to do with ol' Needle-nose then you're going to need my help-" Sonic said, trying to lift himself out of bed.

"I don't think you're quite up to it Sonic", Uncle Chuck spoke up, placing a firm hand on the hedgehog's shoulder.

"Sir Charles is right Sonic, you're in no condition to be up and about. And besides", Sally said in a lighter tone in an attempt to placate the disgruntled hedgehog, "it's going to take a little time before we head out again."

"Sally's right Sonic, you won't do much good as you are right now. Best to just sit tight."

"Alright, alright I can take a hint." Sonic complained, wincing as he crossed his arms.

Sally made her way to the door, stopping just outside. "Rest up Sonic" she said with a weak smile, "we'll need you. Sir Charles, if you could meet me at Freedom HQ as soon as possible."

Uncle Chuck nodded. He knew that the princess would want to hear his report immediately, despite the setback of the previous night. "Can do Sally."

With a nod, the princess left the two hedgehogs alone.

Once Sally was out of earshot, Uncle Chuck turned to his nephew. "So, arguing with the princess again are we?"

"Yeah well-wait a minute!" Sonic gave his uncle a quizzical look, "how did you-?"

"Come now sonny-boy, I don't need these robot ears to tell me you and Sally were butting heads again. Quite frankly, both of you are terrible at hiding your emotions. And the body language didn't help you either."

"Hmph." Sonic responded to Uncle Chuck's accurate assessment, staring off. After a few seconds he turned back toward his Uncle. "Sal seems to think I'm takin' too many risks."

"Sally's just worried about your safety Son-"

"But that's what I don't get Unc!" Sonic interjected. "I've always been fine, why should now be any different? If she'd just let me go at Snivel-nose this whole thing would be over!"

Uncle Chuck shook his head. "Sonic, haven't you been listening? We'll have a better chance of taking Snively down if all the Freedom Fighters are involved."

But we tried that already, and Tails was nearly killed...Sonic thought.

Uncle Chuck moved to the foot of the bed. "And I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but Sally's been having a hard time of it lately."

Sal has been acting weird lately. "But she's been this way before Unc. And she's pulled through every time. Course, if she listened to me more often, she might be able to loosen up a bit..." Sonic trailed off.

"Somehow I don' think that would ave' worked out to well for ya last night sugah-hog." A distinctive third voice piped in.

"Oh for the love of Mobius, is everybody gonna gang up on me today?" Sonic threw up his arms in frustration, wincing again.

Bunnie strode in, up to Sonic's bedside. "I'm glad to see your feeling better Sonic, but I don' really think that you understand how bad things were last night."

"She's right Sonic, I don't think you fully grasp how close it was." Uncle Chuck added.

"Yeah, well..." Sonic began offhandedly, turning away from Bunnie and Uncle Chuck.

"Yeah, well nothin' sugah-hog." Bunnie cut in sharply, leaning toward him. "Antoine and I were there when you two got back. You were an absolute wreck; mah stars I've never seen you in such a state before. And you have the nerve to question Sally-girl's decisions when it probably saved your life last night!" Bunnie finished, poking Sonic emphatically.

"Hey-ouch!-wait a minute!" Sonic exclaimed, recoiling from the cyborg.

"And another thing!" Bunnie continued, prodding Sonic. "Tails was an absolute mess; I don' know how he's going to cope with it!"

"I didn't-ouch!-mean-"

"And you scared poor Sally-girl half to death last night; I've never seen her more frightened in all mah life!"

"Yeah-ouch!-but-"

"How can you be so irresponsible when she cares about you so much?" Bunnie ended her tirade, her frustration vented.

Sonic simply sat there motionless, as Bunnie's words sunk home. Tails, how could've I forgotten about him? He didn't think that he could feel any more guilty. And I had to go and get into a fight with Sal earlier. Smooth move hedgehog. Sonic thought to himself. But people are going to get hurt...

Bunnie composed herself, noting Sonic's abnormal silence. Regret welled up inside her as she could tell that her words had struck close to home. "Sonic, I'm sorry, I... I shouldn't have been-"

Uncle Chuck eyed Bunnie cautiously; he hadn't been totally prepared for such an outburst. "What Bunnie is trying to say is that you've got to remember there are people here that care about you."

