Chapter One :

You know, Eggman has such unique timing.

It wasn't hard to believe I found myself running down the same old hall with my teammates, trying to infiltrate Eggman's base in the middle of the night, because that's the way things usually went. I swear, sometimes I think Eggman's a night-owl. He always decides to attack RIGHT when we're trying to get some sleep.

"The tracker says he should be in the room just ahead, Sonic," said my best friend, a young yellow fox with two tails.

"Great, just where he always is." I stopped just at the edge of the corner to prepare myself. It wasn't like I didn't know what Eggman might try to pull as soon as I got in there, but it never hurts if a hedgehog keeps himself prepared for what lays around the bend.

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Sonic."

I nearly choked when two arms wrapped themselves tightly around my neck and shoulders.

"Amy... CHOKING, NOT BREATHING."

"What if you get hurt?" The pink hedgehog snuggled against my back, a tone of intense concern in her annoying high-pitched voice. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

Aargh... I sweatdropped and pushed the irritating girl off my shoulders. "Don't worry, Amy. I'll be just fine."

"But what if it's different this time?" She STILL wouldn't shut up, playing with two fingers awkwardly. "What if Eggman tries something new and catches you off-guard? What if you get really hurt?"

"I'll be FINE, Amy," I answered, trying not to lose my temper. I brushed some blue fur down on my quills and gave myself an exasperated sigh. This girl never gave up. Always pestering, or fussing over me, or nearly choking me to death... Between Eggman and Amy, I get no break.

Amy's dark-green eyes suddenly flashed with anger. "Fine! See if I ever care about you again!"

She huffed and turned away, folding her arms tightly across her chest. I rolled my eyes and also turned away. As if I cared about her temper tantrum. It was just another stupid way to try to lure me into being her boyfriend.

"Tails, Knuckles is in his position, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's waiting beneath to surprise-attack if we need back-up."

"Good." I rolled my neck a bit, giving it a nice pop. "Let's do it to it."

Tails nodded, giving me the okay to knock down the door which led to the room in which Eggman was supposedly hiding. I flashed him a quick thumbs-up, letting him know there was nothing I couldn't handle. He returned it with a smile, but for some reason I thought I detected skepticism in his own eyes...? Oh well.

Shrugging it off, I pounced forward and spin-dashed the steel door down. Too easy!

"Knock, knock!" I called out with a half-smirk, waiting for Eggman to spring out from the darkness with some cheesy robot. I could take anything that fatso could dish out.

To my surprise, there was nothing but silence. I raised an eyebrow but retained my smirk, glancing around. The whole room was draped in shadowy darkness, but not enough to where I couldn't see what I was doing. A faint smell of smoke tickled my nostrils. I could tell something had been burning...

"Oh, Eggman?" I called again, in a mock sing-song tone. Something wasn't right here, but I wasn't about to let myself feel any fear. "... Eggy?"

Glancing around, I saw that there was still nothing to be seen nor heard but darkness and silence. This was just too weird...

I lifted my wrist to my mouth to speak in the communicator Tails had given me. "Hey, Tails, are you sure this is the right room?"

"That's what the tracker said. Is he not in there?"

"Well, so far I'm not seeing anythi-"

I broke off when my ear twitched. I heard a faint sound coming from my right side behind me.

"Hang on a sec, Tails." I tensed. "Eggman? You better come out, or I'll come in there after you."

"Sonic, do you see him?"

"..."

I didn't reply. Hoping Tails would be quiet, I took a cautious step forward and looked around. Something was telling me I was up against more than I thought here.

"... Sonic?"

My leg muscles started to tingle. An instinct to run was kicking up in my system, telling me something was coming and I needed to evade. But I wouldn't do it. I would stand my ground. I wouldn't let Eggman see me run like a coward.

"... Tails, I don't think he-"

Something suddenly whacked me in the side. The next thing I knew, I was flying across the room at a high speed. I finally collided to a stop with the wall, leaving a thick impression in the shape of my body-frame. I slid to the ground dizzily.

By now the others on the other side of the communicator were frantic. "Sonic, what just happened? Are you okay? Speak to me, Sonic!"

"E-... Eggman..."

"Hoh-hoh-ho." Sure enough, the big guy himself was headed my way, seated atop a huge robot. As always, the robot was large and grey and didn't appear to be much of a threat. "Surprised to see me, Sonic?"

I sat up, popping my neck another time. "Nice one, Egghead. You're good." I cracked my knuckles. "But I'm better."

Ignoring the pain still throbbing through my muscles from where I'd made impact with the wall, I sprinted forward to deal a destructive kick to the robot's metallic head. But before I could even make contact with the robot, extreme pain shot through my nerves. The robot had been built with the ability to immediately deploy an force field of electricity, which would shock anyone who touched it from the outside. I let out a yell of pain as I dropped to the ground, my fur singed and my muscles still twinging from the shock.

"You won't defeat me so easily this time, Sonic. This time, you're through, and the world will be mine to overtake!"

"I won't let you win!"

"Neither will I let you, Sonic. Interesting how our opinions always clash, eh?"

He pressed a button within the control centre of the robot. A huge glass case shot up from the floor around me, trapping me inside the glass. I scrambled to my feet and started to pound against it with all my might, but it wasn't shattering. I looked up in anger, millions of escape plans whisking through my mind but none of them seeming to work out.

"Now then, Sonic, I've got you trapped and now I'm going to kill you. But I'm feeling in a generous mood, so I won't let you stay awake for the remainder of your miserable life."

I kept fighting against the glass, moving as quickly as my legs would take me. Try as I might, I wasn't getting out. I wasn't going to give up, either.

"Sonic!"

Tails and Amy had clearly assumed I was in danger and rushed into the room to my rescue. I turned to warn them out to stay away, but Eggman snapped his fingers and a militia of robots appeared to hold my friends back.

"Let them go, Eggman!" I snarled.

"Don't worry. I have what I want right here." He gave me a malicious grin. "Just to let you know, my dear hedgehog friend, it's been a pleasure being your arch-enemy for all these years."

I returned his grin with a glare full of hatred.

"Good-bye, Sonic the Hedgehog."

With those final four words, Eggman opened a small square glass containment surrounding a large red button. He gave a cackle of glee and slammed his index finger roughly into the button.

Something appeared from behind me inside the class. I turned to swiftly knock it out, but before I could even move, it socked me in the back of the neck.

Everything went black...

This is a kind of lazy chapter... But I tried my best. So, what do you think? Next chapter coming soon.