#and the helicopter was at fault for not having the correct aircraft in sight

[bereft-of-frogs]

Oh my god. Once again Reddit has better information that…apparently the president of the United States. If you need any more reason to cut everything this man says out of your life, it is the abhorrent tweets I just saw. Imagine having the worst day at your job humanly possible, and then seeing the most powerful man in the nation blame you for it. What the fuck is wrong with him. What a cruel person

R/aviation mods are absolute champions for reporting the facts and scrubbing any conspiracy theories. What a devastating few weeks for civil aviation

[thetravelersjournal]

Gear Foxx- Chapter 4

Bogus (Sonic) Colors!

I tugged at the thumbless brown gloves I had borrowed from the Freedom Fighter’s luggage. Sneaking onto their plane had been hard enough, what with them packing their bags into the aircraft, other random Mobians watching their progress, and Mina, who kept trying to persuade me to stay in Knothole. I hadn’t even had to explain to her what my plans were- it was like she knew what I was going to do as soon as it was announced that Sonic and the others were going to The Hidden City. Thankfully, everyone’s attention was torn away from the plane when dazzling bright lights started coruscating through the royal reliquary windows.

“Whatever that was, it helped me sneak in here unnoticed,” I thought as I tried shifting my good leg between a few trunks. The plane flew rather smoothly, and I barely felt any turbulence. I could probably fall asleep, if it weren’t for the baggage crushing my tail.

I slid my tail forward, freeing it from its confines. I stared at the roof of the jet, collecting my thoughts. I remembered seeing the city in what little leftover memories I had of this world from The Human, and if I was correct, they may have information about Dr. Cain there. After all, Robotnik had to have come from somewhere, and I doubt him and Dr. Cain shared names by simple coincidence. It was a shot worth taking, at any rate.

The plane ride took hours, and eventually, having little to entertain myself with, I fell asleep. By the time I had woken up, the roar of the engines was gone, and I was covered in a layer of sweat.

“I have a bad dream or something?” I wondered out loud, sitting up and moaning from the stiffness in my back. Before I could even begin to recollect my dream, however, a scream rang directly into my ears as a flash of pink darted out of my vision.

“Amy? What’s wrong?” I heard Sal (or rather, Sally, according to Mina) say.

“You mind not yelling in my ear?” I groaned, my cover already blown.

“Who eez zis?” a brown, French-sounding coyote in soldiers uniform asked.

“The name’s Gear. Yours?”

“My name eez Antoine, but zat eez not what I was ask-” he began, but Sally cut him off.

“I remember you… you helped us fight those Swatbots as we were running toward Knothole.”

A voice matching the high-pitched scream I heard resonated from the floor. I peeked over some luggage to see a familiar looking pink hedgehog say, “I remember you too! You saved me and Nate from those Swatbots back in the city!”

I looked at her curiously. “Um… do I know you? Because I recall saving someone who looked a lot younger than you…,” I inquired.

“Oh! T-that is, uh…” she stammered.

“How did’yah get on board, sugah?” a southern-accented female rabbit said from behind Sally. I noticed her legs and left arm were encased in metal machinery.

“Well, uh… I heard you guys were going to some hidden city, so I thought I’d hitch a ride…,” I trailed off.

“What, did you think we were going on a picnic?” Sally piped in, anger seeping into her voice, “None of us know what kind of danger lurks in the city. You-”

I spoke over her. “I can take care of myself. I didn’t hop on board not thinking there was danger.”

Nate suddenly came from behind Sally. “We’ll just have to bring him along for now. Come, or Sonic and Tails will get impatient.”

Sally looked at me a bit longer before sighing and following behind Nate. I removed my appendages from the pile of luggage while stretching my legs- it had been a long flight. I grabbed the crutches I had brought along with me and followed the rest of the group.

We boarded a minecart, with tracks extending far off into a long dark cavern. A biplane soared over our heads, gliding down the length of the tunnel. Looking back, I could see the faint haze of twilight at the cave’s entrance. I glanced at the others as the cart flew down the railway.

“So… I never did catch the rest of your names,” I said, hoping to get on good terms with the others.

