- - ACT 1: Stage 5 (City Hall) || START - -
— Woofa’s Apartment (Downtown District) —
Yawns… “I’m back… guys…?” Solid looks around the apartment, witnessing Tricky and Knuckles watching the basketball game. “... You two aren’t betting, aren’t you-”
“Yes, we are betting. Plus… Knuckles is starting to get really annoyed by my wins.” Tricky smirks and shows off the rings that he has won. “About 5000 rings won from this redhead. He doesn’t know ball-”
“I know that I’m 0-5 against you, but we have 3 more games left! I WILL get all my rings back!” Knuckles remains determined, obviously anticipating at least one win. “Stupid porcupine acting like Sonic… hope I won’t get teamed up against them…” He mutters to himself, letting the porcupine snicker in response to his frustration.
Snickering. “You wanna join in, brother?”
“I’m fine… I’m not too much of a better.” The orange hedgehog calmly responds, looking around the apartment to find where everyone went. “You know where the others are?”
The porcupine grabs the soda can from the table and immediately drinks- BURP!!! “Excuse me… They went to THE Capital District. Amy said she wanted to see some… ‘history’ or something. Historical artifacts…? Otherwise, she went there with Sonic, Tails, and your clingy dog.” Smirking before focusing on the game. “Good luck seeing them.”
Solid walks out of the apartment, closing the door as he walks through the hallways. The hedgehog wondered what he had done over the past few days. He had been part of the team and showed some promise, yet he had been in severe decline in production since the maze messed him up. He knows that it's been a day, but he wishes to do better. For now, he thinks he’s underperforming.
— Eggman’s Base (Capital District) —
“Amy…”
“Amy…”
“AMY!!!”
Once the pink hedgehog opens her eyes, her green eyes meet Woofa’s hazel eyes, witnessing her distressed state. “Woofa… I don’t know what to do…” She looks around the cell, and there is nothing inside but a bunk bed. “We’re stuck here… We got baited.” And worst of all, her hammer was outside the cell, leaving nothing but disappointment.
“Come on, Amy! This isn’t the end just yet!”
“What matters? We’re trapped here. They’ve probably taken us to a cell locked deep inside this… prison where we don’t know where we’re going to escape.” She looks away from her, uninterested in the motivational speech. “That’s all I have to say.”
Still, the dog is determined to keep her motivated, not resorting to an automatic loss. “Please… It’s not over! We have time for-”
“HA!” One of the recruiters bangs on their prison cell ferociously, causing the two to flinch. “Try your best to escape. We have made this place heavily guarded ever since we captured you here. And don’t think we’re playing dumb, the doctor had told all about you two. One dumb decision and you’re done for!” He pulls out a rifle and aims at them, just threatening them, for now. “We’re not playing. The mayor is still upset about what you have done to the first base; seeing you two get lured into her trap really made her day.” He mockingly laughs at them both, letting the dog’s fist clench as the recruiter leaves. “SEE YA!!!”
“... Ignore him. He was there-”
“Enough, Woofa.” Amy rolls her body to the other side, facing the wall to prevent her from seeing her friend’s face. “... We’ve… lost…” It’s something that the pink hedgehog would never say, nor have an attitude like this.
“Solid. You giving up already?” Woofa immediately runs to him after their math midterm, witnessing his disappointed face. All she can hear is her classmates cheering and celebrating their scores, while the orange hedgehog looks awfully disappointed, sitting down on the ground and leaning against the wall. “Come on, fess up. You can’t hide from your best friend, you know?” Despite her teasing voice, she still has levels of concern for him, especially based on her facial expression.
When Solid hands out his math score, it’s a severe 56%. The lowest math grade of his entire life. “... I suck, don’t I? I… really do. It’s the first midterm, and I… failed miserably.” He shakes his head, unable to bear the failure of his end. “My friends have way better scores than I do… What’s yours?”
