SONIC THE HEDGEHOG: SUPER SONIC Z
CHAPTER TWO: ORIGINS, PART II
Sonic was with his Uncle Chuck who drove him somewhere in a car. Sonic was holding a big colorful box in his hands. "I'm so glad you not only managed to make friends so fast, but a lot of them at once." Charles said to his nephew. "They're the greatest! And now Sally has invited me to her birthday party! No one ever asked me." Sonic said happily. "Ah, young love." Charles said amused. "What? She's just my friend. A really good friend." Sonic said. "But you bought her this really huge present…and you're blushing." Charles teased. "No, I'm not!" Sonic said, trying to hide the blush on his face.
"Ah, we're here!" Charles said as they stopped in front of the big expensive looking mansion. Sally's dad was after all one of the biggest business tycoons on Mobius. They went towards the front door and rang the doorbell. The door was answered by a squirrel woman. "Yes?" she asked. "Hi, I'm Sonic! I'm here for the party." Sonic said happily. "Oh yes, Sally has it about you all the time, she really likes you." the woman said as she let Sonic in.
"You're his dad?" the squirrel woman asked. "No, I'm his uncle. My brother and his wife are both busy with their jobs as police officers, so I'm dropping him off instead. By the way, I'm Charles, Charles Hedgehog." Charles explained. "The famous inventor? I'm honored to meet you, I'm Rosie, Rosie Beechnut. I'm Sally's nanny." She introduced herself. "Glad to meet you Rosie, but no use getting worked up over me, I'm retired as an inventor." Charles assured her. "Oh yeah, you run a diner these days right?" she asked. "I do." Charles replied.
Rosie's cell phone then rang. "Yes. What? But you…you promised her. Oh…Okay, I'll tell her. Bye." She put down her cell phone. "I can't believe he's missing another one of her birthdays, he's her father for crying out loud." Rosie said angrily. "Poor child. I wouldn't be able to imagine it if my brother acted that way towards Maurice." Charles said. "Be glad for the little guy. How am I going to explain it to Sally this time, she was so hopeful…" Rosie said sadly. "I wouldn't know it myself. I wish I could do something to help." Charles said. "Wait, can you help me cooking up the food, our cook sadly has gone sick." Rosie asked. "Sure, I got a little recipe they'd love…" Charles answered.
Sally had received presents from all her friends, but when she had opened them all, she didn't seem that happy. "What is it Sally-Girl? Don't you like what we gave you?" Bunnie asked. "Yes, but…daddy should have been here hours ago but he didn't come. I guess he'll be missing another one of my birthdays." Sally said sadly. "Another? You mean he missed your birthdays before?" Sonic asked. "He misses all of her birthdays." Boomer explained. "Yeah, Max is no good dad to Sally." Muttski added. "Listen, your dad might not be here, but we're here for you, we're your friends." Sonic stated.
Sally started smile a bit more at Sonic's words. "You know what, I don't care about dad not being here, you're all here, my friends, and you don't let me down. I don't need him." She said. "Who's hungry?" Rosie called out when she came into the room. Everyone raised their hands. "Too bad Pierre was sick, but someone has helped me prepare a nice meal for you kids." Rosie said as uncle Chuck came in, carrying a plate full of chilidogs. "Uncle Chuck? You're cooking? That's great, my uncle is a great cook and his chilidogs are awesome." Sonic said happily. "I never had a chilidog before." Sally admitted. "Well, then taste one. Believe me, my uncle's cooking will blow you away." Sonic said as she handed one to her. Sally looked at it for a while, but then decided to take a bite.
"Wow, this is really tasty. Your uncle really knows how to cook." Sally said, happy with the tasty snack. "Told ya." Sonic said as he scarfed down a chilidog of his own. "And they're my favorite thing to eat in the entire world." he added. "Zis is really good." Antoine complimented. "Wheneva ma uncle tries to cook, even the Muddlers won't eat it." Bunnie joked. "He can cook for my birthday party too." Boomer said happily. "I-I-It's good." Nicole said, shyly.