The pink hedgehog did a sort of curtsy (which was an amazing feat, considering the small amount of space the cart offered) and replied, “I’m Amy Rose, Sonic’s sweetheart!”

“...Right,” I responded.

“And mah name is Bunnie Rabbot!” the cyborg rabbit said.

“Oui, and my name eez Antoine D'Coolette, pleased to be meeting your acquaintances,” Antoine chimed in.

Bunnie glanced over at him. “Yah already gave him your name, sugah-t’wan.”

“I’m Princess Sally Acorn, but I’d prefer if you just called me Sally,” Sally said, confirming what Mina had told me.

“And last but not least, I am Nate Morgan. A pleasure to meet you- Gear, you said?” Nate asked.

“Yep, that’s my name. Gear Foxx.”

Suddenly, the cart stopped, pushing everyone towards the front. “It appears we are here,” Nate said, hopping out. The biplane landed a short distance away as Sonic and a young yellow-orange fox, which I could only assume was the Tails that Nate had mentioned earlier, jumped out to join our group.

“Welcome, Freedom Fighters,” Nate continued as the rest of us made our way out of the cart and to a small opening that he was standing near, “To The Hidden City of the Ancients!”

The tunnel opened up into a large cavern that held an enormous city in its bowels. Lights shone across the many skyscrapers that traveled to each end of the cave. I gasped in disbelief, the rest of the Freedom Fighters following suit. The sight was amazing. What weirded me out was that, even though I was pretty sure we were in a cave, the moon could still be seen illuminating the city.

Nate led us down from the entrance to the city streets below. Humans stared at us as we walked past, unable to believe what they were seeing. A slight uneasiness washed over me. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to come here after all.

As if to affirm my suspicions, a squadron of police cars and a few helicopters converged on our location. Their blaring lights blinded me, the bright noise of the sirens filling my ears. My muscles tensed up as I gripped my crutches tightly, ready for action.

A voice from within the police copter rang out through a megaphone attached to its side. “Place your hands above your heads and don’t make any sudden moves!” it shouted.

Nate quickly ran up to who appeared to be the chief officer, who seemed to recognize him immediately.

“It’s my old pal Nate Morgan! At ease officers- I recognize this guy!” The other soldiers reluctantly lowered their weapons. I held in my sigh of relief, just in case.

“What brings you back to town after all these years, old-timer?” the chief continued, “And what's with the pets?”

I looked angrily up at the officer. “Pet? You want to say that again to my face?” I growled.

Every cop within earshot looked at me with amazement. “You can speak?” the chief sputtered.

“Yeah, and so can you. You trying to call me stupid?” I asked loudly, taking a step forward.

A hand held me back. I turned to see Nate holding onto my shoulder. “I’d appreciate it if you let me handle things from here, my friend,” he said calmly.

I huffed angrily before taking a gulp of air and apologizing, “My bad. I just hate that word, s’all.” I stepped behind Nate and let him continue his conversation with the officer, Sally joining in. I glared at the other humans that were passing by, all of whom were astonished at my fluency in English. I sighed. And just to think, a few days prior I was a human, at least, partly.

Nate and Sally finished their conversation with the lieutenant, and a few of the police officers quickly led us to a hotel near the heart of the city. Sonic raced back to the plane to gather everyone’s luggage, and was waiting for us by the time we got there. After we finally got to the hotel room, most of the freedom fighters hit the hay. Having already taken a nap before getting here, I wasn’t tired in the slightest.

I peered out the window of the suite me, Nate, and Antoine shared at the city below. It was beautiful in its own way, distinctively different from Knothole’s own stunning beauty. Stars twinkled down on the citizens in the streets below, shifting their walks into midnight dances. I heard the soft tap of a cane behind me.

“What was with that outburst earlier, Gear?” Nate asked me.

“Well…,” I sighed, not tearing my gaze from the window, “I don’t know, honestly. Just, when he called us pets… it was like taking a shot to the stomach.”

My eyes crossed so I could see Nate standing behind me in the window. His features looked even more tired and grey in the glass. He observed me thoughtfully, his face growing sad.

“Perhaps that is my fault… I should have warned you that the humans here are not familiar with Mobians,” he said.

