I hold no copyright on the owner's original works, or anything relative to the current copyright holders' material that the following story is based on. This was written for non-commercial purposes.
Red and white striped sneakers pounded the filth encrusted black tar paved streets of what was the former city of Mobotropolis. The once beautiful city with its fountains and white walls was now an industrial wasteland with spewing smokestacks and pools of acid and oil residue. The striped sneakers belonged to Sonic the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius, and the fastest thing alive. And right now he needed to live up to his title if he was going to continue being a member of the land of the living.
Tailing him closely was one of the many terrible creations of the man responsible for the condition of this city and Sonic's current peril. Dodging another laser blast with contemptuous ease Sonic rebounded off the concrete wall surface of one of the many industrial buildings that had replaced the many homes and work places that once covered the city.
Dr. Robotnik, the usurper of the Acorn throne and mad genius extraordinaire was the man responsible for the condition of this once magnificent city of peace and prosperity. The would-be world dictator created infamously foul and diabolical robotic servants that carried out his whims without second thought. And right now, his latest creation, the Buzzbomber, was attempting to eradicate from existence the greatest hindrance to the man's dreams of complete subjugation of the remaining free people of the planet Mobius.
Sonic turned up his speed and ran right at the next building's walled surface, and then straight up it. Such was the power behind his legs that the blur of a hedgehog was able to defy gravity and continue without pause. Right before he reached the roof of the building, he leaped backwards toward the Buzzbomber that continued sending angry red laser beams to eradicate the blue blur. Quickly snapping his body into a tuck and roll position with quick speed, Sonic turned into a living buzz saw. Before the robotic servant could adjust to its targets new coordinates, Sonic cut straight through it. The once deadly low flying aircraft was now a plummeting heap of circuitry and metal shards that smashed into the pavement below, scattering its already damaged parts indiscriminately in every direction.
Looking over from his perch on the roof of the opposite building he had just jumped away from, Sonic chuckled idly to himself as he observed his handiwork. Looking at his wristwatch on his left arm Sonic noted the time, "Uh-oh, Sal's gonna kill me if I'm late again. Better juice!" With that the hedgehog leapt toward the ground and started to run down the wall's surface before reorienting to the city's street surface without the slightest slowdown and took off toward the city limits.
Continuing past the city outskirts Sonic came upon the no man's land that lay between the polluted industrial region and The Great Forest. Making a beeline for the trees that provided sanctuary from the mad man that Sonic had been busy disrupting the plans of, he ran down hidden paths toward the Village of Knothole. It was one of the few remaining sanctuaries available to the free people of Mobius, and it was the one Sonic called home.
After a few minutes of running Sonic was back in the village. No one else on the planet could reach the place any faster. At full speed the average individual would take more than a few hours time to reach the same location. Several of his fellow Mobians were walking around the village as the blue blur slowed to a normal person's jogging speed.
Sonic looked around for a particular hut in this village. The one occupied by Princess Sally Acorn, leader of The Freedom Fighters, amongst which Sonic was a member. The group had been fighting the oppressive dictator Robotnik since they were children. Under her leadership and utilizing Sonic's "gifts", they had been able to slow the tyrant's reach for full power.
Sonic passed by his best friend, Tails, the two tailed fox. With only a brief wave to his fox friend, Sonic indicated he had to be somewhere specific and would catch up with his buddy later.
Finally slowing down to a normal walk, the normally impatient hedgehog came up to the last of the people's free royalty and rapped quite sharply on the door. His fist continued to repeat this gesture on the princess's door with rapid succession. As far as everybody knew Sonic was not known for having patience, regardless of what activity he was involved in. This was proven, as he called out to the building's occupant in an impatient voice, "I'm wwwaaaaiiiitttiinnggg…"
His fist suddenly swung into empty air as the door to the hut swung open abruptly, revealing a rather irate looking red haired chipmunk that was Princess Sally. Sonic brought his arm back down to hang casually by his waist. "Hey Sal! It's your main man, back safe and sound and still too fast for Robuttnik!"
