With your battle complete, and your injuries sort of patched up, you're finally free to catch your breath... at least until the terminal flares to life again. Your brief conversation with the person on the other end may have left you with more questions than answers, but they are true to their world. Next to the terminal, a glowing golden portal suddenly appears - blinding in its light and large enough for only a couple of you to enter at a time. Regardless, it remains open, showcasing a strange, warehouse-looking building on the other side, with a long hallway and several closed doors. It's not entirely clear where this new location will be, but at least it doesn't seem to have spider robots or be out in space.
/// L O A D I N G . . .
I've got everything ready on my end.
I'll explain everything to you once you're here.
No more secrets, I promise.
Please watch your step, and make sure everyone comes along!
Staying behind is not an option. Whether you trust the person on the other end of the terminal or not, it seems this is your only path forward. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and step through the portal.
THE BASE
The light begins to clear as the last of you enter the portal and come out unharmed on the other side. You'll notice immediately that the portal displayed the exact place you've ended up - a fairly run-down warehouse, with you all standing in a hallway that extends in front of you, lined with doors that are shut. Before you go wandering off, you might want to turn around - after all, you can hear the whirring of machinery behind you.
You'll find that there's another set of doors there - one that is closed and another that leads into a larger room that seems to be a makeshift lab and control room all rolled into one. There are monitors carefully (but a bit haphazardly) strewn across the room, the wiring capably done but rather unprofessional. One of the screens shows a diagram of a gemstone, another shows a list of coordinates that don't make any sense, a third seems to be showing security cameras... basically exactly what you'd expect for someone's base of operations.
And that base of operations is staffed by... well, you'll have to look down, as he's not exactly human height.
Standing before you is someone unfamiliar to all of you. He's not very tall, but he stands out from the crowd with his yellow fur, bright blue eyes, and twin tails. He's an anthropomorphic fox and he's looking at you all a bit nervously, waving a hand in greeting.
"Um, hi." He says. "I'm really sorry about the confusion. And the robots. And your missing memories. And your injuries. I really didn't expect things to turn out like this..." He trails off nervously, scratching his cheek before forcing a smile again. "But thank you so much for agreeing to help us. My name is Tails. I'm one of the members of the resistance.
"There are medical supplies here, for you guys to use. I'm sorry, I'm not a medic..." Sure enough, you have access to quite a few medical supplies present in this room! Go right ahead and patch up your friends with the good stuff. You've even got painkillers here!
He clears his throat and continues. "Like I said, no more secrets. I couldn't tell you everything while you were in that other world, because I was afraid of my transmissions being picked up by the Doctor. You guys are the only hope for this world, because the three of us can't beat him alone. So we had to turn to help elsewhere.
"Doctor Robotnik - or Eggman, as we call him - is a genius scientist. He's made a lot of robots and gadgets, but that's not the reason why we need your help. He's got an item of immense power - the Master Emerald. With it, anything he thinks and desires can become reality. He made a giant robot from pieces of cars, trucks, trains, you name it! And that giant robot alone is enough to pose a huge threat to the city, but he didn't stop there.
"The entire world is controlled by him. He even controls the minds of all the people native to this world. They can't fight against him. They act like mindless drones, going about their daily tasks with no way to fight back. And he's created a lot of robots - they might even outnumber the people, at this point! Everything and everyone is under his control."
A brief pause as Tails breathes and steadies himself. "But my friends and I are able to fight back. We have to fight back. And you guys agreed to help us. I'm sorry that you don't remember it, but my friend Sonic spoke with each one of you. He told you about what's going on here and he asked for your help. And all of you said you'd come help us.
"I'll do my best to answer any questions you have. But right now, I'm the only one here. I lost contact with Knuckles at the start of this week, and I've been trying to figure out what happened. Sonic's been trying to find help in other worlds, so communication with him has been spotty. But I'll let him know that you guys are here now, so he should return soon!"
Tails exhales and forces a smile. "Together, we can defeat Eggman."
THE AFTERMATH
Though it's a lot of information to take in, Tails will happily answer any questions you all may have. He tells you that this warehouse is their base of operations, hidden right under the nose of Eggman's forces. Unfortunately, they need to be very careful because robots are always on patrol - and are specifically looking for the three of them. For now, it's best for you all to remain near the warehouse and travel in pairs, if you do go out into the city for any reason.
You'll find that those closed doors lead to rooms that have been set up for all of you. They're a little lacking, with only two beds, two desks and chairs, and two trunks for you to store your belongings in. Though you do have some changes of clothes in the closets, the designs may not be to your liking. They were picked out for you by three animals who only wear shoes and gloves, so...
Get ready, because it looks like you've a lot of work ahead of you.
[Tails nods at that and continues his work. He's already made incredibly progress considering he'd never seen a Nikke before today, but give him a bit longer before your arm's back in working order.]
Oh, that could be helpful! I don't mind as long as things are being used, but keeping track of what we're running low on could be good. It was kinda hard to keep on top of supplies for just the three of us, so I can only imagine how hard it'd be with so many people...