Though she doesn’t speak about her score, if she did, she knows that it would pain him even more. So, she sits next to him, not even mentioning her score. “Solid, look at me.” When he looks at her, all he sees is her concerned look. “You know that’s one test, right? You know that it was hard, and I agree. It was one of the worst tests I have taken. But, do listen to this. I know who you are, and I know how smart a hedgehog you can be. Don’t let yourself down by one test and compare yourself to others.”
She sees his face easing from the disappointing score, but still shows signs of some. “It’s not like I’m the worst… but… I’m still disappointed by my score. Like, I don’t know… it feels like I’m hitting a rock bottom-”
“And that’s okay.” She puts a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “You’re going to hit a rock bottom, and that’s perfectly fine. Because if you’re there, are you going to go deeper than that? Not if some force forces you to go deeper, but I don’t believe in that. That’s the minimum you’ve gotten.” Instead, she now puts two hands on his shoulders, forcing his eyes to glue onto her completely. “That’s only one midterm, and I KNOW you can do better than what you did prior. That rock bottom that you hit will be back on its rise by the time you continue to study and do better on your next one. That’s how life can change. I’ll make sure you get back on your feet ASAP. You got that?”
Solid looks down, thinking to himself about the situation he’s in, but feeling how Woofa feels, burdens him. He doesn’t want his best friend to feel bad for him, fearing that she’ll get into a similar situation that he’s dealing with right now. So… he looks at the dog and simply responds. “... Thank you… Life is going to take a toll on me, but I believe my dog says otherwise.” With an unexpected smirk on his face, this results in Woofa beaming her smile, knowing that her speech would work. “Go ahead, Woofa. Help me with the stuff I’m dealing with right now.”
Woofa’s ears droop from her disappointment, understanding the weight of their situation. But remembering the similar problem she had faced with Solid, which was one of many examples with him, she decides to implement a similar approach to Amy. “... Don’t let yourself down. I know this is a horrible situation, but listen… You are Amy. You are a strong fighter with a strong heart. I know having Sonic and your friends would help, but you are who you are, and I support it.” After some instances of Amy putting a hand on the dog’s shoulder, now, Woofa does the same to the hedgehog’s shoulder. “Even without that hammer of yours, I truly believe in your strength, your dedication, your freedom to fight… Like a… Freedom Fighter?”
“... I…”
When Amy feels her touch, it's almost as if… she’s safe. All her friends are a safe zone to her, and feeling their touch feels different. When someone new, like Woofa, is doing it, it opens up a new heart. She understands the goods of Haveners because she trusts them, not fully, but has optimism. However, Woofa is different, because it’s almost as if she already had a bond with her from the start. Like they’re meant to have great relations with, practically similar to Blaze, except she’s not a princess but a normal civilian. Yet, does that matter? Not even a slight. “She and I… have some sort of connection… and it’s not even two days…”
Amy lets Woofa help her sit up, now sitting on the edge and taking a deep breath. “I completely gave up... That wasn’t me; I know I can do better.” She slowly regains her optimism, finally reunderstanding who she is. “I needed that motivation, Woofa. Thank you for being here with me. I seriously didn’t know what to do without you.” She immediately hugs her, to which the dog returns the hug, pattering her back for emotional support. “Right!” Once their hug finished, Amy immediately got up, forming a plan to escape. “Now, how do we get out of here…?”
Although there were limited options inside the cell, Woofa signaled her head to the bed where Amy was originally lying down. “Tails would’ve thought of something in a matter of seconds. Wouldn’t he?”
“Yeah, but we’re friends! We can come up with something to help us escape!” Amy’s optimism finally reappears, now showing off the motivation that she needed. “Come on, let’s show the enemies who they’re messing with.”
— City Hall (Capital District) —
Ring…
…
Ring…
Woofa: “Hey, this is Woofa. I’m not on the phone, please leave a message or something because I’m too busy suffering with my receptionist life. If it’s you, Solid, I’m sorry I didn't pick up. If it’s you, Tricky, DON’T EVEN-!!!”