Images of a frantic Tails and distressed Sally flashed in Sonic's mind as he stared off blankly. Tails running from SWATBOTs trying to gun him down, Sally, her strange behavior increasing to a nervous wreck as she continued to deal with the looming threat. Everyone living in fear again, a constant threat looming over Knothole. There was a root cause to all of this, Sonic knew. A familiar voice within him whispered, you know how to put an end to it all, to put an end to everyone's sorrow, to save them.

"We're not trying to make you feel bad Sonny-boy; just think a little on what we've said."

"Yeah, okay Unc." Sonic replied flatly, his attention elsewhere.

Bunnie and Uncle Chuck glanced at one another. They weren't sure where Sonic's thoughts were now, but given what had already transpired, they didn't push the matter.

"Well I've got to see Sally, I'll see you later sonny-boy." Uncle Chuck made his way to the door as Bunnie followed. "I hope your feeling better Sugah-hog." She said apologetically, still somewhat ashamed from her earlier outburst.

Left alone, Sonic sat in silence, mulling over all that had taken place the past few days. This ain't how it's s'posed to be. We beat Robotnik. Everyone should be happy, not fighting. Sonic glanced out the window. Out there were his friends, practically his family. For years they had struggled against Robotnik, and had actually won. Now their victory was threatened. His family's livelihood was threatened. All by one thing.

Sonic balled his fists, ignoring the pain as images of Snively jumped through his mind. Somehow, someway, I'm gonna put an end to this, once a for all.

Tails sat within the branches of one of the trees high above Knothole, his legs lazily swaying back and forth. The sun was rising higher into the sky, streams casting shadows into the village below. From his treetop perch Tails could not only see down into Knothole, but far out and across the Great Forest. He came here when he needed to think, or simply to relax and bask in the view before him. But his treetop spot was more than just a getaway. When he was younger and still practicing to fly, he had made it his personal goal to reach the highest tree in the Great Forest. A small smile crept upon Tails' face as memories of years past flitted through his mind. Some times the other Freedom Fighters would be there, all surprised at his advancement, others times his achievement was a solitary one. He recalled the times when Sonic would cheer him on as he pushed himself harder, up to the next branch, or when Rotor would give him a congratulatory pat on the back.

And then I finally made it, all the way up here, Tails thought. He remembered the simple elation he felt when he had finally achieved his goal, that he had proved to himself and others that he was growing up and capable of becoming a Freedom Fighter. But, the smile from Tails' face faded, that was the past.

Standing up, Tails balanced on the limb as he gazed down upon Knothole village. Below were his friends, his adoptive family. And some of them, Tails reminded himself, were now fellow Freedom Fighters. Well supposed to be, anyway.

He was supposed to brief Sally about last night's failed op. Shivers ran down his spine as fresh memories from the previous night re-surfaced. Vivid pictures of Swatbots bearing down on him alone within the dead city of Robotropolis flashed through his mind. He had never felt such fear. And yet he had nearly singlehandedly fought his way out. Nearly. It would have worked; Sonic didn't have to rescue me. Did he? Tails glanced over to the infirmary, guilt thrashing within him. Shaking his head in frustration, he pulled his gaze away. Why should I feel bad? I didn't ask him to save me. I was perfectly fine. If anything, it shows Sonic doesn't think I can handle myself, he thought. Yet his guilt remained.

But recounting what had happened was not the only thing that bothered him. "What happens when I tell Sally about facing down that Swatbot alone? Or when Sonic and I split up?" Tails wondered aloud. She'll only get mad at Sonic; they still need him. But will they think the same about me? I only was just able to go on the last mission, and that was with restrictions. Wonder if Sally only let me go because Robotropolis was s'posed to be safer. Tails crossed his arms, scoffing at what felt like the others attempts to cheapen his position as a Freedom Fighter. "If anything, last night proves that I can handle myself." Tails re-assured himself, swelling with pride.

Balancing for a moment, Tails leaped off the branch, beginning his descent toward Knothole. And that's exactly what I'll tell Sally. I'm a Freedom Fighter.

