Molly's Return

Chapter 11: The First Mission

The alarm clock went off at 5:00 on the dot, waking up a blonde hedgehog under her sheets. Maria got up filled with energy and excitement, knowing that today was going to be a great day. She got dressed and headed to Molly's room to wake her up, eager to start their day together. As she knocked on the door, she couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement wash over her. Today was going to be a new beginning for Molly, and Maria was excited to see what the future held for her friend.

"Good morning, Molly~!" She sang as she opened the door, but to her surprise, Molly wasn't there. The bed was neatly made, and the room was empty. Maria frowned, realizing that Molly was nowhere to be found. She quickly grabbed her stuff and headed to the hangar, hoping to find her there. As she arrived, she saw her friends in their GUN uniforms. "Hey, guys! Have you seen Molly?"

"She's at the locker room, getting ready for her first mission." Rouge answered, winking at Maria. "You better hurry, sweetie. You don't want to miss the action." Maria nodded, feeling a sense of excitement wash over her as she rushed towards the locker room to get ready as well.

When she entered, she saw Molly adjusting her flight suit. She tensed up when she heard footsteps and quickly pinned Maria to the ground.
"Maria! I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." Molly quickly got up and helped Maria to her feet, feeling embarrassed.

"It's okay, Molly. I'm just glad to see that you're ready for your first mission." Maria smiled at her, patting her on the back. "Hey, I never seen your hair down. It's so pretty!" Molly blushed at the complement, feeling conscious about her long quills.
"T-Thanks. I forgot to tie it up this morning." She chuckled nervously.
"I have an extra. You can borrow it." Maria offered, handing Molly the hair tie. "Here, let me..."
"Y-you don't have to- Oh, you're already doing it. Okay...."

As Maria tied Molly's hair up, she felt a sense of closeness to her friend. She knew that Molly had been through a lot, but she was glad that she was starting a new chapter in her life. The gingered hedgehog was blushing as Maria finished tying her hair. She felt a sense of warmth and comfort wash over her, knowing that she had made a new friend who cared about her. She smiled at Maria, feeling grateful for her kindness.

"Thanks. I... really appreciate it."
Maria smiled back at her.
"No problem, Molly. We're a team, and we look out for each other." The two friends smiled at each other while the rest of Team Dark watched with smirks.
"Oh my gosh, they are so cute together." Rouge whispered to Shadow, who rolled his eyes.
"Let's focus on the mission, shall we?" Shadow replied, gesturing for the others to follow him. "We have a job to do."

Molly cleaned her throat and went to the planes, where she was greeted by the pilots of the Blue Eagles, who greeted her warmly, except Katella. She was still salty about being bested by her and was extremely jealous of the attention she was receiving.
As soon as Molly was alone taking adjustments to her plane, she heard Katella talk to her.
"Can I have a word?"

Molly turned and nodded, hopping out of the cockpit and saluting. The captain kneeled to her and spoke to her in an angered tone:
"Listen carefully, Sakuhana. This is my team, and I won't let some newbie steal the spotlight from me. You may have bested me in the simulation, but in the real world, things are different. If you get in my way, I won't hesitate to take you down." Molly could feel the anger and jealousy emanating from Katella, but she didn't flinch. Instead, she calmly answered:

"Don't worry, Captain. I don't plan to take your crew. I fly solo." She then went back to adjusting her Blue Eagle, much to Katella's dismay. She knew that Katella was still upset about their previous encounter, but she didn't want to let her get to her. Molly was determined to prove herself as a skilled pilot and a valuable member of the team, and she wasn't going to let anyone get in her way. As she finished adjusting her plane, she took a deep breath and prepared for her first real mission as a member of GUN. Suddenly she heard Moraceae's voice, just two words: