Chapter 2

"Sonic, behind us!"
Tristina' s hand immediately slammed her hover chair joystick left and, turning, steered it towards Sonic and Sally's hover pad. "Sonic, hook me up!" Tristina cried, tossing a rope to Sonic.

the darker hedgehog grabbed the rope and tied it to the hand rail running across the hover pad. Securing the rope onto the neck of her wheelchair, Tristina turned to face the swatbots persuing them.

"I thought you said you couldn't hack a butt-bot?" Sonic called as Tristina's light key pad appeared at her palm. "Affirmative." Tristina replied, typing furiously with one hand. "Target is not Swatbot. Target is hovercraft engine." "Hang on, Sal!" Sonic called as the hover-pad skimmed over a metallic ground covered with chrome piping.

Ducking and weaving between larger mold covered pipes, one of the hovercrafts persuing them suddenly veered off course, smoke spewing from the front. "hovercraft engine overloaded." Tristina reported, closing her eyes as she lowered her hand. with a yank on the rope, Tristina was flying beside them once again, steering with the joystick.

"They're still behind us!" Sally called, looking behind her. Tristina looked back as well and re-looped the rope around the hand rail. "Not used to working this cheaply." Tristina growled, her eyes turning momentarily a bright flat white as her hand molded what looked like a dagger. Tristina then closed her eyes, and re opened them to reveal her eyes had returned to normal.

picking up the dagger by its bright blue handle, Tristina closed one eye and stuck out her tounge. "Tristina, what are you..." Sally began, before gasping as Tristina hurled the dagger at the persuing hovercraft. upon striking the black underbelly, electricity crackled around the hovercraft as the dagger melted into it. Tristina then watched with satisfaction as the hovercraft abandoned the chase in preference of landing without crashing. "They're not behind us anymore." Tristina said, smiling at the awe struck Princess.

Sonic gave Tristina a thumbs up, then dived into the open hangar in Robotniks headquarters. As Tristina willed herself to stop shaking, Sonic and Sally watched as a few more hovercrafts flew past them. "Audios swat bots." said Sonic, grinning to Sally. "When the hedgehog brain is really cookin' those chumps dont stand a chance." said Sonic, directing the hover pad to leave the hangar.

suddenly another hovercraft, appearing out of nowhere, rocketed towards them. "Sonic!" Sally cried. "No prob" replied Sonic, pressing a yellow button on the keyboard infront of him.

The swatbot hovercraft struck the hover pad, causing it to somersault in mid air. as the hoverpad flipped over, its passangers screamed and clung to the black hand rail for dear life. As the hover pad neared the ground, Sally and Sonic managed to get the machine back under control. "Wheres Tristina?" Sally cried, glancing over at the hedgehogs hover chair.

Sonic turned to follow Sallys gaze and saw that the hedgehogs hover chair was indeed empty. hearing a shriek below them, Sally and Sonic looked beyond the hover pad to see that the final flip had hurled Tristina out of her hover chair and sent her careening towards the concrete ground.

forcing the panic to the back of her mind, Tristina reached across to a gold painted band on her wrist and pressed a button that showed a mega phone and echo lines. taping it, Tristina looked up as her hover chair broke free of Sonic and Sallys hover pad and careened towards her. Just as she was about to hit the ground, she landed butt first in the wheelchair and immediately jerked the joystick towards herself up. Forcing heart down from her throat back into her ribcage, Tristina heard Sally call to her.

"Are you alright, Tristina?" Tristina leaned her head into the headrest of her wheelchair, and could barely manage to nod. willing her body to stop shaking, Tristina looked to Sally and Sonic and said "Maybe the old hedgehog brain is overcooked, eh blue?" Tristina asked, frowning at her fellow 'hog. "A minor mistake, no biggie." Sonic replied, verbally brushing off Tristinas verbal scold. "We gotta be close to that subway station." Sonic added, peering over the edge of the hover pad again.

"Uh, guys? we have more party crashers on our tail." Tristina observed, landing on the back of the hover pad. Sally pressed a button on the controls, and two metallic cuffs slid over her wheelchair wheels. "Huh?" Tristina asked, hearing the metal 'chinks' of the cuffs. "Thats so you dont go rolling off the hover pad again." Sally explained. Tristina smiled, then turned to the hovercrafts "Oh man." Sonic gasped, sweating slightly as Tristina began crafting more throwing knives, each glowing bright blue.

"How come they're not shooting at us?" Sonic asked as the hover pad weaved slightly in a patch of turbulence. "They're saving us for the roboticizer." Sally growled, watching Tristina begining to craft a fifth knife. "That isnt going to happen guys." Tristina said, picking up the small bundle of knives. "Hang tight." said Sonic, pressing one of the buttons twice.

