Healing Hearts
Chapter Eleven

The Canyons...

The robot stood just a few feet from Austin and Sally, it's crimson eyes glowing. Austin suppressed a shiver. This bot was even more imposing than the Stealth Bots.
"Talk to me, Sally," he said. "What are we up against here?"
"Metal Sonic," Sally said. "His design was based on Sonic. See that turbine engine in the center? It allows him to attain incredible speeds. He also has rocket thrusters to give him more of a boost and flight."
"So Robotnik decided to fight fire with fire," Austin said. "Boy, do I know that feeling all too well."
"What," Sally asked.
"I'll explain later," he said. "Right now, I need to know, how tough is this guy?"
"Pretty tough," Sally said, glancing over at Metal Sonic. "Certainly tougher than Swat Bots and the Stealth Bots."
Austin nodded. "Wonderful."
Metal, meanwhile, scanned his targets, analyzing them.
"PRINCESS SALLY. LEADER OF THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS. PRIORITY TARGET." His gaze shifted to Austin. "TARGET: UNKNOWN. THREAT ASSESSMENT: UNKNOWN."
"The name's Austin," he replied. "As for the threat assessment, allow me to show you."
Drawing his sword, he took up a fighting stance.
"TARGET NOW IDENTIFIED. OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE."
"Metal! Belay that," Robotnik's voice erupted from Metal's speakers. "I want them both taken alive! Do you hear me? Alive!"
"NEW ORDERS RECIEVED. OBJECTIVE: CAPTURE TARGETS."
Metal charged at Austin. The Edenian warrior stood his ground. Just as Metal got close, he swung his sword....through air!
"What," Austin exclaimed.
Metal was nowhere in sight. Then something hit him from behind. Austin careened forward but quickly regained his footing. He whirled, bringing his weapon around to strike. Metal dodged the blow. Austin followed up the attack, slashing at the robot. Metal brought both hands up and grabbed the blade, halting the strike.
"Not bad," Austin said, pressing forward with all his strength. "You're definitely fast. And strong."
Metal held the blade at bay. He strained against Austin as the Edenian attempted to overpower him. For a moment, both were locked in a battle of strength. Then, with a savage twist, Austin freed the sword from Metal's grip. The robot staggered slightly, giving Austin a chance to strike. His fist flashed with energy and he struck, landing a solid hit on Metal. The robot hedgehog flew several feet and then halted his flight. Regaining his footing, he fired up his thrusters and flew at Austin.
Austin braced himself and raised his sword defensively. Metal closed in and struck with his sharp claws. There was a CLANG and sparks flew as the claws hit the blade. Both robot and Edenian moved fast, each striking, each countering the other's attacks. Off to the side, Sally watched the battle. For the moment, both Austin and Metal seemed evenly matched. However, she knew this battle had to be brought to a close soon. With Swat and Stealth bots lurking below, they would be at a disadvantage.

Down below, Snively was also watching the battle. Both Metal and Austin were really going at each other, both of them landing fierce blows. He could here the sounds of metal clanging as the hits landed. It was quite a sight to behold.
"PREPARE TO ENGAGE TARGETS," a Swat Bot said, mustering it's fellow bots.
"Belay that," Snively said, never once looking away from the battle. "Our orders are to secure the emerald. Metal can deal with those two. Keep searching."
The bots resumed their search for the chaos emerald while Snively continued monitoring the battle above. He wondered: Would Metal Sonic triumph over the newest Freedom Fighter?

