Rebel Rising (War Over Mobius Saga: Rebel Route #1)

Access to Rebellion

"War?!" Gadget nearly fell over. "What happened?"

Daniel gave him a glance that told Gadget he was overreacting a little bit. "There's no war yet. But Sonic's dead, and that creature's been destroying things left and right. War's coming, and there's nothing we can do to stop it."

Gadget nodded a little, understanding yet shocked.

"Rumor has it," Daniel looked at the ground ahead of him, obviously thinking about something that had happened to him. "There's already an uprising forming, lead by the people that were close to Sonic before his death. They've been trying to recruit others since it happened..." Daniel pushed Gadget underneath a steel bar that revealed a broken civilization behind it.

"Daddy!" A shrill, young voice cried, and a tiny green deer in a dress, she was no more than five, came running up to Daniel.

"Hi, angel." He picked her up and kissed her forehead.

"Who's that?" Gadget asked, looking at the fawn in Daniel's arms.

"My daughter. Amelie."

"Who are you?" She reached out to Gadget, waving to him as she asked.

"My name's Gadget." He felt tugging on his hand, which he traced to Amelie gripping his hand and cuddling it.

"Fluffy..."

Gadget chuckled, then ruffled the hair on her head gently, she erupted in delighted giggles. "Is her mother ok?" Gadget looked at Daniel, slightly somber.

"She's resting. She's one of our wounded, but she wasn't hurt enough to warrant a dangerous trip to take her to another city, thank goodness."

Amelie nodded enthusiastically.

"So you mentioned an uprising, are you a recruit?"

"No, no. I have my family here... And to be honest, joining the rebellion is a death wish, Mobius is only going to get worse and worse, and getting on the front lines of disaster is a sure-fire way to get yourself killed."

Gadget didn't seem to even hear the part proclaiming that joining the rebels was a death wish. "Do you have a way to contact them? I'd like to join if they'll let me."

Scattered gasps from multiple ragtag survivors echoed through the make-shift iron shelter.

"Are you crazy?!" Daniel gaped, fully ready to slap Gadget across the face. "What about your family?! Do you want to die?!"

"My family's gone. I have no one left... I don't want to die, no, but I have to fight for the honor and memory of my late family..." Many people looked down, a heavy feeling sunk over them.

Daniel didn't want to give Gadget the keys to his own destruction, seeing he was so young, but he knew that if war was really coming to Mobius, he was no safer in the society that had been ransacked not even a month after the hedgehog's fall. Blatantly ignoring everything that his heart said to do, he handed Gadget a little metal, compass-shaped device. "This is a device that the Resistance gave me, back when they tried to recruit me. It was to get me to them without being mistaken for the Empire." He pulled a small hidden switch slowly and a symbol that consisted of two stars, one small and one large, slowly appeared as well. "This is the rebel symbol, if you show it, you're stating you support the uprising, it can put you in danger if you show it to the wrong person."

Gadget nodded, mentally screening through what might happen if he messed up with it. His mind showed him getting captured, arrested, for a spilt second he even saw himself getting tortured and killed by Empire soldiers.

"Some soldiers are skeptical, which is understandable, they've been running all over burning cities and towns, seeing the deceased everywhere. However, that's what this is for..." Daniel tilted his wrist backwards a little, causing the device to tilt to. Like a holographic novelty, the words 'Resistance Volunteer Army' displayed through the symbol and the electronically black and green void behind it. "Be careful when you do that, unless you're certain that the person who's got you is a rebel too. The Empire can fake the symbol, but the words are like a seal of authenticity, this device is the real deal. Show it to someone who doesn't support the rebels or show it to someone in the Empire's army and you're as good as dead." He handed the device to Gadget, who spent some time finding the hidden switch, and he practiced with it. Daniel instructed him to use the device as he would if a soldier had him cornered and when he did it without flaw, Daniel sighed. "You're signing your death warrant, but it doesn't look like I can stop you." He took Gadget out of the shelter and told him where to head to find the Resistance. "They have a huge presence around City Zone's area; you should be able to find someone there who's a rebel."

Gadget nodded, suddenly frightened as his future spiraled closer and closer to him. He knew there was no going back, he had to face devastation head-on.

"Chao-speed, Gadget. May the fallen help guide you."