"Muttski would love to try, but Muttski is a vegetarian." Muttski explained. "Oh yeah, Rosie told me, so I made you a few special tofudogs with veggie chili and soy cheese." Charles said as he handed a plate with vegetarian chilidogs. Muttski took a bite of one of them, and he started to act like a young Scooby Doo whenever he got a Scooby Snack, with the self-hugging, the moans of pleasure and the floating. "Muttski loved these. Muttski loves these so much, Muttski now wants to learn how to cook. Muttski wants to be a great cook like Uncle Chuck." Muttski said happily. "Don't eat too much, there will be cake later." Rosie warned everyone as they happily ate all the food.
"The cake still is in the oven, they have time." Charles assures them. "Oh, while we wait for the cake, let's watch that Speedy the Porcupine DVD you got from me." Boomer suggested. "Yeah, great idea." Sally said as she led her friends to the next room, where a huge tv waited for them. "You really helped me out greatly, thank you for that Mr. Charles." Rosie complimented. "Oh it's nothing, I love to make those little sprouts happy. And drop the Mr., it makes me feel so old." Charles said.
"Oh Charles, you're so humble. You know, we should get better acquainted sometime. Can we go out for a drink or something later this week or something?" Rosie suggested. "Well…er…sure why not? I know a nice café where they have good coffee and such…" Charles said, a bit baffled. Sonic and Sally were right around the corner listening in on them, giggling softly. "Your uncle likes Rosie!" Sally said. "Uncle Chuck has been single all his life, but I think it might change in the future." Sonic added. "I think it's cute." Sally added.
ONE YEAR LATER…
"I now pronounce you husband and wife!" the bat priest (no relation to Rouge) said as Rosie and Charles kissed, the entire crowd cheering. Especially young Sonic's family. "I can't believe he finally has settled down." Jules said with a sense of pride. "He deserved it. He didn't need to be alone for the rest of his life." Bernie said proudly. Little Miles just gurgled happily and waved his arms around in response to everyone looking happy.
Sally and most of Max's staff were there, but Max himself wasn't. But Sally was happy for Rosie, who had been like a mother to her for most of her life. And Charles was a nice guy who always was fun to be around whenever he came to see Rosie. He was actually more fatherly then her real father. In fact, Sally could almost feel she was looking at her parents' wedding right now.
But the two newlyweds walked out of the church, ready to board a carriage, with the crowd behind them. But things didn't turn out as one would expect as the sky turned dark. Not because of clouds or because it was nighttime already, now a whole bunch of flying ships had risen in the sky and blocked the sunlight. From the ships emerged several black dots, and when the dots came closer into view and landed, you could see they were several black humanoid robots with red visors, wielding rifles. Everyone started to panic, but the robots were everywhere and they didn't know where to escape to.
Then a large pod came out of the sky, carrying inside a tall Overlander. He had a red military-styled jacket, a big red mustache, a pink nose, red glowing eyes, blue glasses and a wicked grin on his face. His most notable physical feature was his girth, making him look something like an egg. "Charlie, I'm home!" he greeted. "Julian…what do you think you're doing?" Charles asked angrily. "Me? Can't I congratulate my old friend for his wedding? I must admit, never thought you'd settle down." The now vastly different Julian said, fondling his mustache.
"I mean, what's the deal with the robots?" Charles asked. "Oh that? You probably already knew I took my research in a whole new direction. One that's more productive, yet destructive. G.U.N. had paid me a lot for weapon development but I kept the best inventions to myself. And as you can see, I'm going to put them to good use." Julian said in a dark tone. "What use can you have for these weaponized bots that is 'good'!" Charles asked. "Lemme explain, old friend. You see, no matter how hard we fight for this 'clean and peaceful future', the world will be at discord. Remember the Overlander's anti-Mobian group Sigma? Or the Clan wars in Chun-Nan? I will end the fighting, by uniting every nation in the world under me…" Julian said with dark glee.
"You're just using that as an excuse for conquest out of greed for power." Charles stated. "How dare you…okay, you're right. But it sounds deeper that way." Julian said, straight out admitting it. "What happened to you Julian?" Charles asked. "I grew up…but there's no need for us to be enemies. No, you're the one who made it all possible, after all we used to be partners in science. Your research has allowed me to created these robots and several Chaos-based power sources." Julian growled. "I would have never invented them if I knew you'd abuse them." Charles said defiantly.
