Antoine D'Coolette: Private Eye by Holli the Genet ------------------ Antoine D'Coolette: Private Eye I heard a knock at the door that automatically meant trouble. I was ready for anyone, my magnum in it's place on my side. The dim light lit up my bourbon bootle, and shot glass, as I watched my cigarette smoke curl around the bent fan that barely moved the air in my office. Being a private eye pays the bills, and I'm not joining any rebellion. It's, how do you say it, a bunch of crock? I was interrupted again by the knocking. "It's open!" In stepped a dame, all baby eyed. She walked over in an easy sway, and I knew then it wasn't the usual kind of woman who would ask me to snoop around. Something was different. And it was trouble. "Do ya mind?" she asked in a southern accent, staring at my cigarette. "No I don't. You came to me, and it's my office. Speak your mind or leave." The lady rabbit pulled out a file from her trench coat, and flopped it on my desk. "I'm from the forest. I was going to meet my friend Rotor the next few days to relay special information." "What kind of...information?" "That's not why I'm going to hire you. He didn't show up at the Wharf Side Dance Hall, and Robotnik's cells are unoccupied. I need you to locate him, D'Coolette, NOW." she said putting her finger on the file. Now I'm a reasonable coyote, and I wasn't about to turn down an offer for a handsome award that had been promised on the phone. But, "I don't work miracles, lady. I'll find him, but that doesn't mean now, or necessarily alive. I'm just getting paid." "You're colder than ice on a lake." she commented. "I came to you, figuring you're the only one that would take my case. I'll just have to put up with your attitude." "You got that right, lady." I said, rolling my sleeves back down and grabbing my trench coat. "Where to?" The alleyway behind Wharf Side was cluttered and dirty, overturned trash cans and scraps of paper flying everywhere. "Gross. Couldn't you meet this fellow somewhere cleaner, like inside?" I asked. "Not if I want our meetings to remain secret. I came here and saw signs of a struggle." She was right. I put on gloves, not necessarily for evidence damage though. I didn't want to touch the slime about me, but I wasn't about to let her know that. I picked up bullet shells with the pen that I once took from a dead man. That's another story. "Recognize these?" She looked at them carefully. "They're from Rotor's revolver." she said with a sigh of despair. "Hmmph!" I sighed to myself. As much as she was annoying me, I was starting to like her. I didn't know what she thought of me. It didn't matter, I was getting paid, not going on a date. By the way she looked, I guessed she had a thing for this Rotor. Well, there went a chance for love down the greasy life drain. This private eye stuff wasn't a dating service anyway. I got back to business, on the ground to be specific. I looked at the oily substance on the ground. I pulled out my atomic identifier, and slipped in the substance. "Well?" "Quiet! Well...this is a oil used in laser rifles that are only used by combots. Unless someone stole a rifle from a combot, I'd say they took him." "Great!" she said rolling her eyes, turning around so I couldn't see her get upset. I almost felt sorry for her. I had lost my father. But he had been so proper, honarable, and brave and I lived in a beat down office on 48th street. But he's gone, and being like him would only get myself caught too. Maybe that's why I'm considered a coward. That's just as well. I act dumb and cowardly just so Robotnik won't suspect me for anything, and I'm not doing anything for The Rebellion anyway. It's not like I'm not scared at times though. "I have no way of picking up his trail. We've got to find some snitches that work for Robotnik. And you have to do it. People know who I am." I sure didn't know what to think or him when I stepped into his cluttered office that looked like a twister had hit it. He was smoking and when I asked him to put it out, I think just out of spite, he continued to smoke. I notice that for a fellar that 'posed to be eighteen, he shure does seem to drink a lot. But then again, I'm only fourteen, and I take bigger risks than smoking and drinking. He has absolutely annoyed me, but all other private eyes had turned me down because they're so few of them and all unavailable, for some reason or another. I heard D'Coolette is good, but cowardly and blunt. So of course he was the last choice on my list. But I don't have a choice now. I'm worried about Rotor. Worse yet, he had plans to a deroboticizer, which people like me could use. D'Coolette doesn't know I'm partly roboticized, he's just going to help me with what he does know. It was a good thing that Rotor gave me robotic limbs that are normal size. Then I can put on cloth that looks like fur that looks just like the real thing. Only bad thing is, taking off my real arm and