A note from the author.

Sonic The Hedgehog, Sally, Bunnie Rabbot, Rotor, Antoine, Tails, Dulcey, Dr. Robotnik, The SWATbots and just about everything else on the planet Mobius are property of SEGA inc, and Achie comics. This story is property of the author and is protected under various copy right laws. In other words, please don’t try to make a buck off of this. I wrote this story for fun, not for profit. If any body wishes to write me with questions or comments, my E-mail address is nukepo2@tds.net. I hope that everybody who reads this, my first Sonic fanfic, will send me some creative feed back as that will help me spawn forth many more Sonic creations. A brief warning to the reader: This story contains scenes of violence, a little gore, a tiny bit of mild language and scenes passionate love. IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO THESE THINGS, THEN PLEASE…READ AT YOURE OWN RISK! I rate this story PG-13. There, thou hast been warned. Ok enough with the meaningless chatter and on with the show. Enjoy!

TROUBLE WITH TRANSISTORS

By Matt Butner

"3:13, two more minutes before the ring comes up and 45 til I’m off," Bunnie said to herself looking at her watch. She brushed her ears back with her right hand and held them. "How the Hoo-haw did I ever let Antoine talk me into taking the morning watch," she continued as she let go of her ears. Her right one flopped into her face and her left one flopped straight up. "Oh well," she half yawned as she stood up to stretch. She smacked her lips and held her eyes very droopily as she walked onto the small wooden platform that jutted out into the ring pool.

Just as Bunnies metallic feet thunked against the aged and worn looking wood the pool began to churn and bubble.

Bunnie smiled. "Perfect timing," she said to herself as she gripped the railing at the end of the platform. She looked down into the pool and noticed that something was wrong: the pool wasn’t giving off the usual glow that it gave off as the ring slowly ascended to the surface. But she wasn’t going to let herself get worried. So she waited… and waited, and waited! But no ring ever showed up. "What the hoo-haw is goin’ on here?" Bunnie asked as the bubbles began to die down. Just then, she remembered something. "I thought Rotor said he unclogged that darn thang," she said as she walked off of the platform. "Ole sugar Hog’s gonna have himself a fit when ‘e fands out that ‘e ‘as to wait another 24 hours to git himself anotha powa ring." She yawned. "Oh well."

 

 

"AAAA! Mutski!" Sonic yelled as Mutski slurped him across the face. He wiped the nasty, warm dog drool from his face and he gripped the medium sized dog around the belly. "Come here you,"

The dog growled playfully as the hedgehog threw the two of them in a roll that went from one end of the room to the other. The room was a sort of living room. At one end was a nicely kept couch with a decorative covering that had rose designs all over it. There was an old coffee table right in front of the couch. It looked several generations old. The once shiny surface had worn off and its surface was littered with scratches, chips and cracks. The carpet was a tan color and looked like it had been neglected for some time and was in great need of replacement.

Sonic laughed hysterically as he rolled across the floor of the living room with the dog in his arms, growling playfully all the way. But that ended promptly when the hedgehog-dog bundle went crashing into the metal fireplace cover. Crash! The metal screen with its two posts were flung into the blacked brick fire place, sending clouds of black soot into the air. Sonic and the dog were separated and they both laid on their backs to let the room stop spinning.

The dizzy and somewhat nauseous hedgehog was the first to stagger to his feet. He shook his head in order to clear the stars out. And that was when he noticed his uncle standing in the doorway.

The late middle aged hedgehog was clearly annoyed. He stood in the door way for just a moment, shaking his head slowly with his arms folded. "What on Mobius is going on in here?"

Oops! Sonic was caught, but he tried to play it off. The tactics of a seven year old always worked, right? "Ahh, nuffin uncle," he said smiling.

Charles couldn’t help himself and let a laugh slip out. A short laugh, which promptly ended when his attention was diverted to the cloud of soot that still hung in the air, some of which was smudged all over his nephew and Mutski. He rubbed his chin and "hmmed" for a second. "Nuffin eh? Well, I may not be the smartest scientist there ever was but it looked like a wresslin’ match to me."

Sonic achieved that "caught in the cookie jar" look. "Yea. Me an’ Mutski was russlin."

Charles put on a disappointed look on his face that was horribly fake. "Sonny, how many times have I told you, no horse play in the house? Hmmm?"

Sonic lowered his head. "I sowee unc. You not mad at me are ya?"

Chuck couldn’t help himself. "Ha! That depends on who was winning."

The little hedgehog’s spirits were instantly raised back up to normal. He flexed his arms and pretended to have huge chest muscles. "I won! I’m as tuff as dey come."

Charles nodded. "Good answer. You’d better not loose to a dog." At which point Mutski continued his slobbery torment. Uncle Chuck took that moment to return to his work in his work shop, laughing as he departed the room.

That was when Sonic grabbed the dog by the nose and pushed. That allowed him time to put his head out of the dog’s kissing range.

The dog sat down in front of Sonic and happily watched his master with his dripping toung hanging out.

"You’re my best friend Mutski," said Sonic as he knelt down and wrapped his arms around his loyal pet. Mutski responded by putting a loving paw on his master’s shoulder.

"Aw now isn’t this just cute," said a voice. It was a hallow, cold, cruel and metallic voice. It was a voice that Sonic knew all too well and did not want to hear.

The hedgehog let go of his dog, stood up, and turned around very slowly. He turned only to face his nightmare. Standing there in all of his six-foot-three glory was the man who is so evil some people have found no name heinous enough for him. But you and I know him as Dr. Ivo Robotnik. Sonic stood dumbfounded as he tried to figure out how Robotnik got in the middle of his uncle Chucks house.

