A New Meeting

**A New Meeting** *(新しい会議 Atarashī kaigi)* is the thirst episode of ***Fangs And Speed: A New Adventure***.

## Synopsis

Derek, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles and Amy are on patrol, and meet the Downunda Freedom Fighters.

## Plot

It's been a few days since Derek became a Beta. Sonic and his team, consisting of Tails, Knuckles, Derek, and Amy, are patrolling at an area called Downunda. Tails and Amy are inside Tails' Tornado plane while Sonic, Knuckles, and Derek are running on the ground. As they patrol, they suddenly find themselves under attack by a group of robots. However, with their teamwork, they easily defeat the robots. They decide to take a break to relax for a bit. Derek remarks, "Interesting," to himself, catching Sonic's attention. "What's interesting, Derek?" Derek explains his concern, "We haven't heard from Robotnik in weeks. Doesn't that seem strange to you? It is true that his robots still roam here, but Robotnik himself is not seen at all." Amy agrees, "Right, it is weird." Suddenly, more robots appear to attack. "Oh, looks like they brought back-up." Team Sonic get into their battle stances. "Here they come, team. Be prepared!" Sonic declares.
Unexpectedly, a group arrives to help them. First, a brown wallabee destroys a robot, saying, "Don't worry, we're on it!" Then, a white koala appears, destroys another robot, and says, "Hardly worth the effort, these things." Finally, a yellow wombat destroys the last robot, saying, "But that doesn't make them any less fun." The three newcomers then land. "Are you ok, fellers?" the wallabee asks.
Sonic introduces himself and his team, "Yes, nice entrance. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, and this is my team." The wallabee introduces himself and his team, "Nice to meet you. I'm Walt Wallabee, and these are Barby Koala and Wombat Stu. We're the Downunda Freedom Fighters! We've heard a lot of good things about you and your team, mate." While everyone is introducing themselves, Derek feels something strange. "Hey, guys," he interrupts, causing everyone to look at him. "I feel something is wrong here," he says. Walt agrees, "I agree, let's find shelter for the night." "Good idea," Sonic replies.
At sunset, the two teams find a good spot and make a campfire. Sonic begins to recount the recent events to the Downunda Freedom Fighters. "All the events in just 3 weeks? It makes our fights sound boring," Walt remarks in surprise. "You're right. It somehow makes me want to have a lot of enemies." Stu says in sarcasm. Walt turns to Derek and asks, "How about you, Derek? How did you meet your friends?" Derek tells the story, "When I tried to find Robotnik, I went into battle against a squad of Robotnik robots, but I was too predictable and angry, and they managed to overpower me. But at the last minute, Knuckles saved me and took me to Tails' house, where Sonic and the others helped me recover." Walt is once again amazed and asks, "By the way Derek, why are you desperate to find Eggman?" Derek changes his face to seriousness, and falls silent, causing concern among the group. "He doesn't like talking about it," Sonic explains. Barby unexpectedly pats Derek on the shoulder and says, "We all lost something because of Eggman. It's okay, Derek. We will understand." Derek sighs and begins to tell them about the fire, and about his sister's death. After he finishes, the Downunda Freedom Fighters are left stunned. "He... really did that?" Walt mumbles. Derek confirms, "Yes, but the past doesn't matter now. What is important is the present. Now, we should take a rest." With that, Derek lays down and goes to sleep, followed by the rest of the two teams.
After a few hours of sleep, both Team Sonic and Downunda's Freedom Fighters gets up and stretch out. As they prepare to resume their journey, Derek suddenly alerts the group, "Um, guys… we're not alone." In an instant, Robotnik appears in his giant robot, prompting Walt to shout, "Eggman!" "Oh, Downunda's Freedom Fighters here too? Excellent! Kill them all, Egg-Robot!" Robotnik commands. The two teams spring into action, but the robot proves to be too powerful for them to handle. Barby asks in desperation, "What are we going to do?" Walt responds, "This robot is too strong, we need to retreat." Sonic, however, refuses to give up, "No! We can't retreat." Walt admits defeat, "We used all our power, but nothing affects him." Sonic confidently says, "Not all of us." Confused, Walt looks around, and suddently Derek and Knuckles appear from behind him. "Leave it to us, Walt," Derek says in a deeper voice. Derek and Knuckles activate their full power, Knuckles with his deadly punches and Derek transforming into a werewolf. Walt is awestruck by their abilities. However, Robotnik taunts Derek, "Oh, Derek. I heard you're not an Alpha anymore. How is it? It's sad, isn't it?" Derek responds with conviction, "I might not be an alpha anymore… But I can still fight like one!" With a roar, Derek charges at the robot alongside Knuckles. Together, they manage to take it down. Robotnik is left stunned by their victory. Derek seizes the opportunity to pull Robotnik out of his Egg Mobile and toss him at the group.