“No, it’s not your fault… I shouldn’t have gotten mad like that. Guess I just have a quick temper,” I put a hand to my face, stroking the muscles on my forehead, “Besides, you guys are here on freedom fighter business, aren’t you? I was making a fool of myself and you guys by getting in the way.”

Silence filled the room for a few moments, only interrupted by Sonic’s snores next door. “Actually, I have yet to ask why you are here, my friend. You must have had some reason for stowing away on the plane,” Nate questioned me.

I didn’t reply. I wasn’t really sure what I should say. Would he view me any differently if I told him what I was? And even if he didn’t, I felt like this was my own problem, not his.

Nate must have taken my silence as an answer, because he started to turn to walk away. I swiftly twisted my head to look at him. “Hey,” I said, catching his attention, “Have you ever heard of the name Dr. Cain Kintobor?”

Nate turned and looked back to me. “No, can’t say I have. Is he related to Robotnik by any chance?”

I figured this would be his response, but I still sighed as I shifted my gaze back to the window. “That remains to be seen.” I got up from the windowsill, grabbed a crutch and limped to the door. I picked up a map lying on a desk next to it. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be…,” I inspected the map closely, “...At the Station Square Library.”

“Is it really a good idea to be wandering out all by yourself in your condition?” Nate called out quietly behind me, so as not to wake Antoine.

“Please- Sally and Sonic both know I’m perfectly capable of handling things by my lonesome. I’ll be fine,” I whispered loudly back before closing the door.

“It's got to be here somewhere…,” I sighed, lifting another book off the shelf and bringing it back to the table I was occupying. A few humans looked at me strangely as I staggered past, but I ignored them. It had been a full day and a half since I had first hobbled into the library, and I was no closer on finding any information pertaining to Dr. Cain. I lazily poured through a book titled History of Station Square, looking for at least some mention of the doctor. About five minutes passed before I realized I had been rereading the same paragraph over and over again.

“Gosh, I need a nap,” I complained loudly, earning a “Shh!” from the librarian. It was my own fault, of course, since I hadn’t gone back to the hotel once since I got here. The only time I left the library at all was just to grab a quick bite to eat, using some of the money that Nate had given me when we had first entered our hotel room. I looked up at the ceiling, wondering if I should head back.

“Gear?” I heard a voice behind me say.

I turned to find Nate and Sally standing over me, Nate holding a gigantic book in his hands.

“What’s-,” I paused to yawn, “-up?”

Sally looked at me with annoyance. “We’ve been looking all over for you! Where have you been?” she asked.

“Uh… here. I told Nate I would be here if anyone needed me.” I turned to Nate wearily.

“Yes, but I had assumed that you would have returned to the hotel at some point… I didn’t think that you would be staying here through the night,” he explained.

“What can I say? I’m dedicated,” I stretched, yawning again, “Though I suppose I could do with a nap.”

“Did Amy come through here?” Sally asked, concerned.

I noticed the seriousness in her voice. “No, why? You can’t find her either?”

Sally shook her head. “I’ve sent Antoine and Bunnie out looking for her, but I had been hoping the two of you were together.”

“No, I’ve been in here the whole time, and I haven’t seen her once.”

Sally looked at the book I was reading. “Doing homework?” she asked.

I grinned, the exhaustion in my face showing, “You could say that. Guess I just wasn’t paying attention to the time.”

“Did you happen to come across anything relating to a being called Chaos?” Nate inquired.

“Not that I can remember specifically, sorry,” I said thoughtfully.

Sally looked back at Nate. “Then I guess we have some homework of our own to do.” She turned back to me, “Why don’t you go back to the hotel Gear? You look like you’re ready to pass out.”

“Waaaaay ahead of you,” I said, giddiness starting to creep into my system, “But after I help you guys find whats-its. Three heads are better than one, right?”

“We may have already found something,” said Nate, heaving the book onto the table. The book was worn, probably due to its extreme age, but was surprisingly well kept and untouched. Nate opened the book and flipped through its contents.

“This book appears to be older than The Hidden City itself,” Nate continued, “and contains information written in an ancient language.”

“Yeah, if you call English an ancient language,” I argued, “Hmm… Perfect Chaos?”

“Wait, Gear, can you read this?” Sally asked me unexpectedly.

