"It sure is dark down here." Said Bunnie

These tunnels are huge, how did no one notice them? They really knew what they were doing. I must've checked at least ten holes till I found one that wasn't a dead end. I guess being me had its advantages.

We walked for about ten minutes until the tunnel branched off into three separate tunnel.

"Sonar, which tunnel should we take?" asked Sally

I gave out a pulse "that way." I pointed at the tunnel to the far right.

To me, Sally is a natural born leader. Ever since things went downhill, she always had a cool head about things. She's quite a role model.

"I still can't wrap my head around why those monsters went through all this trouble to kidnap children." Wondered Bunnie

Bunnie is the definition of a good friend. She's loyal, honest, and always tries to lighten the mood when things get gloomy. I'm glad she's with us.

"I say we ask them after we finish bashing their heads in." growled Itchy with a lantern in one hand and a huge box in the other.

Itchy…I don't know, I haven't known him long enough to have a fair opinion of him. He's a bit messy and could use a shower, he uses a lot of big words, he fixes things, and he's good with kids. Maybe if he smiled once in a while he wouldn't look so mean.

We reached another fork in the tunnel. I gave out another pulse and listened carefully

"What's the matter, you hungry or something?" asked Itchy

"No, why do you ask?" I asked

"Your mouths been hanging open this whole trip."

"She's just using her sonar sugar." Explained Bunnie

"Her what now?" asked Itchy

"Haven't you noticed my ears?" I asked

"Oh yeah, they seem awfully large for a hedgehog."

"That's because they're bat ears. My grandpa was a fruit bat." Cross species relationships aren't unheard of, nor are they looked down upon.

"Oh I get it. You're releasing sonar into the tunnel from your throat into the tunnel which you then map out with your ears."
"Yeah pretty much." Normally I would be the one explaining it. Speaking of sonar. "Guys, there's something up ahead. It's big, really big."

"How far is it?" asked Sally

"About two miles down. It doesn't seem to be moving."

"Then let's keep moving." Ordered Sally

We've been walking for some time. Normally I would have just ran ahead but I can't leave my friends blind in the dark.

"If only Sonic were here." I muttered.

"If Sonic were here, he would've left without us." Giggled Bunnie

"Who's Sonic?"

No one said a word. We only stared, confused at Itchys question.

"What do you mean who's Sonic?"

"I mean just that. Who's this Sonic guy you're talking about?"

We could explain who Sonic is, but we were to bewildered as to how a Robotropolis inhabitant, which must be covered in Sonics wanted posters, doesn't know about the blue blur. Itchy reached into his pocket and pulled out…Nicole?"

"Hey Nicole, could you tell me who Sonic is?"

"Now showing 'Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Wait, how did you get Nicole?" said Sally as she frisked through her pockets.

"You left her with me back at the hut. You should take better care of your things." Scolded Itchy.

"Oh, I'm sorry Nicole."

"Apology accepted Sally."

We've been walking for about half an hour. Sally and Bunnie have been discussing plans and theories while Itchy has had his eyes glued to Nicole's screen.

"Man this guy has been through hell and back. He's a walking danger zone and guys hang out with him?"

"Sugar we hang out with him because he's a danger zone. He needs his friends whether he thinks so or not." Explained Bunnie

"We probably would've lost the war already if it wasn't for him, and he wouldn't even be around if it wasn't for us."

"Don't you have any friends like that?" I asked

"I don't have any friends." He said

I couldn't remember the last time I didn't have any friends. My oldest memory was back at kindergarten when a couple of bullies kept taunting me for my ears. Then Sonic came along and taught them a lesson, and then taught me a lesson about being proud of who I am. No amount of anything could ever repay him for what he did. I feel bad for Itchy.

"Wait, hold on team." Ordered Sally. Up ahead was a bright light coming from a large vehicle. In front of it was a huge cone shaped object.

"A drill! That's how they dug under Sanctuary!" I shouted.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's smash it!" Itchy ran ahead, but was pulled back by Bunnie

"Hold on Sugar. Sonar, is there anyone around it?"

"No, it's just the drill." I double checked.

"They must be inside. Itchy, we can't have the drill driving off so why don't you deactivate the engine?"

"With pleasure." Itchy ran off with the box and the lantern towards the back of the drill

"Girls, lets teach them a lesson." Said Sally

We quietly walked towards the side and reached a door. I gave a listen, nothing. Bunnie grabbed the door by the handle and ripped it off the hinges.

"Freeze!" Shouted Sally. They didn't move, but not because they were following orders. There are three of them. Two at the friend sprawled over the dashboard while another was in front of us holding out his arm as if reaching for help. Each of them were wearing black armor and a helmet with glowing blue visors.

"Get out!" we were pulled away by Itchy

"What's wrong?" I asked "I thought you were killing the engines?"

"I didn't need to, plus I found this." He held up a canister with a hazard symbol decal and with a tube sticking out of one end. "This canister had Hydrogen Sulfide being pumped into the drill. It's highly toxic."

