- - - -
Chapter Four
Jinx
by Felix Xavier Jinx
- - - -
Timeline- June 5, 3237, three days after Sonic's kids are born.
- - - -

     Morning. The skies looked dark. A storm was rolling in. Wind howled like
the Devil himself. This made Bunnie jumpy. She was on scout patrol, looking
for anything suspicious. But the wind made her look over her shoulder every
few seconds. She sat down to rest, crossed her arms, and shuttered.
     "Man, I hate the wind before a storm." She said to herself. Bunnie got
up and continued, until she spotted a small, sickly fire, trying desperately
to stay alive. Bunnie darted behind a tree at the sight of this.
     "Who on earth is out in a storm like this?" she muttered to herself,
realizing the irony of her statement. Just then, something hit Bunnie in the
thigh, making a loud PING!. Bunnie's head shot up to the origin of trajectory
in time to see the leaves rustle.
     "That was no wind blown acorn!" Bunnie exclaimed. The wound began
leaking blood slowly. She jumped behind a fallen tree for cover, and poked her
head around the side. She saw a black figure hunched over, doing something.
Seizing the opportunity, she jumped up, and screaming louder then the wind,
she landed right behind the figure in a offensive stance. The figure, as soon
as Bunnie landed, swung around and pointed a pistol at Bunnie's chest. Neither
one moved for a full five seconds. The pistol armed animal then dropped his
gun to his side, and bowed graciously.
     "Felix Xavier Jinx, at your service." he introduced. Bunnie saw that he
was serious and dropped her guard, taking a better look at him. Felix was a
small feline, a little shorter than Bunnie, and pure black, except for his
white pupils. The only thing he wore was a black leather vest with one button
in the middle.
     "Now, why did you shoot at me, sugar?" Bunnie asked, rubbing the wound.
     "I thought you were a bot. I apologize." Felix said. "Now, by any
chance, uh....."
     "Bunnie." Bunnie replied.
     "Do you have the foggiest idea where Knothole is?" Surprise hit Bunnie.
She didn't know whether to tell him or knock him down.
     "Why?" Bunnie asked.
     "Because I'm looking to join the Freedom Fighters, and with any luck,
find my mom." Felix answered. Bunnie still was skeptical. She drew a
communicator from he jacket. After pushing a button, she got a staticy voice.
It was Sally's.
     "Yes, Bunnie?" Sally asked.
     "Sal, I gotta cat here, says his name's Felix. He wants to join our
little club." Bunnie said. Felix went off to go extinguish his fire.
     "Felix? Does he have a full name?" Sally asked.
     "Yeah, I think he said Xavier Jinx." Bunnie said.
     "Okay, hold on." Sally said. Silence for a moment, then her voice
cracked on.
     "Yeah, bring him by." Sally instructed.
     "Don't mind me asking, but how do you know he ain't one of Packbell's
goons?" Bunnie asked.
     "Is he black, and is his mother a Dr. Onyx Jinx?"
     "Uh, hold on." Bunnie yelled back at the cat.
     "Hey! Your mom, the teacher, what's her name?"
     "What, she's a teacher now? Last time I checked, my mom was a doctor,
and her name is Onyx."
     "Bingo." Bunnie replied to Sally. "Be home in about five minutes, girl."
Bunnie turned her communicator off and stuck it in her jacket.
     "Okay. Let's go." Bunnie yelled. The wind picked up. It was going to
rain soon. Felix walked toward Bunnie, but stooped to pick up a backpack
before accompanying her.
     "Come on, let's get to Knothole before we get wet!" Bunnie exclaimed and
began trotting of home, with Felix behind her.

- - - -

      Back at Knothole, Felix was sitting in the dining hall, surrounded by
Sally, Sonic, Rotor, Bookshire, Tails, Sir Charles and Bunnie.
     "Okay, Felix...." Sally, tried to remember the rest of his name.
     "Xavier Jinx." Felix finished.
     "Your mom had a thing for X's, huh?" Sonic asked.
     "You don't know the half of it." Felix said, and unbuttoned his vest.
