The Underground Game – a 50 Phrases collection

"Where was life when it had a meaning?"

DISCLAIMER: The main problem with my little canon is that in Underground, the siblings are so co-dependent. I really don't know how they'd cope without Sonic. Which is a plot for a later story that may never be written, but the point remains.


At eleven, Manic knew who he was.

A street rat, a thief, and a hacker. A good one, too. He could snatch from the leader of the thieves' guild without notice. He would never have the high life like an aristocrat, but he had his life.

At twelve, he met his blood siblings and everything changed. His foster family was robotocised. He could never go back to thieving. He was told he was supposed to be a prince, a leader, a – a – a royal. And he was supposed to act like it.

At thirteen, he helped tear down Robotnik's empire and create a new one, built on democracy and fairness. He became a hero, someone people from all walks of life could talk to and get to know. The voice of the people.

At fourteen, he ran out of energy to care.


Sonia heaved a dramatic sigh as she stepped through the door, and flicked her hair out of her eyes. "Thank goodness that's done! I swear, if I have to hear one more sob story about how the aristocrats can't afford to feed the orphans, I am going super-spin on their tails!"

On the other side of the room, slumped in a window seat and staring out across the city, Manic didn't even glance around. He ignored his sister's continued monologue as she crossed the room, and didn't react when she sat down beside him. His eyes stayed on the horizon, watching something she couldn't see.

After a few minutes, she even noticed, and stared at him for a second before clicking her fingers beneath his nose. "Manic. Manic, are you in there? Hello! Mobius to Manic!"

He flicked her hand away without looking. "What?"

"What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"Nothin'."

"Yeah, right!" she said, and pulled her feet up so she could face him. "Come on, out with it! What's the matter?"

"Like I said: nothing. Just… it kinda hit me that it's been a year since we beat Buttnik," he said blankly, and she grinned.

"No kidding! Mother's been planning the celebration for weeks! It'll be a real party on Friday night – you and me are going to rock out!" she said proudly, but her smile faded when Manic didn't even blink, let alone smile back. She hesitated, then leaned forward, folding her hands over her ankles. "Are you thinking about Sonic?"

"Kinda. I did kinda like, figure he'd be back by now," he said quietly, but shook his head and tapped the glass. "It's more I just… y'know, like… I just figured we'd've done more by now. Gotten further in cleaning the place up."

"Oh," she said, sitting back again. "That."

"I mean, what've we done, y'know? Cleaned up a few parks, gotten some kids some homes, brought music back –"

"We made it safe to walk the streets alone again," she said quietly. "We've cleaned things up enough that the sun shines through the clouds sometimes. We've done a lot, Manic. I know it's hard to see, but we really have."

He finally looked around at her, and she licked her lips at the look on his face, then sighed. "Robotnik had thirteen years and a workforce that never had to sleep. We've had one year and a bunch of people that just want to live their own lives."

"And even more that just want it back the way it was," he muttered. "The aristocrats, the thieves… All I ever hear these days is how Robotnik may have been a tyrant, but at least his city worked. Or – or how Mom's all about the art or whatever. It's like they don't want us here!"

She sat back, folding her arms over her chest. "The aristocrats are just complaining now because they can. They don't actually mind. And the thieves liked the chaos of Robotnik's reign because it meant no one noticed them. When was the last time you talked to the middle classes? You know, the ones who actually had it bad during the tyranny?"

"But it's not just that!" he cried suddenly, shooting to his feet. "It's – I'm – I'm bored! All I ever do is talk to people, Sonia! Like that makes any difference. I just stand around and talk and listen to people complain, and –"

"Manic, it's our job to deal with complaints. That's what royalty does." She huffed a breath, smiling despite herself. "What, did you think it would be all sitting around, waving sceptres and playing music?"

"No, but… I dunno, I just like, I dunno, thought it'd be…" He waved his arms, gesturing to everything and nothing in the same movement. "I thought we'd make some kind've difference. Like, immediately. Y'know, like… like Sonic used to do."

"Yeah, well, Sonic's not here. And we're not Sonic," she pointed out, her smile gaining a strained edge until she managed to forget him again. "If you're bored, then maybe find something else to do. I'm good at talking to people – why don't you do something more suited to you? There's heaps of stuff that needs doing, and it could all use some royal motivation, so…"

"Tch, yeah, right, like I'm good at anything but drumming and stealing," he muttered, stalking back to the window.

He stared out at it for a long few minutes, and Sonia reached up to gently touch his shoulder. "You're more than a thief, Manic. Think about it. Where was life when it had a meaning, for you? When did you feel like you were doing good?"

When Sonic was pushing him on, he thought, but then sighed and forced himself to think it through. When had he ever felt like he was getting something done, in the resistance?

It took him a long few seconds, but eventually he sighed and said, "When I was breaking locks. Hacking. Screwing with Buttnik's stuff."

"There you go!" she said cheerfully, and he stared at her. She just grinned and gestured to his pack, still full of thieves' tools and worn out of habit. "Cyrus could definitely use the help on the reconstruction effort. And at the moment, half of that is finding out how to break down Robotnik's machines and make them useful."

He blinked again, then looked back up at the window, raising his eyebrows thoughtfully. "You… you think?"

"I know," she said, and reached out to pull him into a hug before holding him at arms' length. "It's like Mother said, Manic. We each have to find our own way. And I know you'll find yours."

He smiled weakly, and they both turned to look out the window. He wasn't sure he knew who he was yet, but… but maybe this was a start.


This is a challenge to myself, inspired by my friend Jkateel, who told me to stop complaining about how I can't write anything and just do it.

And so, at least once a week, I will write a fic based around one of the 50 phrases. I will post it, whether I like it or not (so sorry for the spam). And to further force myself, I'm going to say it will be in my head canon of Sonic Underground merged with the Sonic games, because that's a canon that's stayed with me for years, so it's not like I'll lose interest.

I'm not actually doing it on LiveJournal because for one, I can't find the community again, and for another, I don't think I'm actually matching the rules. I just copied down the challenges once and still have it.

No restrictions on length. It does not need to have a point. Just a story or a thought. And the phrase, of course.

Because fanfic should be about fun, not whether it's fabulous or not.