"Son-ic." Sally called warningly. "Chill, I know what I'm doing." replied Sonic as Tristina picked up one knife and hurdled it at one of the oncoming swatbots. the swatbot dodged slightly to the left, missing the blade. Tristina swore under her breath, glad the teams youngest member - a two tailed fox named Tails - wasnt around to hear it.

suddenly, the hover pad made a sharp turn and Tristina looked up to see nothing but the smog filled bluish black sky. "Sonic, what-" Tristina began, before her senses picked up something within the tower. "Knothole?" Tristina muttered, staring at the faded greenish gray tower. "Outta the way swat-butts!" Sonic cried as the hover crafts veered left and right to dodge the oncoming hover pad.

Sonic laughed triumphantly, but the smile quickly slid from his lips when he spotted a angry hedgehog and ground squirrel glaring back at him. "Am I cool or am I cool?" Sonic offered feebly. "That was absolutely crazy Sonic!" Sally fumed, her hair reflecting her current temper as it waved and tossed in the wind. "You could have gotten us killed blue! and for what? a cheap laugh?" Tristina cried, her hair and quills as frazzled as Sally's.

"yeah, it was wasn't it?" chuckled Sonic as they flew on. Tristina shook her head and turned back in her wheelchair to notice that, in the chaos, her knives had slid off her lap. sighing, Tristina held up one hand and snapped her fingers. her hand tingled as the knives self- destructed where ever they had fallen.

"You are impossible." Sally scoffed, and Tristina shook her head. "Thank you, Thank you." came Sonic's reply, as if Sally had paid him a great compliment. Suddenly, with all seriousness, Sonic continued. "Sal? Tiff? see that subway station anywhere?" Tristina peered over the hover pad to look.

"Yes...there!" Sally cried, pointing. as Tristina turned to look, a sudden searing heat shot between her legs and blew up the patch of hover pad from under her. Sally let out a scream, then cried out Sonic's name. "Hold on!" Sonic cried as the hover pad began to list dangerously left then right. turning around, Tristina produced the blue keypad and began to hack...

...
Access request: Hover pad controls
Username: Hak2savFreFi
Password: **********

Access granted. Welcome, Hak2savFreFi.
Requesting damage assessment...

Damage assessment minimal. loss of propulsion systems and power amplifiers.
Request remote access and emergency landing...
Access granted.
beginning permission transfer to Hak2savFreFi...
Permission granted.
Accessing backup engines and beginning emergency landing procedures.
Access granted.
Hak2savFreFi logging out...
...

Sally let out a sigh of relief as the Hover pad seemed to wobble down to the ground and let out a screetch as metal scraped on concrete. seeing a light blue glow behind them, Sally turned to see Tristina with a light keyboard at one hand, her eyes glowing as they stared at the control panel. Im going to have to thank her for saving our butts once we meet up with the others. Sally thought, smiling as the hedgehog lowered her hand. giving a shiver, Tristina opened her eyes as Sally sighed. "Well, at least we made it to the rendezvous point."
thats when swatbot laser fire showered around them yet again.

Tristina let out a yelp as laser fire rained down on the grounded freedom fighters. "Lets Juice!" Sonic called over the exploding debris, Sally hot on his heels. quickly tapping the spider mode button, Tristina clambered down the stairwell after Sonic and Sally. Tristina covered her head with one arm as Sallys scream rang in her ears. "ally oop Princess." Tristina called, scooping up Sally into her lap and clacking after Sonic.

once the chaos had died down, Tristina nodded at Sallys muttered gratitude as the ground squirrel slid off her lap and hurried after Sonic. As Sonic and Sally ducked down behind a fallen subway pillar, Tristina stayed further back, peeking out from the subway station wall. Tristina's eyes narrowed as Sonic perked up, then pointed a roboticized light blue hedgehog.

Tristina could tell that the hedgehog was familiar to Sonic, but Tristina couldn't place him. Tristina examined the hedgehogs metallic brown muzzle, stomach, and fore arms. the hedgehogs upper arms were light blue as was his quills. His eyes, Tristina noticed, were pure black with bright red iris's for the pupils. Tristina frowned at this and looked down at her own useless robotic legs.

I never realized until now how close I came to being like that. Tristina thought, brushing her fingers over her metallic legs before looking back at the hedgehog.