"Oh please, don’t let me interrupt the quality time a young man such as yourself spends with his pet," Robotnik continued.

"What are you doing here?" Sonic demanded.

"Oh lets just say I’ve been a little board lately so I thought that I would drop on by and mess with your mind for a little while."

"Oh yea?" Sonic asked.

"But of course. Oh yes that brings me to the first order of business."

Sonic folded his arms. "And what would that be?"

Robotnik puled out a small blaster pistol. "Why the hunt of course."

"And let me guess…I’m the hunted, right? Am I close?"

"You’re right on the money as usual hedgehog," Robotnik answered pointing the gun at Sonic’s head. Sonic didn’t flinch. He didn’t even get scared. He just smiled. Robotnik frowned. "What could you possibly find so amusing about me pointing a gun at your little, blue, worthless, rodent head?"

"Well, you see…" Sonic replied. "There’s one problem with your hunting idea."

Robotnik became mildly annoyed. "And what is this little problem that I have?"

Sonic’s smile accentuated. "You have to catch me first." And with half the blink of an eye, Sonic was gone and out the door. He was surprised however to find that his suburban front yard and adjoining street was not there to greet him. Instead he ran out to find lush , bright green grass, tall bushy fir trees, and giant sized oaks all around. It was night and the sky was brilliantly lit with so many bright stars its was awe inspiring.

Sonic continued to run until he found that he was running into a cluster of huts of various sizes and shapes. "Knotthole!" he exclaimed as he approached the small village at nearly 300 miles per hour. Trees, bushes and tinny houses became blurs. Every thing went by so fast and the speed felt so exhilarating to the tinny hedgehog that he wanted to run faster and faster just to keep the drug like rush from going away. He only began to slow down when something in the middle of the village began giving an odd glow. When sonic entered the village he found that the glow was coming from the ring pool. He ran all the way across the wooden deck that jutted out into the water, and stopped suddenly like and arrow hitting a soft piece of wood.

A bright golden glow that could have been confused with the sun itself levitated out of the clear blue water. Sonic’s eyes widened and his smile grew almost as bright as the shimmering object in front of him. He snatched it out of mid air and thrust it above his head and spread his legs. Instantly he felt the power rings energy flowing through every single cell in his body. It gave a very comforting and sort of numbing feeling that left him feeling more or less painless. His body began to feel as if it had no limits.

"Time to turn and burn!" Just then the ring stopped glowing . He brought the ring down. "What the heck is wrong with this thing?" the blue wonder asked out loud as he scratched his head. Then just as suddenly as the ring stopped glowing it began to melt. It dropped down to Sonics feet and then drained from his gloved hands. It dribbled onto the wooden deck and then just seemed to evaporate. Sonic just stared at his hands and the ground unable to understand what just happened.

"AAAA! Sonic! Help me!" cried a very familiar voice.

"Sal?" The hedgehog turned around. He was no longer in the great forest but in the middle of a desolate Robotropolis street. He saw Sally bolt around the corner of a mutilated brick bulding. The red headed squirrel slid a few feet as she turned the corner then continued to dash toward her hedgehog friend with all her might. Just then, a SWATbot stepped around the corner. Everything at that moment seemed to run in slow motion for Sonic. He watched his girl’s eyes widen with fear as she tried to run faster. He watched the SWATbot slowly raise its arm blaster. Sonic opened his mouth but before any thing came out a flash of light went off. A cringe of pain went across Sally’s fear filled face. Her legs froze up and her stout, red furred chest surged forward. Everything went completely silent as she briefly traveled through the air and then slammed into the ground face down.

"NOOOO!" Sonic screamed . He began to rev up in place turning his legs into blue blurs. Then, just as he began to dig himself into a hole, he shifted his legs into gear and shot across the ground like a blue bullet. He ran on the ground for about a second and then jumped into the air tucked his head in between his knees and flexed his quills. He traveled through the air for a good thirty yards then BASH!" he went crashing through the robot like a giant spiked cannon ball. The SWATbots upper section flew into the air. The legs stayed where they were and the mid section exploded into a million pieces of robot shrapnel. Sonic then un folded his body, executed a perfect forward flip, then gracefully landed on his feet and continued running . He executed a sharp turn and ran back the way he came, skidding to an abrupt stop when he reached the limp form of Sally. Gently he rolled her over. Her eyes were closed and her jaw hung open loosely. He put his ear to her mouth and heard no movement of air. He put his right index finger in his mouth and bit down on the tip of his glove and pulled it off. Tears began to stream from his eyes as he tilted her head back and gently touched her soft furry neck with the first two fingers of his ungloved right hand. He felt nothing, no pulse.

Princess Sally Alicia Acorn, the one Sonic truly cared for with all of his heart, was dead. DEAD! He closed his eyes and buried his face in her thick abundant head fur. He inhaled deeply and filled his lungs with the sweet scent that he had come to love so much. He then kissed her gently on her soft, fuzzy forehead and looked toward the sky and screamed on word over and over again: "WHY? WHY? WHY!"

Sally walked up the steps to Sonic’s hut with a sort of urgency. Normally she would have politely knocked and asked if any one was home. But this time she threw her manners out the window and just barged right in.

The hut was a little dark except for the light that streamed in thorough the single window and the opened door. It was musty inside and it smelled like somebody had recently farted. She noticed he was still in his hammock. By the look of things, she figured, he must have been having one heck of a dream because the hammock swung back and fourth and he moaned something that sounded like the word "no."