"Oh Charles, and I hoped we could be partners. But on the other hand, why would I share the power over the planet if I can have it all for myself?" Julian said in a dark calm tone. "Leave my uncle alone, you big bully! You…Eggman!" a defiant young Sonic said. "Ah yes, the blue young tyke. I see the blue hasn't worn off. No matter, his fate shall be the same as anyone else's." Julian noted. "You're sick Julian!" Charles belted at him. "Sick? Oh yeah, almost forgot. Remember my project I intended to use for medical purposes? The NIK-Suits?" Julian reacted.
Julian pulled a small shield-shaped object out of his pocket. "I think the NIK-suit has gone bad!" he said as he tossed it at Bernie. "Honey, look out!" Jules said as he pushed his wife out of the way as the tiny shield-like object attacked to him, and embeds itself in his skin, making the hedgehog cry out in pain. The object started to grow as it formed a robotic suit around Jules, who was still crying out in pain as the suit painfully forms around him. Once the process was complete, Jules was completely covered, looking a lot like a Robian. "Unit-001 Online! Awaiting orders, Master Julian." He said in a robotic monotone. Everyone gasped in shock.
"Jules…no!" Bernie said crying. "You monster!" Charles growled in anger after seeing what Julian did to his friend. "Oh, you make it sound like my NIK-Suits are bad…Bad NIK suits. Badniks! That's what I'll call it. Now, Jules, SWAT-Bots, assimilate them." Julian ordered. The SWAT-Bots advanced on the crowd, some holding the civilians in a chokehold so the other SWAT-Bots could place NIK-Suits on them. It was quickly turning out of hand. "Rosie, take the kids away. I'll hold him off." Charles warned Rosie. "But…we just got married, we were going to have a life together." Rosie said sadly.
"He wants me, as long as I'm with you, I'm a danger. Now save the kids. I'll try to hold off Julian as long as I can." Charles argued. "But what if you become one of them?" Rosie asked. "I know that you or Sonny will save me one day. Now please go!" Charles answered. Rosie kisses him before she said: "I'll be back, my love." She said as she scooped up Sally and tried to run: "Where is Sonic?" she wondered.
"Mommy, daddy?" Sonic asked sadly, seeing his now Badnik parents loom over him. "Organic life-form detected. Priority: capture and prepare for conversion into Badnik." Badnik Bernie said. "You did this to them, you Eggman!" Sonic said sadly and angrily at Julian. "That's DOCTOR Eggman to you. Now stand still you little rugrat!" Julian reacted. Charles pulls Sonic out of the way and hands him to Rosie. "No, lemme go! I want to hurt the bad man for what he did." Sonic said defiantly. "No Sonic, you can't. We're going to run, hide, and then we need to think of a plan. We'll save them and hurt the bad man later, okay?" Rosie argued. "Why are grownups always right?" Sonic moaned.
While Rosie ran off, Charles took down a SWAT-Bot by pulling out some wires and grabbed it's, weapon, aiming it at Julian, and shot down his flying pod. He went out of control and crashed into an oil truck. "Well, that was easy…I'm sorry I had to do this Julian, but you had gone too…far?" Charles said, but to his surprise he found Julian crawling out of the burning wreckage relatively intact. His ears were gone, one of his eyes was a bloody mess and one of his arms looked dead and burned, but it was still a surprise that he was alive, and walking and acting just fine despite his wounds.
"I didn't expect that from you Charles, you surprise me. But all good things need to come to an end!" Julian said as he snapped his fingers and Badnik Jules and Bernie came up from behind him and held him tight. "Jules, Bernie, let me go, it's me! Charles? Chuck? Your brother?" Charles argued. Julian smiled in evil glee as he approached Charles and in his intact hand sported another Badnik Emblem (little shield-like thingies). "Join!" he growled as he put it on Charles face and watched him squirm as he was converted.
Rosie had been running through the city, avoiding the SWAT-Bots and Badniks the place was now crawling with. She, Sonic, little Miles and Sally hid in a back alley. Sally was close to crying, while little Miles was actually crying, but silently so the SWAT-Bots wouldn't hear him. "Why? Why does that bad man do all these things?" she asked. "He's a jerk, that's why! He doesn't need a reason." Sonic stated. Then they were slightly startled as they heard a sound in the back alley, but were relieved to see Boomer, Muttski and Antoine, lost and by themselves.