Austin slid back, kicking up dust, as Metal's attack knocked him backwards. He retaliated with a burst of concussive energy. Metal flailed as the energy waves threw him through the air. He crashed to the ground, but didn't stay down for long.
"Damn," Austin cursed, panting for breath. "What does it take to put this guy down?"
Metal approached him and then halted.
"YOU ARE QUITE STRONG. I HAVE NOT FACED A WORTHY ADVERSARY SINCE SONIC THE HEDGEHOG."
"Don't think compliments are going to help you," Austin said. "I'll admit, though, you're pretty tough yourself. You're by far the second toughest robot I've faced, and I'm not talking about Swats or Stealth Bots."
"I WAS DESIGNED TO BE THE ULTIMATE ROBOT. AND I WILL UPHOLD THAT TITLE...BY ELIMINATING YOU."
He moved faster than Austin was expecting. One second he was a few feet from him and the next he was right in front of him. Metal struck, his clawed hand a blur. Austin gasped as metal claws stabbed into him. A wave of pain hit him and for a moment, he nearly blacked out. Fighting past the pain, he took hold of Metal's arm and, exerting all of his strength, twisted and wrenched it out of the robot's socket. Sparks flew and there was a horrendous screeching sound as the metal appendage tore free. Metal staggered back, staring at the empty space where his arm had been. Austin tossed the severed limb away. Then he collapsed to his knees, pressing his hand against his injury, stemming the flow of blood.
"Austin," Sally yelled. She rushed over and knelt beside him. "Are you okay?"
"Well, I'll be honest," Austin said, gritting his teeth. "This...really hurts."
They glanced up as Metal began advancing on them.
"YOU WILL REGRET YOUR ACTIONS," he said, bringing up his remaining claw.
Austin glanced around, looking for a way out of this. With his injury he wouldn't be able to fly very well or carry Sally. They needed an alternate escape route. He saw that the fight had brought them to a ledge overlooking a large river down below.
"Hang on tight, Sally," he whispered. As Sally grabbed onto him, Austin shouted at Metal. "Well, what are you waiting for, you tin can? Come and get me!"
Metal fired up his thrusters and charged at them. Austin tensed. He would have only one shot at this. Time seemed to slow as Metal closed in. Then, at the last second, Austin brought his sword up. Metal saw the sword blade pointed right at him, but it was too late. His momentum carried him forward and impaled him on the sword. However, he still crashed into Austin and Sally, and all three plummeted over the edge.

Knothole Village...
Back at Knothole, Darren entered Tails' workshop where the young fox was working at his bench.
"Shouldn't you be taking it easy, Tails," Darren asked.
Tails glanced up from his work.
"I was bored," Tails said. "It's no fun when you're bedridden."
"Yeah, but it must be hard to work when your arm's in a sling," Darren pointed out.
Tails scowled. He hated to admit it, but Darren was right. He had been trying to work but couldn't get anything done with his injured arm.
"There you are."
They turned to see Amy enter.
"I suppose you're going to tell me I should be resting, too," Tails said.
"Well, yes, you should be," Amy replied. "But that's not why I'm here. Have either of you seen Sally?"
"Not since Austin left to track down Nack," Darren said. "And speaking of which, is Austin back yet? It's starting to get dark."
"I haven't seen him," Amy said. "I was just on my way to Sally's hut to see if she was there."
"Then lets head over there and see," Darren said. "Maybe Austin got back and they're both there."
They left Tails' workshop and made their way towards Sally's hut. No lights were on inside. Amy walked up the steps and knocked on the door.
"Sally? You in there," Amy said. No answer. "Are you and Austin both in there? Is this a bad time?" Still no answer. "Are you two ignoring me?"
Darren peered in through the window. Then he lept back, yelling in surprise.
"What is it," Tails asked.
"That," Darren said, pointing at the window. Sitting there, staring out at them, was Cream's doll. "That thing startled me. God, it's creepy."
"What's Cream's doll doing in there," Amy wondered. "Something doesn't feel right. Austin's not back and Sally's missing."
"Well, it might have taken Austin longer to track down Nack," Tails surmised. "But that still doesn't explain Sally being M.I.A."
"You'd think if Sally was going to go anywhere, she'd let us know," Amy said.
"Didn't she say she had something else to discuss with everyone when Austin got back," Darren asked. "If that's the case, then I doubt she'd take off."
"Maybe something came up," Tails suggested.
"I don't know," Amy said. "I got a bad feeling, you guys."