"Good job, Derek," Sonic commends. Walt declares, "Now, Doctor Eggman, you're coming with us." Robotnik, however, has other plans, "Sorry, but I'm not ready yet." Without warning, Robotnik's Egg Moblie fires a missile towards Barby, who is unable to dodge it. In a surprising turn of events, Derek saves her. "Thanks…" Barby gratefully thanks Derek. "You are welcome," Derek replies. As the two rise to their feet, Robotnik delivers a final blow, "And as a bonus…" He takes out a gun and shoots at Derek, hitting him in the hand. Derek roars in pain, prompting Tails to yell, "Derek!" With a maniacal laugh, Robotnik takes off in his Egg Mobile, leaving the group to tend to Derek's injury. As Derek rolls up the sleeve of his shirt, he discovers that the bullet wound is not healing, and a fountain of blue smoke is also coming out of the wound. Knuckles anxiously asks, "What the hell is this?" Derek replies while panting, "Wolfsbane, blue wolfsbane." Tails realizes what this means and begins to stress, "What do we do?" Derek begins to lose control and unwillingly activates his glowing eyes while everyone worries. "Derek..." Sonic says in concern. Derek briefly explains, "We have to get it out... and fast."
"We need to go to my lab," Tails says. "Got it. Stu, you stay at Downunda. Me and Barby will help them," Walt commands Stu. "Okay," Stu agrees. So they all quickly fly to Tails' house. After 15 minutes of flight, the plane lands near Tails' house, while Walt and Barby help Derek walk. When he enters Tails' lab, Derek takes off his shirt and looks at the wound that has already managed to get infected. "Oh no," Tails says worriedly. "Tails, listen, you have to find the same bullet that Robotnik shot," Derek says. But Tails refuses, saying, "I'm not leaving you." Walt says "Don't worry, Tails, me and Barby will stay with him." "Are you sure?" Tails asks. "Yes. I'll be fine, Go," Derek replies.
Tails sets off, sneaking into Robotnik's HQ and finds a box there containing bullets of the same type that Robotnik shot at Derek. But before he can get out, Tails finds himself surrounded by robots. “You made a mistake coming here, Tails,” Robotnik says. “Listen, Eggman. I don't want to fight,” Tails replies. “Too late for that, Tails. But I want to show you one last thing,” Robotnik taps his finger, and suddenly, this is what comes. “Tails, meet the WereJaguar,” Robotnik says with a smile.
Back at Tails' house, Derek still manages to hold on thanks to the help of Walt and Barby. “Isn't there anything else you can do right now, Derek?” Barby worriedly asks. Derek replies, ”When the infection reaches my heart, it'll kill me.” Then he continues, "And if Tails doesn't arrive in time, there is a last resort." "Which is?" Walt asks. Derek takes out a saw from one of the drawers and says, “One of you will have to cut off my arm.” “What?!” Walt and Barby say in shock. Derek gives Walt the saw, “Derek, I don't think that's a good idea.” Walt says. “I guess you'll have no choice,” Derek replies. Barby responds, “What if you bleed to death?” But Derek says, “It will heal if it works…” But suddenly, Derek starts purring. And then, he throws up black vomit. “What is that??” Walt and Barby ask in a panic. Derek replies, “This is my body... It's trying to heal… now. You gotta do it now!” Walt says, “but…” Derek yells, “Just do it!”
Walt is then about to start, but then… Tails unexpectedly returns to the house with the Bullet. “Derek!” Tails yells. “Tails… do you have the bullet?” Derek asks in a weak voice. Tails says, “Yes, take it.” “Thanks…” Derek replies and takes the bullet. Barby asks, "What will you do with this Bullet?" Derek replies, "I'm gonna... I'm gonna..." But suddenly, Derek drops the bullet and falls to the floor. The Bullet rolls and falls into a small sewer opening. "Derek!" Barby yells. Walt checks on Derek and says, "Derek? Derek, come on. Wake up!" "I can't get there!" Tails says, trying to retrieve the bullet. Walt says, "He's not waking up! I think he's dead." "Just a moment!" Tails replies. But then Barby says, "I'll take care of it, Tails." She punches the sewer opening with her spiked glove, breaking it and retrieving the Bullet for Tails. Walt says to Derek, "Sorry, Derek..." and punches him in the face. Derek wakes up and says, "Give me the bullet, quick." Tails gives Derek the bullet again, while Walt and Barby help him up.
Derek takes the gunpowder out of the bullet, takes a lighter, and burns it. He collects everything with his other hand and puts and rubs the gunpowder into the hole with his hand. Barby says in surprise, "What the...!" Derek screams in excruciating pain and falls to the floor, letting out a roar. Then the wound heals. "Wow..." Walt and Barby are surprised to see Derek's injury healed. Tails asks, "Are you okay?" Derek replies, "Yes. Thank you, Tails." "It's over?" Barby asks. "Lucky for us, yes. It's over," Derek replies and starts putting his shirt and sweater back on. Derek then asks where Sonic and Amy are. Tails responds, "We don't know." Derek suggests that they go look for them since they haven't seen them since the fight with the robot. Tails agrees, but then Robotnik suddenly appears on his computer screen. "Hello, my dear enemies. I'm happy to tell you that Sonic and Amy are in my hands!" Tails says in shock, "No..." The WereJaguar intervenes, "Yes!" Derek asks, "Who are you?" The WereJaguar replies. After Robotnik hangs up, Derek asks, "Who are you?" The WereJaguar replies, "My name is Kate, handsome. But you can call me: The WereJaguar! So, if you want your friends back, fly to the La Iglesia ruins in the desert part of Downunda and fight me and my Berserkers! See you soon, HAHAHA!!!" Tails' computer screen goes black again.
"We must do something," Derek says in a serious voice. "What do we do, Derek?" Tails asks. "We are with you, until the end!" Walt and Barby say together. Derek looks at his friends and shows his glowing blue eyes. "Walt and Barby, go to Knuckles and Stu, tell them we need their help. Tails, you and I will prepare the Tornado. We are going to save our friends tonight."

## Characters

### ***Main Characters***

* Sonic The Hedgehog
* Miles "Tails" Prower
* Derek Hale
* Knuckles The Echidna
* Amy Rose
* Doctor Robotnik

### ***Supporting Characters***

* Walt Wallabee
* Barby Koala
* Wombat Stu
* Kate Argent