I screamed as loud as I could. Not because of the toxins, but because something just grabbed my tail. We turned to see the 'metal monster' climbing out of the drill.

"Quick, get him out of there!" Ordered Sally

We dragged him out of the drill and removed his helmet. He wasn't a monster or anything. He was a Mobian squirrel, and he looked about seventeen, about as old as me.

"I…was just…following orders." He muttered

"Sweetie save your breath we need to get you help." Said Bunnie

"It's too late, he breathed in too much toxins." Said Itchy

I looked him in the eye. His face was pale and his eyes were blood shot. "Who did this to you?"

"NEXGEN…NEXGEN." He muttered.

"We're going to get you to safety just stay with us." I held his hand.

"Thank…you." He let loose his final breath.

I was horrified. Sure he may have kidnapped children, but he was so young, and I couldn't help but just stand there and let him die.

Itchy lit up his blowtorch.

"Are we in any danger of being poisoned?" asked Sally

"The flame should burn up the Toxin, so long as we don't take too many deep breaths we'll be fine."

"We can't just leave him here!" I cried. "He needs a proper burial."

"Sugar I completely agree but first we need to know where this drill was heading and who killed him." Said Bunnie "I promise we'll pay him respect once we're done here."

"Bunnie if I may interrupt, I believe I could help with that.' All eyes were on Itchy.

"What? I didn't say anything?"

"I did." Itchy reached into his pocket and pulled out Nicole "I detect a GPS device inside the drill. If I could look at its history, I should be able to locate where it came from."

Itchy handed Nicole to Sally "Is all the gas gone?" she asked

Itchy reached into his box and pulled out an ugly blue rag. "Not sure, but if you use this as a mask and take short breaths, you'll last long enough"

The idea of having that on our face was disgusting

"Sonar, why don't you do it?" said Sally

"There is no way I'm putting that on my face!" I shouted

"You don't have to put it on your face if you move quickly." Said Bunnie. I hate to say it but she's right.

Sally handed me Nicole and I rushed inside and quickly attached Nicole to the GPS while trying not to touch the bodies.

"Now downloading GPS history." That was my cue to get out of there.

"Well?" asked Bunnie

"Nicole will tell us when she's ready." Said Sally.

"She better hurry, I think we got company!" Itchy was looking at a few pebbles bouncing up and down. Then we felt the tunnel shake furiously.

"Warning!" said Nicole "Multiple objects headed in our direction."

"It must be more drills!" said Sally. Suddenly, the drills began penetrating the tunnel from multiple directions. "There's too many, we got to

hide!"

"Itchy, turn off that light" Bunnie ordered. Itchy turned off the lantern. "Now everybody, hide behind the drill!"

We stood silently as more armored Mobians appeared from the drill. I can hear at least twelve of them with my sonar. I can see each of them with an oddly shaped object around their waist. I don't even have to look to figure out they're guns.

"What a waste of a perfectly good drill." Said one of the monsters

"Hey look! Isn't that Richard?" said another.

"Yeah it is, he always did have a pretty face." There was a loud bang "not anymore you dumbass!"

"Hey look on the bright side, he was good for something. He's a good example of what happens when you don't do your one job and check your damn engines."

I couldn't help but cry. Who would do such a thing?

"Itchy" whispered Sally "What was wrong with the engines?"

"It was no accident I'll tell you that." He pulled out a bent wrench "Someone jabbed the engine with this."

Now I was furious. Calling them monsters would be an insult to monsters everywhere

"Hey check it out! One of them left a Gameboy on the dashboard!"

"Is it gobble boy? I love gobble boy!"

"Oh no! We left Nicole in there" Sally whispered "If anything happens to her…"

"Don't worry Sally, I have a plan." I looked around the corner of the drill to see one of them with his back turned. I cupped my hands around my mouth and let out a little whisper.

"Hey! Which of you fags said I had a fat ass?" said my target.

It's an old bat trick my Grandpa taught me. He was one of the best ventriloquist on Mobius.

"Your mama has a fat ass" said another

"You wanna tussle with me funny guy?

"Please, I'll kick your ass any day of the week."

Suddenly there was of sound of metal hitting metal followed by a huge thud on the ground. As the brawl escalated, my team looked at me funny.

"What? I just said he had a big butt."

Sally began coming up with a plan "We can't have those drills operational or else they could cause trouble. Itchy, can you deal with them?"

"No problem" He ran off and hid in the shadows towards the Drill.

"Sonar, can you retrieve Nicole?'

"I'm on it."

"Bunnie and I will stay here and surprise them should there be trouble."

I curled up and spun as fast as I could against the wall of the drill and eventually broke through.

"Nicole?" I whispered "are you done?"

"Yes Sonar, you may now safely disconnect me."

"All right, let's get out of here.'

"But you just got here." I was grabbed by the neck by the voice behind me and dragged out of the drill. "Hey boys it looks like we got ourselves a stowaway."

"Ooh, she's pretty."

"She's much too old to be a kid from Sanctuary, she must be a freedom fighter. The boss said not to tussle with them."

