Ch.4: Banishment!

After saying goodbye to Knuckles after leaving Athiar's cave the Sonic Underground didn't know where else to turn so they sullenly made thier way back home. As they headed for thier room Manic could feel the hateful stares from all around them grind into his body.

A rock sailed through the air and hit Manic on the back of his head. Manic and the rest of the Sonic Underground turned to see Girder, a fox who hadn't been in the Freedom Fighters for more than two weeks, had been the thrower.

"What do you think you're doing Girder?" said Sonia.

"You'd better apologize right now," said Sonic.

"Why should I?" said Girder "do you really think I would apologize to someone who's committed murder? If you defend this traitor than you're our enmies as well,"

With that a small group of Freedom Fighters gathered up behind Girder throwing angry glares at Manic. All had stones in thier hands as if they were going to lynch him right then and there, until Trevor arrived.

The mob hid thier stones as Trevor approached the Sonic Underground.

"I'm afriad I have to ask you to come with me," said Trevor.

The Sonic Underground didn't know what to expect when Trevor led them into his office. Only one thing was certian though, it wasn't good news. Trevor's eyes looked at all his friends with a scared glance, took a deep breath, and worked up the courage to say what he had to say.

" I know you three had been together for a long time" said Trevor " but given the situation here at the base I'm afriad we have no choice but to banish Manic's right to be a Freedom Fighter,"

"What!" all three hedgehogs shouted at once.

Being banned from the Resistance was the most horrible pushiment a Freedom Fighter could get. And if they took away your right to be one that meant you were now considered an enemy of the Resistance.

"This is messed up" said Sonic " Manic's a good guy, he's just being controlled while he's asleep,"

"Do you have proof?" said Trevor.

Before Sonic could tell Trevor about what Athiar said about Manic's new power taking over Sonia kicked him in the shin.

"Ow!" said Sonic, glaring at Sonia "what was that for?"

"No we don't have proof" said Sonia to Trevor, then whispered to Sonic " a telling from a mystic is not considered proof, the only hope we have is to find who really committed those murders. Until then, Manic's as good as gone,"

--

The banishment ceremony was even more humiliating than that little squabble with Girder and his gang a few hours ago. Manic stood right in the center of attention his head hung low with every Freedom Fighters eye pinned on him.

Sonic and Sonia were right beside him on stage, but thier presence didn't perk up the young green hedgehog's spirit. After Trevor made his little speech Manic was left out in the cold streets of Robotropolis to wander around and never return.

Sonia cried hard againist Sonic's shoulder, her heart felt as if it had just been broken in two. Desperate to comfort his sister Sonic put his arm around Sonia dragging his sister into a hug while looking off after his brother.

"Don't worry Manic" said Sonic in his mind "somehow, someway, we'll bring you back,"

--

At about this time Sleet and Dingo were surveying the city from thier scoutship when they saw Manic heading into the alley. Sleet imedately took the controls away from Dingo and chased after Manic.

Down on the ground Manic's ears picked up the sound of an engine getting closer by the second and istantly ducked. He felt the wind left behind as Dingo and Sleet's ship sailed past him and started to run. But Sleet would not accept failure this time.

"Time to try our secret weapon," he said pushing a red button on the control panel.

A green laser shot out from the nose of the ship, nailing Manic with it's light. The spikey-haired hedgehog tried to move, but it was useless, he was caught in a tractor beam.

"Yes" said Sleet as he looked at Dingo " quick let's take him back to Robotink, he will be most pleased,"

The green hedgehog was dragged into thier ship and quickly bound and gagged. With greed showing in thier eyes Sleet and Dingo made thier way to Robotink's headquarters, with a hedgehog in thier grasp.