It wasn't too bad for us over there, I will say. I usually do checks twice a day, or at least as much of a day as we could keep track of; I've learned a lot from other missions that I've undertaken about how essential such upkeep is. Whether it be ensuring that enemies can't destroy them, or that things are not being over-used or hoarded and the like.
Allow a few of us to take over, then. I know a few who are more than capable, alongside myself. If we can help ease the burden just a touch, that should at least give you a little time to rest.
[Dorothy puffs up a touch, pridefully. While she left behind the notes on what they had, she's more than happy to take up the slack. She's honestly genuinely impressed by how well Tails is doing in helping her arm, too, so maybe she's just a little indebted to the lil guy.]
...What was the world like, before this? If you do not mind my asking.
[He's still hard at work here! But this topic change is an acceptable one, from the sound of it.]
It was a really nice place. This world doesn't have people like me, it's all humans. But the humans can be so quick to jump in to help - there are these two who—
[He suddenly shuts his mouth, hands pausing in his work for a long moment before he shakes his head and continues working on Dorothy's arm.]
...Well, it's been awhile since things were like that. But it's what we're fighting for: so this world will be that bright place again.
[It's all humans. But the humans can be so quick to jump in to help -
Tails might see Dorothy's look neutralize a bit from the relative warmth on her face. That's...is that really how humans were, here? At one point or another. Not deceiving one another. Not trying to wring everything they could out of one another, not trying to use one another, not willing to cast aside outsiders and...
It takes a few seconds for Dorothy to come back into herself, her mouth actively agape for a moment before she corrects it. She...well, she's usually not so open with touch, but Dorothy takes her good hand and gently places it on Tails' shoulder with determination entering her eyes.]
...Then we'll do all in our power to give you back those beautiful days. In my world, there's no hope of them coming back, but...there's still time, here. So we'll do all we can, okay?
[Dorothy doesn't know if she believes in herself enough to believe in those words. Dorothy doesn't really even know if she can do this. But she's seen one sad foxboy who misses a beautiful, bright world, and she will fucking take on this 'Eggman' by herself if she must to give him back those days.
Maybe, just this once...she can truly be the Goddess of Victory that this world needs.]
...I hope you're all able to find happiness again, soon. So please, feel free to rely on us.
[Dorothy will withdraw her hand at that, though her expression becomes something a little gentler once she does. At the apology, though, it...goes a little sad.]
It's...well. When I first volunteered to become a Nikke, I had originally intended to do the same thing I wish to do here. To fight to bring back the peaceful, beautiful days. The Commander I had at the time swiftly corrected me, that those peaceful days would never come back at this point; the world had changed since then, and it'd likely never be the same.
At the time, I had opted to fight for revenge instead. For everything I had lost.
[...]
...I don't want to see any of you go down the path I've endured. I'm glad to help.
[Revenge... He can see where it'd be easy to slip into something like that.]
We'll do our best. We've managed it for this long, and we're going to keep fighting, no matter what.
[...]
I don't... want to think that there isn't any hope for your world. But I know that other worlds are so different from this one, so... It's just... a little tough to think about, I suppose.
She doesn't want to believe that there's hope for her world. It's Raptures have gone down from infinite to a finite number, yes, but do the selfish people really deserve the world after all they've done? To her, to each other, to her fellow Nikke? Do they deserve anything after all of the shit they've perpetuated?
Dorothy pauses a bit at that, her look averting and the light leaving her gaze, before she closes her eyes and focuses back on Tails.]
It's alright. If anything, like I said...I apologize for bringing up something so mood dampening. The state of my world is not one I'm very happy about, and the people left aren't nearly as kind as the ones you speak of. That's all.
...I think we've both dealt with enough miserable things. Tell me, dear, once you're done--may I make you that cup of tea I promised? I'd love to learn more about what you're working on, if that's alright.
I may not be as knowledgeable as Cecil, but I would not mind learning some things from you, if you would allow it.
[Tails' eyes drop back to his work and he continues in silence until Dorothy speaks up again. He'll let it go, but... well, it's hard to imagine a world with people truly so horrid.]
Oh, sure! I think I'm almost done here.
[And sure enough, yep! Her hand is now properly functioning, restored to a state almost as good as new. If you look carefully, you can see that there are seems where Tails put everything back together, but it isn't noticeable at all unless you know where and what to look for.]
I hope it's functioning properly! I think I've got a pretty good idea of how it works, though.
[Dorothy tests it out a bit, eyes widening with mild bewilderment and wonder as she realizes how well it works now. All of her fingers work properly, and it feels like normal. For a young man with no experience with Nikke technology, Dorothy is genuinely impressed with how quick he's adapted. It's just like brand new...]
Oh, you've done better than I think most anyone could have done...! [Dorothy's enthusiasm is genuine, and she'll gladly smile as she starts to get up.] You learn so quickly; I'll have to tell you more at some point in case I'm in need of your services again, dear.
