It was an average meeting of the Island Freedom Fighters.  Everyone was talking about important things like the safety of the island and when dinner was going to be ready.  Sparx spoke up above the clatter trying to get everyone's attention.
    "Uhhh, guys..." she began.  No one even stopped the conversation to look at her.  "GUYS??" she was getting a tad frustrated. "HEY, PEOPLES!!!!  I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY!!!"  The room quieted down quickly.  Cerebral fished in his pocket for something. He pulled out a pin, and dropped it.  It hit the ground with a small ping.  "Cer, why did you do that??" Sparx asked.
    "Just wanted to know if it was quiet enough to hear a pin drop, that's all," came the reply.
    "Oh, ha ha.  So very funny," Sparx commented dryly.  "So, anyways, back to business.  I have realized that I'm the leader.." she began.
    "It took ya this long to find out, chicken??" interrupted Ava. The room burst into laughter, except for Sparx, who was becoming cross.
    "Can the comedy, please, and let me finish," Sparx glared around the room. "As I was saying..." she continued. "I'm the leader, but, if I happen to be captured or something else happens to me, there's no one to assume command.  That's why I call for a vote to see who will become the vice president, or second-in-command, of our motley little band of Freedom Fighters.  Who wants to run for the position?"
    "I do!" said Utah who stepped forward.
    "Anyone else?" asked Sparx.
    "Well, maybe..." began Cerebral.  Roxy nudged him.  "OK, OK, I'll give 'er a shot.  I'm in."  he said.
    "Is that all?" questioned Sparx.  No one else volunteered.  "Well, then, let's vote then.  All for Utah, raise your hands."  Utah put his hand up eagerly and looked around.  He soon realized that he was the only one with his hand pointing to the ceiling, and quickly lowered it again.  He patted Cer on the back.
    "Tough crowd," he whispered to Cerebral, "good luck getting any votes."
    "Uhhh, Utah," Cerebral began. "I'm the only other candidate left.  That means I win by default."
    "Wishful thinker, aren't ya?" Utah replied as he sat down.  Cer rolled his eyes.
    "Well, Cerebral, I guess that means you are now the second-in-command of the IFF!" Sparx said with a flair.
    "Ahh, shoot!  I lost!" moaned Utah.
    Roxy chuckled. "I've always liked a man who's going places," she said as she wrapped her tails around Cer.
    "Heh heh, yup, that's me!  The big man!" he joked as he snuggled close. "So, Sparx," he said as he put his arm over Roxy's shoulder, "What do we do now?"
    "Well, I'm going to bed," Snowy put in. "It's pretty late, and I need to get up early in the morning so I can get to the game on time."  Snowy was going with Utah to a big Basketball game at 8:30 the next day.
    "Yeah, I guess I should too..." added Utah. "Don't wanna miss that game! Hey, Snowy, can I bunk with ya?  I don't trust myself to get up on time." Utah said.  Snowy quickly agreed.
    "Well, then, I declare this meeting officially over!" Sparx said. "Goodnight, everyone!"
    As everyone was leaving, Roxy asked Cerebral: "Well, since Utah is taking up my bed tonight, can I sleep over at your place?"
    "Sure, why not?" Cer agreed, smiling.  He and Rox left together, hand-in-hand towards Cer's house.
 
    Later, as Sparx was just getting ready for bed, she thought to herself, "Well, I'm glad that someone can lead this group in my absence.  That takes a load off my shoulders."  As she climbed beneath the sheets, she failed to notice a small plastic pipe enter the room through her window.  It began pumping sleeping gas into the room.  Sparx felt her eyelids getting heavy. "Hmmmm," she whispered, "I know I was tired, but I didn't think I was that tire----" She was unable to complete her sentence before she fell into a deep sleep. A voice from beyond her window whispered, "One down, five to go."

