The Ultimate's

Chapter One

The Infiltration

The blue hedgehog slowly made his way through the large air vents. Behind him were Miles and Miles' sister, Millie. They both stayed silent, every-so-often peaked out of a vent opening. Miles held a small device in his hand, the antenna of which pulsated with a steady green light. The blonde fox looked at the hedgehog.

"Sonic," he said, "We're four klicks below the Chaos Emerald." Sonic nodded, looking up. There was no way he could jump up that air shaft. He tried to think of a way up, looking for handholds, vent openings, anything. Millie raised her hand, the sniper rifle across her back drawing the eye from her feminine curves. She hated being set aside as 'just another girl'. She had been a fighter from the start, raised with her brother.

"Miles, we could fly Sonic up," the foxette suggested. Sonic gave the two a confused glance. Millie blushed, "Um, it's something we've been working on. If we spin our tails really fast, we can use them like propellers! How do you think we helped make my brother's lab?" Sonic smiled as the two foxes took his arms, spinning their tails unbelievably fast. He felt his feet rise off the ground. Soon, he was floating up the air shaft, carried by the twin foxes. Soon he was at the right exit, which opened to a large, circular room full of flashing lights. Three robotic guards stood around the object in the center, a pedestal with the Blue Chaos Emerald on top of it.

"Damn," Sonic growled, "This isn't going to be easy. Ever since Robotnik got his hands on Ray's power core, his machines have been a lot tougher to deal with." The hedgehog sighed, "At least they aren't Mobians or humans. I couldn't bear to hurt them." Miles nodded, frowning.

"I still don't think Ray was thinking when he set out the generator beside his house. Knothole isn't well guarded, he knows this!" the fifteen year old fox growled, "So Sonic, how are we taking these guys out?"

"I think this kind of room needs the burst in and attack approach," Sonic responded, taking a deep breath, "There isn't any way to sneak around. So tell me when you two are ready, then throw me in through the grate." A few seconds passed. The steady breathing of the twins could be heard as they took deep breaths, preparing themselves for the action about to be taken. Soon their breathing stopped.

"Now!" they both yelled, throwing Sonic into the room. Almost immediately, the robots burst to life, whirring and firing bullets at the hedgehog. He kept swift and quickly ran at the robots, punching through them. Soon it was over. There was no sign of conflict after it was finished. The robots always exploded when they no longer functioned correctly. Sonic quickly grabbed the Chaos Emerald and slipped back through the air vent he had entered from. He landed far below, where Miles and Millie waited for him. Miles gave him a serious look.

"A silent alarm just went out," he said, "I'm picking up a few electromagnetic signals up there, they've no doubt discovered we're here." Sonic nodded, running off down the vent they had come from. He spoke into the communicator bracelet on his wrist.

"Yo, Sal! Send in that extraction team! This'll be a close one!" he yelled. A voice automatically responded.

"Ugh, even at twenty-two, you're still getting yourself into trouble?" the response was a half-laugh, as if she enjoyed the fact that he was a troublemaker. Well, of course she did! Who wouldn't?

"C'mon, Sal, cut me some slack," Sonic teased, "I'll tell you what. When we get back, I'll take you out for some chili dogs." He could hear the squirrel gagging on the other end. Sally HATED chili dogs.

"Excuse me, Sonic," Miles' voice was becoming impatient, "I hate to interrupt you and your girlfriend, but let's focus on getting out, first!" Sonic laughed, grabbing the two foxes' hands and putting on a burst of speed, faster than anyone else should have been able to go. That was true, until they ran out from the air vents to the open Robotnik City. That was when another being cut them off. Sonic let the two foxes go and came to a halting stop. In front of him stood two creatures. A white rabbit and a yellow raccoon with pigtails. He watched them, carefully. Where had they come from?

"So," the rabbit said, his voice cocky and taunting. He looked like he was twenty-four, two years older than Sonic, "Sonny the Hedgehog. We meet at last." Sonic took a step back.

"H-How do you know my name?" he demanded, "Who are you?"

"Why, it's your old friend, Sonny," the rabbit laughed maniacally, "Maurice the Rabbit. Oh, don't you remember me? Your BEST FRIEND! Or have you forgotten the days we spent, on the playgrounds at Green Hill? WHEN YOU ABANDONED ME!" The rabbit looked ready to burst. His face was red and he stood in a threatening position. Then he calmed down, wiping some long hair from in front of his eyes, "Robotnik found me there, waiting for you to show up for my eighth birthday. He told me of your betrayal. Of those two idiots, Ray and Mighty!" Sonic could see tears coming from Maurice's eyes. It had been a long time, but he remembered the rabbit.

"Yo, boys!" a voice came from above, "get ready for a power dive!" The great, green dragon swooped down and picked Sonic and his companions in her claws, lifting them up into the air in seconds. They all climbed onto her back, but Sonic was clearly shaken.

"Thanks, Dulce," he managed, "You really saved our skins." Miles looked at his sister, and the same thing passed through their minds. Who was Maurice? And how did Sonic know him?