“Huh? Yeah, I can read it, can’t you?” I lowered my voice uncertainly. I looked back at the book. I understood every word on the page perfectly, but the closer I looked, the more I realized that what I was reading wasn’t English. How could I read something without knowing the language I was reading in?

Before anyone could say anything else, a robotic voice rang out softly near Sally. I looked down to see a small handheld computer in her hand. “It would appear that Gear can read ‘Old Echidnaese’, Princess Sally. This language has been extinct for approximately 900 years,” it electronically chimed.

Sally and Nate looked at me perplexed, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders in response. “Do you think you could translate for us Gear?” Sally asked.

“Uh… sure, why not?” I leaned over towards the book, “Let’s see… a tribe of echidnas settled in a nearby valley… something about fights between them and another clan, that may not be important… oh, here, the native inhabitants of the land, called- Chao?- worshipped an entity entirely made of water called Perfect Chaos… Chaos attacked the tribe, but the Chao absorbed Chaos and turned into seven Super Emeralds… each of which spread in different directions across the globe.”

Nate turned to Sally in shock. “I found one of the Emeralds years ago and used it to forge the Ring of Acorns, whose energies now infuse Amy Rose!” he exclaimed.

“Wait, what? Am I missing something here?” I gave the two a perplexed look.

Sally ignored me, continuing Nate’s line of thought, “If Robotnik is reviving Chaos, he probably plans to use Amy’s energy to help him!”

“Yep, definitely missing something,” I sighed.

Sally got up, pushing past me. “Gear! You head back to the hotel. Me and Uncle Nate need to find Antoine and Bunnie and tell them about what Robotnik could be planning!” She darted out of the library, followed closely behind by Nate.

“Er… you’re welcome,” I paused before saying, “Wait, Uncle? But he’s a- ah, forget it.” I yawned and grabbed my crutch. Might as well get a good night’s sleep before trying again in the morning.

The very next day, I was at the library again, doubling my efforts to find any useful information.

“Back again, are we?” asked the librarian as I walked in, too used to my presence to involuntarily gasp at the sight of me.

“Yep. Hopefully a good night’s rest can help my search go by quicker,” I said.

“You know, I noticed all the books you were looking at. Are you looking for a specific event from the past?”

I was surprised by her powers of intuition. “Yeah, you could say that. You read anything about a man named Kintobor?”

The librarian shook her head, “No, can’t say I have. But If you’re looking to delve into the ancient past, perhaps even before the creation of this city,” she pointed to a section of shelves at the far back right of the library, “Over there would probably be your best bet at finding him.”

“It’s a start. Thanks!” I hurried over to end of the library, excited about this new lead.

A full four hours later and I was no further than I had started. I moaned, pulling another book off the shelf called, Days of Fury. I leafed through it, not expecting to find anything relevant. My eyes paused on the sentence, “A research team, headed by Dr. Ivan Kintobor, captured the leader of the alien race, in hopes to understand the biology of the creature”.

I jumped out of my chair, ignoring the pain in my leg. I read a little deeper into the page, eating its contents.

While the passage didn’t name Dr. Cain specifically, it talked about Ivan quite a bit, saying that his actions unwittingly caused an alien race called the Xorda to come down and wipe out life on the planet sometime in the year 204X. Before this, humans made shelters deep within the earth, like the city I was in now, to protect themselves.

“204X… but it was 2014 when I escaped the lab! Did I end up in the far future or something? And if so, how far?” I thought to myself. I leaned back in my chair, more questions rising in my mind.

“Dr. Ivan Kintobor… just what relation are you to Cain?”

The questions roared in my mind like a tidal wave of water, and I sat forward in my chair, absentmindedly peering out the giant window in front of me. As people walked down the street, I tried clearing my mind of- No, wait- the people running down the street.

“What the…?” I said, before spotting the giant wall of water that was ripping through the streets, lifting people up off their feet and-

-Heading straight for the library.

“Oh crap,” I muttered weakly as screams began to resonate from between the bookshelves.

Read the Beginning!- Prologue

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Gear and Dr. Cain belong to me.

Nate Morgan, Sally, Sonic, Mina, and others belong to SEGA, Archie(?) or Ken Penders.