Over his heart, gleaming white, was a furry X.
     "That's why I wear the vest. Keeps others from getting an unfair
advantage."
     "I think it's cool!" Tails piped.
     "So do I. Sometimes." Felix replied.
     "Unfortunately, I need you to empty out your bag, for safety." Sally
asked.
     "And trust." Bookshire continued.
     "Oh! Of course!" Felix said, and dumped the contents out on the table.
His belongs were a small pistol with a scope on the top, three small
carriages, a deck of cards, a black pouch, a magnifying glass, a slingshot,
about fifteen hundred BBs, which were all obediently attached to a strong
magnet, and a gold pocket watch.
     "And what's in the pouch?" Sonic asked.
     "Oh, my pride and joy." Felix said, and opened the pouch. Inside was a
mass of brass tubing that opened at one end. It resembled a six inch cube.
     "It's my trumpet." Felix said.
     "That isn't a trumpet." Bookshire said. "Is it?"
     "It's a pocket trumpet. A compact model." Felix said, and placed it
against his lips. He played the national anthem of Mobius, with all the pomp
and perfection it deserved. Sally was moved.
     "Oh, I haven't heard that in so long." She whispered. Applause followed,
and Felix bowed.
     "My pleasure, my queen." Felix put his trumpet away. Tails was toying
with his watch.
     "Felix, you're watch is running backwards... fast!" the fox exclaimed.
     "What time does it say?" Felix asked smoothly.
     "Um, six hundred hours."
     "Gimmie." Felix took the watch from Tails, and jumped out of his chair.
He started out the door, fast. Outside, he hurled the watch in the air. In
midair, about twenty feet up, it exploded. The mutilated carcass landed on the
ground. Everybody in town stared at Felix. He then turned to Tails.
     "Did you push the red button on the side?" Felix asked.
     "Yeah." Tails responded, obviously shaken and afraid he was in trouble.
     "Well, that sets the charge." Felix said. He came back in.
     "Any other surprises?" Sally asked, a little mad.
     "Not if you count me." Felix replied. "Dang. That was a cool watch."
     "I'm sorry, I didn't know..." Tails started.
     "Aww, don't worry about it. Those are easy to piece together." Felix
replied. "Now, if I'm not mistaken, is it breakfast time?"
     "Yeah, Aunt Sally! I'm starving!" Tails barked.
     "Antoine is in the kitchen, working on it now." Sally replied. "Felix,
would you like to stay?"
     "Why, yes. Thank you!" Felix had to fight to keep his eagerness in
check. He hadn't eaten a home cooked meal in a week. Nuts and berries don't do
the trick most of the time.
     "Okay. I'm going to check on the twins, Sonic." Sally announced and
started out the door.
     "Kids! Wow! Can I see?" Felix asked. It was obvious he liked children.
     "I don't see why not?" Sonic replied.
     "Sonic, Julayla is getting her tail, you know." Sally hinted to Sonic.
"I don't think she'll be very happy."
     "Oh, don't worry, I love em in all moods." Felix said. Sally sighed, and
took him over to their hut.
     "Dr. Taylor! Hello?" Sally called. Julayla screamed in pain in the back.
Her tail was being amputated, according to tradition in Sally's family. It was
easiest doing it immediately after birth, and usually easier to live without a
tail later in life. Dr. Taylor came out, holding Julayla. The poor baby had a
bandage clear around her rear.
     "Oh, she's so cute!" Felix said. Julayla shut up upon seeing the black
cat. "May I?" he asked.
     "Why not." said Sally, amazed at how Felix quieted her daughter. Felix
took her in his arms.
     "How do you do that?" Sonic asked, amazed also.
     "I don't know how he does it, but I do it with morphine." Dr. Taylor
whispered. After thirty seconds, Felix held a sleeping baby.
     "Now, if you excuse me," he said, handing Julayla gently to Sally. "I'm
hungry." He strolled back to the hall, and shut the door just before it
started to drizzle.

- - - -

     "Oh, Antoine, that was the best meal I have had in years!" Felix
complemented as he leaned back in his chair. He had at least three pounds of
pancakes in his stomach.