putting on one made from scratch is that I'm left with fewer weapons. I'd gladly go to Robotropolis with my real limbs but then I'd stick out like a tractor in a combine show. When I look like the average pedestrian, at least Robotnik doesn't know it's me. Now my friend's missing, and I have to act like a bimbo in the hall talking to this snitch called Knack. D'Coolette told me that he's also a bounty hunter, so I have to be careful. I know it sounds weird, but as much as D'Coolette's a jerk, I'm starting to like him. I think underneath that mean act, there's a person. But I've got find Rotor. He's a good friend, but Rotor's got himself in trouble again. I figure that D'Coolette thinks there's something between me and Rotor, but there isn't. He might as well not know, I've got to find Rotor first. Maybe when this is all over, I can get to know him.... I watched from a window, having my magnum ready in case Ms. Rabbot got in trouble. From what I could tell, she was a pretty good actress, but then again, so is Knack. That loser gets on my nerves, but if anyone knows what Robotnik is doing, its Knack. Right then I wish I could have eavesdropped on the Drama King and Queen, but I had to watch the door. "So Knack, do you know what, um Robotnik's been up to lately?" "There comes a price with that information, rabbit." he said. "Money...or otherwise." he said with an mischievous smile. I was absolutely furious, and had no time for this bunch of crock. "All right...Knack. I'll take what's behind door number two." He smirked as I motioned for him to go around the corner so we'd be out of site of anyone as I played with my pearl necklace and bracelets. But as Knack turned the corner, he was in for a surprise, a gift from me. "URK!!! Augh, let me go!" I grabbed him around the neck with my left arm, holding him against the wall, up off the ground, unknown to him that my left arm was robotic. Even though this metal substitute isn't my real arm, it's as strong as my real roboticized one. "Now listen here, weasel boy! I want to know what happened to Rotor! NOW!!!" "I...I...don't know what you're talking about." His eyes bulged out as I tightened my grasp. "Either you tell me, or I'll break your scrawny little neck!!! SPILL IT WEASEL!" "All right! ALL RIGHT!!! I think your friend is in east Robotropolis. He's not roboticized as far as I know! Please, let me go!!!" "Is that all?!" "I swear lady, that's all I know!!!!" I punched him with my right, dropped him onto the ground and let him slump to the floor. I'm glad to say, that even if my right arm isn't robotic, I'm strong and good enough, that I gave him a bloody nose. "Thanks weasel." I said as he held his nose, blood gushing out down his shirt. "Now I've got a few suggestions for you. Clean yourself up, leave Robotnik, and after you start being honest, get yourself a girlfriend. You do that, you hear, or I'll come after you and break a few bones in your body." He stared at me wide eyed, and nodded stupidly. "Good. See ya around." I'm not normally that mean, but he's one guy that needed to stop making passes at girls. I was smoking when Ms Rabbot stepped out. "Rotor's somewhere in east Robotropolis." "Let's get going then." The drive over to east Robotropolis was a very quiet one. I felt uncomfortable in the front seat while D'Coolette drove. I decided to break the silence. "So...why did you become a private eye?" I asked softly. "It pays the bills. Bill, my tax collector, Bill, my lawyer, and etc." I swallowed and tried to change the direction the conversation was going. "Well...you could loosen up D'Coolette. It is a life risk, but--" "But what?" "Why don't you join The Rebellion? We could use everyone we can possibly get." "That's not for me. My father tried to fix all the wrongs, and now his fate is unknown. No one can fix the world." "But we can try. I lost my entire family when Robotnik took over, but I'm not a cigarette smoking, booze sucking jerk." "Oh, so I'm a jerk, am I?!" "You find a better word to describe yourself!" D'Coolette grimaced at me, and focused all of his attention back to driving. "You hired me...and that's it." "If you want it that way." What I said had hit a sour note. The right note, but still sour nonetheless. I was glad to get out of the car, from that lecture throwing rabbit. It hurt what she had said, but I most certainly wasn't going to let it sink in and get in the way of my work. We stood outside Robotnik's east headquaters, and looked for any signs of movement at the entrance. Something was eerie about the silence. Out stepped combots! I pulled out my gun and gave them a few slugs. Two few to the ground, but three still stood. Ms Rabbot wasn't able to do anything, being gassed before she could do anything. "Ma chere!" Isn't that like a woman? I dragged her behind bushes, and continued firing. I heard rustling behind me. Last thing I saw was a combot before everything went black. When