    The next afternoon, Cer and Roxy came loudly bursting in Sparx's hut.  Utah and Snowy were already sitting at the table, downing some java. "Hey, guys!  Either of you see Sparx today??  She wasn't around when we got up." Utah asked the couple.
    "Well, no, I haven't," spoke Roxy.  "I thought she'd be here..."
    "It's not like Sparx to just leave and not tell us about it," said Snowy. "Generally, she'd give us advance warning before she'd go anywhere."
    "Yeah," agreed Cerebral, "that is pretty funky.  Are you sure she didn't leave a note anywhere, guys?  Maybe we should look around."
    "Good idea, Cer," approved Roxy. "Me and Cer will take the upstairs, Snowy and Utah take the main floor.  Let's go, people!" The search was underway.  Everyone was scampering around the house looking for anything resembling a note from Sparx.  After about a half hour of searching, the group reassembled in the kitchen. "Cer and I didn't find anything." reported Roxy.
    "Well, I found this," Utah said, and handed a piece of paper to Cerebral.
    "Utah, this is Sparx's shopping list!" Cer laughed.
    "Uh, well, it looked important..." Utah muttered. "Hey, where'd Snowy go??  Last I saw him, he was searching Sparx's bedroom." Everyone was silent, listening for any sounds Snowy might make.
    Suddenly, a yell pierced the silence. "HEY, GUYS!!  GET IN HERE, NOW!!" Snowy yelled from Sparx's room.  Everyone dashed to Sparx's bedroom, where they found Snowy sitting on the bed waiting for them.  He passed a piece of paper to Cer. "Check this out!" was all he had to say about it.
    Cer read it aloud:
 

    Back in K'Yan's lab, Darkstar reappeared, carrying Roxy. "Thanks for the assist, K'Yan."
    "You simpleton!!" K'Yan yelled back. "If it weren't for your clumsy methods  I wouldn't have had to use my power in the first place!  Your non-existent finesse also cost us the one called Ava Cross!"  Darkstar cowered.  "Put her with the other one!"  K'Yan ordered.
    As Darkstar placed Roxy in a stasis tube next to Sparx, he thought to himself, "Some partnership.  I do all the work and she gets pissed at me!  One of these days I'll get her back..."
    K'Yan weh snickered. "That's two.....now to get the second in command...he'll be mentally weakened by the loss."
    "But, K'Yan..." Darkstar began, "Won't that just make him more furious??"
    "SHUT UP!!" K'Yan hollered. "I know what I'm doing..."
 
    As Cerebral re-entered Sparx's hut, full of concern, Snowy presented him with a note. "I found this upstairs.  Just after you leapt out the window."  Cer took the note and studied it.

    Later that day, Cerebral slowly stepped out of Sparx's hut and looked toward the sky.  "K'YAN WEH!!" he yelled. "I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!!  SHOW YOURSELF!!"  In a flash, K'Yan weh appeared before the startled fox.  "I have a proposition for you, K'Yan..." he gestured toward the house, and the remaining IFF came creeping out. "If you will leave us alone, we agree to let you rule the world." Cer said sullenly.
    "Wonderful!" K'Yan rubbed her hands.  "DARKSTAR!" she yelled to her cohort. "Get the other two Freedom Fighters and bring them here!"  Darkstar soon returned with the unconscious females. "Throw them with the others." she commanded. Sparx and Roxy were promptly placed in front of Cerebral, and Ava immediately rushed to try to awaken them. K'Yan whispered to Darkstar, "Now to cast the spell that traps them in another dimension!"
    "Why couldn't you just cast it before and avoid all this trouble?" Darkstar questioned.
    "Idiot!" K'Yan whispered back. "I've told you this before!!  The spell will not work without complete willingness of the subjects!"  She raised her hands and began a chat in a different language.  Before long her hands were glowing.  Just as a beam of magical energy began to shoot from her hands, she was rammed from behind and fell to the ground.  "WHAT??"  she screeched. The IFF was equally confused.
    "That's not the way I planned it..." Cerebral muttered.  As the dust lifted, the small group of furries were able to vaguely see what had struck K'Yan down.  It had a shiny metal hull, and looked remotely like a spacecraft.
    "Oh, too cool." Utah muttered under his breath.  The metal capsule creaked, and began to open. An echidna stood up, silhouetted against the thick cloud which the spaceship had kicked up.  He looked around, trying to assess the situation.
    "Hello?"  he said. "Where am I??"  Darkstar took this opportunity to use his wits.
    "You're on Mobius," he answered the new figure, "and me and my friend over there", he motioned toward K'Yan, who was just getting up, "need your help!  We were attacked by this band of evil criminals!" he said while pointing to the IFF.
    "Oh?  Were you??" the echidna asked, while turning toward the IFF. "You all had better scram, NOW, before I see to it that you will never walk again!"
    "You've got this all wrong!" Ava, who had finally revived Sparx and Roxy, tried to reason with the echidna. "We're not criminals!!"
    "Enough talk from you, woman!" the echidna called.  "Now LEAVE!!!"
    "What??  You're blowing me off??  NO ONE blows me off!!" Ava lunged at the echidna, who simply flicked his wrist at her. Ava was lifted off the ground, and flew back into the rest of the IFF.  Everyone fell down.
    "Guys, maybe we should retreat," Snowy suggested.  Soon the entire IFF was out of sight and the echidna, with his new found friends, also disappeared.