     "Thank you, Mr. Feelikks." Antoine replied. He had a real problem
pronouncing his name. He was truly flattered by the thanks of the cat. After
collecting dishes, Antoine headed back into the kitchen. Felix looked over his
belongings, and saw something missing. He picked up his backpack, and out fell
a laptop computer. He kept it around for games and writing little poems now
and then. He started playing a obscenely bloody game when he felt a tap on his
shoulder. He jumped with surprise, and deftly closed the computer. He turned
to see Sally.
     "Oh, you scared me." he gasped. "Did you want me?"
     "I have decided to let you have the chance of becoming a Freedom
Fighter, but first..." Sally pulled a chair out. "I have no idea who you are.
Can you give me background, Felix?"
     "Sure, I enjoy telling stories." Felix set his computer on the table.
"Let's see. I have no idea who my father is, I have no idea where I was born,
but my mom gave birth by herself."
     "Why? Were you lost in the forest?" Sally asked concerned.
     "No, she just wanted to. I thought it strange also. I'm seventeen for
maybe six more months. My mom, Onyx Jinx, and I, have lived in a hundred
hundred different villages, towns, cities, palaces, giving out first aid and
other medical needs. She was on a mission, I guess. While she doctored people,
I entertained myself with this." Felix patted his pistol on the table. "I
suppose I'm pretty good. I suppose I like throwing stuff." Felix pointed to
his other weapon, the slingshot.
     "How did you get so good on the trumpet?" Sally asked.
     "Well, when I was eight, we, my mom and I, were at this musician's
house. He broke his leg in six different places, but mom patched him up. As
payment, he insisted he teach me to play something. He had, AND knew how to
play EVERY instrument that was ever created. I chose trumpet because it made
me sound big, like a thundering elephant. I liked that cause I was small for
my age. Still am!" Felix and Sally cracked a smile at that remark. "We stayed
at his house for one year, and when we left, he gave me that pocket trumpet as
a gift. I practiced every day since."
     "Now, your mom. Why are you looking for her?" Sally asked.
     "She took off, maybe a year ago, looking for more doctor runs, I
suppose. So she left me, and said I'd be fine. I was, actually. I wandered for
a month, until I saw a village up the road. I figured I could find something
to eat, or job, or something, so I headed for town. About a mile before I got
there, I saw huge metal hovercrafts descend on it. In a matter of seconds,
about three quarters of the population was carried off, and the village
ablaze. I ran to help. Before I got there, I saw there were already other
animals there putting out the fire and tending to the hurt. I was recruited on
the spot. After sunset, when everything was under control, one of the animals,
a rabbit, I believe, asked me if I wanted to become a Freedom Fighter. I had
no idea what it meant, so he gave me the full story of Robotnick, Packbell,
Robotropolis, and the war. I saw no interest in it at the time, and declined.
He told me if I ever change my mind, find Knothole, because it would be the
best place to live if you were a Freedom Fighter. I wandered off, and found
that I wanted to give the idea a shot. So after nine months, and a thousand
directions, I'm finally here."
     "Wow. Sounds pretty fun." Sally replied.
     "Eh. Not really. It's a lot of walking." Felix sighed.
     "So are you really serious about becoming a Freedom Fighter?" Sally
asked.
     "Now, I didn't wander nine months for nothing." Felix answered.
     "Well, in order to become a Freedom Fighter, you have to go on a
mission. Nothing big, but still dangerous." Sally explained.
     "Oh, no problem. When can we go?" he asked.
     "Not in this rain. After it lets up, you may go. Do you think there's
anyone you want to go with?" she asked.
     "Well, you, maybe. Bunnie, if she isn't mad at me." Felix said.
     "Yes, I heard. You gave her a good size dent." Sally giggled.
     "And you did that with a BB?" Rotor asked. He walked in, with wet spots
all over his coat. It was starting to rain hard.
     "Well, that and about five hundred pounds of compressed helium." Felix
explained.
     "Helium? Why helium, and how did you get it so highly compressed?" Rotor
asked with amazement. It was very cold to the touch.