I woke up, D'Coolette was on the floor, unconsciece. I coughed hard, feeling my head swing, results from the gas. We had obliviously been imprisoned for trespassing on Robotnik's grounds, and would be roboticized in a matter of hours, and with no telling how long both of us had been unconscious. I thanked my lucky stars that my robotic arm and legs had gone unnoticed. The cell hall outside was silent and all that could be heard was the slight sound of all the techno engines that ran the place. I took in a deep breath, that sounded like a drum in a hollow cave, because of the silence. I wiped the sweat off my forehead, and looked around the cell. I could easily bend in the bars of the cell, but I need a pretty well quiet means to escape. I looked around more and finally gave up. I slumped to the ground and sighed, burying my face into the skirt of my trench coat and dress, tucking myself into a ball of despair. I started to cry, when a flash of light caught my eye. I got up and moved D'Coolette. There was a loose metal floorboard under him! I rolled him over and quickly pried the board out as quietly as I could. I softly jumped into the metal shaft below, and was about to go on my way. D'Coolette was still lying there. Should I drag him along? After all he's not a member of The Rebellion, so Robotnik might let him go. He'd been a pain. But I knew leaving him wasn't right. He could help me, and if I saved his skin, he'd owe me one. Besides it just isn't in my nature. I grabbed the collar of his trench coat, and dragged him down into the metal shaft. When I finally shook off my snooze, I was in a dark shaft, with Ms Rabbot snuggled up to me, sleeping from exhaustion. I cleared my throat, and nudged her awake. "Hmmm...Oh!" She sat up quickly, slightly embarrassed. "Where are we?" I asked. "A shaft somewhere under the prison cells. Trying to find a way out of here is like trying to find a needle in a hay stack!" "What now then?" "We'll have to keep going. We can't go back to that cell." I knew she was right. At least I was getting paid for all my troubles. I knew we had to get out of the shafts quick. No telling if they were used for anything, and Rotor could be dead or roboticized for all I knew. After hours of scrimping around, we both dropped down. Both of us were worn out, and we both had back pain from crawling around and we only had thick air to breathe. D'Coolette reached for his cigarettes to smoke. But that was the last thing I needed, when the air was already thick from heavy breathing. "I won't ask, 'Do you mind?', this time. Don't smoke, the air is thick and it's no telling what's in these shafts, gases or something." He chose to ignore me. I could see he was starting to shake from nervousness and maybe fear, and his addiction to cancer sticks and booze must really relax him, but everyone knows that addictions like that just make you more jumpy in the long run. I forgot about my left arm being robotic, and with lightning speed, I grabbed the cigarette from his lips. In the big snatch I took, I accidentally pulled back quickly, hitting one side of the shaft with my elbow. It wobbled, and a hole broke open in the side of the shaft. D'Coolette didn't notice that my arm was extraordinary because he was so focused on getting the cigarette I had snatched from him. "Hey! That's my last one! I need it to steady myself!" I flicked it into the hole, which in the process made D'Coolette and myself forget about his disgusting habit, as we looked down the hole, as the cigarette was swallowed in the darkness. D'Coolette pulled a small flashlight from inside his trench coat, and we saw a small control room with one screen and a couple keyboards covered with dust. It was a back up station, which meant we were in the very lowest level of Robotnik's east headquaters. D'Coolette jumped down, and I followed his lead. "Know your electronics? We can't call a electrician." I blew the dust from the keyboards. I hit a few buttons and switches and the computer glowed to life. "We've got to hurry. Chances are Robotnik will wonder what's running, when he notices more power being used." I looked through files, until I noticed one called Walrus. "Rotor!" I clicked on it. The good news was that Rotor wasn't dead, or roboticized. The bad news was that Robotnik was subjecting him to work on weapons. Only reason that Rotor hadn't been roboticized was if he was, he'd be another mindless worker. According to the file, as soon as Robotnik found a way to keep the part of the mind he wanted when someone was roboticized, or when his weapon work was done, Rotor would be roboticized. And so far Robotnik almost had, because Rotor refused to work. Good ol' Rotor! But it looked that Rotor would be roboticized in a few hours because of Robotnik's impatience. "I've read it." said D'Coolette. "Let's go get him! Which way out?" We had to go past several weapon storage rooms before we would reach