Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters in the franchise. They are all the property of Sega.


Darkness.

Silence.

Sonic slowly opens his eyes. He was lying on the floor of a dark, small room. A cot in one corner, a light bulb barely lit above him. A collar was wrapped so tightly around his neck that he could barely breathe.

He looks down at himself, squinting, his eyes dry and burnt from crying. He desperately tries to make out his blurry vision. His body was beaten, bruised, stabbed multiple times. His hands were tied up behind him, going numb from restriction. His legs were battered, their mobility done for. His stomach turned, he hadn't eaten in weeks. He couldn't move a muscle without a jolt of pain shocking through him.

He rests his head back and groans, readying himself for the pain ahead. He flails his body towards a wall, screaming, fighting, until he could rest his back on it. He looks around. The room was very cold, the air damp and heavy. He curls up into a ball, shivering, his breaths cutting short from exhaustion. He closes his eyes, his eyesight weak from the bright lights of the torture room.

The room's door slowly creaks open. Sonic doesn't respond, his strength depleted. A hand pushes on his forehead. He whimpers. A thumb presses gently on his eyelid and rolls it over. A bright light flashes on his eye.

Sonic moans. He shudders, trying to move away from his tormentor. An electric prod zaps him on his chest. Sonic cries out with whatever breath he had left, his body already taken its toll. He collapses over to the side, whimpering, struggling to breathe. There was no more energy left in him to resist with. Two fingers press firmly on his neck, then leaves it, scribbling on a pad.

"Subject still appears to be fit," a voice mutters, "intoxication levels lowering...need more tests for metabolism analysis...feeding tube may still be required."

Sonic slowly turns to the side, moaning. His body was sick with malnutrition, his stomach constantly pumped with alcohol at the beginning of each torture. The beatings. The choking. The zapping.

Dead…

I'm dead…

Footsteps. The door shuts away from him. A locking sound.

Nothing…

There's nothing…

Just torture…

Just…

Ju…

An explosion erupts.

Gunfire.

Stomping.

Silence.

Footsteps.

Turning.

Creaking.

Looking.


"You wretched imposter!" Eggman shouts, "you dare call yourself a scientist?!"

Eggman blasts a door open and fires at the oncoming soldiers. His robots march on in front of him and subdue the attackers.

"Only I, Doctor Eggman, can be called the greatest scientist in the world!" he shouts. Eggman joins up with his minions to take down the base.

A moment later, the station is cleared. No traces of the leader is found. Eggman grunts.

"Fine!" he snaps, "If I can't find him, then I might as well get something from here."

He looks over at an ominous door. Metal, sterile. Something you'd find in a hospital wing. He ponders over it for a second then cautiously approaches it.

He unlocks the door and slowly opens it, emitting a creaking sound. A figure lied in front of him. He looked at it and recognized the shape, his eyes widening in surprise.

Sonic.

Sonic...

He lied in the corner, his hands bound with rope. His body covered with bruises and wounds. His eyes barely open, whimpering, weak, defeated.

Eggman grins widely.

"Ha! Ahahaha!" he laughs hysterically, "Sonic! Look at you! So powerless and pathetic!"

Sonic begins to weep.

"I've done it! Now I've finally done it!" Eggman glees joyfully, "I've finally captured that pesky little rodent!"

Sonic sobs, his breaths intensifying.

"With that blue pest out of the way, no one will be able to stop…"

Sonic cries out. Eggman stops and stares at him. Sonic huddles closer, screaming uncontrollably. The unexpected shriek forces Eggman to take a step back. Sonic beings to cry, violently, tears dripping from his eyes. He wails, thrashing his body from side to side.

A moment passes before Sonic stops crying, his body returning still, whimpering. He sobs quietly as Eggman watches. He gazed at his nemesis, now a captive before him. Weak. Tied up. Nearly dead.

Eggman pauses, thinking. Sonic remained motionless, his memories resurfacing.


Strapped to a table. Hands and legs cuffed. A tube was forced into Sonic's mouth. He screams in despair, trying desperately to stop it. It continued sliding down his throat until it reached the bottom of his stomach.

"Now."

A clear liquid flowed through the tube into Sonic's throat. He shuts his eyes and wails, struggling violently from his restraints. The fluid continued to flow in for a few seconds before stopping. The tube is then forced out. Sonic coughs heavily, trying to regurgitate.

"Preparing Experiment Number 9." A metal pipe is then picked up. Sonic looks hazily at the figure, fearful of what he had in mind.

"Commencing Experiment." A blow is delivered directly at his knees. Sonic screams in pain. Another one. Again. Again.

He yelled as loudly as he could until he had no voice left within him. The experiment lasted for a whole minute before Sonic lost consciousness.


Sonic grunts in despair. There was nothing he could do; his fate was left at the mercy of his nemesis. Eggman looks over at Sonic. He slowly walks up towards him before resting a hand on his head. Sonic whimpers, struggling, trying to break free.

"It's okay," Eggman assures, "I'm not going to hurt you."

Sonic slowly stops resisting. He opens an eye and looks at him.

"You're going to be alright." He comforts him.

Sonic begins to moan, sobbing. He rests his head on Eggman's chest and cries as Eggman holds him closer. Eggman carefully picks him up and carries him out of the cell.


Hours…

Quiet…

Where am I…?

Sonic slowly opens his eyes. He lied on the bed of a guest room, wrapped around in a blanket. It was the first time in weeks that he'd felt a comforting warmth. He slowly raises himself upwards, grunting slightly in pain, and curls up into a ball. He tries to remember the incident just hours ago. He ponders.

Could I be where I think I am...?

He rests for a few minutes before the room door opens up. Sonic slowly tilts his head up and recognizes the figure.