     "Helium is an amazing gas, you know. I was able, with extreme
difficulty, to compress twenty five thousand kiloliters into each capsule. One
of these will last for years." Rotor's eyes widened with amazement.
     "Twenty five THOUSAND!? Why don't they explode?" Rotor asked. He picked
one up, looking at it.
     "That I don't know, but Lawrencium is really strong stuff." Rotor looked
at Felix.
     "Isn't Lawrencium radioactive?"
     "Yeah...." Felix started. He was interrupted when Rotor jumped up,
dropping the capsule on the table. He frantically tried to brush his hands
off. "but it's depleted." Felix continued.
     "Now, if you know anything about chemistry, you would use hydrogen,
right?"
     "Yeah, I suppose. You could get a lot more in the cartridge, but it
explodes. One time it was attempted, but it blew up in someone's face." Felix
explained. "So, when do you think this rain will let up?"
     "I don't know. Not till tomorrow." Sally said, and looked out a window.
The rain had increased in intensity. "Entertain yourself until then. Maybe
with your video game." She had seen how gruesome it was before Felix ended it.
     "Okay. Sure." Felix replied. Sally left, and Tails came in. He was
drenched from crossing over to the hall from his hut.
     "Hi Felix. Whatcha doing?" Tails barked, and jumped into a chair next to
him.
     "Oh, not much." Felix said. "Want to play a game?"
     "Yeah!" Tails replied. He was bored stiff. Tails picked up the deck of
cards, and removed them from the box.
     "Do you know how to play poker?" Felix asked.
     "Uh, no." Tails replied.
     "Okay. I'll teach you. How much money do you have?" Felix asked.
     "Um, nothing. I don't need it." Tails innocently replied.
     "Hmm. Then what do you have a lot of that you value."
     "Um... chili dogs." Tails replied.
     "Okay. I guess that will do." Felix taught the fox the game of five card
draw in fifteen minutes. He was ready to hustle his opponent. They played for
an hour.
     "Yeah! I win!" Tails exclaimed. He held out a full house, aces and
fives. It thoroughly defeated Felix's straight. Felix held his head like he
was in pain.
     "Okay. You owe me..." Tails said, and checked a piece of paper. "Two
hundred and fourteen chili dogs." Felix moaned. Bunnie walked in. She had a
medium size bandage on her leg.
     "Guess what! I won two hundred and fourteen chili dogs, Aunt Bunnie!"
Tails barked.
     "My goodness! Congratulations!" Bunnie said, and Tails raced out the
door. Bunnie turned to Felix, who was still holding his head.
     "Got hustled, didn't ya?" Bunnie asked.
     "Yep." Felix sighed. "Does this place have a fireplace?"
     "Yeah, in the kitchen." Bunnie replied. Felix sat up, took the cards,
and walked in the kitchen. Inside was a roaring fire, which Felix tossed his
deck of cards into. They took about ten seconds to be totally consumed.
     "Um, Bunnie. About the shot I took of you in the forest this morning..."
Felix started to apologize, but Bunnie stopped him.
     "Naw, it's okay. Ah can take more than a little old BB." Bunnie said.
     "Well, I'm still sorry." Felix retorted. He smiled, and Bunnie smiled
back.
     "So, what do you do for boredom around here?" Felix asked.
     "Ah don't know. Ah'm busy for the moment. Maybe Rote has something to
do. Go knock on the door right next to the big oak straight ahead." Bunnie
said.
     "Okay. Goodbye." Felix darted across the center of town to Rotor's door.
He rapped a couple of times, and Rotor answered.
     "Oh, hi Felix. Come in, come in." Rotor said. "Excuse the mess."
     "Okay. What are you doing?" Felix asked.
     "Not much. I guess a feeble attempt to clean up. Want to help?"
     "Sure." Felix and Rotor started to clean, for about five minutes. The
novelty of cleaning had worn off, and the two had started to piece things
together with the spare parts laying around. Felix had constructed another
watch. It wasn't as pretty as the old one, but this one would function. All he
needed to do was find an explosive to pack inside.