the weapon development room, aka the war room. We lurked by in the shadows, D'Coolette insisting on leading the way. I didn't have time to argue. I eventually passed him, and he threw me his gun, which surprised me. We we're walking quietly, creeping, when around came shadowbots! They started shooting! "AAAHHH!!!" which both me and D'Coolette screamed. I was terrified as the blasting hit above me, and metal walling came crashing down. But none hit me as I felt myself pushed out of the way! It hurt. I hurt REAL bad. But as much as Ms Rabbot was annoying me, I really liked her, and not really knowing why, I pushed her out of harm's way. Imagine a ton of crashing metal and circuitry falling down on you. It wasn't a parade. I managed to shoot down the shadowbots, but more were coming as sirens went off. Not worrying about who saw me do what now, I started throwing metal off of D'Coolette, and threw it at shadowbots while I was at it. He was unconscience on the floor, on his stomach, with a metal shard through his shoulder. It just about made me sick, blood being soaked up by his trench coat. I swung him on my shoulder, thanking my lucky stars that my robotic legs went faster than normal legs, even with the weight I was carrying. I jumped back down into the shaft, running down the part that was bigger than crawl space, as laser fire pursued me from behind. Dang these high heels! We were finally safe. But only for the moment. Robotnik would be searching for us everywhere now. I still say that it hurt. I opened my eyes, because the pain had brought me to. Ms Rabbot was breathing heavily, crouched down, looking down the shaft. "Are you all right?" I asked, wincing at the pain when I spoke. She turned around. "Good, you've come right to. That's probably a good thing...I think." She crept over and tried to pull the shard out. "AAAAHHHHH!!!!" I'm not proud to say I cussed up a storm right then. "Geez woman! That hurts worse than you can imagine!!!" "I've got to get that shard out now, D'Coolette, or you could bleed to death!" "Easy for you to say, but its MY shoulder!" She sat down. Then something must have crossed her mind. "Hey!" She grabbed into my trench coat, and pulled out my bourbon bottle. "Chug it down." "Wha? I thought you didn't like my liquid crud in a bootle." "Trust me. Drink yourself silly." "I drink, but I don't get so boozed up that I get drunk! Not on the job anyway...." "Shut up! You've got to trust me." She sure looked angry! I took off the lid, and grimaced back. "Fine." Normally bourbon is meant to be taken in shots, but I started chugging down. Pretty soon he was drunker than a former rock star. "Well, Ms Rabbot, I see that I got my iron for today!" as he pointed at his wound in sick humor. "Mm-hum." I muttered, as I looked at the best way to pull out the metal shard. The idea that I had come up with was to get him so drunk, he'd be numb from the brain down, so he wouldn't feel the pain when I pulled out the shard. Of course drunkenness isn't pretty.... "You know, you're one h*ll of a woman! Assertive, smart, great butt..." D'Coolette said, and I had to remind myself that he was drunk "when you came in my office, I went, 'oh my lance!' There's one fine looking woman.... I could have done a number of things, but you were the customer and I'm sure you didn't want to buy what I had in mind. HA HA HA HA!!!" It's official. This IS the only thing guys think about. I was so angry at what he had said, that I slapped him. Oh yeah...oops...he was drunk on purpose, as I pulled my hand back. "Did you slap me woman?" "Uh...No! What in world makes you think I'm capable of that?" He looked at me, one eye wide open, the other half shut, as what I said sunk in. "You're right. What was I thinking? I'm so stupid! Anyway I said,...now Antoine...you're a proper gentleman just like your father. Don't do anything stupid!" "Stupid is right." I said. Then I stopped. "You're name is Antoine? That's a pretty name." "Pretty? Pretty? Its right down pansy! Or at least I think so. Guys should have manly names so they're not wussified." "You SHOULD be a proper gentleman like your father. He's buried underneath. I'd like to know him." "Oh--he'--he'll surface one of these days." Then he stopped. "You would? That's how my father disappeared though." "That doesn't matter. I think I like Antoine better than Private Eye D'Coolette." I finally got a grip on the shard, and pulled it out. D'Coolette winced a little, but only because he saw me pull it; I knew he couldn't feel anything right then. I ripped off most of the skirt of my cocktail dress, and tied D'Coolette's wound. He had fell asleep, and I knew he'd have one hoopla of a hangover. I sighed, and moved some of his hair out of his face. He was out and no help to me, so I left him behind and went forward towards the war room without him, knowing he'd be safe where he was. I crept into the war room. Everything was quiet and only