Sally approached him and notice tears streaming from his eyes . His forehead fur was a darker shade of blue and matted from being swat soaked. His mouth was wide open and he breathed in gasps. When sally got close enough o touch him he started to moan the word "why" over and over again. The Mobian princess gripped the sweat soaked hedgehog’s shoulders and shook them. "Sonic wake Up!" she demanded with urgency.

Suddenly, Sonic did. He screamed Sally’s name and sat up so suddenly Sally almost didn’t have time to get out of his way.

Sally backed away and looked at the hedgehog with a curious statement.

Sonic turned to see her. His eyes were wide and his face had an statement of utter confusion on it. "Sal!" he called out in a way Sally couldn’t quite describe.

"Sonic, you were having a night mare."

Sonic slid out of his hammock. "Yea I know," he replied rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.

"I saw you crying in your sleep."

"Really?" Sonic asked curiously as he stopped rubbing his neck.

"Yea" Sally replied. "It must have been one heck of a night mare." A dubious smile crossed her face. "Wanna tell me what it was about?" she asked curiously.

"No," was Sonic’s simple reply.

Sally lovingly caressed his tear soaked left cheek with her right hand. "Aw come on Sonic, you can tell me about it."

Sonic gently pushed her hand out of the way. "I know you want to help Sal but that was on mondo freaky dream that I can’t talk to you about."

"Ok. I understand, " she replied attempting a smile though sonic could detect the disappointment in her face.

The hedgehog wiped his eyes with his gloved hands and sat down on a small wooden stool in the center of the room. His red sneakers sat to the right side. He grabbed them and slipped his feet into them.

"Sonic, I uh…" Sally seemed to struggle with what she had to say.

"What’s up sal?"

"Well….uh…something bad has happened." Sonic finished tying his right shoe and began on the left.

"Let me guess, Buttnik’s come up with another stupid war toy that might find us right? If he’s made another creepy sicko war machine, well…I guess Rotor and I’ll just have ta fly out there in the hover unit and trash it. That would be mondo fun. Why is this such a bad thing?" he asked as he finished tying his left shoe.

"No this has nothing to do with Robotnik," Sally answered.

"Oh. Okay. Is every body all right?" Sonic folded his arms. "Did Tails fly into a tree and crack his head open or something?"

Sally giggled. "No, nothing like that happened."

Sonic threw his arms in the air. "So then what’s the big deal Sal?"

Sally put her right hand on her fore head. "Oh how do I put this?" She suddenly looked Sonic in the eyes and held both his hands. "All right, I’ll give it to you straight." She took a deep breath and then continued. "The ring maker is broken."

Sonic smiled. "Haw haw Sal, very funny." "I’m not joking Sonic." Sonics eyes went wide and he jumped up knocking over the little stool. "What do you mean it’s broken?" Sonic demanded with a frightened tone of urgency that sally hated to hear.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Look…just follow me. Rotor can tell you exactly what’s wrong with it."

"It’s not so bad as you think," said Rotor as he lead Sonic and Sally to a small table.

The hedgehog and squirrel sat down next to each other, and Rotor sat at the opposite end.

"It took me a while to figure out what the problem was. But I eventually narrowed it down to this." He said pulling out a strange object and handed it to Sonic. The object was cylindrical in shape and about the size of a large Christmas light. It was jet black in color and it had three metal prongs lined in a triangular pattern.

Sonic turned it in his hand until he came to a side that had the inscription EC-3X typed in tiny white print on it. "What the heck is this thing?" Sonic asked as he held the large component to his ear shaking it.

"It’s an EC-3x transistor. It’s the reason the ring maker won’t work," answered the portly walrus.

"What’s wrong with it," Sonic asked setting the transistor on the table with the prongs facing up.

Rotor shrugged his shoulders. "It’s just burned out from over use. They don’t last forever you know."

Sonics eyes widened and he stood making the simple pine wood "school" style chair scoot back. "Are there any more of those things left?" he asked anxiously.

Rotor smiled. "Chill Sonic. Finding one of these transistors is actually pretty easy. But…,"

"But what?" asked sonic as he sat back down.

"Well…actually getting hold of one is the hard part."

Sonic scratched his chin. "What, do I have to go into some super secret robo factory guarded by 10,000 SWATbutts to get one?"

"Let me show you," Rotor replied reaching under the table. He pulled out a large object and slammed it on the table making Sonic and Sally jump in unison. The object was hemispherical in shape and painted jet black. It had what looked like a spike coming off the top of it and a red slit that went around one end. Sonic and Sally instantly recognized it as a SWATbot head. Rotor stood over it and began prying at a small square panel in the back with his hands. Sonic and Sally both stood up very slowly as they tried to get a view of what Rotor was doing. Then Rotors hands got the best of the tiny panel and it popped off. Sonic and Sally both sat back down suddenly wondering what was going to happen next. Rotor glanced up at then, smiled, and threw the little square piece of metal over his shoulder. It landed on the wooden floor with a loud "clang-dy-clang." Rotor then reached his right arm into the head and stuck his tongue out the way he always did whenever he did some thing that required concentration. Once again Sonic and Sally slowly stood as they tried to gain a better view on what Rotor was doing. However they were sent reeling back into their seats when the portly walrus suddenly whipped his hand out of the head. In his hand was the exact same component that came out of the ring maker. "And that," Rotor concluded. "Is how you get a-hold of an EC-3X transistor."

Sonic smiled. "So what you’re saying is that all I need to do to get one of those thingys is just bash a SWATbut, reach into its head and pull it out?"

Rotor nodded.

"Piece of cake. All I gotta do now is get last nights power ring."

Rotor and Sally both bowed their heads.