     "Do you have any grenades around here?" Felix asked.
     "No! What on Mobius for?" Rotor answered surprised.
     "My new watch."
     "How did you come to learn all this information on explosives and
devises?" Rotor asked.
     "My mother and I went to visit an old badger who fought in a lot of
fights and battles. The fool dropped a grenade and blew shrapnel in his
backside." Rotor chuckled at this. "Well, my mom went to help. While he was
laid up, he taught me how to do all sorts of chemistry. He was a professor in
the subject eons ago."
     "Sounds interesting." Rotor replied. "You'll have fun fighting
Packbell." The two then spent the rest of the afternoon tinkering with things.
At dinner, everybody came to eat. Felix became the subject of conversation.
     "So, why exactly do you want to become a Freedom Fighter?" Sonic asked.
     "Entertainment. I'm tired of doing nothing. I'm also tired of seeing
villages lie in ruin." Felix explained. "I'd like to help."
     "Good. We need as many as we can get." Sonic replied. "Sal, who's goin'
with Xavier when he goes tomorrow."
     "You and Bunnie will." Sally said. Tails gave her sad puppy dog eyes,
because he was really starting to like Felix.
     "What will I be doing, you highness?" Felix asked.
     "Oh, you haven't been acquainted with our rules regarding titles,
Felix." Sonic said. "Queen Sally will be called Sally, and I will just be
called Sonic."
     "Why? What's your title?" Felix asked. He took a swallow of juice.
     "King." Sonic replied. Felix choked and coughed.
     "King! I'm sorry! If I disrespected you an anyway...." Felix nervously
explained. He was afraid he had made a rude comment.
     "No, no. It's cool." Sonic said, and wacked the feline on the back.
     "Felix, you will go in and set charges to sabotage a bot factory.
Looking back on the incident with your watch, I think you can handle it."
Sally said.
     "No problem. It'll be fun." Felix said.
     "Well, it's also work. If you don't treat it that way, Packbell will
have you into a bot before you know it." The Freedom Fighters finished their
meal with idle conversation. Afterwards, Felix left the dining hall to the
garden, to look for something to practice shooting at. The rain had cleared
up, and a few grey clouds sailed by in the night sky. Sally followed him, and
stopped him to talk.
     "Felix, I'm afraid there's something you should know." Sally said. She
sat down. Felix sat across from her.
     "Are you passionately in love with me?" Felix asked, in a ridiculous
voice that resembled Cheech Marin as Pedro de Pacas.
     "Felix..." Sally said. Felix apologized and sat silent. "I'm afraid that
I have some bad news. From the records Bookshire pulled off the Robotropolis
computer, it appears your mother was captured and roboticized some six months
ago." Sally explained in a solemn voice. Felix showed no expression, but a
tear rolled down his face.
     "No!" Felix whispered, voice cracking.
     "I am truly sorry. If I can do anything, anything at all." Sally said.
     "No. There is nothing you can do." Felix said. His voice turned cold,
and murderous. "Except to allow me to bring about the utter demise of
Robotropolis. Until then, may I be alone?" Felix asked. Sally nodded her head,
and left him sitting in the garden. Felix loaded his pistol, and began
shooting at the large rocks that lined the garden. Each shot, the pressure was
increased, until Felix shattered a rock to gravel with one shot.
     "The next shot will be aimed for your EYE! Do you hear me!" Felix yelled
into the dark, moonlit sky. His voice echoed off the forest, and faded away.
He then turned toward Knothole. Tails ran up to him as soon as he came into
sight.
     "Felix..." he asked.
     "Yeah?" Felix asked. He recomposed himself to his regular happy go lucky
mood.
     "I have an extra bed in my hut if you would like it." Felix smiled and
accepted the offer. After getting his things out of the dining hall, he
returned to Tails hut. "Um, do you need a blanket?" Tails asked, and dug in a
drawer for a quilt.
     "Naw. Watch this." Tails turned around to see Felix hold his backpack by
the ends of the straps. With a flick if the wrist, it quadrupled in size, and
turned into a sleeping bag.