Voiceline: “At the tone, please record-”
“Nope, not here.” Solid sighs in defeat; he’s been looking for them for a while now, yet nothing. All he did was run around, but that running eventually transitioned to a slight jog… and finally a casual walk, where he basically has nothing to look for. Eventually, he sits down on the bench, where he has nothing to do but look at his phone. “Don’t tell me Tricky is lying…” He fidgets around with his phone until he feels a rush of wind past him. “... Morning, Sonic.”
“Solid! Are you still shocked by the scenery back at Downtown District?” He and Tails sit down with him, as they’re both exhausted from looking around this district.
“I’m beyond shocked. You guys created a mess… Though… were you trying to find the base around here? You two are exhausted, like really exhausted.” Points out Solid, who can already guess what the situation is here.
Tails tries to speak, but being exhausted, he lacks significant oxygen. It does take some time until he can finally talk. “... The problem is the same thing as always… this city is too big. Even if there could be a suspicious place, I highly doubt that it’s even the base we’re looking for.”
The orange hedgehog shrugs and leans back against the bench, resting his back while simultaneously watching the scenery. It isn’t much to offer, since he’s already seen this place more than a few times, but he watches nevertheless. “I guess Eggman is that clever at hiding such bases. Like… I don’t know the whole pattern of where he even finds and declares a hidden area as his base. If he got one, he got one.”
Subsequently, Sonic and Tails ultimately resume their mission, getting up from the bench after spending some time relaxing. “Okay, Solid. I think Tails and I should continue our usual base hunting. Do you want to tag along with us?”
Though Solid politely rejects their offer, even though he wants to find the base, “I’d rather find Amy and Woofa first before joining in the mission with you. I’ll give it like… ten minutes, and if they’re not there, I’ll definitely go base hunting with you two.” He gives them a reassuring smile before both he and Sonic fistbump each other. “Good luck, you guys.”
“Thanks, Solid. Good luck finding the two of them. I hope they don’t get lost in there because of how hectic it is. And I mean it, it’s very hectic.” Tails responds before he and the Blue Blur flash away, leaving the orange hedgehog alone once more.
…
Sigh… “When are they going to-”
Buzz!
“Woofa…? Is she trying to call where she is?”
“Hello…?”
— Eggman’s Base (Capital District) —
“Hmm?” The recruiter looks at the cell, seeing only Woofa there. “Hey! Where’s your hedgehog girlfriend?!” He exclaims, holding a rifle to threaten them. “I ain’t playin, you better tell me where she is, or else you’re guaranteed to die!” He shows no remorse, quite literally being serious with his attitude. “Tell me!”
All Woofa can do is show off a smirk, pressuring the recruiter. “What’s wrong? Hesitant to shoot a poor little puppy? You know…” She slowly reaches the bars, where the recruiter continues to point the rifle at her, but he’s seen shaking, knowing his hesitation to shoot. “... I thought you recruiters were meant to be strong, confident, all those things Eggman had propagandized you. But… maybe we can have a bit of a truce. If you let us escape, we will never, and I promise, never hurt you. Is that fine?”
Still, even that truce wouldn’t convince him otherwise, which made him even more upset and demanding a single answer. He shoves his rifle between the bars, now alarming Woofa. “ANSWER ME!!! WHERE IS THAT…!!!” Suddenly, Amy appears in front of them, grabbing the end of their rifle. “... hedge-”
THUDDDDD!!!
“That was an interesting plan…” The two girls successfully escaped their cell as they dragged the unconscious recruiter and locked him in. They also seized the recruiter’s equipment to avoid any problems in the near future. “You sure that guard is going to be fine?” Asks Woofa, who looks genuinely concerned.