Sonic gave them an annoyed look. "It didn’t give a ring did it?"

"I’m afraid not Sonic." Rotor answered apologetically.

Sonic scratched the back of his neck and sighed. "Wow! This one might be a tuffy. Hey, what about that one you just pulled out of the SWATbot head."

"No good Sonic. I found this SWATbot head in a junk pile a long time ago. Its been burned out for years now."

Sonic folded his arms and began to pout.

Sally gently put her left arm around Sonic and kissed his right ear. "Come on, lets go back to my place, I left Nicole there. We could use her to figure out a mission plan."

"Yea. You’re right Sal. We should get started now." Sonic got up with Sally at his side. She still had her arm around him. They both proceeded to the front door with Rotor following closely behind. He barged past Sonic so he could open the door for his friends.

"Sonic, I’m sorry that there is nothing I can do for the ring maker from here. I know how much it means to you and all and I…"

Sonic cut off his friends apology by putting his right hand on the walruses left shoulder. "Don’t sweat it Rote’, you did the best you could."

"Thanks Sonic," Rotor replied as Sonic and Sally exited his hut. He closed the door behind them very slowly until he heard the quiet "clap" of the door latch locking into place. He slowly walked away from the door scratching the back of his neck with his left arm. The floor boards creaked and groaned underneath his flipper like feet as he sulked over to an old padded chair. He sat down and the chair gave out a long groan. His face gave little sign of relief as it looked clouded with disappointment. He sat there for a moment with his eyes closed. He let out a long sigh then reached over the side of his chair and hefted a light pink ceramic jar. He opened it and instantly the air was filled with the aroma of rich, sweet chocolate. He stuck his tongue out to the left and dipped his right hand into the jar. A second later he produced a small grayish brown cookie with black specks all over it. He opened his jaws wide and tossed the cookie inside. A smile seemed to creep across his face as he crunched rather loudly on the delectable, rich piece of sweetness.

 

"…no, I just told you that won’t work. Nicole says that there is a 56.78% probability that SWATbot concentration in that sector will be too high," Sally argued with Sonic pointing at the small hand held computer, known as Nicole, in her left hand.

They both stood facing each other in almost defensive positions. The room they were in was round, like the others but was bigger. At one end was a bed and at the other end was a large multi-shelved desk with various electrical machines on it. Some were large, some small, and some rather fancy and expensive looking. There were two small round windows in the room, one above the bed and the other above the desk. In the middle of the room was a round wooden table that was just like Rotors.

Sally shoved the small computer in Sonic’s face. "See, look at the numbers."

Sonic batted the computer out of his face and got right up into Sally’s face. "You already showed me that! And I told you I’ve been down that street a million times and I never saw more than two SWATbots around there. I think that I can handle it alone."

"And I say it’s too dangerous and I should come along."

Sonic backed away from Sally a bit and shook his right index finger at her nose. "I know what your problem is."

Sally put her hands on her hips. "I don’t have a problem!"

"Yea you do."

"All right Sonic Hedgehog, what’s my problem."

Sonic closed his eyes. "You don’t think that I can handle it alone."

Sally threw her arms in the air. "Did I say…"

"You think that without a power ring I’m just too slow to cut it."

"I never said…"

"I must be pretty worthless to you right now."

"STOP IT!" the squirrel princess yelled stomping her left boot making it thunk on the old wood. The two of them just stared at each other for a moment until Sally regained enough of her composure to speak up. "Ok. Maybe I am a little worried that you are going into Robotropolis without a power ring."

"Thank you," Sonic replied nodding with his eyes still closed.

"But," Sally continued. "I still don’t understand why I can’t come along."

Sonic suddenly looked as if he was at a loss of words. "Well…you just can’t."

Sally frowned. "Well that’s just not good enough for me. But I think I just figured out why. You don’t want me to come along just because I’m a girl right?"

Sonic’s jaw hit the floor and an innocent look crossed his face, like as if he was denying murder though he was the guilty party.

Sally got right up into Sonic’s face and pushed him. "Oh! Don’t you dare try and play this one off Sonic Hedgehog. I caught you hook line and sinker." Sonic shook his head and began to back away. But Sally stayed right up against him. "Oh yes! Don’t lie! I know you too well for that Sonic. And you wanna know what I think of you?"

Sonic shook his head even harder.

"I think that you are an egotistical, sexist, male pig who’s too stuck up in his own vanity to look both ways before he crosses the street!"

Sonic stopped backing away and got up in sally’s face like as if he had finally had enough of her torture.

But she made herself bigger than he was. "You probably don’t think that I can’t handle most things that big dumb boys like yourself do. You are so typical. You must think that us girls are totally helpless and that all were good for is kissing and cooking. Well, you wanna know what?" Sally stuck her left foot behind Sonic’s right foot and caught him off guard with a swift and sudden shove.

The hedgehog was thrown completely off balance and fell over backwards making a rather painful sounding thump as his body hit the hard wood floor.

Sally stood over him and folded her arms. "I can take care of my self thank you."

Sonic just stared back in utter disbelief.

"Have I made my point?" Sonic nodded. "Crystal clear."

"Good. ‘cause I don’t think you want to find out how far I can toss a hedgehog," she said helping Sonic to his feet. "Now. Have you had a change of heart?"

Sonic folded his arms and began to look rather annoyed. "No. So stop asking me."

Sally tried another approach. "Sonic is there a problem? You can talk to…"

"I don’t have a problem dammit!" he yelled turning his back to her.

Woa, where did that come from? Sally was a bit confused. She switched to her loving tone. "Sonic please. Talk to me."

