Healing Hearts
Chapter Fourteen

Austin brought his weapon up just in time to block the steel claws as the now-transformed doll attacked. There was a loud clang and Austin staggered slightly. Then he pushed back, and pressed his attack. The doll screeched and lashed out more, intent on slicing Austin to ribbons.
"I...am...so...sick...of...these...damn...ROBOTS," Austin yelled, hammering at the doll with all his strength.
The doll reared back and the jewel began glowing ominously. The laser fired, but, rather than dodge, Austin stood his ground and a wall of crimson flames surrounded him. The beam struck the fiery field, only to disperse upon contact, leaving Austin unharmed.
Screeching with fury, the doll attempted to attack with it's claws again. Austin moved fast, countering the claw strikes, metal screeching as the doll's attacks hit, causing sparks to fly. Then, moving in under the next swipe, Austin slashed upwards. The doll screeched as it's arm separated from it's body and crashed to the ground.
"I'm going to hack you to pieces," Austin said.
He charged at the doll, blade flashing in the sunlight.

Sally watched the battle. She was worried Austin might push himself too hard and cause his injury to act up. Yet he seemed to be just fine and was going strong. Truly Edenian constitutions were quite strong. She watched as he continued his assault on the doll. Austin wasn't playing around. He was attacking the doll ferociously, and then, the doll lost a leg. The robot stumbled and used it's remaining arm to steady itself. Austin had it on the ropes.

As the doll stumbled, Austin moved in, determined to finish the fight. The doll shrieked at him and fired it's laser. Austin dodged, moved in, and plunged his sword into the doll's torso. It jerked and spasmed as the blade sank into it's innards. Then Austin withdrew his sword and stepped back as the doll collapsed to the ground.
"Serves you right," he said.
At that moment, everyone arrived on the scene. Amber, Darren, Tails, Amy, Rotor, Antoine, and Bunnie halted just a few feet from Austin and the fallen doll.
"What the heck is that," Amy asked, looking at the doll.
"That is, or rather, was, our little spy," Austin replied.
"The doll," Tails gasped. "How'd it get so big?"
"Don't know," Austin said, shrugging. " Doesn't matter, though. It's dead."
Suddenly, metallic tentacles erupted from the doll. They surged forward and seized Austin. The Edenian yelled out in surprise as he was hauled up into the air. As the tentacles swung him around, Austin lost his grip on his sword. The blade landed on the ground.
"Austin," Amber called out. She turned to the others. "Hurry! We have to help him!"
Drawing her own sword, Amber charged, followed by Darren and Amy. As they neared, the doll's tentacles shot out ensnared them. Amber struggled in the doll's grip, trying to bring her sword down on the metal tentacle. Then she screamed as a surge of electricity zapped her and the others. Satisfied, the doll turned it's attention to the struggling Austin. It pinned him to the ground and leaned in close, bringing it's face close, almost leering.
"Oh, you're just enjoying this, aren't you," Austin said.
The doll brought up another tentacle and the tip sharpened. The doll then positioned the tentacle just inches from Austin's face and prepared to stab, when...
SCREECH!
Austin watched as the doll's head separated from it's body. The head fell to the ground, it's body collapsing along with it. The tentacle holding him slackened and released him. Austin looked up and saw Sally standing over the fallen bot, holding his sword.
"Whoa! Sally," Austin exclaimed.
Sally panted, lowering the sword, the adrenaline wearing off.
"T-That sword is really heavy," she gasped.
Austin smiled as he got up. He walked over to Sally and embraced her.
"And here you said you'd never wield a sword," he said.
Sally laughed and hugged him back. Then they let go and went to check on their friends. Tails, Rotor, Antoine, and Bunnie were already there, and were helping Amber, Darren and Amy to their feet. Amy rubbed her head.
"Man. I was all set to smash that thing to bits," she griped.
"Those tentacles were a surprise," Darren said. "And the electric shock."
"At least everyone's alright," Amber said. "Robotnik certainly knows how to make some vile robots." She kicked away a limp tentacle near her feet. "I'll confess, I'm actually looking forward to stopping that madman."
At that moment, Vanilla and Cream arrived. They came to a halt as they saw the fallen robot.
"Oh, my goodness," Vanilla gasped. "Where did that monstrosity come from?"
"Believe it or not," Austin said, "that's the doll."
"That thing," Vanilla said. "How is that possible?"
Rotor knelt down next to the machine and examined it.
"Hm. If I had to guess," he said, "it appears to be some form of bio-technology."
"Rotor, we're not all familiar with tech terms," Amy said. "What does that mean?"
"Simply put," Rotor replied, "this robot was created using organic materials and machine parts."
"In other words," Amber said, "it's like a living machine?"
"Something like that," Rotor said. "It was able to compress itself, making it seem smaller and harmless than it actually was." He reached into the bot's innards and pulled out some of it's components. "I think I'll study some of this. If I can figure out this technology, it might prove useful against Robotnik."
"I just can't believe that doll was actually a robot," Vanilla said. "It looked so harmless."
"Appearances can be deceiving," Amber said.
"This is all my fault," Cream sobbed. "I found that doll and brought it here. Everyone almost got killed because of me."
"Hey, hey, c'mon now," Austin said. "Don't say that, Cream. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know, none of us knew. This is Robotnik's fault."
Cream sniffled, her gaze lowered. Sally came over and knelt down in front of her.
"Cream, no one's blaming you," she said gently. "And no one's upset with you either. Austin's right. The real blame lies with Robotnik. I think I should tell you something. Robotnik had tried to make us think you were spying on us."
Cream looked up, her eyes widened in surprise.
"He...he did," she asked.
Sally nodded. "That's right. That just shows how low he's willing to sink to destroy us. But none of us believed for a second that it was true." She smiled at Cream. "We would never believe such a thing. We care about you, Cream. Everyone here does. And we're not going to blame you for something Robotnik was responsible for. Now, dry those tears, and show me a smile."
Cream wiped her eyes and smiled. Then she hugged Sally. Behind her, she heard Austin sniffle. Standing up, Sally turned back to the others.
"Well, now that we've dealt with the spy, we should probably do something with what's left of it," she said, indicating the remains.
Amy stepped forward, hammer in hand.
"Allow me," she volunteered.
"Hold on just a second, Amy," Austin said. "Hey, Rotor? Do you think this thing's recording device is still working?"
"Hm. Let's see," Rotor said. He picked up the head and checked it out. "Looks like it's surveillance equipment is functioning."
"Perfect," Austin said. "Now, I need you help with something. I'll also need one of your explosives and a video camera."
"Just what exactly are you up to," Sally asked.
Austin grinned, a slightly malicious smile.
"You'll see," he said.

Robotropolis...
Snively stood nearby, watching as Robotnik eyed the severed head of Metal Sonic. For several long moments, the Doctor had been quiet. Snively had expected his boss to explode with righteous fury, cursing his enemies and swearing oaths of revenge. Yet he hadn't. Snively found the silence even more nerve racking than the yelling. When Robotnik was like this, you never knew what to expect. He came to attention as Robotnik stirred.
"Alas, poor Metal," Robotnik sighed. "However, he got what he deserved. Mark this incident well, Snively. Anyone who disobeys or betrays me, will suffer for it."
"Yes, sir," Snively replied. "So, then I take it you're not going to rebuild Metal?"
"Oh, I intend to, Snively," Robotnik said. "Though I think I'll design him differently this time around." He tossed Metal's head to Snively. "Put that in the trash heap. I'll start from scratch."
"Yes, sir," Snively said.
Just as he was retrieving the head, something crashed through the window. Both Snively and Robotnik looked up and saw something roll across the floor. Snively retrieved the object and saw it was the head of the doll that had been spying for them.
"Um, sir," he said, presenting the head to his boss, "we seem to have another problem."
Robotnik stared at the head. The robot's eyes were lifeless and just stared blankly at it's creator.
"So, our little spy was discovered," Robotnik said. "I figured it would be a matter of time before this happened."
He frowned. There was a note attached to the robot's head. Robotnik took the note and read it. It only had two words: Play Me. Robotnik activated the robot's recording device and then Austin's voice could be heard.
"What's up, Doc? Nice try with your little toy. And by the way, using Cream to tote your spy around, that's very low. So, we're sending your robot back to you. And just to let you know, we're aware of your search for the Chaos Emeralds. No matter what, we won't let you get your hands on them. Your time is coming soon, Robotnik. Mobius will be free."
The recording cut out as the message ended. Robotnik remained silent for a moment and then let out an enraged snarl.
"The nerve of him," he growled. "And how did they find out about the emeralds?"
"Perhaps they have a spy of their own, sir," Snively suggested.
"If that's the case," Robotnik said, "then someone around here is going to pay dearly. I..."
He fell silent as a sound caught his attention. It was a beeping sound. He glanced around and realized it was coming from the head of the robot. He checked it and saw a small flat device attached to it. The device was beeping and a timer was counting down. Robotnik reacted quickly and tossed the head across the room just in time. There was a loud explosion as the device went off. Smoke filled the air, choking Robotnik and Snively.
"They'll pay for this," Robotnik raged.
"Yes, sir," Snively hacked. “Duely noted.”
“I never imagined I could loathe someone as much as the Hedgehog,” Robotnik growled.