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“He’s going to be fine. I only lightly knocked him out, so… he’ll probably be back up in a few minutes. Otherwise…” She eventually grabs her Piko Piko Hammer, signaling to Woofa. “We need to escape this mess and deactivate the reactor!” Amy immediately starts running, her determination set to escape this prison and-
“Hey! Hey!” The random voice halts Amy’s escape, letting her check on the random prisoner. “Can you help me out of here?!” The anxious anthropomorphic female crane continues to plead for help.
When Woofa catches up, she looks at her with some skepticism, not trusting her since the mayor had already baited them. “And why do you want us to help you out? Are you an undercover recruiter who’s trying to lure us into a trap?” She prevents Amy from opening the cell, awaiting the crane’s response.
The crane looks genuinely scared, instantly denying what the dog said. “N-No! I-I’m not an undercover recruiter!” She pats her pockets to find something, her whole body shaking as she desperately digs inside her pocket until she finds what she needs. “H-Here-!” Snatch. “D-Don’t leave me here, please!”
The hedgehog and the dog inspect her ID. Her real name is Min the Crane. She’s around her forties, and she works for the City Hall as an Administrative and Clerical Staff Member. “I-I’ve been here for two days… I was curious about what was going on under here. I thought it would’ve been a minor inconvenience if one of the staff worked here. But instead, there were recruiters, and the mayor was different, and-”
Clunk. Rattleeeee-
“Alright. Alright.” Woofa says as she lets Amy open the cell door to help Min escape. “Come on, follow us if you want to stay safe and alive.” The dog extends her hand to help the crane up, allowing her to grab her hand and leave the cell.
The three girls run through the prison, surprised to see how large this area is, despite being located somewhere inside the base that’s under the city hall. Though all of each cell remains empty, meaning that they’re probably the first three people that the mayor and her recruiters have captured. It could also indicate that this place was recently discovered. Still, it doesn’t help that they can’t navigate the entire place because it is so unfamiliar.
“Tch. Not only that, they managed to confiscate my phone.” Woofa runs alongside them, confused by the pathway that they’re taking. They’ve been essentially running around in circles, which isn’t a great sign. But one weird thing is that this place is surprisingly empty, despite what the recruiter had said earlier. “Hold up. Hold up.” The dog forces the two to stop as well, curious why she stopped. “We’re making NO progress. None! Like, where are we going? It doesn’t make sense! We’re going here, there, there, and…” Sighs. “It’s literally like what the mayor said, she wants to cut those corners…”
Min takes some time to process what Woofa had said about corners, being curious about what the mayor could mean by ‘corners’. “Maybe we can investigate the corners of this prison? The corners could be a sign that a hidden passageway is present, out of sight. Though if we had someone who would easily break through one of each hidden…”
Amy immediately shows off her Piko Piko Hammer, beaming with optimism. “Well, you’ve got a girl who can break walls! Finding where it is is the hard part. Breaking through one is the easiest part! Smash through anything, and we’re escaping!” She stares at one of the corners, signaling the two to follow her. “Let’s do this before the mayor finishes her task!”
After checking and breaking some walls for each corner, with all of them not having the so-called ‘passageway’, they ultimately have one more corner to deal with, and they’re 100% sure that it’s definitely the passageway that’ll help them escape. When they arrive, Woofa first checks the cell before signaling Amy to get ready. As Amy-
BOOM!!!
Indeed, a hidden passageway was revealed, and she fully gives credit to Min’s plan. “Thank you so much, Min!” Amy cheers and hugs alongside her, with both of them jumping excitedly at their success. Woofa can’t help but be amused by their cheering. “What kind of person are you? I think a clever one! Yes, maybe even more clever than Tails!” Patting the crane on the back for reinforced support before looking onward to the dark passageway? “Got your flashlight? Because we’re making progress!”
Through the passageway, it’s pretty dark, but luckily, Woofa’s flashlight wasn’t confiscated. So they had to follow the dog’s lead. The pathway isn’t pretty, especially with how smelly and dirty the place is, but it’s better than a passageway that leads to absolutely nowhere. And just like the prison area, they’re still confused about where they’re going, though, it’s at least linear compared to an entirely open area.