Sally walked out across Knothole village, making a beeline to Freedom Fighter HQ. "Well that could have gone worse I suppose." She was surprised at how she felt; the past few days had been much more taxing than usual, and getting into an argument with Sonic was always an emotional roller coaster. And yet, they had seemingly settled the issue. Stopping for a moment under the shade of a tree, Sally seated herself against the trunk, enjoying the tree's cool reprieve. "And despite our argument, I'm actually not feeling like an emotional wreck. There may be hope for me yet." She said half joking, half sarcastically.

A few seconds passed as Sally basked in the silence of the summer day. She knew that she wouldn't get another chance like this in a while, and took full advantage of the lull in the village, despite the nagging personality in the back of her mind that said she needed to see Sir Charles. Several more minutes passed as Sally stared absently across the village. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the flicker of a shadow speeding across the dusty ground. The shadow floated closer to her, and then disappeared, enveloped by the the shade of the tree.

"What was th-", Sally started say, when a loud thump from behind cut her off.

Jumping to her feet, she spun around to face whatever had crept up on her.

"Hi Sally." Tails greeted from his stoop landing.

"Oh Tails, you startled me." She replied, relaxing. As the fox stood, memories from the previous night came to mind; Tails' stony expression, his voice as he spoke to her. At the time, she hadn't been in the best frame of mind, but now the memories bothered her. Even now she could see some semblance of the traits in the fox from the night before as he stood before her. However, Sally had to remind herself that she wasn't the only one who had been affected; according to Bunnie Tails hadn't reacted well. It was his manner outside the infirmary in which Tails had acted that seemed to so strange. Nevertheless, she pushed the concerns to the back of her mind; she hadn't had time to speak with Tails at length, and wanted to take the time if he needed help.

"So how are you holding up? Sally asked in a concerned voice.

"I'm... I'm doing alright." Tails replied quickly, not wishing to betray how much he really felt about his first mission. "I'd rather brief you about the mission if thats okay."

There it is again. All business. Sally thought. Maybe he's trying really hard to act like a Freedom Fighter, but I can't help but feel like he's trying to hide something from me. "Sure thing Tails, but only if you're certain. Talking about missions can be … difficult." Sally spoke firmly, memories of many a mission gone awry coming to mind.

"I'm sure." Tails said quickly, a touch of irritation in his voice.

Returning to her seat, Sally looked up to Tails, who opted to remain standing.

Starting off, Tails recounted how he and Sonic had made their way to Robotropolis, and from their initial scan from the tower, appeared to be entirely dead. "From there, Sonic and I split up: I patrolled the skies around the Gauntlet, while Sonic went in to plant the virus." Pausing for a moment, Tails prepared himself for the ensuing clash that was sure to come from the rest of his brief. They were my choices; I'll stand by them, Tails reminded himself.

"Everything okay Tails?"

Tails looked down toward Sally, a questioning look on the squirrel's face.

"Yeah, I'm good." Tails replied flatly, beginning to pace as he continued his brief.

"I stayed out above the Gauntlet, where I was able to see pretty good. There wasn't anything going on for a while, until I saw a detachment of Swatbots from the other side of Robotropolis. They were headed towards were Sonic was." Tails paused to gauge the princess' reaction. While she hadn't said anything yet, her ears had perked up at the mention of Robotnik's security androids.

Noting the princess' attentiveness, Tails pressed on. "There were only three," he started lightly, "so I decided to take care of them. From there I-"

"You did what?" Sally's voice cut in quietly, quick and sharp.

Tails stopped pacing, cringing slightly. He turned to a face a standing and very stern faced Sally. "I did what I thought was appropriate." Tails replied quickly, trying not to sound offensive.

"What you thought was appropriate?" Sally echoed, a confused and incredulous sound in her voice. "What in Mobius made you think that? Did Sonic tell-"

"No!" Tails interjected forcefully. "Sonic had nothing to do with my decision. I made sure he had nothing to do with it!" Tails looked directly into the princess' eyes. He hadn't meant to cut off Sally, but the mention of Sonic had touched a nerve.

"What were you trying to accomplish? You could have gotten yourself killed!" Sally came back, her voice raised.

"But I didn't get killed! I'm a Freedom Fighter just like anyone else." Tails shot back, crossing his arms.

"That does NOT mean you jump in at the first sign of Swatbots!" Sally retorted, thrusting her pointed finger at the ground emphatically.