"Boomer, Muttski, Twan! You're okay!" Sally said as she ran for her friends and hugged them. "Oh I'm glad we found you, the bad robots nearly got us." Boomer said. "Oui, zey have captured all our families and 'ave turned them into zese bad robots." Antoine said. "Where are Bunnie and Nicole?" Sonic asked. "They got them, the robots. It's our fault, we couldn't do anything." Boomer said sadly. "If you couldn't do anything then it's not your fault, you're just kids, and they don't expect you to go after giant robots." Rosie assured them.
"Muttski's brothers are captured, other families captured, Bunnie and Nicole are captured, we're all next, we're doing to die, we're doomed." Muttski said, completely in panic, until Sonic slapped him. "Thanks, Muttski needed that." Muttski said, calm again. "We need to leave West Side Island, we need to go somewhere safe." Rosie said as she gathered the kids and they had continued their escape.
Rosie surprisingly managed to sneak around the Swatbots and Badniks with great stealth, and she managed to make it into the harbor, grab a motorboat and fled over the water with the kids. "Rosie, where did you learn all that cool spy sneaking stuff?" Sally asked. "That was from my time from before I became your nanny. I used to work at GUN, special agent." Rosie explained. "Whoa, you were a secret agent. Can you learn that stuff to us too? So we can use it to save our families?" Sonic asked. "I can, but I'll need help. We'll visit an old friend of mine." Rosie explained.
After an hour of rushing across the water, they came across another island. Northern Island to be precise. "Does your friend live here Rosie?" Boomer asked. "Yep, on this island, in the Splash Hill Zone." Rosie said as they stepped out of the boat and went to explore the island. Eventually they came across a secluded tiny house in the Splash Hills. Rosie knocked on the door. When someone opened the door, an aged cat woman stepped out. "Rosie? Is that you?" she asked. "Hi Julayla, long time no see." Rosie greeted.
"What brings you here, my old partner?" Julayla asked. "Julian Namgge…he has gone bonkers and taken over West Side Island, and he'll continue his conquest. He already has captured my husband and I only managed to save these kids." Rosie explained. "Why didn't they listen to me? I told them not to trust Julian, I told them not to give him money or resources, I told them to investigate him, but they would never listen to me." Julayla moaned.
"Miss Jula? You were a secret agent too. Can you train us?" Sonic asked. "What?" Julayla asked. "The bad man and his robots captured our friends and our families, and we want to get them back, but we can only do that if you show us how we need to do that." Sally begged. "Yes please, we don't want to hide and be scared for the rest of our lives." Boomer added. "Oui, zey got to pay for zis crime." Antoine continued. "Muttski wants to fight, but only if miss Jula trains us." Muttski finished. "Such brave kids. Kind of like me at their age." Julayla said charmed by the little tykes.
"So you'll help us?" Rosie asked. "Of course. I'll contact a few old friends, tell them to gather groups of warriors to fight for freedom. Then we'll train the kids." Julayla answered. "But…shouldn't we contact GUN?" Rosie asked. "You know they won't listen. There's nothing more stubborn then an Overlander. This Julian is no ordinary man, I've seen the madness and the evil genius when I saw him the first time, I realized what he was. But no one else did. I tried to prepare everyone, but GUN thought I turned rogue and was booted off." Julayla answered.
"So, what are you planning to do?" Rosie asked. "Learning the kids to work from the shadows. Listen, why don't you and the kids gather some vegetables from the garden, they need to be well-fed before we start their training." Julayla suggested.
This was the start of Namgge's rampage. He used the Badniks and the Swatbots to conquer, because there were civilians inside the Nik-suits, it made most military forces reluctant to fight, and even then Julian knew how to fight them, since he developed most of their weaponry and knew the flaws. Everyone had played into his hands, and soon he was the ruler of nearly all of Mobius.
Soon, he dubbed himself 'Dr. Eggman', after the nickname that was given to him by young Sonic, and because of his obvious Egg-like shape. But he started to like it, in his own words, it was 'silly, but at the same time awesome'. He had embraced it to the point he added the 'Egg'-Prefix to all his machinery. Egg Mobile, Egg Pawns, Egg Carrier…
But from the shadows, Julayla has come true to her word. Indeed GUN didn't want to believe her, but select groups of Mobians did, they banded together and set up chapters of resistance around the world. They would fight for justice, for freedom. The Freedom Fighters.
END OF CHAPTER 2