Hello curious fanfiction reader, and welcome to a story that was originally intended to be a joke! This is a scifi AU that a dear friend of mine came up with recently and decided that this was something that needed to be put down on paper immediately. I will attempt to update this as much as possible (with author's notes when needed) and if you have any questions you're more than welcome to ask :) My name is Portal, and my collaborator is Spiney, AKA 24-7Anxiety from deviantART. I hope you enjoy our story!

A heavy mist clung to the recycled air like a lifeline on the biospheric-space station known as the Rift. It was cold, and quickly-melting frost clung to the windows of small resident houses to city skyscrapers, giving off an almost fantastical sparkle. It was a small beauty in the ever-so ghastly Mobia district, or otherwise known as The Slums. It was a repulsive territory. Concrete and mud made 90% of the district ground, grass was a sight easily forgotten, and trees never grew. Small, identical houses lined the streets, leaving very little between each building. You had no choice but to know your neighbor, no matter how undesirable they may be.

A few miles to the North, large smoke stacks could be seen exhaling the noxious fumes that seemed to fester towards the ratty town. Most of the residence of the Mobia district worked in the factories that the smoke stacks belonged to. Hundreds of citizens would fill up the morning buses and trains, while others would walk to their local job at the Markets. Rusty iron fences made up the border of Mobia District. It was the only gated district in the entire station.

The streets were made of gravel and unkempt blacktop. The sidewalks were uneven and had tripped many a pidestrian in a hurry. Hurry. Everyone was in a hurry... except for one. No one paid any mind to the thin male in his twenties dragging his feet to nowhere in particular. He kept his head low, one malnourished hand lightly gripping the rim of his hood, keeping his face hidden. It was obvious the young male didn't want to be noticed. Such a poor creature was worth no one's time, and a poor creature he was. Reaching into his jean pocket, he pulled about some change. The man paused in his tracks to count the money, only to sigh to himself. He had already counted the change earlier, and didn't know why he bothered to count it again. Perhaps he hoped that by some miracle he would have enough to buy himself a decent meal, but such hopes were beyond his grasp and were wasteful thoughts.

Oh, how he hoped and dreamed. He dreamed of a open field with the wind whipping around him as he soared, his feet barely touching the ground. He hoped that he would wake to see his friends smiling at him, asking him playfully where he had been. The young male shuddered as a cold wind buffeted him, as it howled mournfully to him in his time of sadness. There was a time he would chase the wind and would win.

But that was then, this was now. He was no longer who he once was. He no longer went by Sonic, but by his new name, Lee. His once strong legs were only able to keep him standing, and his once azure pelt was replaced with dry peach skin; that of a human. The male picked at his skin in annoyance. Two years and he still wasn't used to such a texture. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as a group of teens rushed past him towards a growing crowd.

Sonic grimaced at the shouting coming from the audience. Curiosity getting the better of him, Sonic shuffled his way into the shouting crowd to see a old man waving a staple gun, a propaganda poster in the other. Sonic stood nervously as the deranged old man screeched his hateful words.

"Do you see this, my fellow humans? These animals are the real enemies! They first flooded earth's land after the Metarex destroyed their planet, and their escape caused the destruction of our own home!" The old man's voice seemed to rip into Sonic like a knife.

Surrounding humans cheered and shouted their own opinions of the species.

"It's their fault!"

"I lost my home and children to those Metarex! Those stupid animals lead those monsters to our home!" A woman shouted, spit flying from her mouth.

A man behind Sonic shouted. "And what of that Hedgehog!?"

Sonic swallowed. Perhaps he should leave now.

"yeah!" Several cheered in unison. "Where was Sonic!?"

Sonic's heart clenched as memories of fire and screaming scarred his mind.

"Why, we all ask, has the fault of our destruction been allowed to mill among us? To poison our food and water supplies, to rape our wives and terrorize our children, to put a degrading staple on our new home?!" The old man continued.

Sonic's head snapped up at such degrading words.

"Rape!? Terrorize?! The Mobians were peaceful. They caused no harm! It was you humans who drove them to such...standards!"

Sonic snapped his mouth shut as he quickly became the center of attention. He had done it. He had said "humans".

The old man limped towards him. "Odd that a HUMAN such as yourself would hold such creatures in high regard. Unless...unless you're one of them."

Sonic swallowed not knowing what to say. His lack of response gave the elder his answer.

"I heard rumors that the Mobians had figured out a way to disguise themselves as human. I never believed that our very own Government helped fund such...horrendous acts, but here you are!" Sonic flinched as spittle from the older man landed on his face.

"He's one of them, one of them alien animals!" A pimply, scrawny teenage boy called out, pointing towards Sonic's thin, tall form.

In response, the crowd began to move towards Sonic. Sonic whirled around ready to dash to only come face to face with a fist. The world spun as the thin male fell to the ground. His center of gravity seemed to shift as he was lifted from the muddy earth and thrown into a wall. Sonic gasped as his back collided with the metallic surface. Sonic quickly scrambled to his feet to only get knocked down by another swing to the face. Metal scraping could be heard as the ratty teen raised a bat to strike. Sonic closed his eyes tight as the bat made impact. Sonic kept his mouth shut, not giving these human the pleasure of hearing him scream.

Sonic began to wonder if he was going to die. He found himself hoping for such a fate.

"I say we kill him!"

"Yeah! One less rodent!"

Welp, there was his answer. Sonic smiled as he heard a distant rumble of thunder coming down from the road. Suiting that he should die as a thunder storm brewed. The thunder rumbled louder. Sonic cracked his eye open as the teen raised his bat above his head, reflecting the sunlight into his eyes.

Wait, sunlight, but...

Before Sonic could ponder anymore a gunshot pierced the loudness of the shouting crowd. Opening his eyes fully Sonic could see the bat the teen was holding laid on the floor with a smoking hole in it. Sonic noticed that he was no longer the center of attention and he struggled to get to his feet.

'I have to get out of here..' he thought frantically.

Sonic faintly heard shouting as he limped as fast as he could away from the crowd. His ears were ringing.

"Hey! The rat's trying to get away!" A woman screeched.

Sonic turned to see a scraggly woman heading towards him with a broken piece of pipe, but before he could turn to run, another gunshot was heard followed by screaming. On the gravel gripping her leg was the woman, her weapon forgotten. A pool of blood began to form from the woman's leg.

"I SAID: LEAVE HIM!" A deep voice echoed in the air. Sonic turned to see the owner of the voice; it sounded familiar to him. On a large, steaming motor bike sat a fairly built human male. In his leather gloved hands was a heavy looking gun pointed directly at the woman. Sonic gasped. Sure these humans were about to kill him, but he wasn't going to let anyone get killed, crazy hag or not.

"No! Don't!" Sonic yelled as he staggered in front of the now sobbing woman.

The older male locked eyes with Sonic, and the once Mobian couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu. Sonic couldn't see the man's eyes, for he wore sharp riding goggles, but he could feel the other narrowing his eyes at him.

The bigger male laughed lightly to himself. "Always the hero!"

Sonic blinked. Did the guy know who he was?

Before Sonic could reply, the bike roared to life and sped in his direction, causing the fallen hero to flinch. Tires squealed in protest as the rider brought his bike to a sudden halt in front of the shaking male. Opening his eyes, Sonic looked to see the biker reaching with an outstretched hand.

When the bigger male got no response he stretched his arm out further.

"You can stay here with these humans, or you can come with me. The latter decision lacks death, FYI."

Without hesitation Sonic mounted the bike.

"Wise decision." The biker huffed, revving the vehicle and speeding off.