    In K'Yan weh's lab, the echidna introduced himself.  "My name is Ace, and I guess it's good that I landed where I did."
    "Yes, it is.." K'Yan said, distractedly, hardly acknowledging the new-found furry.  She was obviously thinking up a plan. Suddenly, her eyes brightened up. She hurriedly turned to the echidna and spoke in a defeated tone. "Well, thanks for your help, but we still have to contend with the ringleaders of that group of criminals."  she sighed, acting her part out perfectly. "Could you help us defeat...The Chaotix?"
    "As long as it's a worthy cause.." Ace muttered. He turned to K'Yan and stuck out his hand.  "It's a deal!"  He exclaimed.  K'Yan and Ace shook hands, closing the deal, and thanks to K'Yan's magic, they were all quickly in the midst of the Chaotix.  The group was stunned.
    "K'Yan weh!!  Darkstar!!  And ... uhhhh ... some other echidna!!!" announced Mighty, who was standing the closest to the evil group. Knuckles stood up and faced the trio.
    "So, K'Yan weh, what are you gonna pull on us this time?  That is, if we give you the chance!" Knux shouted, "Guys, attack!!" and the fray was started.  Knux lunged at K'Yan and fully intended to pound her face to a pulp.  he was about one centimetre from doing so, before Ace began to act.  He pointed his finger at Knux, who stopped in mid-air.  Ace then spun his finger around, and Knux followed the path, smashing into anything that got into his way.  "I'll ..... get .... you ... for ... this ...  stranger!" Knuckles muttered in between crashes.  Mighty jumped up and socked Ace on the chin.  Ace flew back and landed on Darkstar.  Knux immediately fell on Charmy, who just happened to be standing below him when the magic spell was broken.  The two were knocked unconscious. Ace got up, hate and vengence in his eyes.  He lunged at Mighty, who thought he was ready for anything.  Ace's fists glowed and he hit Mighty so hard in the gut that he doubled over and fell to the floor, unable to get up.  Espio, meanwhile, in 'camouflage' mode, snuck up on K'Yan weh and grabbed her in a chokehold.  K'Yah gasped, unable to see the force that interrupted her breathing.  Ace turned around, and just watched, unable to make head or tail of what was happening.  While he was distracted, Vector, who had been off to the side watching when the battle commenced, took this oppertunity to sneak up on Ace and nail him many times in the back of the head.  Ace fell down, severely dazed.  Suddenly, Vector gasped in surprise and fell forward on top of Ace.  Darkstar had just delivered a K.O. blow to Vector.  Darkstar pushed Vector off of Ace and turned to help K'Yan.  He had a vague idea of what was happening, but he wasn't too sure, so he walked slowly and calmly to K'Yan.  When he came within five feet, an invisible fist made contact with his nose.  Darkstar swayed back and forth, comlpetely out of it.  Espio flicked Darkstar's forehead and he collapsed.
    "TIMBER!"  Espio couldn't help having a little fun here, as he figured he was winning. K'Yan slumped in his arms, unconscious from the lack of air.  Espio came out of hiding then, figuring that he had single-handedly won the battle.  Too late he realized that Ace was still conscious, and that was his last thought before Ace knocked him silly.  Ace then picked up his fallen comerades, and disappeared.
 