Outside, in the air, Austin watched, pointing the camera at Robotnik's command center. After he had all he needed, he turned and flew away back towards Knothole Village.

Knothole Village...
"Wait for it," Austin said. "And...there!"
Everyone watched the video as the explosive went off in the command center.
"Whoo! I wish I could've seen Robotnik's face when that explosive went off," Amy laughed.
"I don't condone such tactics," Amber said. "Still, it is kind of funny."
"It was just a low powered explosive," Rotor explained. "We used up our stronger ones at the factory. This one wouldn't be strong enough to kill someone."
"I want to see Robotnik stopped," Austin said, "but I won't resort to anything like that. No, this was just to send him a message. He's going down."

With everything settled down, Sally had called a meeting to discuss the situation regarding the Chaos Emeralds.
"By now," she began, "Austin and Darren know what the emeralds are. But, Amber, you're probably curious to know."
"Yes, I am," Amber said. "I assume they must be very important. And not for monetary value."
Sally nodded. "They're actually a source of unlimited energy. One emerald alone is dangerous enough, but there are seven of them. And in Robotnik's hands they'll be especially dangerous. With them, he could power Robotropolis indefinitely, or increase the power of his robots. Or, even create weapons of mass destruction fueled by chaos energy."
"I see," Amber said. "So they're that powerful. Tell me, Sally. Do these emeralds effect only machines?"
"Actually," Sally said, "they can effect living beings, too. When Sonic was still with us, there was a time when he had gathered all seven emeralds. When he did, the emeralds transformed him into a super form. While in this form, Sonic was faster, stronger and even invincible. It was only temporary, but, there was no denying it was an incredible sight."
Austin whistled. "Those emeralds really are amazing. No wonder Robotnik wants to get his hands on them."
"We have to make sure he doesn't," Sally said.
"Alright, so where are the emeralds," Darren asked.
"Unfortunately, we don't know," Sally said. "You see, the emeralds power, called Chaos Force, is rather erratic and unpredictable. When Sonic used the emeralds, they just flew off in different directions and were lost. As long as Robotnik couldn't find them, then we were content to let them remain lost. But now..."
"Now Robotnik's looking for them," Amber said. "And we can't just let them remain lost."
"So the question now is, how do we find them," Austin asked. "Can they be tracked?"
"They do give off energy signatures if that's what you mean," Rotor said. "But we don't have the right equipment to find them."
"And how much you want to bet Robotnik probably does," Amy said. "Or is working on something to track them."
"So, what's the plan, Sally," Austin asked. "Is there anyway for us to find them?"
"There might be," Sally said. "When we learned about Robotnik's plans, I started thinking on ways the emeralds could be found. Besides certain devices, there are those who can sense the energy of the emeralds."
"There are," Darren asked.
"That's right," Sally said. "And as it is, I know just the one to help us."
"Who," Austin asked.
"His name is Knuckles," Sally replied. "He lives on Angel Island. He comes from a long line of Guardians, who have a connection with the Chaos Force. Because of his heritage, Knuckles has the ability to sense Chaos Emeralds. With his help, we might be able to track them down."
"And he'll help us," Darren asked.
"He's a bit of a recluse," Sally said. "But, yes, he'll help us. He's no fan of Robotnik and I know he'll never let the emeralds fall into his hands."
"Well, what are we waiting for," Amy said. "We should get going."
"Amy, I understand you're anxious to get started," Sally said, "but it's been a long two days for all of us. We'll head out to Angel Island tomorrow. Today, we're going to rest up and recover our strength."
"I agree with her," Amber said. "Austin, you especially need a little more recovery."
"Oh, I don't know," Austin said. "I feel pretty good actually."
"No backtalk, mister," Sally said. "Technically, you are supposed to take it easy one more day."
"She's right," Amber concurred. "You're resting today, and that's that."
"Alright, alright," Austin said. "Just gang up on me, why don't you."
Sally smiled. "We're just concerned, that's all." She turned to Tails. "By the way, Tails, how's your arm doing?"
"No too bad, Sally," Tails replied. "But, I hate having to sit on the sidelines, especially now that the emeralds need to be found."
"I'm sure we can find some way for you to help out," Sally reassured him. "For now, we'll call it a day. Meeting adjourned."