Sonic suddenly just grabbed her. It was done in such a violent manner that it scared her and she ghasped. "I CAN’T TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT! You were running and…the SWATbot came from aroung the corner…" Sonic talked so fast that Sally could hardly understand him. A look of horror crossed the hedgehogs face and he began to shake. Tears streamed from his eyes. "I was too slow to save you. Dammit Sal, I just don’t want the night mare to come true." He wrapped his arms around her in a most loving caress. "I love you so much and I don’t want to loose you. I’m just so afraid of loosing you."

Sally didn’t know what to think. She pushed away from his embrace and looked into his quivering eyes. "Sonic…I had no idea…I…"

"That’s why you can’t come along. This mission is too dangerous. I’ve gotta do it solo."

Sally was truly scared now. Something was horribly wrong with Sonic and she felt completely helpless to help. She cared for him so much and she just wanted to sit down with him. But Sonic felt so distant to her. He was a totally different person all of the sudden and that scared her. It scared her so much that she found herself standing there, crying, like a lost little girl, feeling helpless to stop Sonic as he began to walk out the door. "Sonic! Wait. I have some stuff that I think you should take with you." She wiped her eyes and nose and walked over to the desk with all the hard wear on it. She opened one of the metal cabinets up top and produced two small metallic orbs and a tiny head set. She handed the head set to Sonic and walked behind the hedgehog, unzipped his back pack and gently placed the orbs inside.

"What are those things?" asked Sonic.

Sally wiped her eyes again. "Their thermite detonators. Rotor made em last week. I figured they might come in handy." Replied Sally trying to half smile.

Sonic slipped on the head set. "Thanks Sal." He turned to face her when she finished zipping his backpack. "Sal I uh…" He could practically hear her thoughts as he looked at her beautiful blue eyes that were tainted with tears of fright. He wrapped his arms around her and she responded by doing the same. "I’m sorry I yelled at you but I have my reasons for doing what I’m doing. I’m…sorry if I hurt you." Sonic kissed her gently on the forehead and then moved back a couple of inches. He grasped her small, fuzzy four fingered right hand and balled it into a fist with her thumb sticking up. He then made the same shape with his right hand and butted it against hers. See ya on the flip side kid." And with that, Sonic exploded out the door with such speed that Sally’s hair began to blow in the same direction that Sonic ran.

Sally looked down at her hand still balled in a fist and all she could think about was Sonic being gone. She had never felt this way about Sonic and it made her worry more and more and she began to curse him and his reasons more and more until she finally snapped and ran outside. She ran hard and fast like as if she was being chased by some sort of demon. She ran all the way to Bunnies hut and when she got to the door, started banging it and crying out Bunnies name.

Bunnie’s right ear stood strait up when she opened the door to find her best friend bloodshot and teary eyed and gasping for breath. "OH MAH STARS! Sally girl! Wut evea in the world is the madda?" Bunnie asked with great concern.

Sally attempted to get enough breath to speak. "…<GHASP> I…need to…talk..to you…<gasp>"

"You got that right shuhga.. Now git yo li’l ol’e behand in here so ya can cool off and then we can talk," said Bunnie as she put her natural arm around Sally and helped her inside. "Girl, I just caint wait ta here what got you inta such a rucuss this time," continued the rabbit as she closed the door.

It just don’t get more boring than this, Tails thought to himself as he approached the open medow that was just outside Knotthole village. He kicked a small rock and watched it bounce along the dirt ground and land in the luscious grass of the meadow. The kit fox slowly walked into the grassy area, lazily dragging his feet as he walked. When he reached the middle of the meadow he raised his tiny, fuzzy arms above his head and fell backwards, plopping himself on a bed of dandelions making the air fill with the tiny feather like seeds. The little fox just laied there, watching the clouds go by, thinking about all the stories he heard about adventures in Robotropolis, and SWATbots with lasers, and huge war robots and other cool stuff like that. Some day he would be a big freedom fighter like the others…<sigh> someday.

Shoot…this was stupid! How the heck was he supposed to learn how to be a good freedom fighter. Sally never let him out of Knotthole. And Sonic always gave the same response when ever Tails asked if he could go along on a mission

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"Hey, Sonic! Can I come along too? Plllleeeeeaaaaassssseeee, oh pretty-pretty please?"

Sonic walked up to the double tailed kit fox and roughly stroked his head fur, completely messing it up. "No can do, big guy. I need somebody to stay here and guard Knotthole while I’m gone. You never know when one of Robotnick’s nasties will come snoopin’ around here."

Tails bowed his head disappointedly. "Oh…uh, ok."

Sonic then exploded into a cloud of dust.

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Sonic and Aunt Sally are so full of it, the kid thought to himself as he began to pout. He knew as well as they did that Knotthole was completely impossible to find. Even Robotniks spy bots couldn’t find them. Tails had dissected the brains of one of those things after Rotor gave it to him. The kid learned a lot about how it worked and he knew that Robotnik just didn’t have sensitive enough spy equipment to uncover a tiny little village buried underneath 100 feet of very dense forest. It just won’t happen. So why the heck does Sonic keep on lying to him? Somebody needs to stay here and protect the village…bah! That’s a load of crap! He jumped to his feet and began to pace back and forth with his arms folded. "It’s just not fair!"

BOOM-BOOM!!

Tails was suddenly thrown off of his feet by the force of one heck of a wind. He laid there face down until the ringing in his ears stopped and then rolled over on his back. He rolled over to find Sonic starring at him with concerned eyes.

"Are you okay lil’ bro?"

"Yea <coff> I think so," the fox replied as Sonic gripped his little hand and pulled him to his feet.