"How are you feeling?" Eggman asks as he walks towards him with a tray, resting on his side. Sonic opens his mouth, trying to say something, but only a faint noise escaped him. There was no energy left in him to speak with.

"It's fine," Eggman assures, "don't put too much energy into it. You'll need all the rest that you can get." Sonic's head falls forward, feeling defeated. He couldn't be in a more vulnerable state than what he's in right now.

Eggman picks up a food amongst the heap on the tray. "Here," he says as he gestures it towards him, "try this". Sonic looks up at him, then slowly opens his mouth. Eggman places the food between his teeth and Sonic gently takes a bite. He crunches it slowly, then swallows it. His stomach pulsates gently, digesting the first form of nourishment that it's had in weeks. Sonic breathes gently as the nutrition flows through his body. He looks up at Eggman, who reaches to his mouth again. Sonic takes in another bite and huddles in his blanket.

"Will you be alright?" Eggman asks. Sonic nods slowly. Just as Eggman gets up, Sonic whimpers to get his attention. Eggman looks back at Sonic.

"Th…thank…you…" A weak voice came from Sonic. Eggman gives a gentle smile.


Days pass.

Sonic tries to walk again.

Eggman holds on one of his arms as he gently places his leg on the ground. Just as he puts some pressure on it, a shock of pain rips right through him. Sonic cries out as he collapses. Eggman catches him before he could fall.

"They're still injured pretty badly," Eggman comments, "let's try again some other time."

Sonic slowly nods in weakness before resting back on the bed.


A few more days pass before they try again.

Sonic puts his legs on the ground, gently pushing on them. Only a slightly pain coursed through him. His legs wobbled as Eggman guided him by his arm.

"Let's walk around for a while," Eggman suggests, "that should get the blood flowing."

Sonic nods as he begins to walk slowly.

It took some time before he was able to walk on his own again. Eggman allowed him to wander around his lair, as long as he didn't touch anything. Sonic walks into his office where he was resting.

"Eggman…" Sonic spoke quietly. Eggman turned to face Sonic. "I want to ask you something."

"What is it?" Eggman asks. Sonic sighs, taking in a moment before asking what he was thinking about for quite some time.

"Why did you save me?" Sonic asks. Eggman pauses, hesitant to reply.

"I was half dead, tied up, tortured," he continues, "isn't this what you wanted?"

Eggman ponders for a while, thinking of his response.

"Even in my worst dreams, I wouldn't wish for anyone to suffer," he finally answers, "not even to the people whom I hate the most."

He stares directly at Sonic. "Not even to you."

Sonic gazes at Eggman, then looks quietly at the floor. He takes in a brief moment.

"Thank you," he replies, "I probably would've died if it wasn't for you."

Eggman gives a gentle smile.


An explosion.

Sonic suddenly wakes up.

The alarm goes off and the whole lair lights up in red. He immediately leaves his room and finds Eggman nearby.

"What's going on?!" Sonic asks Eggman with his robots following him.

"It seems that some people are stupid enough to attack my lair." Eggman grins, "Robots, to combat mode. Charge!"

The robots ready up their weapons and march off. Sonic immediately freezes in terror. Eggman looks over at him.

"What if…it's him…?" Sonic asks. The tortures of his past were still imbedded in his memory. He shuffles, disoriented, placing his hands on his head.

I'm not going back there…

I'm not going back…

I'm not…

Eggman grabs at one of his arms. Sonic looks up towards him.

"If it is him, then I'll be glad to take that vermin down." Eggman gives an evil grin. Oddly enough, Sonic felt reassured by it. "Just stay behind me and you'll be alright."

Sonic nods and follows Eggman as he treads off on his Eggwalker.


Halls.

Soldiers.

Chaos.

Sonic and Eggman held off the horde at every corridor. As the duo turns a corner, they are greeted by an explosion. Eggman is thrown off from his walker as Sonic is flung backwards, landing on his back.

Sonic groans in pain as a figure walks up towards him. Sonic focuses his sight on it. He froze, immobilized, his body consumed in terror.

No...no...

The man grabs Sonic by his throat and pulls him up, choking him. Sonic struggles to breathe as the man's grip hardens.

"Research data is still incomplete," the man grins, "welcome back, guinea pig."

Sonic's vision blurs.

Unable to breathe.

Fainting.

Eggman suddenly tackles the man, knocking him off balance. Sonic is released from his grip and falls to the ground, gasping for air. The two men battle each other before Eggman is overpowered.

Sonic looks at the man, wailing away in glee.

That smile…

Sonic grinds his teeth.

That filthy smile…

His breaths grew intensely, his eyes widening in rage, his hands turning to fists. He suddenly yells out and jumps at the man, his animal instincts taking over. He proceeds to pound at him, screaming, striking him over and over again.

Even as the man's skull was smashed, Sonic continued to bash at it.

He eventually grew tired, breathing heavily, still trying to inflict injury at the carcass. Eggman slowly approached him and rests his hand on Sonic's shoulder. Sonic looks up at him, panting from exhaustion.

"It's over." Eggman states.

Sonic leaves the corpse and sits on the ground, letting out a deep breath, his hands shaking in pain. Eggman sits beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Sonic rests his head on Eggman's chest.


It was time for Sonic to leave.

Sonic passes through the hallway leading towards the exit. Eggman was waiting there, leaning against the wall. Sonic stops by next to him.

"I guess it's time for me to go." He states. He looks over at Eggman, his expression mixed with emotions. "Thank you for everything."

Eggman smiles. "You're welcome, but don't mention it to anyone; I don't want my image as an evil genius to be ruined."

Sonic chuckles. "Sure." He replies. He heads towards the exit before turning around to Eggman. They smile at each other as Sonic takes his leave.