a few lights could be seen, as automated robots worked on Robotnik's war machines. Then I saw Rotor! He was on the ground, slumped down, battered, cut up and bruised, with a wrench thrown to the side that had obviously been thrown at the shadowbot that had been guarding him, by the looks of the huge dent in the robot's chest. The shawdowbot started shoving him. "Start working or be tortured." "NO!" is all he managed to gasp out. All of a sudden Robotnik appeared on a nearby screen. "Well, will he work?" "After several torture sessions he still refuses to work master." Robotnik sighed. "We could have cut out a deal walrus. But I grow impatient. I will just have to find someone else of your expertise, and see if they're more willing. Leave him for an hour so that it gives him plenty of time to submerge into his despair. Then...heh, heh, heh...you will be roboticized. HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!" I gasped. Rotor needed my help, now or never! I snuck in and hid from the bot, as it left the room. I spoke softly. "Rotor?" "Wha...who's there?" "It's me, Bunnie!" "Bunnie? You'r-Your'e here? Oh...." he sighed in huge relief. "I'm chained up Bunnie." I started crawling towards his voice. "I'll get you out!" "DON'T!" "Shh...why?" "I have an explosive around my neck. If that wire chain is broke, my head'll get blown off!" "How do you get it off?" I asked desperately. "That shadowbot had the cardkey. That's the only way it can come off that I know of." I had reached Rotor, and I put my hand on his shoulder. "Ah right. I'll be back." I felt around, and found the door. I thanked my stars that it hadn't been locked. When I woke up, it felt like an all percussion orchestra was playing in my head. Ms Rabbot was no where to be seen. I wobbled as I got up, and looked disgustedly at my empty bourbon bottle as I threw it down the shaft. I stumbled down the shaft, heading for the opening in the wall further down. Just then the hair on the back of my neck went up. Where's Rabbot, I thought. Worse yet, who's that coming? I was relieved to see that it was Ms Rabbot. "Rabbot! You scared the living Geezes out of me! What happened?" "You slept off a hangover." "I noticed. Just why did you make me do that?" "So you wouldn't feel me pulling out that metal shard." I looked at my shoulder, and saw that it was tied with what was left of Ms Rabbot's long skirt of her dress. I winced when I felt it. "I found Rotor. He's going to be executed in less than a hour. You need to stay with him while I go get the cardkey to unhook him from an explosive that's around his neck." "I can go get the card." "You're in no condition to do that bourby." She was right. My head was still ringing. "Okay." We crept back to the war room once again. "Rotor, this is Antoine, the guy I hired to help me locate you." "Hey, how do you know my first name?" "You said a few things when drunk." I winced at the thought of the stupid things I might have said. "Drunk?" asked Rotor. "It's a long story." Rabbot said with me in unison. We were kind of shocked at saying the same thing. Ms Rabbot smiled sweetly at me slowly. I shook my head and looked down. "Uh-uh, you better get going Rabbot." "I'm off then." All of a sudden she stopped. "Aah--aah--AAAAHHHH!!!!!" I saw electricity sparking in the darkness. "Bunnie!" yelled Rotor. "Quiet! What happened?!" I whispered. She winced and closed her eyes tightly as a tear rolled down. "Oh no. Both of your legs malfunctioned?!" Rotor said. "I told you not all the bugs we're out!" "WHAT!? What is going on! Are you a robot?!" I said in bad temper. She started to cry. "No. D'Coolette, I'm partly roboticized. These aren't my real legs or real left arm. My real ones are robotcized and back in the forest." I was so shocked. I couldn't believe she hadn't told me. "Why didn't you tell me?" "It was strictly business remember? You said so yourself." she sniffed. "I knew if I told you, you wouldn't take my case. You're just like everyone else. I thought if I looked normal again, maybe I could get my life back. I was wrong. I'm not a person!!!" I hadn't meant it like that, but for the first time, I really regretted at bursting out like that. I felt REAL low. "No...no. You...You're still a person to me." I swallowed my pride. "You're beautiful to me." She looked up at me with shining, tearful eyes. "You mean that?" she said with disbelief. "Yes. I do." She smiled. I knew that took a lot for you to say, D'Coolette." I smiled a real smile back. "Well yeah..." I said embarrassed. I tried to make an excuse. "Well...uh...maybe I'm not--uh--uh...sober yet?" She leaned over and kissed me on the check, which really surprised me. "I know you meant that. Maybe you're taking my advice to be Antoine instead of Private Eye D'Coolette." I remembered that. "I'm sorry to break in guys." Rotor said. "But I'm still tied up here. Now what?" "I can't move my legs." Rabbot said. "Then I'll have