Sonic laughed. "Sorry about that. I guess I don’t know my own speed sometimes."

"That’s okay. So wher’r ya goin’, huh?"

DOOHH! Ya had ta ask! "Oh…ah…no were in particular."

Tails smiled. "Yea right. You’re going to the big city, are’n-chya."

Sonic roughly stroked the kids head fur. "You just get smarter every day don’t you."

Tails jumped for joy. "I knew it! Can I come to? Huh? Can-I-can-I-can-I-please-can-I come to? PPPLLLEEEAAASSSEEE?!"

Sonic forced himself to look serious. He pretended like he was thumbing through an imaginary book. "Hmmm…lets see here. Ah, yes here it is." He then closed the imaginary book.

Tails rolled his eyes and looked annoyed.

"No can do big guy. Freedom Fighter rules and regulations article number forty three alpha says, and I quote ‘junior Freedom Fighters in training must defend knotthole against all SWATbut nasties that come within twenty two feet and a half of this premises,’ or something like that."

The little fox folded his arms angrily. "Yea right! The Freedom Fighter rules and regulations. Get real! You just don’t want me to come along! You think I’m too little." The fox then turned his back to Sonic.

Sonic was caught off guard. He sighed deeply and put his right hand on the fox’s shoulder. "Well, looks like you got the best of us Tails. <sigh> I guess you had to grow up some day. Look, when I get back from this mission, I’ll talk to your aunt Sally about taking you out with me more often. How’s that sound?"

"But why can’t I come on this mission?" the fox whined.

"Way to dangerous little bro. I have to do this one alone and without a power ring."

Tails looked confused. "Why can’t you use a power ring?"

Now it was Sonic’s turn to look confused. "You haven’t heard the news?"

Tails shook his head.

"Oh. Well, I woke up this mornin’ to find out that the ring maker’s busted."

The little foxes face drooped. "Really?"

"Yea. It sucks doesn’t it."

"It sure does. What’r ya gonna do now."

Sonic rubbed his chin. "Okay. Check it out. Rotor showed me this thingy, it was…ah…an…E, C, dash, ah…oh ya. EC-3X transistor."

Tails nodded. "EC-3X electrolytic capacitance fluxing transistor. SWATbots use em in the main amplifier in the data buffer in their main control circuit. I know all about how they work. But what does that have to with the ring maker?"

Sonic looked impressed. "Wow! You really are getting smarter!" He began to laugh.

Tails dug his left foot in the dirt and looked down shyly.

"Well, Rotor told me that the ah…thingy what ever it’s called that was in my ring maker was burned out."

Tails knodded in understanding. "OOOHHH…so you’re goin’ ta the city ta rip one out of a SWATbut’s head and bring it back, right?"

"Exat-a-mundo lil’ bro."

The little fox smiled. "Great! So when do we leave?"

Sonic laughed and playfully punched the little fox in the shoulder. "Yea right! Nice try Tails but no can do." He knelt down and placed both hands on the vulpine’s shoulders. "Look, I guess this won’t really mean much," he spoke in a very serious tone. "But this is a very dangerous mission. You want to help and be a part of the team and that’s great. But, I’m goin’ inta Robitropolis with out a power ring. That means that things could go bad very quickly and I won’t have any way out. Look, Tails… <sigh> you’re my best bud. The bestist bud I ever had. Heck, you’re like my little brother. If I took you along on this mission and things went screwey and you got hurt, or worse yet, didn’t make it back…" Sonic shook his head. "Na-uh, I don’t want to carry that on my shoulders." He slapped his almost bare skinned belly. "I already carry enough weight in chilly dogs. I don’t need any more."

Tails giggled.

"Look, I’ll talk to Sally when I get back about taking you along on the next mission but I’m not taking you along on this one." Sonic formed a thumbs-up with his right hand. "No hard feelings, right?"

Tails repeated the same gesture and butted it against Sonic’s. He then smiled and shook his head.

"You’re the coolest Tails." The hedgehog looked at his watch. "Hey, listen, I gotta get outta here ‘cause it’s getting late. See ya." And with that Said, The hedgehog exploded into a burst of speed that blew the little fox’s hair in the direction that he ran.

Tails sighed very deeply. Yea, he understood what Sonic said but he still wanted to go along so badly. But hay…wait a sec. Didn’t Sonic say that he might not be able to get away if things went screwey? What if things did go screwey? Sonic could get captured and…Roboticized! Oh, no! Tails shuddered at the thought and began to look very worried. His friend could be in very real danger. He had to do something. Freedom fighters help each other out right? Yes he would go along. Sonic’s life may depend on it.

The little fox curled his twin tails and pulled them apart over and over again allowing him to suddenly levitate into the air and then he dashed for his hut.

I gotta hurry, he thought to himself in mid flight. Aunt Sally might come looking for me. If I stall any longer Sonic might be a mindless robot by the time I find him.

 

The streets of Robitropolis: a desolate, abandoned junk pile of ruins. Well not all of it. That’s about ninety percent of it. The center of the city is an elaborate array of futuristic factories and production plants of all kinds. And its all controlled by one place at the very center of the city. A huge building shaped like a giant metallic egg. The whole place functioned and almost seemed to be moving like one giant machine that produced endless lines of robotic things as well as the thick black muck in the sky that kept even the tiniest sliver of sunlight from shining through. But in the outskirts of the city, some five miles from the center are the suburbs. These were once small, friendly communities of homes. But all that’s left of it now is a desolate waste land of wrecked middle class houses and an eternity of lost dreams. Sometimes you can run across the skeleton of an unfortunate Mobian who was shot dead in his own street when Robotnik’s forces took over the city on that fateful after noon when he staged his great coup. Some say you can hear the voices of the many thousands that died in the first ten minutes without warning; if you walk the streets at night. It were these streets that Sonic suddenly appeared on rushing down straitaways and making ninety degree turns at intersections, as they came.

