### *Tobias: The Escape (Expanded Edition)*  

#### *Trapped in the Factory*  
Tobias sat in the corner of the cold, dimly lit cell, his head throbbing where Clyde’s club had struck him. His hearing was muffled—voices and sounds seemed distant, like echoes from the other side of a thick wall. He pressed his hands over his ears in frustration, trying to clear the fog.  

Martha sat next to him, her floppy ears drooping as she hugged her knees. “Tobias,” she said softly, her voice faint in his ears, “are you okay?”  

Tobias barely caught her words. He shook his head. “I... I can’t hear right,” he muttered, his voice sounding strange even to himself. “Everything’s too quiet.”  

Martha frowned, leaning closer. “Your ears were hit pretty hard. Maybe it’ll get better?”  

“Maybe,” he replied, though he didn’t sound convinced. He glanced at the cell door. “We need a plan. We can’t stay here.”  

Martha’s eyes darted toward the hallway. “What about Ivy?” she asked hesitantly. “She’s not like the others. She seems scared of them.”  

Tobias’s ears twitched faintly, catching part of what she said. “You think she’d help us?”  

“She might,” Martha replied, leaning closer so he could hear her better. “If we can convince her, she might help us escape.”  

Tobias sat in silence for a moment, his tail curling around his leg. “It’s a long shot, but it’s all we’ve got.”  

---

#### *Ivy’s Visit*  
Hours later, the sound of footsteps echoed faintly in the hallway, growing louder as they approached the cell. Tobias squinted, trying to focus, his dulled hearing making it hard to anticipate what was coming.  

Ivy appeared, holding a tray of bread and water. She glanced around nervously before kneeling to slide the tray under the bars.  

Martha moved toward the tray, but Tobias stayed where he was, watching Ivy carefully. “Ivy,” he said, his voice hoarse, “why are you helping them?”  

Ivy froze, her gaze darting toward him. “I’m not helping them,” she muttered, her voice almost too quiet for Tobias to hear.  

“You’re keeping us locked up,” Martha said, her tone softer than Tobias’s. “That’s helping them, whether you want to or not.”  

Ivy’s shoulders tensed, and she shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she whispered. “If I don’t do what they say, they’ll kill me.”  

“They’ll kill you anyway,” Tobias said, struggling to make his voice strong despite the pain. “People like Clyde and Serena don’t leave loose ends.”  

Ivy glanced at him sharply, her eyes widening. “You don’t know that.”  

“I know enough,” Tobias replied, his voice cracking. “You don’t have to be part of this. Help us, and we’ll make sure Starfleet knows you did the right thing.”  

“I’ll think about it,” Ivy muttered before standing and hurrying away.  

#### *Starfleet’s Search*  
Onboard his Starfleet vessel, Edwin Rowe stood at the command console, his brow furrowed with worry.  

“Anything yet?” he asked, his voice low but tense.  

“No confirmed location, sir,” an officer replied. “But we’ve detected unusual power activity at an abandoned factory nearby.”  

“Send a team to investigate immediately,” Edwin ordered. “I want my son back.”  

--

#### *Convincing Ivy*  
The next evening, Ivy returned, her movements hesitant. She lingered near the cell, looking conflicted.  

“Ivy,” Tobias said, his voice strained but steady. “This is your chance. You don’t have to be part of this anymore.”  

Ivy glanced at him, her lips trembling. “And if I help you? What happens to me then? You think Starfleet’s going to let me off just because I let you go?”  

“We’ll tell them you helped us,” Martha said earnestly. “We’ll make sure they know you’re not like Clyde and Serena.”  

Ivy hesitated, her gaze darting between them. Finally, she nodded. “Okay. I’ll do it. But we have to move fast.”  

#### *The Escape*  
Ivy unlocked the cell under the cover of darkness, guiding Tobias and Martha through the factory’s winding corridors.  

“Stay close,” she whispered, her voice barely audible to Tobias’s damaged ears.  

“What did she say?” Tobias asked, leaning toward Martha.  

“She said to stay close,” Martha whispered back.  

They moved quickly, but as they neared the exit, a shout rang out. Tobias barely caught it, his hearing still dulled. “What’s happening?” he asked Martha urgently.  

“They saw us!” she hissed.  

Before they could react, the factory was flooded with red lights and alarms.  

---

#### *The Rescue*  
Just as Clyde and Serena closed in, the sound of phaser fire echoed through the building. Tobias flinched, his sensitive ears straining to process the noise.  

“Tobias!” Edwin’s voice cut through the chaos, faint but recognizable.  

Tobias stumbled toward the sound, his father’s familiar silhouette coming into view. “Dad?” he called weakly, his voice trembling.  

Edwin caught him in his arms, holding him tightly. “I’ve got you, son,” he said, his voice low and reassuring.  

“I... I can’t hear you,” Tobias murmured, his ears twitching faintly.  

Edwin pulled back slightly, looking into his son’s face. “You’ll be okay,” he said, his words slow and clear. “I promise.”  

---

#### *A Proper Ending*  
Back at home, Tobias sat on the couch with a thick bandage around his head, the muffled world around him slowly becoming clearer. Edwin sat beside him, his arm resting protectively on his son’s shoulder.  

Martha, sitting in a chair nearby, smiled softly. “You’re really brave, Tobias,” she said, her voice full of admiration.  

Edwin nodded in agreement. “What you did for Ivy... it showed real character, son. I’m proud of you.”  

“She wasn’t like them,” Tobias said, his voice still faint. “She just needed someone to believe in her.”  

Edwin smiled, ruffling his son’s fur gently. “And you gave her that chance. That’s something to be proud of.”  

As Tobias leaned back, his ears twitching faintly with the gradual return of his hearing, he felt a sense of peace. The danger was behind them, and with his family and friends by his side, he knew they could face whatever came next.