From Ashes to Ashes, Chapter 4

	Meanwhile, at the hideout of Nack and Laura

	"Nick did this!" Nack said, getting up from the floor, clenching his fist.
	"How can you tell?" asked Laura.
	"I can feel it!"

	Nack grabs his bag and hat.

	"Where are you going?" asked Laura
	"To settle an old score."
	"You're not going after Nick alone!  I'm coming with you."
	"NO!  You stay here with Marigold," Nack's eyes grew narrower, "He's MY brother, I have to handle him."

	With that, Nack left the hideout.

	"So, like, now what?" asked Marigold, chewing her bubble gum

Ashes to Ashes, Chapter 5

	"We're going after him," replied Laura
	"But, he said to stay here," said Marigold
	"Nack never means what he says"
	Marigold just stood there silently, thinking for second, "I'm going with you.'
	"No, you stay here."
	"But Knock never means what she says," she replied, mocking her statement about Nack
	Laura sighed, "OK, fine, but stay close."

	With that they both leave the hideout, in the middle of the night, during another unusual storm.

	Minutes later in the Mushroom Hills, Ashe is still looking for Sonic.
	"...., another storm," Ashe thought, then a voice called out from the treetops. "Give back the emerald.  Ashe jumped, turned around, and pointed his gun.  "Who's there?"
	The voice echoed again.  "Give back the emerald, or die."
	"Listen pal, I don't have no ....ing emerald"  Ashe hear a rustle coming from one of the nearby treetops.  Ashe shots at the base of the tree and the tree falls down, along with a dazed red echidna.  Ashe walks over and point his gun in his face.
	"Who the .... are you and where's Sonic?"
	The red echidna remained silent for a moment, then knocked the gun out of Ashe's hand and started to pound him repeatedly, his barbed gloves cutting deep wounds into Ashe's flesh.
	"MOTHER....ER!!!" Ashe screamed in pain.  He fought back, trading lick with the echidna, with no progress.  Both him and this echidna were equals in means to fighting skills.

	Then the storm starts to get worse, the lighting grows more and more intense, and appears to be coming closer.  The battle between Ashe and the echidna still raging on.

	Then a bolt of lighting runs between the two of them, knocking them both down and dazed.

	"What the .... was that?" Ashe asked.
	
	With the remark, a green hedgehog enter the battle, fighting with aggression the likes have never been seen on Mobius, taking on both the echidna and Ashe.  Ashe and the echidna are beaten badly, both lying besides a tree, out of site of the green hedgehog for now.

	"Name's Ashe."
	"What???"
	"Name's Ashe, and you are?"
	"Why should I tell you?"
	"Well, seeing that we're dead if we don't do something about senior psycho-hog."
	"So, you're suggesting?"
	And bolt of lighting shoots by Ashe and the echidna.  The echidna eye's light up in awe.
	"The name's Knuckles."
	
	Both Knuckles and Ashe re-enter the fight against the green hedgehog as allies.  The battle is long and hard, but the team of Knuckles and Ashe prevail.

	Ashe walks over to the green hedgehog, "The name's Ashe, and you are?"
	The green hedgehog moaned.  Electricity appeared to have flowed out of his body.  The shades of green fade to blue.
	Knuckles and Ashe in unison "Sonic?"
	Sonic moaned.  He was exhausted.
	"Help me take him back to camp," Ashe said to the echidna.
	"And why should I?  You still have my emerald."
	"Listen, I DON'T HAVE YOUR ....ING EMERALD!!!"
	"How do I know that?"
	"Search me."
	"What???"
	"Go on, search me!!!"
	"You're even crazier then the hedgehog."
	".... you then."
	Ashe and Knuckles are about to start another fight, then flashlights are upon them.
	"ASHE!!!," screamed the team of Sally, Tails, and Amy.  Amy run up to Ashe and gave him a hug and a kiss, "I was worried about you Ashe."
	"I was too," Ashe replied
	Sally walks over to Knuckles.  "What are you doing here?"  Sally then noticed Sonic's body lying on the ground, beaten badly, "What did you do to Sonic?"
	Knuckles replied, "it was in self defense"
	"Sure it was, you boys and your petty rivalries."
	"HE WAS GOING TO KILL ME!!!" Knuckles screamed.
	"Sonic wouldn't hurt a fly even if it landed on a chili dog he was eating."
	"Sally," Ashe interrupted, "he's telling the truth.  Sonic is not the same Sonic anymore."
	"What?" Sally asked.