However, just as they were on the verge of giving up, they immediately cross paths with a small room, which is mysteriously at the end of this hidden passageway. In this small room, Woofa spots her actual phone, sitting on the table by itself. There’s nothing else, just her phone on the table. Although it sets the dog’s sight, she knows better than that, knowing that it’s most definitely a trap. “Ain’t no way I’m falling for that.” She advances to the room, but stops behind the door.
They inspect the room from their point of view, not seeing anything much in it, not even an obvious trap. It’s easy to grab, but their hesitation forces them to rethink their decision. No progress has been made so far, leaving them without an answer. “Maybe you can use your hammer again? If it’s meant to hit or destroy things while having high durability, that means…”
“I can try to use my hammer for…” Amy conveniently steps forward, tightening her grip on her trustworthy hammer. “You’re becoming better at recognizing things. Maybe you should join the team!” Hilariously, Min doesn’t want to join, which the hedgehog understands. “It’s alright! I’m not forcing you to, but it would be fun if you did. Though let’s focus on what we’re doing.” She ultimately approaches the room, taking a deep breath to carry out her plan.
When she extends her Piko Piko Hammer to reach for Woofa’s phone, the boulder from the pathway suddenly rolls down, forcing the dog and crane to enter the room with the hedgehog. “That was the trap? What kind of-?”
CREAAAAAAKK…!!!
The three remain cautious, unsure where that sound even came from. It wasn’t from the boulder, because it would be an off-putting sound for it to make. “That wasn’t the boulder… was it…?” Min slowly looks down after questioning the two, suspecting something is wrong with the floor. “Maybe it’s-”
SNAP!!!
The floor unexpectedly snaps open, causing all three of them to fall to the floor below. Luckily, Woofa managed to grab her phone in time before it could ever break. Until then, they all scream from the fall, unsure when they’re-
THUD!!!
After their fall, the floor around them is dark, letting the three process the pain. Though maybe the time wasn’t enough for the three to entirely process the pain, because the lights immediately turned on, and the recruiters surrounded them, all their guns pointed at them. Not a movement made during their first interaction, just silence, not even a cough heard. They’re entirely in a standoff. Three girls versus I don’t even know how many recruiters. “... Min… when I say duck… duck. Just do what I say…” Whispers Amy from behind, where the dog and hedgehog protect the inexperienced crane.
…
…
“DUCK!!!”
BANG! BANG! BANG!!!
The ardealine, unpleasant noise of the bullets being shot, causes Min to tremble in fear, not sure what’s going to happen soon. But she doesn’t feel any pain, because what she sees is the two fighting against the recruiters with such effectiveness. Visually, the way they fight seems like they’ve been longtime partners, comboing each of their attacks with each other. Once their attacks have successfully landed, the recruiters either fled or continued fighting. For those continuing to fight, it leaves nothing much to them as they’re instantly beaten out by the two yet again, thus making Amy and Woofa victorious once there are no more recruiters in sight.
“Wow… you weren’t kidding… You two are fighters…” Min can only react in awe as they clear the entire floor. “You were like the greatest duo I have ever seen!” Although she’s definitely glazing their skills, to a normal person like her, they’re definitely going to praise someone, especially when they saved her life.
Amy helps Min up, checking if she’s mentally alright with what had happened. Though Woofa finally goes on her phone, trying to call someone. “Calling your orange furball?” Asks Amy, who checks if the coast is clear.
“Someone’s gotta get some help at some point in time.” Woofa quickly goes to her contact list, immediately finding Solid’s name and calling him. “Come on. Come on. Come on…” She repeatedly taps her foot, hoping he picks up the phone.
Ring…
Ring…
“Hello…?”
“Solid! If you’re hearing this, then help us!”
— City Hall (Capital District) —
“... Woofa?! W-What the hell is going on?!”
“Solid. I know it’s unexpected, but there’s an Eggman base underneath the City Hall. It has the same things you saw back at Downtown District. The reactors, the control panels, everything!”
Without hesitation, Solid flashes inside the City Hall, moving past crowds of visitors and officials alike. “Under the City Hall…? I… I never knew a base would be underneath in such a… crowded place.”
“Are Sonic and Tails with you?!” Concerned, Amy knows they need more support than the orange hedgehog alone.
“I wish… but they left by the time you called, so I don’t know where they are.” He continues running past the crowd, hoping he finds his way through the base. “How did you even get inside there?”
“Well, umm…” Woofa stammers, completely lost in the present. “We got here from the mayor… all I’m going to say is… do NOT trust the mayor! She’s working for Eggman!” Coincidentally, the orange hedgehog stops at the press conference, where he witnesses the mayor yelling out his name. When his best friend hears Ism’s voice, she immediately yells into the phone. “DO! NOT! TRUST! Run past her and go through the office. If you spot an elevator, go to the bottom floor immediately. It leads to the base!”
Solid tends to trust his friends, so he keeps good notes of what his best friend says. However, Ism seems to know what he’s doing with that phone, knowing he’s talking to that dog. Because of her raised suspicion, she immediately looks at the security guards, ordering them to increase security in the city hall—only the city hall, not the base.
Once the orange hedgehog notices the increased security, he notifies Woofa about his situation. “I think she knows about our conversation… She’s increasing security here.” He hides behind the wall, avoiding being seen by the mayor. “Is she increasing the number of recruiters down there?”
“Not that I’m aware of…” Amy and Min continue to survey the area, still finding the coast to be clear. “Maybe it’s only affecting you because of how important you are…? For now, stay cautious. I don’t want to lose you, okay?”
“... Yeah. I’ll…” From a distance, he witnesses some security guards spotting him, and they quickly advance toward him, instantly shoving past the crowds. “I-I’LL GO NOW-!”
“Huh? Solid?”
Meanwhile, Solid runs away, understanding that the mayor had probably ordered her guards to chase after him. Not that they’re working for Eggman, but the guards would listen to the mayor, based on her position. He continues to run past the crowds until he’s in a safe zone, where he expects no guards to spot him. “How in the hell is there a base underneath one of the most popular tourist areas…? And if so… how am I supposed to sneak my way into the base when I’m not allowed there?” Until then, he decides the only way actually to reach the so-called elevator is to do one thing… stealth. Most of his missions don’t require stealth, but this one, he probably needs to, since they’re coming after him. “If that’s the case… I need to blend in with the crowd…” He takes a deep breath, maintaining a calm mentality before finally executing his plan.
Literally finding some random clothes in his safe zone, he was lucky enough to put them on, covering his body to prevent being obviously seen. Furthermore, he puts on a hat to cover his obvious quills and sunglasses to cover his eyes. Now that one part of the problem is solved, all he needs to do is execute. So, he walks out of his safe zone, blending in with the crowd while eyeing the guards who are trying to find his whereabouts. When one of the guards approaches him, he remains calm, but his heart is beating fast, unsure whether his plan may work or not. Luckily, the guard walks past him, relieving the orange hedgehog as he finally walks inside the press conference room.
Inside the conference room, the mayor doesn’t recognize his figure, but is still keeping an eye on that hedgehog. He sneaks around the room, letting the reporters and some tourists cover his whereabouts, just to make him less suspicious. Continuing to look for some spots to direct his way to the office without being seen… at the right time, when he spots a guard opening the door to enter the office, he takes the opportunity to flash his way inside without anyone’s notice.