     "Wow!" Tails exclaimed. "Where'd you get it?"
     "Made it. Would you like one?" Felix offered. Tails's face lit up.
     "Well, maybe if I stick around, I'll see what I can do. But until
then... (YAWN) I'm sleepy. Night, Tails." He swung his bag onto the top bunk
and climbed in. He was asleep in two minutes.

- - - -

     Crying. Felix cracked his eye to look at the chronometer on the wall.
     "Four. Great." He mumbled. He closed his eye. Just as he did, the crying
escalated into screaming. Felix jumped out of bed, and knocked on Sonic's
door. The door opened to Sally, with bloodshot eyes and lopsided hair. In each
arm, she held a baby.
     "Lemmie try." Felix offered. Sally was ready to try anything. She handed
them over. Felix positioned them on his shoulders, and gently bounced up and
down. The twins calmed down, and were sleeping in five minutes.
     "Felix, your amazing." Sally whispered. "I dub thee official babysitter
of Knothole."
     "I'm honored. Good night." Felix tromped back over to Tails's hut.
Sally, on the way to put the twins down, kicked Sonic in the foot. He still
slept soundly.
      The next thing that woke Felix up was the unrelenting sun. He was
positioned in such a way that the sun hit his face with full force. He knew
from past experience that there was no fighting it. He sat up, yawned, and
rubbed his eyes. He jumped down, and looked at Tails. He was asleep, smiling,
while his two tails went around slowly.
     "Auto pilot." Felix snickered. He walked over to the dining hall. He
opened the door to see Charles sitting with a large cup of coffee.
     "Good morning Felix. Are you ready for your mission today?" He
cheerfully greeted.
     "Yes sir!" Felix replied.
     "Good! Some coffee?" Charles offered.
     "Oh, no thanks. I hate it."
     "That's too bad." Charles replied, and drank the entire boiling hot cup
down in one tip of the cup. Felix's eyes widened. "Whoa!"
     "That's one good thing about being metal. Temperature means nothing.
Well, time to wake everybody up." Charles got up.
     "Maybe I should do it." Felix said. He trotted over to Tails's hut, and
retrieved his trumpet. Then, trotting back to the dining hall, he jumped on
the roof. He inhaled, and blew Reveille loud. Everybody recognized the tune,
and after three times played, animals emerged from their huts. Sonic looked at
him with a look of disgust, but both knew he was playing. After breakfast (and
a lavish compliment to Antoine by Felix) Sally, Bunnie, and Felix sat to
discuss the plan of attack.
     "Now Felix, you will place charges here and here. Also on any computer
consoles you find." Sally said, pointing to a map on the wall, projected by
Nicole. "Bunnie will accompany you."
     "Yes, your highness." Felix replied. Sally gave him a look. "Well, I've
gotta call you something. How bout high commander almighty?"
     "How bout Sally."
     "Yes, Sally."
     "Now.." Sally started, but sighed. "He does this every time. Sonic! Get
in here!" Sonic emerged with a chili dog protruding from his mouth.
     "Mmph!" Sonic replied.
     "Come on. This is important." Sally complained. Sonic swallowed.
     "Okay, okay." Sonic sat down, and the rest of the plan was explained.
     "Let's do it!" Felix said. Sonic, Bunnie, and Felix retrieved charges
and a Power Ring. Felix grabbed his watch and gun. After everything was loaded
up, Sonic picked Bunnie up and zipped to Robotropolis. In seconds, he came and
got Felix.
     "That was fast!" Felix exclaimed.
     "Yes, it was." Sonic said arrogantly. "Okay. Here I go." He ran off
inside the structure, and the unison tone of SWATbots chanting "HEDGEHOG
PRIORITY ONE" could be heard.
     "That's our cue, sugar. Let's go." Bunnie said, and the two darted
inside. They ran along to the computer room, until a SWATbot not on hedgehog
patrol spotted them. This one was larger than the garden variety, and had a
laser of comparable size.