Sonic turned another corner very sharply and turned onto a street that gave a direct (though hazy) view of the main downtown section of the city. Sonic quickly counted the streets as they flashed by. The next street, known as Doonan avenue before the coup, was his goal. He remembered some of the buildings there from his child hood such as Mercer’s grocery store and the video arcade owned by an old canine by the name of Brosley. He figured he could hide in one of these old buildings an think up a plan. After all, he had done it before, and the SWATbots never found him.

Well, this was all fine and dandy until a hover unit roared right past him at what seemed like a dangerously low altitude.

"It didn’t see me. It didn’t see me. It didn’t see me." Sonic mumbled out loud over and over again.

The hover unit suddenly decelerated into a dead stop. Sonic did the same, skidding to a halt and then diving behind a murky rusted dumpster with a gaping hole in one side. It was parked in front of a cinderblock building that had the roof torn off. The windows were broken out and the faded and completely unreadable sign that once hung above the entrance now hung vertically, suspended by a single nail.

The hover unit turned and accelerated toward sonic blaring a warbly and very annoying siren. A blue stream of light erupted from the turret that was on top of the hover unit. It cut right through the dumpster and missed Sonics left ear by only a couple of inches.

 

Oh, the agony of it all, Snively thought to himself silently. He had been standing in the control center for eight hours straight now and his feet were killing him. His extremely shiny coriframs did no justice to his feet. The thick rims had worn a huge blister on the back of his right heel and the worn padding caused this dull throb right in the center of both heels that became the center of his attention for what seemed like an eternity. He turned around trying to think up some clever way to ask his horrid and well hated uncle for a break. Or a leave of absence perhaps? No that was probably pushing it. The tiny large headed man turned around and focused an his huge relative deep in thought for just a moment. Robotnik stared right back. A slight grin appeared on the portly mans face and he began to shift all of his weight to one side. The command center suddenly echoed with a rather flatulent ripping sound. Robotnik began to chuckle.

Snively was not amused. He held his long nose shut and turned around. "How very mature of you, sir."

Robotnik stopped laughing and frowned a bit. As he shifted his weight back to normal. "Oh come now Snively. There has been no activity for at least twelve hours and I’m growing quite board. I just needed something to break the silence and monotony of this room." Robotnik chuckled under his breath. "I guess I’m good at that eh?"

Snively didn’t respond.

Robotnik just chuckled obnoxiously and sat back in his seat.

Their attention was suddenly broken by an rapid series of computer like beeps that came from the huge console and array of screens that Snively stood in front of all day. The nearly bald commander walked up and pushed an excessively large flashing red button that got its own little section with nothing around it, in the middle of the console. One of the screens changed and flashed the message "HEDGEHOG PRIORITY ONE" over and over again in big bright red letters. Snively gasped. "Sir, it’s a…"

"I know Snively." Robotnik sighed deeply. "It’s the hedgehog. It’s always the Hedgehog." Robotnik’s face began to turn red. "Never is there a moment of peace. And just when I think I have those miserable little rodents in the palm of my hand, little Sonic has to show up for the rescue, and steel my moment of triumph away from me."

Snively rolled his eyes.

"Oh how I wanted to roboticize him. His little friends would fall easy pray once I download the location of Knotthole village from his brain." Robotnik sighed. "But alas, I guess the Hedgehog was just too smart for me after all."

A smile spread across Snivelys face.

"Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to settle for killing him instead."

Snively looked surprised. "Well Julian, seems you’ve come to your senses after all this time," he whispered under his breath.

Robotnik thrust his body forward. His face burned blood red with fury. "WHAT…WAS THAT, SNIVLEY?"

Snively backed up running into the console wondering how the big oaf could hear him. Nervously, he put on the most innocent look he could. "N…n…nothing s…sir!" The tiny man let out a squeak that sounded like a rat being stepped on when he finished his sentence.

Robotnik jumped out of his chair and thundered toward the shuddering commander. "I heard what you said snively!" Robotnik hoisted the little man up by the neck with his robotic arm. "I will not tolerate a rebel in my command!"

"No…’ack’…rebellious…’chock’…thoughts here…’sputter’…sir."

Robotnik threw his tiny nephew at a nearby wall like he was a rag doll. He then tromped right up to the half unconscious man and "BASH!" punched a hole in the wall right above Snivelys light bulb for a head. "Nor will I tolerate disrespect from my nephew." He retracted his arm from the wall making an ear shattering screech of metal scraping against metal.

Snively just laid there shuttering, curled up in a little ball.

Robotnik turned from his "abuse session" and headed back to his chair. "And I especially won’t tolerate a little blue rodent messing up all my plans for conquest. I want him dead! DO YOU HEAR ME! DEAD!" He pushed a large green button on the right console of his huge chair. "This is a general announcement. Hedgehog alert priority one. All unit in all sectors of the city…kill the hedgehog!" Robotnik climbed back up in his seat. "Well, that should take care of our rodent problems don’t you think Snively?"

Snively was still curled up on the floor and didn’t answer.

Robotnik reclined back a little and put hands behind his head. "Ah, I just love having all this power at my finger tips.

 

"This is getting me nowhere without a power ring!" Sonic said to himself as he dodged another laser blast from the hover unit. He ran left, right, reversed course suddenly and even ran up small buildings when his momentum would allow it but still the hover unit stayed hot on his trail.