to go, with a hangover or not." "A shadowbot has the cardkey to my chain." Rotor said. "He should be with Robotnik in the main control room. He's the only one with a dent in his chest plate, a present from me." Rotor smirked. "All right. I don't know how much of a chance I have." "May I remind you that we're in a war room?" said Rotor as he smiled evilly. "I suggest you try out Robotnik's new arsenal, right off the assembly line." I smirked back. I liked this guy Rotor. He was pretty upbeat. "Will do." I said slyly. I loaded up and set loose! After leaving my company in the war room, being a distance away so guards wouldn't head to their direction, I started blasting through doors, walls and anything in my direction. "INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT!!!!!" went all the alarms. "NO SH*T SHERLOCK!" I yelled with a laugh. "HOW'S THE TASTE OF YOUR OWN MEDICINE DOC?!!?" When I reached the main control room, Robotnik sent a blast my way. I was already down to a few weapons. As I dodged, most of my weaponry scattered and into open spaces below. I wouldn't defeat anything today, but I was going to get that cardkey. Robotnik didn't know that though. "INTRUDE IN MY SPACE WILL YOU?!! IF YOU'RE EVEN LEFT ALIVE, YOU'LL MOST CERTAINLY BE ON MY DEATH LIST, COYOTE!!!!" I spotted the shadowbot who had been the guard, and shot him down. I dodged and grabbed the card, but I needed to get out right then and there! So...I sent a grenade Robotnik's way! "AH! Systems down!" His chair sank in as he was transport somewhere else in the complex, just before the grenade went off! But then my heart really skipped a beat. "1 minute and counting...59...58..." "OH CR*P!" I threw all my weapons down, and ran back towards the war room. I really prayed for D'Coolette. Especially when that alarm went off. "Oh great!!!" yelled Rotor. Just then D'Coolette ran back into the room. "Let's get out of here!" After unhooking Rotor, I carried Ms Rabbot, with Rotor running behind me. "We've got to get out someway faster! This whole place will blow, especially with the war room full of weapons!" I yelled. "I know where to go! Follow me!" Rotor yelled back. We entered a aircraft hangar, and Rotor jumped onto a small motorcycle type flight unit. I followed his lead. Ms Rabbot who couldn't control her legs had to hold tightly around me. "Blast the door!" I yelled. We blasted through and high skyed it out of there! ...3...2...1 **************************************************** "Wow...what a blast." That was all I heard, besides the explosion, which was what Rotor had said. We all stared in awe, mouths hung open, as all of Robotnik's East Headquarters as well as the surrounding ground was literally dissolved by the blast. It was good that there wasn't any other buildings nearby and most of the structure vaporized in the awesome inferno. We landed our craft, and watched the no man's land burn. I turned my head at the same time that Ms Rabbot did. We just looked at each other, as I saw her face lit up by the glowing of the blaze. "I...I...I'll see you 'round Rabbot." I got up and walked back towards my office without ever looking back. "D'Coolette!...D'Coolette." The next day I sat in my office, feeling really lonely. I couldn't face Ms Rabbot. I'd been such a coward all these years, living by the street, ignoring the good cause and complaining about how I was so bad off, yet I did nothing about it. I looked into my desk, and threw my other bottle of bourbon out the window, in angry despair. I found one cigarette in my desk. "No." I thought out loud. "I can't change now...and Ms Rabbot must know that. She's too good for me.... Yet....something was different about this client of mine, not like all the other women who came to bother me with their troubles. What am I to do?" I stared at the cigarette. I didn't know if I should have thrown it away or not. "I must be going nuts...I don't know what to do...." My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. "Come in." I said half-heartedly. In stepped Rotor. He was cleaned up and cleanly dressed, and didn't even look like the beat up and dirty creature I had met the night before. You'd never guess that he was the kind of guy who was aggressive in a rebellion, because the only thing that hinted that, was the bandages all other him and the sling his left arm was in. "Hey Antoine." I was kind of surprised that he called me by my first name. "...how's it going?" I remembered that Rabbot really liked this guy from what I could tell, so he must be coming to tell me thanks, and to keep my distance. So I sighed, and answered back. "As good as can be expected." Which really wasn't true when I came to think about it. "Good...good." nodded Rotor. He started to speak again, and I knew it was coming. "Antoine, thanks for your help. That's one of the hugest blows we've ever been able to hit Robotnik with." I guess he was right, but I didn't