She then notice Sonic surge forward before Sally pulled him back down. "Sonic wait, there's too many Swatbots." Sally whispered loudly enough for Tristina to here. Sonic grumbled something, staring at the train the roboticized hedgehog had boarded. "Sonic use your head!" Sally whispered. "Its too risky." Sally then whispered something about a 'plan'.

As Sonic muttered his reply, a faint siren reached Tristina's ears. flashing light blue on the side of the train car were the words 'Crystal Mine'. "Wheres the Crystal Mine?" Sally asked, her voice slightly louder now that the danger had passed. Tristina took this to mean it was safe, and quietly wheeled towards the two. "I don't have a clue." Sonic admitted as Tristina joined them.

cupping Sallys hands in his own, Sonic smiled at her. "but we're gonna find out. Lets Juice." "Sonic!" a voice called, making Sonic, Sally, and even Tristina jump. A light blue and beige walrus sporting a deep red utility belt lumbered towards them, followed by a tan rabbit with green eyes as well as a roboticized right arm and both legs. bringing up the rear was a regally dressed coyote in a deep blue uniform with gold buttons and red trim.

"We scoped out Robotniks junkyard, but we couldn't find any old Roboticizer parts." the walrus, who was called Rotor, plowed on. "How'd you guys do?" Right. Mission recap. Tristina thought, forcing the thoughts and emotions the old roboticized hedgehog had stirred in Tristina to the back for now. "Not much better I'm afraid." Sally admitted, shaking her head. "Except that..."

"We found my Uncle Chuck!" Sonic interrupted, clearly unable to contain the news any longer. Bunnie cupped Sonic's hands in her own. "Oh Sonic that is so excitin'!" She said in a oddly nurturing way. "Yeah, where is he?" asked Rotor, smiling as well. "We saw him board a train headed for the Crystal Mine." Tristina supplied, taking this chance to join the conversation.

"Where is this Crystal of Mine?" Antione asked, scratching his head. "That way." said Sonic, pointing the direction the train had left in. "Well," said Sally in a resigned tone. "We'd better start walking." "Hey guys!" Rotor called, walking towards the edge of the platform. "Heres our ride to the mine." Tristina looked to see he was pointing to a train similar to the one Sonic's Uncle had boarded.

Switching back to spider mode, Tristina quietly followed Sonic, Sally and Bunnie down towards the train car. as Rotor and Antione were about to follow, two laser blasts barely missed them. "Incoming!" Rotor shouted, turning to see who had fired the shots. Tristina helped her friends onto the train car before turning to help Rotor and Antione.

"Eh, perhaps it is time to fly from the coop yes?" jabbered Antione as Tristina gave him and Rotor a little boost onto the car before clambering on herself. Taking a seat behind Sally, Tristina watched as the door closed on the swatbots and began to move forward. as the Freedom fighters let out a collective sigh of relief, Tristina willed her racing heart to slow before looking at the back of Sallys head.

"Princess," Tristina said quietly as Sonic made sure Bunnie, Rotor, and Antione were 'cool'. "While we were on the run from the swatbots, I noticed a odd bit of script in one of Robotmiks towers." Tristina said in low voice as the others settled into a uneasy silence. "What did it say?" Sally asked, turning around to look at Tristina.

"I couldn't read most of it, since it was going so fast." Tristina admitted. "but I did notice it contained the word "Knothole"" Tristina frowned as Sally gave a start at this. "Robotnik must be probing for the location again. Could you tell in which direction this 'script' was headed?" Sally asked, worry lines now crowding her brow.

Tristina nodded. "towards Robotniks junk yard. I was thinking while you guys were retrieving Sonics Uncle..." "That you could investigate this bit of data you found." Sally finished, frowning. "I don't like you being in the city on your own, Tiff."

Tristina smiled knowingly before replying "Princess, I wouldn't necessarily be 'on my own'. Rotor installed a communication button on my wheelchair a few days ago. I would allow me to keep in touch with you through Nichole." "Sally," Rotor interrupted, upon hearing his name. "I was meaning to tell you. While we were scouting the junk yard, Antione said he spotted a large green tower near the border. it looked recently built, not like the other buildings in Robotropolis."

"Then its settled." said Sally, nodding. "Tristina, you investigate this tower while Sonic, Rotor, Bunnie, Antione and I save Uncle Chuck." "That sound okay, blue?" Tristina asked, bringing the hedgehog into the conversation. "Past cool Tiff," said Sonic, giving Tristina his signature thumbs up. "be mondo careful." "You too, Sonic." Tristina said as she felt the train begin to slow.

"Oh, and Tristina?" Tristina looked to Sally as her name left the Princess's lips. "Thanks for saving us earlier." Tristina smiled knowingly as the train came to a complete stop.