The Canyons...
Snively stood near the canyon river's edge. All around him, the Swat Bots and Stealth Bots were combing the area, searching for any signs of Austin, Sally or Metal. After they had fallen over the cliff, he had mobilized the bots and made their way down to this spot to search. So far, there had been no sign of any of them. Snively surmised that they could have been carried off by the river current. As he scanned the area, his com beeped. He sighed, knowing how this was going to go.
"Yes, sir," he answered.
"What's happening there, Snively," Robotnik demanded. "Have you found the chaos emerald?"
"There's no sign of any emerald, sir," Snively replied. "I believe this was nothing more than a wild goose chase. No doubt the Princess' information wasn't entirely accurate."
"So it would seem," Robotnik said. "And speaking of the Princess, is there any sign of her or Austin?"
"None, sir," Snively said, looking around. "We're still searching the area."
"And Metal," Robotnik asked.
"No sign of him either," Snively replied.
Suddenly, something burst out of the river. Snively yelled in surprise and then saw it was Metal. He was missing his right arm and Austin's sword was protruding from the center of his body. The robot staggered onto the shore, sparks spraying from his damaged areas.
"Scratch that, sir," Snively said. "I just located Metal. And he's in need of repairs."
Metal made his way over to Snively. Upon reaching him, the robot took hold of the sword with his remaining arm and yanked it out. Snively winced at the screeching noise the blade made as it came out. Metal then threw it to the ground with, what Snively thought, contempt.
"Glad to see you're still functioning," Snively said. "The emerald's not here. We're heading back to Robotropolis."
"NEGATIVE. I AM PURSUING THE TARGETS."
"Don't be absurd," Snively said. "You're in no condition to do anything."
Metal grabbed Snively and hoisted him off the ground.
"I WILL PURSUE THEM. AND ELIMINATE THEM. THE DAMAGE I SUFFERED IS IRRELEVANT."
"Metal, stand down," Robotnik ordered. "Snively is correct. Report back to Robotropolis immediately for repairs."
Reluctantly, Metal lowered Snively and limped over to one of the transport ships. Snively breathed a sigh of relief. Straightening his shirt, he glanced about the area one more time. He looked down at the sword on the ground. He was almost tempted to pick it up but then changed his mind. What use would a sword be to him or Robotnik? He turned and walked over to the transport, leaving the sword where it lay.