But for now, allow me to make you a nice cup of tea in return so we can chat about nicer things. You'll have to tell me about how you take yours, but I look forward to talking more with you.
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no subject
Oh, that could be helpful! I don't mind as long as things are being used, but keeping track of what we're running low on could be good. It was kinda hard to keep on top of supplies for just the three of us, so I can only imagine how hard it'd be with so many people...
no subject
Allow a few of us to take over, then. I know a few who are more than capable, alongside myself. If we can help ease the burden just a touch, that should at least give you a little time to rest.
[Dorothy puffs up a touch, pridefully. While she left behind the notes on what they had, she's more than happy to take up the slack. She's honestly genuinely impressed by how well Tails is doing in helping her arm, too, so maybe she's just a little indebted to the lil guy.]
...What was the world like, before this? If you do not mind my asking.
no subject
Okay, thanks. I really appreciate it.
[He's still hard at work here! But this topic change is an acceptable one, from the sound of it.]
It was a really nice place. This world doesn't have people like me, it's all humans. But the humans can be so quick to jump in to help - there are these two who—
[He suddenly shuts his mouth, hands pausing in his work for a long moment before he shakes his head and continues working on Dorothy's arm.]
...Well, it's been awhile since things were like that. But it's what we're fighting for: so this world will be that bright place again.
no subject
Tails might see Dorothy's look neutralize a bit from the relative warmth on her face. That's...is that really how humans were, here? At one point or another. Not deceiving one another. Not trying to wring everything they could out of one another, not trying to use one another, not willing to cast aside outsiders and...
It takes a few seconds for Dorothy to come back into herself, her mouth actively agape for a moment before she corrects it. She...well, she's usually not so open with touch, but Dorothy takes her good hand and gently places it on Tails' shoulder with determination entering her eyes.]
...Then we'll do all in our power to give you back those beautiful days. In my world, there's no hope of them coming back, but...there's still time, here. So we'll do all we can, okay?
[Dorothy doesn't know if she believes in herself enough to believe in those words. Dorothy doesn't really even know if she can do this. But she's seen one sad foxboy who misses a beautiful, bright world, and she will fucking take on this 'Eggman' by herself if she must to give him back those days.
Maybe, just this once...she can truly be the Goddess of Victory that this world needs.]
no subject
...Yeah. Yeah, thank you. I... I really can't express how much this means. Not just to me, but to Sonic and Knuckles too.
["No hope of them coming back" in her world, though...]
I'm... sorry. That things are so tough in your world.
no subject
[Dorothy will withdraw her hand at that, though her expression becomes something a little gentler once she does. At the apology, though, it...goes a little sad.]
It's...well. When I first volunteered to become a Nikke, I had originally intended to do the same thing I wish to do here. To fight to bring back the peaceful, beautiful days. The Commander I had at the time swiftly corrected me, that those peaceful days would never come back at this point; the world had changed since then, and it'd likely never be the same.
At the time, I had opted to fight for revenge instead. For everything I had lost.
[...]
...I don't want to see any of you go down the path I've endured. I'm glad to help.
no subject
We'll do our best. We've managed it for this long, and we're going to keep fighting, no matter what.
[...]
I don't... want to think that there isn't any hope for your world. But I know that other worlds are so different from this one, so... It's just... a little tough to think about, I suppose.
Thank you, though. We need your help.
no subject
She doesn't want to believe that there's hope for her world. It's Raptures have gone down from infinite to a finite number, yes, but do the selfish people really deserve the world after all they've done? To her, to each other, to her fellow Nikke? Do they deserve anything after all of the shit they've perpetuated?
Dorothy pauses a bit at that, her look averting and the light leaving her gaze, before she closes her eyes and focuses back on Tails.]
It's alright. If anything, like I said...I apologize for bringing up something so mood dampening. The state of my world is not one I'm very happy about, and the people left aren't nearly as kind as the ones you speak of. That's all.
...I think we've both dealt with enough miserable things. Tell me, dear, once you're done--may I make you that cup of tea I promised? I'd love to learn more about what you're working on, if that's alright.
I may not be as knowledgeable as Cecil, but I would not mind learning some things from you, if you would allow it.
no subject
Oh, sure! I think I'm almost done here.
[And sure enough, yep! Her hand is now properly functioning, restored to a state almost as good as new. If you look carefully, you can see that there are seems where Tails put everything back together, but it isn't noticeable at all unless you know where and what to look for.]
I hope it's functioning properly! I think I've got a pretty good idea of how it works, though.
no subject
Oh, you've done better than I think most anyone could have done...! [Dorothy's enthusiasm is genuine, and she'll gladly smile as she starts to get up.] You learn so quickly; I'll have to tell you more at some point in case I'm in need of your services again, dear.
But for now, allow me to make you a nice cup of tea in return so we can chat about nicer things. You'll have to tell me about how you take yours, but I look forward to talking more with you.
[let's go have a nice lil tea party!!!]
no subject
Sure! I like a lot of honey in mine!
[C'mon, let's go get that tea!!]