"Who cares it's just one of them, the boss will never know. I say we have a little fun with her."

They started crowding around me planning who knows what. I was so scared I couldn't think, my heart was racing. I closed my eyes and let out the biggest scream I could muster. All went silent.

I opened my eyes and became confused at what I witnessed. Each and every one of them looked like dolls tossed aside by a giant hand. To ground and front of me looked like it was dug out growing wider and deeper as it got further from me.

"Sonar!"

An object flew over my head and struck my captor on the helmet. I took the chance and curled up, spinning as fast as I could and tossing him towards the wall. I looked at the object, it was the wrench.

"Sonar, are you okay?" Itchy ran towards me covered in oil. "I was just about to bust the last drill when I heard this loud boom." He looked at the tossed grunts "Wow, what happened? It looks like a frat party gone horribly wrong."

"I don't know, I think I did that."

"The frat party?"

"No! The boom."

"Hold it right there girly!" I turned to see two more holding Bunnie and Sally hostage with guns to their heads. "You best quit while you're ahead and while they still got theirs."

"You think you can do it again?" asked Itchy

"I don't even know how I did it the first time."

"Well you're going to have to try, I got the one on the left." Itchy raised his arm revealing his blowtorch with a canister loosely screwed on the tip. He pulled the trigger, sending the canister flying like a rocket towards the one holding Bunnie. At the last moment, she ducked allowing the makeshift rocket to strike the grunt, exploding and sending him towards the wall of the tunnel. I looked at the one holding Sally and let loose the loudest scream I had. I stood there embarrassed as everyone just looked at me funny. Not wanting to wait any longer, Sally grabbed the grunt by the helmet and flipped him over her shoulder followed by a swift kick by Bunnie.

"Is that all of them?" asked Sally

"I think so." I answered

"Sorry we couldn't help sugar, they got us when they got you." Said Bunnie

Itchy grabbed the downed grunt by his armor. "You got ten seconds to spill the beans or else."

"Or else what?" said the grunt.

"Or else…" Itchy put the blowtorch against the grunts head "I'll cook you in your own armor." He lit the torch and the helmet slowly started turning red.

"You're not really going to kill him are you?" I whispered. He looked at me and gave a quick shake meaning no before the grunt noticed.

"Okay, okay I'll talk!"

"Then start talking." Said Sally

"All I know is that they call themselves NEXGEN and that they are working on something so big, it would take both Eggman and the freedom fighters out of commission."

"And what about the kids?" asked Sally

"A train, the boss mentioned a train!"

"Who's your boss?" asked Itchy

"That would be me." A loud bang echoed in the tunnel along with Itchys pain induced yell. He fell over and seized moving as the bullet gouged itself into his back. We turned to see the culprit. He came coming out of one of the drills, probably hiding till the right moment to come out and attack while he let his troops take the fall. His visor was glowed red and on his shoulder was a decal of an N and a G.

"Good luck getting any more information out of my team." He pulled out and activated a small button. The tunnel was again filled with the sound of screaming, this time from the grunts as every last one of them began shaking rapidly until they shook no more, smoke and the smell of burnt flesh left their armor.

"You killed your own men?!" said Sally

"They were weak, useless to the cause and so are you." He pointed his gun at us. "Accept maybe you." He then pointed it at me "that was an interesting trick you just pulled. I'm sure the lab boys would love to figure out how you did it as they rip out your vocal cords."

I was frightened. Sure I could just dash away but what about the others?

"Just one question" Sally asked "What do you plan on doing with the children?"

He didn't answer, he just looked at us like a wolf looking at a dying deer.

"You're Sally Acorn yes? I must say this is quite an honor your majesty."

"The feeling is not mutual." She answered.

"All I can tell you is that they will be granted the honor of seeing a bright new future, a future you yourself had also been hoping for, but unfortunately won't be around to see. Good night your majesty."

"Good night!" the boss's head quickly tilted back as blood spewed out of the new hole in his visor. We looked back to see Itchy on the ground with the dead grunts smoking gun in his hand. "Okay, now I'm a murderer."

"It's okay Itchy, it was self-defense and we're very grateful." Said Sally

"Think there will be any more of them?" I thought out loud.

"If so, we best move out." Said Bunnie

Sally ran into the first drill and received Nicole "Nicole, did you get what we need?"

"Yes Sally, if we can find an operational drill, we could track down their last coordinates."

"I didn't get all the drills, there should still be one left." Said Itchy. He led us towards the only working drill and we climbed inside.

"Does anyone know how to drive this thing?" asked Sally

"Our brave little soldier here can drive a truck." Bunnie nudged Itchy on the shoulder

"It's not exactly the same as a truck but I'll see what I can do." Itchy sat down on the driver's seat and winced as more blood poured out of his back. He took a quick look around and began flipping switches.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"Calculating destination." Said Nicole

"Where ever it is, prepare for a battle!" ordered Sally

The drill began to spin as it drilled through the tunnel. Next stop, the Pain Train.