*DISCONTINUED*Three Chasing One (a Sonic the hedgehog fanfiction)

Chapter Eleven: Unexpected Surprise

Katrina gazed through the wooden bars of the cage, waiting. Her fragile trust in the grey wolf was beginning to falter as more time went by. As a few more moments passed with her pondering over the situation, she sighed in disgust. 'I'm so naive', she scolded herself, 'why did I trust Ace so easily?'. She began to pace back and forth; shifting her stare to the slightest of sounds.

It was only when the moon was at its highest peak in the sky that the bandit returned. "Sunflower." Ace whispered cautiously so as not to disturb the other slumbering prisoners.

Recognizing the petty nickname he gave her, the pretty yellow echidna turned to where she heard his voice. "What took you so long? I was beginning to think - "

"That I lied? Well, you are justified in thinking that, knowing most bandits to be deceptive and shifty. But lucky for you," he grinned roguishly, "I'm not most bandits."

Katrina's anxiety turned into excitement as he pulled out an old rusty key, and hastily unlocked the cell door. Right as she escaped through the doorway, Ace threw a tattered brown cloak at her. She caught it immediately, and hesitantly put it on with a quizzical expression. "It's a disguise." the wolf answered her unspoken question.

Nodding in response, she brushed the dark hood over her head. The echidna's face was well hidden under the shadow it created. Given how filthy the cloak was, it made her appear as a poor beggar. She became confused as Ace attached handcuffs to her wrists.

"To avoid suspicion." he quickly explained as he, too, donned a cloak. It was in much better condition than the rag she wore.

The wolf took her hand to lead her away, but she suddenly pulled it out of his grasp. He turned around in confusion. "My friends. A squirrel named Sally and a hedgehog named Natasha. Where are they being kept?" she asked in a demanding tone, "I'm not leaving until I know."

Ace shook his head, "We don't have much time. I'll tell you on the way." Upon seeing her stubborn glare, he sighed and reluctantly answered, "There's a secret underground base a few miles from here." He turned her to face where he was pointing. "Just beyond the edge of the forest."

Without letting her reply, the bandit took her hand yet again, and began briskly walking. "I was gonna take you there, anyway." he muttered defensively.

As soon as they reached the towering trees, Ace removed her cuffs, and they ventured into the forest.

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Rogue the bat glided above the camp, out of sight. She observed every detail around her. The jewel thief noticed a pair of hooded creatures walk straight into the forest. 'How odd', she thought, 'why would they leave the camp?'. She made a mental note to remember the direction they were headed.

Another thing she noticed was the amount of cages filled with captives. This was placed directly in the middle of the camp. Tents, bonfires, and bandits surrounded the makeshift prison. The creatures below laughed and feasted among each other. It made her sick to see how little the prisoners were given compared to the luxuries these beasts had.

Immediately after she observed everything, Rogue spoke into her wrist communicator. "Captives are held in the middle of the camp. The bandits' guard is down. Now is the time to attack."

A moment passed of static before Sonic's voice replied, "Roger that. Any sign of Sally?"

She paused as she carefully peered down into the cages. "Negative." The bat heard a distressed sigh on the other end. She thought for a moment. "I did see two hooded creatures departing from the camp. They could just be bandits, but I wasn't so sure. Shall I investigate?"