Even though he had entered, the guard immediately spotted him, and the hedgehog immediately punched him in the stomach. Although he thinks his punch is not enough, the guard ultimately gives up from the pain, letting the orange hedgehog get his opportunity to steal his identity. “Sorry about this, sir…” He takes off the guard’s clothes, a plan for the hedgehog to sneak into the private area as a guard himself. “I hope your friends quickly identify you…”
Without anyone’s notice… I said? Nope, there was one that witnessed him entering the office. “Tch… typical hedgehog…” Ism immediately adjusts her clothes before announcing to everyone. “I’ll be ending this conference. Sorry about the long wait beforehand, but this time, it’s essential.” She nods at her guards, taking her time to let every reporter and tourist leave this conference room before she and her guards retreat to the office.
When they do enter the office, they immediately spot a tourist inside, to whom the guards instantly handcuff them, taking off their hat and sunglasses before they reveal- “Dru?!” One of the guards exclaims when seeing their friend wearing a tourist outfit. “W-Why are you wearing this?!”
“... There was an orange hedgehog who quite literally beat me up…” He mutters, annoyed by their situation. “That SAME person that the mayor had ordered us to find!”
“OH, HE HAS DONE ENOUGH!!!” Ism immediately runs into the private area, leaving her guards alone. To her concern, she immediately explains to them, “Don’t worry about me, I can handle this situation myself!” She yells, giving orders to every guard not to follow her, so that she won’t expose her true identity. “Ever since Alloy got defeated and those scientists back in Downtown managed to side with them, I couldn’t help but realize how important my job is… especially the fact that I’m a mayor… I just HOPE that my identity won’t get exposed!”
The private area is huge to the hedgehog’s eyes, as he looks around and disguises himself as a security guard. It’s weird being inside there, because he’s a normal civilian; he wasn’t meant to be here. Otherwise, the hedgehog remains uncovered, doing an outstanding job blending in with the guards. “Find the elevator… Just find where it is, and I’m good to go…” All he thinks about is the elevator that the girls took, just one simple elevator.
That’s it.
Luckily, at the right moment, he manages to find the elevator and instantly rushes to it. Being in the elevator, he looks at all the buttons and notices that the bottom floor requires the mayor’s fingerprint, which he knows is impossible to access. So.. he’s practically stuck- “Going somewhere?” Ism unexpectedly enters the elevator, using her finger to activate the fingerprint scanner for the bottom floor. “Don’t worry, I’m taking you to your destination.”
Solid immediately tenses from her appearance. He knows that she already knows his identity, but for now, “Umm… mayor… this isn’t where I’m going…” He innocently says, pretending to act normally as a security guard. So, he presses the button, but something's off… When she activated the fingerprint scanner, none of the buttons were working, even when the hedgehog repeatedly pressed the button, nothing happened. “W-Why aren’t the other buttons working, mayor? Is the elevator… broken?”
“Now isn’t that strange… Usually, every security guard here knows that whenever I activate my scanner, they always leave me alone in this elevator…” She essentially traps him in this moving compartment. “But isn’t this weird? The fact that I trapped you in this elevator must mean something to me…” She slowly approaches him, trapping him in the corner before she leans in for a whisper, smirking at the situation. “You’re that weak… and I know… you’re not hiding from me… Solid.”
Solid tries to grab her wrist, but Ism forcibly stumbles him to the ground, where she plants a foot on his back and successfully holds the hedgehog’s wrist. “Stop trying, you pathetic hedgehog. A hedgehog who should’ve never existed in front of the doctor’s eyes.” She applies pressure to this uncomfortable position, forcing him to feel the burden of the unnecessary pain.
“... Stop… it…”
“Try me! You think a simple plea would help you get out of this mess?!”
“I’m begging you… STOP!!!”
Instead, his plea results in Ism applying more pressure, wanting him to get hurt. “Oh, please… continue your pleas, and you’ll make me laugh even more! Begging for mercy all by yourself… no help… nothing. All alone, the weak hedgehog you are…”
CRACK!!!