A few moments later, the transports lifted off and left the canyon, making their way back to Robotropolis. Near the river's edge, just under a rocky outcropping where Snively had stood, Sally peered out cautiously. Seeing no one in sight, she turned back to Austin.
"Looks like the coast is clear," she said.
"Good," Austin said, clutching at his wound.
Sally couldn't help but notice he was a bit pale. She saw a dark spot spreading across his shirt.
"Oh, no," she said. "Austin, you're bleeding!"
"I'll...be alright," he said, flinching slightly.
"We need to get you medical attention," she said. "Unfortunately, I didn't bring a med kit."
"Look, I'll be fine," Austin assured her. "I heal pretty fast."
"It may not be fast enough," Sally said. "You're losing a lot of blood."
"If we could cauterize it, that would stop the bleeding," Austin said.
Sally helped him out from their hiding place. They staggered ashore, Austin leaning on Sally, one hand clenching his injury. Desperately, Sally looked around, hoping there might be some firewood around. But, she saw none.
"We have to get you help," Sally said.
"Unfortunately, Knothole is too far on foot," Austin said. "And I can't fly us there. Not in the shape I'm in. Sally..."
"Don't even think about suggesting I go on without you," Sally said. "I'm not leaving you behind."
"Actually," Austin said, "I was gonna suggest we could rest in that cave over there." He pointed and sure enough, there was a cave. "I'm flattered, though."
Together, they made their way to the cave. Once inside, Sally helped Austin to sit. She saw the stain spreading and it worried her. They had to cauterize it and soon. As if reading her thoughts, Austin spoke up.
"I...I have an idea," he said. "I have an ability that generates fire. If I concentrate hard enough, I might be able to conjure up enough to cauterize the wound. It's a bit risky, but, I really don't have any other choice."
Sally nodded. "We'll have to risk it, then." She took his hand in her's and held it. "I'm right here for you."
Austin smiled. He reached down and lifted his shirt, revealing his injury. He placed his hand over it. Then, taking a deep breath, he summoned up his energy and channeled it into his hand. A fiery red light engulfed his hand, lighting up the cave slightly. Sally watched, noticing heat permeating the air. Austin clenched his teeth and Sally heard a searing, crackling sound. She could tell he it was taking everything he had not to scream in pain. Finally, the light dimmed, and faded. Austin lowered his hand, panting and sweating. The wound had been cauterized and the blood flow had stopped. Sally breathed a sigh of relief. Now they wouldn't have to worry about him bleeding to death. Austin leaned back against the cave wall.
"Whew. That...was pleasant," he gasped. "But...at least it worked."
Sally sat beside him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He placed his arm around her shoulder and held her close.
"I was a little worried there," Sally said. "You were losing quite a lot of blood."
"I know this might seem hard to believe," Austin said, "but I've actually had worse injuries than this."
"I do find it hard to believe," Sally said.
She heard a slight growling sound.
"Was that," she asked.
"My stomach," Austin said. "I haven't had anything to eat since this morning."
"And unfortunately we didn’t' bring any food," Sally said. "Although, we didn't expect this to happen."
"That Metal sure is one tough customer," Austin said. "Hopefully I put him out of commission."
"Metal's survived way worse," Sally said. "I doubt we've seen the last of him."
"Next time will be different," Austin vowed. "That metal carbon copy is going down."
"Lets just concentrate on getting through the night," Sally said, shivering slightly.
Austin noticed this. The air was getting slightly cooler. Sitting up, he removed his coat and draped it over her.
"What about you," Sally asked. "Won't you get cold?"
"I'll be alright," he assured her. Placing his arm around her, he pulled her close. "We can keep each other warm."
She smiled and snuggled against him, wrapping his coat around her. They settled back against the wall, and soon drifted off to sleep, the sound of the river outside lulling them into slumber.