"And yet you are late…again. How is it someone as fast as you can still not be on time?" Sally asked him with exasperation.
"Hey, hey! Is it my fault that I had to dust a couple of new flyin' bots?"
Her eyes widened and then refocused with fury, "Sonic! What part of stealth for your mission did you not understand?!"
"Uhhh…all of it? Sheesh Sal, it's not like I did it on purpose! They saw me comin' from above when I was leavin' from the new factory Buttnik put up and I had to dust them. No biggie."
"No, that's a major 'biggie' Sonic Hedgehog! Robotnik will probably end up putting more security around the facility now! I'll need to rework our contingency plan for the raid we were planning for tomorrow. We've lost the element of surprise thanks to your bravado. I've got work to do, I'll see you later Sonic." Sally started to close the door to her hut as Sonic's gloved hand came up and pushed back against the door. "I'm not in the mood for more games Sonic."
"Yeah, and I'm not playin' either Sal. If I'm the one who made ya more work, the least I can do is help ya out!" Sonic protested.
Sally's face took on a look of confusion, "Since when do you help with planning? It doesn't involve chili dogs you know."
"Since I started to screw-up stuff. And I can always get chili dogs to help us plan."
"Uh-huh. Well, if you're going to help me out, than come in."
"Right behind you your highness." Sonic stated in his most stoic voice. Sally's response was just an eye roll as Sonic followed her in.
Sally took a seat at her desk and motioned for Sonic to pull a spare chair up to the desk. "Alright Mr. Helpful, this is what the plan was originally." She signaled to the map and pile of notes in front of them as Sonic finally took his seat. Sonic merely nodded his head as he looked over the paperwork without saying a word. Seeing as he didn't say anything Sally continued unabashed, "So, we were going to have you hit the guards on the eastern flank. It had the most convenient access for the rest of us to slip into the building from the sewers so that we could plant the charges. Now that Robotnik knows where we're looking to hit, he's bound to increase security. What can you tell me about the new flying bot that you dealt with?"
"Uh, it flies and has a mondo laser cannon attached to it. And it has a problem with handsome hedgehogs?"
Sally intertwined her hands in front of her and leaned into them while she sighed. "So, now he has air support as well as the Swatbots on the ground. We'll have a lot less cover we can use from now on. This is not good, how are we supposed to win this war when every time we take a step forward Robotnik takes two?"
Sonic brought Sally into a hug, "Hey Sal, we're going to beat him eventually. Either that or his heart will finally give out."
Returning the hug Sally responded, "I hope so Sonic, I really do." She looked down at the map and picked up a pen and started to make corrections to the plan. "At least we know what the new factory is producing. If we hit them fast and hard enough it might buy us the time we need to hit another production facility before he can recover. I just wish we weren't stretched so thin, we need to hit more targets at once, but we don't have the numbers." Sally tossed the pen aside in frustration.
Taking her hand in his Sonic told her, "I don't know what to say Sal. I can't be everywhere at once, I'm not that fast."
She looked over at Sonic and stared into his eyes while still holding his hand, "Since when do you think you're not fast enough for something?"
"Well, there's only one thing I've never been able to keep up with…"
"Really? And what pray tell is that?"
Sonic just kept looking into her eyes as his thumb gently traced her hand.
"Oh-." The knocking of the door of her hut interrupted Sally from continuing.
As the door opened revealing Tails, Sonic slid his hand out of Sally's and joined her in a brief but embarrassed blush as the kit entered. "Sonic, Aunt Sally? Aunt Bunny was wonderin' when you guys were gonna start the meeting?"
"We'll be right there Tails, we're just finishing up right now." Sally responded as Sonic's tongue was apparently tied.
"Oh, okay. Don't be late! Antoine's almost got dinner ready!" Tails declared as he trotted off.
Sonic and Sally looked back at each other briefly in embarrassment. They then got up and put away the mission materials and left her hut. Walking together they headed off to meet the others and stole glances of one another. Time would tell if they finally got what they were after. This meeting would only be another milestone of the journey there.
The End