Hearing that crack, Ism slowly lets go of him, satisfied by the result of the sound. She thinks that she has dislocated a bone in his body, watching how he’s struggling to get up. All that the llama can do is mock him in response. “Aww… what’s wrong? Is someone hurt? Do you want to call the chiropractor? Do you want your dog to help you? Guess what… you’re done for. Right here. Right now.” Her mocking transitions into a laugh… a laughter that’s filled with evil.
However… to her disbelief, the hedgehog slowly lifts himself from the floor, almost as if he’s not feeling any pain, but rather refreshed. Once he stands up, he doesn’t look angry, but rather calm, just like his usual composure. “Hey… thanks for readjusting my back, it helps a lot after being at work for my entire life.” Solid instantly kicks her in the stomach, showing her how upset he was from the exchange. His kick caused her to collide with the elevator’s railing, creating a harsh impact-
THUD!!!
“OOF!” -on her back. The pain lingers for her, unable to bear the collision. “You…” She grabs onto the railings and glares at the hedgehog, seeking vengeance after what he did to her. “You really think you can act all calm and composed?”
“... Why not? Isn’t that my personality?” He takes a step back, sensing the danger from the looks of it. “I admit… I’m a weak hedgehog, and everyone in my team is stronger than I am. But… it doesn’t mean you’ll automatically win, just because you’re fighting the weakest fighter. All you gotta do… is stay humble… for once. Even if… you’re the mayor.”
Ding!
The three girls continue rushing through the hallway, sensing that the base is coming closer to them. It’s been some time since they’ve fought the recruiters, understanding how vast this place really is. They’re convinced that their plan is operating smoothly, and just needing Solid for help is the best thing they could get in a while.
“You know who Solid is?” Min questions the two of them, genuinely curious about this person who’s going to rescue them, probably.
“Solid is a hedgehog who’s our friend.” Amy points out the obvious, “But… he’s also… this dog’s childhood best friend.” She knowingly gives Woofa a knowing smirk, to which Min can’t help but sense a tease coming up.
When Woofa immediately stops running, the two also stop, knowing what’s coming. “Is there like… one second without mentioning my orange furball? I understand that I have this clingy relationship, but try to exclude this teasing from our important things. Please?”
Still, even with the plea, this wasn’t enough to stop the teasing. What makes this worse is that Min finally joins in on the fun. “Come on… I know once Solid breaks into this place, the first words that he’s going to say to you are… ‘Are you hurt, my clingy dog…?’”
Instantly, Amy breaks down into laughter, supporting herself with her Piko Piko Hammer while Woofa’s face turns into a tomato. She clenches her teeth and fists before exclaiming, “T-That wouldn’t make sense! He would NEVER say such a thing to me!”
Amy's laughter eventually dies down, and she takes a deep breath, wiping away her tears to respond. "We'll see about that-"
CRASH!!!
“SOLID?!” Both Amy and Woofa yell out his name, watching his figure crash into the wall and fall to the ground. It appears that the hole has opened to the base, but what matters? Solid is once again beaten by the leader of this base.
"Please tell me you're alright!" Woofa desperately checks for any injuries, hoping they aren't too severe from that crash or the fight earlier.
Thankfully, Solid injuries are relatively minor, a few scratches here and there. “I’m fine… I’m maybe, fine…” He’s able to move again, but Woofa wants to help him up; appreciating her support, he lets her assist him. “Mayor Ism isn’t looking too happy though…”
Mayor Ism slowly appears from the debris, standing directly on top of it while light beams onto her. She’s been hurt by Solid, and now she is dealing with the three hostages that have successfully escaped from her prison, pushing her anger to her limits. Definitely seen enough with the four enemies, she’s ready for more… Giggling. “... I see that you three have escaped… almost kind of expected such things to happen.” Laughing. “Oh well, enough talking…” Her laughter soon turns manic, showing off her mood and attitude in this hectic situation.
“You’ll regret upsetting the mayor…”