Sometime during the night, Sally awoke. It was dark in the cave and she noticed that Austin wasn't next to her. She sat up, and just as she was about to call out to him, a hand covered her mouth. She gave a muffled gasp and in the dim light, saw it was Austin.
"Shhh. We have company," he whispered.
Sally nodded and he removed his hand.
"How many," she whispered.
"I'm not sure," he replied. "Several, I think."
"Bots," she asked, fearing Robotnik's forces had returned to search for them.
"I don't think so," he said. "They don't sound like bots. I think they're Mobians."
Sally hoped they were friendly Mobians. For all she knew, Nack may have scrounged up a gang to come after Austin. But she instantly dismissed that idea. There was no way the weasel could have found them here. Stealthily, they made their way to cave's entrance. Peering out, Sally saw several figures standing near the river. It was too dark to make out their identities, but she could here them talking.
"I'm telling you, someone's been through here."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, I am. I mean, where else did this come from?"
"I think he may be right. I just caught some scents nearby. One is the scent of Snively, Robotnik's lackey."
"What was he doing here? And the others?"
"One is unfamiliar. But I recognize the other. It's Princess Sally."
"Sally? You mean she's been here?"
"I recognize that voice," Sally said. She called out, "Lupe! Is that you?"
The figures all turned in the direction of the cave. "Sally? Lyco, get a light going!"
One figure hunched down. A few sparks flickered and then a torch lit up, revealing six Mobian wolves. Three were female and the other three were males. One of the females, a silver furred she-wolf with black hair, moved towards the cave. Sally stepped out to meet her.
"Sally! It is you," the wolf said.
Sally embraced her. "Lupe. Am I glad to see you."
Lupe stepped back and looked her over. "But, what are you doing here? And why were you in that cave?" She fell silent as she glanced up. She saw Austin standing at the entrance.
"An Overlander," one of the wolves snarled. The others tensed, ready to attack.
"Whoa! Hold on," Sally said. "It's alright! He's a friend!" She turned to Lupe. "Lupe, please."
Lupe held her hand up. "Stand down, all of you. If Sally says he's a friend, then he's not our enemy."
Sally turned back to Austin. "Come on out, Austin. I'd like to introduce you to some friends of mine."
Austin walked over and stood before the gathered Mobians.
"Austin, this is the Wolf Pack," Sally introduced. "This is Lupe, their leader."
Austin held his hand out. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lupe."
Lupe shook his hand.
"And then there are the twins, Lyco and Leeta," Sally indicated the two remaining female wolves. They had pinkish fur and brown hair. They were identical save for the fact one wore blue and the other wore green.
"Then there's Raynar and Diablo," Sally gestured towards two of the male wolves. Both regarded Austin warily, still not entirely convinced about him. Then Sally indicated the last wolf, a hulking bruiser of a wolf with lite-blue fur. "And finally, Canus. I know he seems intimidating, but he's a gentle giant."
Canus blushed and shuffled his feet.
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Austin said. "My name is Austin. And any friends of Sally...is a...friend...of..."
He suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"Austin," Sally exclaimed. She knelt down and checked on him.
"Is he alright," Lupe asked, kneeling down to check as well. She placed her hand on his forehead. "He's burning up! And he looks very pale!"
"He lost a lot of blood from an injury earlier," Sally explained.
"He needs medical attention," Lupe said. "Our camp's not far from here. Canus, can you carry him?"
The large wolf nodded. He leaned down and scooped Austin up as if he weighed nothing.
"Lets go, everyone," Lupe said.
They moved out, following the river. Sally walked beside Lupe, glancing back now and then at Austin.
"Don't worry," Lupe said. "We'll help him."
Sally nodded. "Thank you, Lupe."
"Perhaps you could tell me why you and him were down here in the canyons in the first place," Lupe said.
Sally explained about the plan to root out the spy in Knothole and following up on their trap. She then told Lupe about their encounter with Metal Sonic.
"That monstrosity," Lupe growled. "It's not enough Robotnik built it to harm you and the Freedom Fighters, but he even mocks the memory of Sonic by keeping it around." She looked over her shoulder at Austin. "Your friend sounds like a formidable warrior to stand against Metal Sonic."
Sally nodded. She was also looking back when she noticed Lyco holding something.
"Hey! That's Austin's sword," she said.
"This," Lyco asked. "We found it on the riverbank. I wondered who it might belong to."
"Hold onto it for right now, Lyco," Lupe said. "We'll return it to it's proper owner once he's recovered."
Soon they reached the Wolf Camp. Several other wolves, young and old, occupied the area. They watched as Lupe and her group entered the campsite. One wolf, a large male with brown fur approached them.
"Welcome back, Lupe," he said, embracing her. Then he caught sight of Sally. "Princess Sally? Well, this is an unexpected surprise."
"Hello, Lobo," Sally said. "I wish this visit were under better circumstances, but, my friend is in need of medical attention."
Lobo looked up and saw the unconscious Austin in Canus' arms.
"Is that...an Overlander," Lobo asked.
"He's a friend," Sally said. "Please, Lobo, I'll explain later, but, right now, he needs help." Tears coursed down her face.
"Alright, alright, Sally," Lobo said. "We'll help him. Canus, take him to the healer's tent."
Canus nodded and made his way towards the tents. Sally followed after him.
"Any idea what that was about," Lobo asked Lupe. "Did you see how upset she was?"
"I get the feeling there's something going on between them," Lupe said. "Call it woman's intuition."
Lobo nodded. He trusted his wife's observations. "Well, let's go and see what we can do for them."
Both he and Lupe went after Sally.