Later that evening, Austin was lounging on Sally's bed, while she was in the shower. With the addition of Amber to the group, Austin had surrendered his hut to his cousin and Darren. Sally had then invited Austin to stay with her.
Sally exited the shower, clad in a lite-blue nightgown, and made her way over to the bed.
"Hey, beautiful," Austin greeted. "Thanks for letting me crash with you."
"No problem," Sally said. She walked over to the bed and sat next to him. "I never knew Darren and Amber were an item."
"Oh, Darren had a huge crush on Amber back when we were kids," Austin said. "For a while, Amber was content to just be friends. But at some point, she fell in love with him. And the rest is history."
Sally lay down beside him. She snuggled against him and he wrapped his arm around her. Leaning in, they kissed, then lay there in each other's arms.
"So, this Knuckles character," Austin said. "What's he like?"
"Hm," Sally said. "He can be temperamental and hardheaded. He and Sonic tended to get in fights." She sighed. "Despite that, however, they knew how to get along when it was necessary. When Sonic died, Knuckles was pretty devastated. We haven't really heard from him since that day."
"So even though they clashed, they were friends," Austin said. "I look forward to meeting him."
"Wait till you see Angel Island," Sally said. "It's quite a sight."
"I can't wait," Austin said.

Tails gazed forlornly at his biplane. He hated the fact it would be a while before he could fly it again. It really sucked to be injured.
"Hey, there."
Tails turned and saw Amy walking over.
"Hey, Amy," he said.
"Why the long face, Tails," Amy asked.
"How am I going to help out with my arm in a sling," Tails said. "I feel useless."
"Hey, c'mon," Amy admonished. "What kind of talk is that?"
"Well, it's true," Tails said.
"Now you listen to me, Miles Prower," Amy said. "You're anything but useless. Your greatest strength has always been your mind and ingenuity. And I know a little thing like your injury isn't going to hinder you. You'll find a way to help us, sling or no sling."
"Wow. Thanks, Amy," Tails said, blushing slightly.
"Anytime," Amy said. Then, without warning, she kissed him on the cheek. "Well, good night."
Tails watched her leave. His hand came up and touched his cheek. Had Amy really just kissed him?
Amy felt her heart pounding as she walked towards her hut. Had she really just kissed Tails? She didn't even know why she had done it. Kindness? Comfort? Or....could it be she was starting to care about Tails as more than just a friend?

Robotropolis...
Snively tossed Metal Sonic's head onto the junk pile and then proceeded to toss the doll's head alongside it. What a waste! Two perfectly good robots decimated. Snively could only hope that once they obtained the emeralds things would turn around. He turned and made his way back to the main compound.
Back at the trash heap, Metal's eyes flickered on. The crimson eyes took in the area and then several wires snaked out of the head. They latched onto the doll's head as well as several other parts and pieces. Slowly, Metal began reconstructing himself. It would take some time, but he would be restored and when he was, he would have his revenge. Revenge against the Freedom Fighters and Robotnik.

End of Chapter Fourteen...