feel like a hero, because I'm just not. "Here comes the rest...telling me to back off." I thought. "Well, I lost the information for my deroboticizer, and Robotnik just upgraded his robotcizer system.... and with everything that's been happening, I thought I'd let you know something right now, so there will be less confusion and stress." "Oh great." I thought. "Now it's really coming." "Princess Sally wants to know if you'll reconsider joining The Rebellion." "Wha?" That's not what I had expected to hear. "You heard me. Bunnie and myself highly recommended you, especially when you helped us to escape and knock out so much of Robotnik's territory." "Rabbot...she recommended me?" "Yeah! She told me she wanted to see you if you came with me to the forest." "You mean there's nothing between you and Rabbot?" "What?..HA ha! What gave you that notion Antoine?" "Well she was so concerned about you...." "She's like that about everyone Antoine! She's a very caring person. No, Antoine.... If you like Bunnie, tell her, not me!" I started to get embarrassed. "Well...I thought...." "No problem, Antoine. I understand!" Now I was really sure that I liked Rotor. He didn't make a big deal out of it. But I still had second thoughts. "I'll let you know soon." Well, I still didn't know what Rabbot would think of me. "If you decide to join," Rotor said, "I'll tell Bunnie that if you do, that you'll be at the entrance to the forest, on the dust road that goes thorough it. Come there tomorrow evening it you're going to join." "All right." I said. "Oh Antoine!" "Yeah?" "I think you have a better chance than you think." I smiled with a little more hope. He understood. The next day I was still undecided. So lit my last cigarette, and went driving out of the city in my rag top car. I parked just a little ways off from the entrance of the forest road. I sighed. Then I heard something to the side of me. "It's me D'Coolette." I saw Ms Rabbot's face from behind the trees. I sighed in relief. "Rabbot! I'm...I'm glad to see you." I smiled. She smiled back. I knew it was either now or never to see if D'Coolette would except me for what I am. I thought no one, least him would ever except me as more than a friend because of my robotic limbs, but with what he had said to me had made me hope. Perhaps he hadn't been sober after all that night, but now I'd find out for sure. It'd be up to him...and I just prayed that I wouldn't be shattered by a false hope. Rabbot stepped out. She had huge purple robotic legs and left arm, which dwarfed her small body. Instead of her long cocktail dress, she wore a short pink skirted dress, probably to get around better. I was surprised at the sight, being used to seeing her as a whole rabbit. But I didn't stare with my mouth open. "You've never looked better." I said. "Yeah right." she said, but with a smile. I opened the door to the passenger side, and motioned for Rabbot to sit. She sat and closed the door, and looked around at me, to see if I'd say anything more. "Rabbot...Bunnie...I meant what I said last night...I really like you for you...robotic or not." "Maybe as more than a friend?" I was surprised at the sudden question, but I knew I had to tell her. "Yeah...as more than a friend. Much more." She smiled and her eyes glistened. She laughed sobbed as a tear rolled down. "You can't believe how long I wished that someone would say that to me...." She looked up, and I wiped away the tear. "Well...can you except me?" "Why couldn't I?" "Well...I'm just such a jerk...there's a lot of things I wish I could take back over all those years...." She smiled. "D'Coolette...Antoine..., I do understand. You like me for the person underneath...how can I not do the same?" I smiled. "Huh...your wrong!"I choked. "How so?" "I think it's more than just like...." She smiled with great joy. She leaned up against me, and I smiled with content and sighed in relaxation. "I can make up for it now. I'm going to help the war cause. There's so much everyone can do. Even me." "You bet you can." she said looking up at me. "I'm just glad we could except each other." I thought for a minute. "Why doesn't the rest of the world? Let's make them except us! You and me are going to Robotropolis as we really are, and we are going to paint the town red! Anyone that doesn't except either of us, has to put up with both of us now!" She beamed a huge grin. "You're right, sugah! Let's go!" She sat up and I was about to start the car, when I saw I still held my lit cigarette. I smiled at Bunnie. "I don't need this if I have you! Here's to the new Antoine!" I smashed it and threw it as far as I could. She was really smiling then! "Oh, call me Bunnie, not Rabbot!" laughed Bunnie. "Only if you call me Antoine instead of D'Coolette!" "It's a deal, Sugah!" I started the car, she leaned up to me, I put my arm around her, as we burned up the road as we headed to Robotropolis for the night of our lives! THE END