A small explosion that came from the left knocked him off his feet. He moved his wide eye, gaping mouth, terrified hedgehog face up and saw another hover unit swoop down. It stopped for a moment about sixty yards to the hedgehog’s left, blaring its siren.

"FREEZE, HEDGEHOG AND PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION, BY ORDER OF DOCTOR ROBOTNIK." Blared the SWATbot piloting the new hover unit.

"Yo! You can tell ole’ Blubber Bolts that he can kiss my…" Sonic noticed a bright dot moving up his left hand and then arm. "Okay, okay I can take a hint," he said erupting into a cloud of dust just as the hover unit blew a hole in the ground where he was just standing. He turned his head forward and saw a hover unit heading strait for him. Without even thinking he strained his legs to stop then suddenly turned and continued running.

CRASH-BOOM!

Sonic cocked his head around and smiled when his saw the fading sight of a small but bright orange and black fire ball rising into the air. "Yes! Scratch one, two to go."

KABLAM!

"WAAAA!" Sonic screamed nearly being knocked off his balance by the shock concussion of an explosion that was just too close. Something that sounded like a jet engine running on rocket fuel roared overhead. Sonic looked toward the source of the sound and saw a somewhat triangular craft roll into a vertical climb and then disappear into the blackish clouds of pollution. "Ho man! Now they go the STEALTHbots after me!" Sonic thought about the mission. Maybe he should go home. He was completely out classed and out gunned. Dammit, no! The mission was to important to him. He decided to stick it out. After all, his name was Sonic Hedgehog, right? He had been to hell and back too many times to stop now. But what to do, what to do… Come on brain, think… Ah, ha! "Ditch them in the forest!" Sonic made another sharp turn at the next intersection, with an ungodly number of aircraft blasting at him all the way.

Sonics situation was becoming more and more desperate as the seconds passed. He had to change course five times already and was beginning to wonder if his plan would even work. It looked as if the ‘bots were trying to cut off any entrance to the forest. He began to wonder if he was going to be able to make it out of Robitropolis if his life depended on it. But he was willing to take it that far. The power rings were more than worth the try. After all, what use would he……HOLY CRAP! He came to a complete stop in the middle of a large intersection. Three sides of it were completely blocked by a fleet of tank like things. In between the fleet was the biggest army of SWATbots Sonic had ever seen. They were every where! There were hordes of them on the roofs of buildings as well and some parked hover units too. Sonic looked up and saw that sky was filled with circling STEALTHbots.

He heard machines running behind him and saw his only route of escape cut off by another division of tanks and SWATbots. A few hover units landed behind them as well.

Sonic looked around with a frown of disgust on his face. His chest was heaving in and out already from running but his breathing seemed to get even heavier. He felt his heart pound angrily in his chest like as if it wanted out. What next, he thought to himself?

Suddenly, a thin stream of bluish light shot out from in front along with a puff of steam. A sharp, searing pain shot up through Sonic’s entire body and the stench of burned flesh filled the air. He lost control of his legs and then collapsed. He fell over on his right side then rolled over on his belly with his face in the battered pavement…..and then ceased all movement.

 

"YEEESSSS!!" Robotnik cheered slamming his fists on the armrests of his chair. "Get a closer look. NOW!"

"YES SIR." Came the robotic reply of the SWATbot in charge.

Robotnik watched the array of screens. They were all combined into a single image that showed what the SWATbot was seeing. Robotnik watched the crumpled up form of Sonic lying in a growing pool of his own blood, getting closer and closer. Then his body shivered and he screamed a piercing shrill of absolute agony that made the speakers buzz due to the overload.

"What? He’s still alive you idiot! KILL HIM, NOW BEFORE HE GETS AWAY!"

"COMENCING TERMINATION NOW SIR." The SWATbot complied. A small set of cross hairs appeared on Sonic’s forehead and the SWATbot’s arm mounted laser appeared into view.

This is actually it, Robotnik thought to himself smiling wickedly. "And now, I get rid of my hedgehog problems, once and for all."

 

"AAAARRR <gurgle…cough>!!!!" Sonic opened his eyes. His vision was blurry due to the tears His chest pulsed with the most agonizing, searing pain every time his heart beat. Only then did it hit him that he had been shot. Now what to do? His options were running out, and so was his life…very quickly. The air suddenly turned very cold, and he suddenly realized why. He had smelled a strange copper like metallic smell but his nose felt very wet, and warm. His eyes cleared and all he could see was blood…his own blood! He was lying in a pool of his own blood, and it was quickly running out.

He began to cry even more, fore he knew that this was really the end. And the others…they would die soon too. Sally, Tails, Bunnie, Rotor, Antoine, Dulcey…all of them would die. And it was all his fault! It was all because he lost.

Sonic began to have visions of his friends lined up in front of a ditch, blind folded; the same way he pictured from the stories he heard about the execution of the royal guards by Robotnik. The evil simian walked up to the form of Sally, put a small laser pistol to her head and fired. She fell strait back into the ditch. Tails was next. Robotnik put the gun to his head. The back of the Kitts head exploded into a mess of blood and gore. He crumpled up and rather violently rolled down to the bottom of the pit and laid there on his back with his mouth wide open and eyes starring blankly. Another burst of pain. "NNNOOO!" Sonic began to weep.

CLANK…CLANK…CLANK…CLANK….

Sonic turned his head to the right. The towering form of a SWATbot appeared over him. "COMENCING TERMINATION NOW SIR." It bellowed raising its arm mounted laser. "I’m sorry Sal." Sonic cried. He then closed his eyes and screamed.

THE END?????????