"So what does it mean?" The fox replied in an annoyed voice. "You want me to just be the message boy?"

"No! It means you work as a team!"

Tails only glared back. "You mean go running to Sonic." He replied acidly.

"Yes!" The princess shouted. "Why do you think I sent you together in the first place?"

Tails simply glared back. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't shake the feeling of guilt, that what Sally said was true. It can't be though. I know what I can do, and I'll prove it to them. Again and again if I have to. However, he knew that arguing with Sally further was pointless; the princess wasn't going to listen to him.

Realizing that she was going to be late for her meeting with Uncle Chuck and Rotor, Sally issued her ultimatum. "Fine." She said sternly, noting the fox's reluctance to explain himself. "But we are going to finish this, later."

Not waiting for a response, the princess spun on her heel and strode off toward Freedom HQ.

"Figures." Tails spat caustically under his breath. Propelling himself into the air, the two-tailed Freedom Fighter returned to his sanctuary in the trees.

Just what in Mobius is going on? Sally thought as she marched into Knothole. Dealing with Sonic had always been one thing, but now Tails? It was taking every bit of her willpower to not simply yell out in frustration. I should have known better. I should have known better than to let him go on that mission!

Stomping up the stairs to Freedom HQ Sally barged in through the door, slamming it open. Inside were Uncle Chuck and Rotor, both seated at the head of the conference table. They had been diligently working at a computer, but now found themselves staring at the princess as she charged into the room.

"Uh, hey Sally, h-hows it going?" Rotor spoke out timidly, noting the squirrel's frustrated gait.

"I'm fine." Sally lied tersely. Arriving next to Uncle Chuck, she place NICOLE onto the oak table. "Alright Sir Charles, what are we looking at?"

Casting a worried glance at Rotor, Uncle Chuck turned to the princess as she peered at the reports that filled the computer's holographic display.

"As you know Sally," Uncle Chuck started, "Rotor and I have been running periodic surveillance missions out beyond the Great Forest and into the Plains."

"Yes, yes I know, I'm the one who suggested it." Sally said testily, not bothering to look up.

If the room wasn't filled with tension before, it was flooded with it now; Rotor and Uncle Chuck drowning in it.

"Right." Uncle Chuck commented awkwardly. "Anyway, these missions have failed to turn up any incursions by Snively or any of his forces."

Then why did you make it seem like you needed to see me? Sally thought darkly, shooting an annoyed glance at Uncle Chuck. She was about comment, when Rotor spoke up.

"That is, until this morning." Moving around to the front of the table, Rotor seated himself in front of the computer. Clicking away at the metallic keys, the walrus entered several commands. The holographic reports fizzled away and reformed to show the Great Forest and surrounding Plains.

Sally straightened her back, stepping back to view the now much larger map. Ever since Sir Charles had been rescued, the Freedom Fighters had enjoyed a technological edge that had been sorely missed in their battles against Robotnik prior. Knothole's secret location had also benefited; special buffers strategically placed in and around the Great Forest deterred most robotic threats, scrambling their circuitry. Too bad it's not speeding up this meeting any.

"Uncle Chuck and I moved along the north-western route," Rotor relayed, highlighting the path on the projection as he spoke, "to the edge of the Great Forest, when we saw it."

"Saw what?" The princess said hastily.

"A large, billowing plume of black smoke, about one hundred miles north from where we were positioned." Uncle Chuck jumped in, pointing to two new markers, illustrating both the duo's spot and the possible threat.

"And you've determined that this, a cloud of smoke, is a threat?" Sally responded sarcastically, crossing her arms.

"Uh, Sally, are you-" Rotor started to speak, before Uncle Chuck cut him off.

"Yes, Sally, we have." The robotic hedgehog replied, emphasizing his words to diffuse the squirrel's skepticism. "Using some new instruments that Rotor and I have constructed, we were able to determine that there is a significant robotic presence, and that the smoke is the result of some kind of geological operation.

"Yeah, you should see this stuff Sally!" Rotor jumped up excitedly, speaking quickly. "We used a scanner to track all the radio frequencies from the area; a bunch of them were all the same, except for this one complex one I've never seen before; oh and the ground! Just from the vibrations in the ground were we able to-"

"Yeah, OK, great Rotor." Sally cut in, shaking her hands around her head like she was swatting away the walrus' ramblings. "So we've got a bunch of mining drones over one hundred miles away from Knothole. You believe this is a threat?" Sally questioned honestly.