     "YOU ARE UNDER ARREST..." the bot droned, and shot a laser at them. It
barley missed Felix's head. The energy from the blast made the hair on that
side of his face stand on end. Panic set in immediately. They retreated down a
corridor, with the SWATbot slowly following them. Along the way, they ducked
behind some barrels.
     "Great!" Bunnie said.
     "Wait, what do these barrels say?" Felix asked as he rubbed away the
dust.
     "Uh, HCl. So?" Bunnie asked.
     "Hold on." Felix lowered the pressure on his gun, and shot a beam of
metal across the corridor. It PINGed, and Felix smiled.
     "Open these barrels, quick." Bunnie did, and Felix hefted the beam. He
dunked it in the barrel, and it bubbled violently.
     "Come on." Felix said, and the two ran further down the corridor, and
turned the corner. They heard the SWATbot approach, chanting "YOU ARE UNDER
ARREST..." Felix then held his gun out and pulled it back in quickly. As he
did, a fireball tore through the corridor, just missing Felix and Bunnie.
Felix looked out, and the charred remains of a SWATbot slumped against the
wall.
     "My stars! What just happened?" Bunnie asked.
     "I'll tell you in the computer room." The two ran off for their
destination.
     "Okay, chemistry lesson, Bunnie." Felix said as they entered the
computer room. "The beam was aluminum. I could tell when I shot it. The barrel
was hydrochloric acid. When aluminum and hydrochloric acid react, it produces
hydrogen gas and aluminum chloride. Hydrogen gas burns violently." Bunnie now
saw the reason.
     "So when that fool bot fired up his laser, he turned on the oven."
Bunnie said. "You are amazin'!"
     "That's it." Felix set the last charge. "Let's get out of here."
     "Whoa there sugar. A bot just passed." Bunnie said. "Hey, you shoot past
it and distract it so we can git."
     "Okay." Felix pointed in the direction of the SWATbot, and accidentally
shot the back of it's head. It swiveled around and approached the computer
room.
     "Great goin', crack shot. Look out." Bunnie waited by the door. As soon
as the SWATbot turned the corner, Bunnie's fist ripped through it's chest. She
left a pile of metal in the doorway. The two then when about looking for the
escape, when Bunnie heard a very familiar voice come down the hallway,
screaming "If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself!"
     "Packbell!" Bunnie yelped, and ran in the opposite direction. Felix was
right behind. After running in fear for a minute, they found themselves in
Packbell's own office.
     "Oh, man. Hide." Bunnie said and dove under a control panel. Felix
looked around for a second, and saw Packbell enter. Felix jumped over
Packbell's desk and hid. He stared right into a laser rifle that Packbell kept
behind the desk.
     "I don't care who you are, but I will kill you all the same." Packbell
shouted. Felix, feeling brave, rose up, with laser rifle in hand, and aimed.
He shot Packbell once in the hip, but did little damage. Packbell, at the
speed of light, drew a laser pistol, and sheered off the front half of the
rifle Felix carried. Felix dropped. For one second he was scared stiff, and
the next second he knew what Packbell just did.
     "If you give up in the next two seconds, I'll only torture you and
roboticize you. If not... I'll still torture and robotize you. One..."
     "Packbell, do you know why they put the front half on a laser rifle?"
Felix asked.
     "No. Two." Packbell moved towards his desk.
     "Safety." Felix stated, and fired. The laser beam that emitted from the
rifle cut through the desk, and through Packbell. It also cut a notch into the
entire wall in front of Felix. He tossed it aside, and drew his BB gun. As he
sat up, he saw Packbell, lying on the ground in two pieces. His lower half
convulsed while sparks poured out of his waist. His upper half laid still
while Packbell's head looked straight at Felix. Felix increased the pressure
on his gun and loaded. Bunnie emerged, dumbfounded. Felix took aim two inches
from Packbell's eye.
     "Do it." Bunnie whispered. Felix's finger squeezed. A blue flash
streaked in, grabbed Bunnie and Felix. They all left the building just as
fifteen charges went off at once. Sonic stopped outside the Great Forest, and
the three watched the mushroom cloud climb into the cloudy sky. The three
still stood, utterly amazed at what the rookie had did to the fiercest threat
to Mobius.