The healer of the wolf pack was ancient. Her fur was silver-grey, and her hair was snow white. She knelt by Austin, examining his injury and feeling his forehead.
"Hmmnnn," she murmured. "A nasty wound, this. And a terrible fever." She peered closer. "Quite pale, too. Skin also burning with fever."
"Can you help him," Sally asked.
"Dear child," the healer replied, "I have helped many over my long years. I have cured many ailments and this one will be no different." She glanced at Sally and smiled knowingly. "He means the world to you, am I right?"
"How did...Yes. He does," Sally replied.
The old wolf nodded. "Many years of experience have I gained. I know about many things besides medicine."
She began mixing several liquids together in a small bowl. Then she sprinkled some herbs in. As she did this, Lupe and Lobo entered the tent.
"Ah, good evening, Chieftain," the healer greeted, never once looking up from her mixing bowl.
Lupe sat next to Sally and Lobo remained standing. They watched as the healer continued mixing the contents in the bowl. Suddenly, Austin moaned and began shivering.
"Oh, no," Sally said.
"Calm yourself, little Princess," the healer said. "There is time yet." She glanced up at Lobo. "Would you mind holding him steady, Chief? We don't want to spill any medicine."
Lobo knelt down and placed strong hands on Austin, trying to hold him still.
"He's burning up," Lobo gasped.
"Then let's fix that, shall we," the healer said. Scooting closer, she opened Austin's mouth and placed the bowl against his lips. Carefully, she poured the liquid down his throat. After the last drop disappeared, she moved the bowl away.
"That will help with the fever," she said. "Now, let's treat that wound. Oh, you can let go now, Chief."
Lobo released his hold and stood back. Everyone watched as the healer cleaned Austin's wound. Then she applied a salve and bandaged it up. Wiping her hands on a cloth, the old healer nodded in satisfaction.
"This one will be just fine," she said, smiling at Sally. "He is strong, in body and spirit. See? Already, he has stopped shivering."
Sure enough, Austin was lying still, his breathing returning to normal. Sally had to admit, his color was slightly better than before.
"A good night's rest and some food on the morrow and he'll be right as rain," the healer said.
"Oh, thank you," Sally said, tears in her eyes.
"Come now, you two," the healer said, addressing Lupe and Lobo. "This warrior needs his rest. The Princess can keep vigil over him."
Lupe and Lobo stood up. "Will you be alright, Sally?"
"I'll be fine, Lupe," Sally said. "Now that Austin's going to be alright."
Lupe nodded. "I'll check back in with you later. Let me know if you need anything."
Sally nodded. She barely noticed when they left. She leaned down and kissed Austin's forehead. It felt cooler now. The medicine had already begun working. Exhausted, she lay down, resting her head on Austin's chest.

Outside the tent, Lupe peered through the flap. She watched Sally for a moment and then turned towards Lobo and the healer.
"It seems my intuition was correct," she said. "Sally seems to care deeply for this Overlander."
The healer cackled. "Overlander? Nay, Lupe. That one is no Overlander."
Lupe and Lobo glanced at the old wolf.
"How do you know this, old one," Lobo asked.
"I've learned how to look beyond mere appearances," the healer replied. "That one may look human, but he is not."
The healer then walked away, disappearing into the night.
"Sometimes I wonder if old age hasn't addled her mind," Lobo said.
"She may seem eccentric," Lupe said, "but there's no denying she is wise. Anyway, I'm sure we'll find out everything in the morning."
Lobo nodded. "You're right."

Robotropolis...
"Unbelievable," Robotnik growled.
He hadn't expected the damages done to Metal to be this bad. He not only had to repair and reattach Metal's arm, but he had to repair the turbine in Metal's chest. That would take a little while.
"No emerald, and Metal took severe damage," Robotnik said. "And no sign of the Princess or her friend."
"Perhaps they didn't make it, sir," Snively said.
"I'm not that lucky," Robotnik lamented. "Well, no matter. Once Metal is repaired, we'll begin our plan to secure the emeralds."
Metal Sonic lay on the slab as the the mechanical arms began the process of reattaching his arm. As he lay there, listening to his creator rant, he was formulating plans of his own. He promised himself that once he was fully functional again, he would find the one called Austin and make him pay for this humiliating defeat. His functional hand clenched as vengeance filled his thought processors.

End of Chapter Eleven...