"Maybe not directly Sally, but it's too large to ignore, and could lead to something more dangerous. Plus this is the first time we've had any kind of robotic activity outside Robotropolis since Robotnik's defeat."

"Good point. What do you recommend?" The squirrel asked, as she leaned against the oak table, staring up at the display.

Rotor and Uncle Chuck glanced to one another before the walrus spoke up. "We need to get over there and actually see what's going on." Rotor spoke curtly, still smarting from Sally's earlier snub.

Taking a breath, Sally ran a hand through her auburn hair. Here we go again. "OK then, here's what we do." she replied, pulling up a chair to start planning when Uncle Chuck interrupted her.

"Actually Sally, we've already devised a plan."

Turning again to face the pair, Sally leaned back in her chair, eyebrow raised. "Really?" She said in somewhat mock surprise. "Well let's hear it."

Moving over to the console, Uncle Chuck input several new commands, laying out a new path to the objective. "Using some new transportation equipment that we've constructed, Rotor and I will exit the Great Forest here." The elderly hedgehog pointed to the north-most portion of the Great Forest. "That way we'll avoid being exposed for the shortest time possible. From there it should be a simple stake-out and get-out procedure." Uncle Chuck finished, shutting down the hologram.

The entire time Sally had sat very still, a calculating gaze on her face as she listened to Uncle Chuck's brief.

Several awkward seconds passed, as Rotor and Uncle Chuck waited for the princess' assessment in silence. Glancing at the robotic hedgehog, Rotor stepped forward bashfully.

"So, uh, what do you think Sally?" Rotor asked hopefully. "Uncle Chuck and I think it's an awesome plan so-"

"No." The squirrel said flatly, not bothering to look from where the hologram had been moments before.

"What? Why?" Rotor replied, honest surprise in his voice.

"Rotor and I do believe that this it correct action to take princess." Uncle Chuck added, moving up alongside Rotor.

"Well I don't." Sally stood up, starting to get agitated. "For starters, there's only the two of you going on the recon-"

"Which is precisely why there should only be two us." Uncle Chuck interjected carefully, keeping his voice neutral. "And seeing as how it was Rotor and I who discovered this threat and are most familiar with the equipment, I believe we should be the ones to go."

"The last time I sent two Freedom Fighters on a mission, it all went to hell." Sally stated in a cold, matter of face voice. "And that was supposed to be a simple operation as well."

Sally, is that what this is about? Uncle Chuck thought forlornly.

"No, Bunnie will go with you, and so will I." Sally spoke, an icy finality in her voice. Apparently finished with the conversation, she started to make her way to the door.

"Are you sure Sally? Part of the reas-" Rotor started to speak, concerned for the princess.

"Did I sound unsure?" Sally spun around, raising her voice slightly. "Don't believe that I'm up to the task? She asked rhetorically. "I'm the leader; I'll make sure this gets done, understand?"

When neither responded, Sally eased back slightly. "Good. Gather all the equipment and supplies you need." She spoke in a steely voice, striding off toward the door. "We leave in two two days; make sure you're prepared."

With her final command given, the princess marched out the door.

Waiting several seconds, Rotor turned to his elder. "Uncle Chuck, what the heck is going on with Sally?" The walrus asked, a perplexed look on his face. "I know last night was a tough one, but she's never acted this way before."

"I can't say for sure Rotor, but we need to support Sally as best we can." The aged hedgehog advised, seating himself once again in front of the console. Sonic's not the only one who needs to know that there are people here who care him.

Author's P.S. And there you go. I hope you all enjoyed it. I tried again to involve some of the other Freedom Fighters, but I'm not really sure if I've used them to their fullest yet. Once again I find writing Sally to be a maddening endeavor, but I think I've her right where I need her. Things are starting to gear up again, so (hopefully) next chapter will be more exciting for those of you that are action junkies. Otherwise, if you feel like it was a piece of garbage, go ahead and tell me! Although telling me why, would be helpful, just a hint. For those of you that have favorited, reviewed, and stuck through with this mal-updated story you have my thanks. See ya next chapter!