	Both Knuckles and Ashe try to explained what happened, Sally couldn't believe it, but considering what has been happening the last couple days, she believes.

	"That's it, we're going back to Knothole," Sally remarked.
	"What about that fox?" said Ashe
	Sally turns to Knuckles, "Could you do me a favor?"
	"I don't owe you any favors.  The Floating Island was not in your father's jurisdiction Princess."
	Sally looked down at Knuckles.  "Fine, have it your way, Ashe, Tails, Amy, help Sonic to the plane and let's go."
	As Sally and her team were walking away, Knuckles caught up. "So, what's your favor?" he asks
	Sally turned around, "You changed your mind?"
	"Yes," Knuckles replied, "although my Island in not of your kingdom, I offer my services as Guardian of not only the Floating Island, but of Mobius as well."
	"Knuckles," replied Sally, "that is very noble of you, your father would be proud."
	"So was is your favor?'
	Sally punches up a picture of a fox onto Nicole's screen.
	"We are looking for her."
	"Why?" Knuckles asked.
	"Robotnik has been playing with one of his toys.  It brought Ashe here to Mobuis, and we suspect she to has been brought here too."
	"So?"
	"So, the data indicated that she landed on the Floating Island."
	"I see."
	"I want you to keep a look out for her."
	"That's it?"
	"Yes"
	"I know the Island like the back of my glove.  I'll find her by tomorrow.  That is, if she hasn't fallen off the Island or something," Knuckles laughed.
	"That's not funny." remarked Sally
	"Sorry," said Knuckles
	Sally hands Knuckles a wrist communicator.  Knuckles straps it to his wrist. 
	"Keep in touch," Sally says.  The team from Knothole leaves.  They return to Knothole by morning.

	Back at Robotroplis

	"OK, if I were Nick, were would I be?" Nack said to himself, sneaking through Robotroplis.
	Wesley was in is quarters for the night.  A siren blares in his room."
	"What?  What?  WHAT!!!" Wesley screams
	A screen comes down before his bed with Robotnik's face in his face.
	"Good morning, Nick."
	"IT'S WESLEY!!!  WESLEY!!!"
	"Whatever, I have something to show you."  The screen then displayed Nack sneaking through Robotroplis.
	"NACK!!!"
	"Yes Wesley, your brother's here.  I'd like you to take care of him."
	"Why me?"
	"Why not?  Unless you like being the second best thief on Mobius"
	Wesley was insulted.  He leapt out of bed.  "Where's is he," he said, in a very low, evil voice.
	"Sector 96."
	"I'm there."

	In another area of Robotropolis

	"I don't, like, like this place Laura."
	"Quiet Mary," Knock says, looking over a corner of one of the many buildings in Robotroplis.  "The cost's clear."  Knock takes her hand-held computer, Sarah, and whispers to her, "Sarah, scan for Nack"
	"Scanning"
	"Quiet Sarah."
	"Volume level decreased by fifty percent.  'Nack' Weasel found, four miles east of current location."
	"Four miles?" said Marigold, "But, I'm wearing my good shoes."
	"Come one Mary, and stop chewing that gum."
	Marigold swallows her gum.

	Four miles east of Knock and Mary, Wesley is closely monitoring Nack from a distance.
	"SWATbots, on my signal, grab him."
	Wesley sneaks past Nack, jumping out in from of him.
	"Hello, brother?"
	"Nick, you've changed," Nack commented about his brother robotic enhancements
	"IT'S WELSEY!!!" he screamed, "There is no more Nick and Nack, our partnership ended long ago.  I am in business for myself now."
	"You're in business with Robotnik."
	Wesley snapped his fingers.  Two SWATbots grabbed Nack.
	"You were always the better thief, Nack."  Wesley transform his arm into a laser cannon and pointed at his brother. "But with you dead, I'll be the best."

	A raven's call is then heard in the distance.  The raven is then seen perching down on one of the nearby rooftops.

	"SWATbots," Wesley called, a team of ten or so SWATbots approach, "be on your guard, I think she's back again."
	"Who?" asked Nack

	To be continued

Sonic, Tails, Sally, Robotnik, Knuckles and Nack are copyrighted Sega/DiC/Archie/Fleetway
Psycho is copyrighted by Bryan/Psycho
Ashe, Mary Gold/Marigold, Laura 'Knock' Lemon, Erica 'The Raven' Draven, and Wesley Nicholas 'Nick' Weasel are copyrighted by Thomas/Ashe

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