     "If I'm not mistaken," Sonic said. "I just saw Packbell lying on the
ground in two pieces."
     "Yeah.." Bunnie said, out of it. She couldn't believe the Packbell might
actually be dead. The three turned to Robotropolis, and saw the pipes that
stuck out of the factories stop belching pollution. They all walked home.
      When they got home, they all got the usual reception of cheers and
congratulations. However, the three had a solemn look.
     "What's the matter?" Sally asked Felix.
     "I think I did it." Felix replied.
     "Yeah you did! We could see the cloud from here!" Tails barked.
     "No, I mean I really did it!" Felix said, now with enthusiasm in is
voice.
     "What?" Sally asked.
     "I killed him."
     "Packbell?" Sally asked.
     "Yeah! I cut him in half with a laser rifle."
     "Ohmigosh. Your serious!" Sally exclaimed.
     "You what?" Sir Charles asked.
     "See, I had hid behind his desk with a laser rifle, right. And I stood
up and tagged him in the butt. He turned around and shot off the end. Now, the
front half of a laser rifle was put on to concentrate the beam. When that's
off, it makes a beam as wide as a room! I took out the desk, the wall, and
Packbell!" Felix exclaimed, using hand motions the entire time.
     "No way!" Tails exclaimed.
     "Yep." Felix said.
     "Well then, let it be known that Felix Xavier Jinx is now a bonafide
Freedom Fighter!" Sally cheered. Everybody was ecstatic. But before the party
was started, Bookshire spoke up.
     "I'm sorry to say this, but Packbell is an android, and there is a
chance he may still be functioning."
     "I'm afraid you're right, Book." Sonic said.
     "Well, if he is alive, the place would be smoking like it used to."
Tails said.
     "Yeah." Sally agreed. "If the factories don't start smoking in two days,
we will consider him dead."
     "Agreed." Everyone said in unison.
     "I'll take first watch." Rotor said. For the rest of the day, everybody
had a mixed feeling of excitement and disappointment. In Robotropolis,
however, Packbell spoke after two hours.
     "Take posterior off line." Immediately, the legs stopped sparking.
     "Auxiliary power to torso and arms." Packbell commanded. He propped
himself up on the end of his stump he had for a chest. He reached up and felt
his forehead. Felix missed his eye by less then an inch, imbedding a BB deep
in his brain. Packbell began to walk as if on crutches, and sat up on top of a
console.
     "Damage report, computer." he commanded, in a crackling voice.
     "West end absolutely destroyed. Other sectors report twelve present
power loss."
     "Reroute power, and have factories producing in fourteen hours."
Packbell then hopped off the console, and staggered into his laboratory.
     "Computer, prepare to upload Packbell." Packbell croaked. His body was
disintegrating. A plug descended from the ceiling, and Packbell seized it. He
inserted it into his mouth, and fell limp. Inside the computer, he began the
process of creating another body.
      In Knothole, Felix was keeping watch of Robotropolis. It was an hour
before sunrise. He stared off into the sky over Robotropolis. It was clear for
the first time in a decade. He thought of Onyx Jinx. Maybe she wasn't
roboticized, maybe she was dead, maybe she was somewhere else, working her
medical wonders. Bunnie came up behind him, to relieve him of his watch.
     "Anything?" Bunnie asked.
     "Nope." Felix sighed.
     "Do ya think he might be gone?" Bunnie asked.
     "I don't know." Felix replied.
     Sunrise. The beams hit the two sitting on the outskirts of the Great
Forest. Very, very slowly, a wisp of smoke sailed out of a pipe.
     "Oh, no!" Bunnie quietly exclaimed.
     A black ball of smoke came from each smoke stack, and a stream of waste
poured out into the sky once again, soon snuffing out the blue. Tears streamed
down Bunnie's face, and she buried her face in Felix's chest, crying. Felix
comforted her, trying to hide tears of his own.
     "Don't worry, Bunnie. Next time we'll get him." Felix sniffled. "Next
time."