    When K'Yan woke up, she immeiately realized she was back in her lab, and assumed the worst. "We lost, didn't we?" she moaned.
    "No," Ace replied. "I was able to finish them off.  I do not let rest those who commit injustices toward me or any other innocent creature."
    "You hardly seen innocent to me," Darkstar, who had revived in time to catch that last sentance, said.  "It sure seemed that we couldn't have done that without you, pal."
   "Yes," said K'Yan, "and I want to thank you for helping us defeat the Island Freedom Fighters!!"  Ace was confused.
    "Freedom Fighters??"  he asked.  "Aren't they the good guys on Mobius??"  Darkstar nodded. "But....that means....."
    "Yes," K'Yan cackled, "Ava was right.  You DO have it all wrong!  Darkstar!! Seize him!" Darkstar ran towards Ace preparing to tackle him down.  Ace evaded Darkstar as easily as he had gotten rid of Ava.  "Ahhh, fool!  Do I have to do everything around here??"  K'Yan cast a spell and a stream of fire shot out at Ace.  Ace quickly turned and pointed his hand, out of which a lightning bold flew.  The two magic forces collided and K'Yan and Ace were in a power struggle.  Ace crouched and put both his hands into the blast, effectively doubling it's strength.  K'Yan tried to adjust her force, but was too late as the lightning pushed back her fire and zapped her. She lay on the floor, her clothes singed and smoking.  Ace turned toward Darkstar.
    "You still wanna try to 'sieze me', buddy boy?"  Ace mocked Darkstar.  Darkstar took a few steps toward Ace.
    "Sure, Ace, try me." Darkstar sneered.  Ace lifted his finger and electricity crackled around it.  That was enough for Darkstar, who turned and fled as fast as his scrawny legs could take him.  Ace grinned in victory, and turned to leave, when he was grabbed from behind by K'Yan.
    "I'm not so easy to get rid of, magician."  K'Yan chuckled as she tightened her grip around Ace's throat.
    "Let go." Ace said as loudly as possible, which was barely a gasp due to K'Yan weh's steely grasp. K'Yan snickered, and only tightened her grip.  Suddenly, Ace grabbed K'Yan's wrists and shot a jolt of magic energy through them.  K'Yan was magically forced to let go. Ace quickly turned around and kicked K'Yan in the gut. "You're not so hard to beat, sorceress!" he mocked as she doubled over in pain.  Ace took this opportunity, and started to run.  K'Yan was not beat yet.  She straightened, and spoke in a different tongue.  Ace was suddenly trapped in a blue sphere, that was rapidly shrinking in size.  He was about to be crushed!!  Ace realized the danger of the situation and instantly started to radiate a bright red light.  Immediately, the blue sphere shattered into a million pieces, many of which struck and gashed K'Yan weh.  Ace made a swift motion with his hand, and was suddenly gone.
    "NOOOOOO!!" K'Yan weh screamed in pain and sheer anger.  "It's that idiot, Darkstar's fault!  I'm never teaming up with that clot again!"
 
    Ace reappeared nearly 10 feet from Sparx's hut.  "Perfect aiming," he said to himself.  "Hoooo, boy, do I have some explaining to do with these guys..."  He slowly and carefully approached the hut. Looking form his right to his left, to see if anyone was outside, he discovered that he was alone.  He knocked on the door.  Someone from the inside scuffled and moved toward the door.
    Meanwhile, inside, the entire IFF were sitting at the kitchen table discussing their new foe and what to do about him.  There was a sharp knock at the door. Sparx got up to answer it.  "Who is it??"  she asked.  No answer.  "I said, WHO IS IT??"  she repeated in a louder tone.  Still no response from the caller, just another rap at the door.  "Listen, I don't know who's out there, but if you won't tell me who you are, then I can't let you in.  I'm busy at the moment and don't have the time."  With that she turned away from the door.  She had taken a single step before Ace suddenly appeared before her.
    "I believe you'll have time for what I have to say, ma'am."  he said, as kindly and courteously as possible.  Sparx, in shock, was only able to mumble out a few unintelligible syllables.  Ace snapped his fingers, and everyone in the IFF were sitting on the couch.  This little magic act didn't help Sparx's state of stupor.  Now she couldn't even mumble at all.  Ace, without waiting for anyone to make a move, began explaining.  "Listen," he began, "I'll make this short.  I originated from this planet, but, for some reason or another, I was flown off in a spaceship.  Now I'm back to find my biological parents, and I just landed at a bad time.  Your enemies have been punished for their maltreatment to me."  All the IFF could do is stare.
    "Uhh, how can we be sure you're on OUR side now?"  Ava asked with a hint of caution to her voice.  "I mean, you are the one who sent me flying into my buds, and although it didn't hurt me, it certainly hurt your reputation among us."  With a slow sweep of his hand, Ace caused a little window to appear out of thin air and in it was displayed K'Yan weh in her battered state.  "Whoa.  I guess that's enough proof  for me.  She looks mutilated!" Ava gawked.
    "Well, people, let's say we call a truce with this estranged echidna, shall we?" Cer suggested.
    "I'm for it." said Sparx, who had regained her voice.
    "Well, since the two leaders in our group are OK with this guy, who are we to oppose them?" Roxy pointed out.  Everyone agreed, and the echidna was readily accepted as a friend.
    "Well, now that that's settled, why don't we go down to the arcade, guys?  I hear they got a new machine!" Snowy exclaimed.  As they left, Ace lagged a bit.
    "Uhhh, Sparx..."  he began.
    "Yes, Ace, what is it?" Sparx questioned.
    "I just wanted to say I'm sorry for my behavior earlier on, and that I'd like to show it in some way..." Ace stuttered.
    "You just have fun, Ace.  No need for apologies." Sparx said, then ran to catch up with the group.
    "Well, with these guys helping me, I may find my parents sooner than I think!" Ace thought, then he disappeared to rejoin the rest of the furries in their mad dash toward the Arcade.