A/N: Sorry if you thought I forgot to update last week. There was an error when submitting the previous chapter, so it didn't bump up to the top of the list. Hopefully, that won't happen this time.

Today was an unusually warm day for the time of the season. Then again, San Santos was known for its balmy weather, so there were no surprises here.

When they got up, Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Silver didn't go to school. Instead, after going to Coltrane's Chicken 'n' Waffle Estates for breakfast, they played hooky and went to Rouge's. The aim of their game was to avoid getting hurt before the rally, so they went into the basement of her house. Unlike a typical basement, Rouge's was just as clean and furnished as the rest of her house, and it was here that they played some video games and watched an episode of Runners before going to school.

Actually, when they were within a block of the school, Sonic ordered them to duck into an alleyway.

"Sonic, what are we doing here?" asked Tails.

"Let's just say I wanna see if we're gonna need that backup plan…" From his disguise bag, Sonic pulled out four Wave uniforms, complete with armbands.

"You expect me to wear one of THOSE?" said Rouge.

"Look, I know these ain't runway fashion," said Sonic, "but trust me, they'll fit. Plus, we won't have to wear 'em for too long if everything's smooth, ya dig?"

Rouge sighed. "OK then…"

So, the four heroes quickly changed into their new getups. Naturally, they looked themselves over after changing.

"Hey…this is actually pretty stylish!" said Rouge.

"I don't know," said Silver. "This uniform feels pretty tight."

"Don't sweat it!" said Sonic. "Let's just get to that rally! Zip and rip!"

Team Sonic headed straight for the gym once they got to school. By this time, the hallways were largely quiet, and there were the usual banners decorating the area around the gym entrance. Beyond the door, a rhythmic booming could be heard, as if caused by music. Outside, Storm and Bark stood guard, making sure unauthorized visitors didn't get in.

"'Scuse me, comrades," said Sonic, "but we're here for the rally!"

"Sorry, bub," said Storm, "but we ain't lettin' anyone else in."

"Say what!?"

"Yeah, the Grand Oz…"

Bark elbowed Storm gently.

"…sorry…Grand Wizard said that we can't let anybody else in!"

"But we're on your side!" said Tails.

"Yeah!" said Sonic. "Strength Through Discipline, Strength Through Community, Strength Through Involvement!" He did the salute, and his friends followed.

"But…but…" Storm looked over and saw Bark returning the gesture. Thus, he had no choice but to follow suit.

"All right, go on in." After finishing the salute, Storm helped Bark unlock the doors.

"Thanks!" said Sonic. "See you around, my man!"

"Uh…yeah!" said Storm.

(Heh heh…too easy!) thought Sonic.

Rouge blew a kiss at the two guards as she passed.

When Team Sonic walked through the doors, they witnessed one of the most awe-striking spectacles they'd ever seen in their lives. Many Wave members were present, Knuckles, Shadow and Blaze being among them. Shadow even had his own podium. A bunch of them stood in the bleachers, saluting and repeating the mottos. Some of them marched in a circle around the center of the gym, keeping in rhythm as the Koniggrätzer Marsch played endlessly over the sound system. However, the most shocking aspect of all this was that the students who were marching happened to be marching around a pile of burning library books. Fortunately, the gym had sufficient ventilation to prevent anyone from dying of noxious fumes.

"Sonic…" said Tails, "…I think we're pilgrims in an unholy land."

Sonic didn't respond to that one. He merely looked on in silent shock and disappointment, along with the rest of his friends. None of the other Wavers particularly noticed or cared, given the mad atmosphere in the gym. Then, at one point, the lights dimmed.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Shadow, "cease whatever you're doing! Our special guest is about to make his premiere!"

The music stopped. Some of the Wave members grabbed fire extinguishers and put out the massive bonfire, all the better to hear their special announcement. All of them gathered around as a holographic projector formed its own screen across from the bleachers. Then, it happened…

"Ladies and gentlemen, many thanks to you for being present at today's rally!" said Obotir, who was on the screen.

The members of Team Sonic gasped silently upon seeing that Obotir was the special guest. Nevertheless, they decided to stay put.

"Now then, before I begin, I would like to say a few things…" Obotir could be seen shuffling some papers around on screen. "'I needed money. I used to be a stick-up kid, so I thought of all the devious things that I did. I used to roll up, this is a hold up, ain't nothin' funny! Stop smiling, be still, don't nothin' move but the money! But now, with The Wave, I feel righteous, so I might just get a nine-to-five!'"

Obotir moved on to the next paper. "'For the entire school year, I have been really bored because I already know all this stuff and I hate listening to the teachers. Now that I'm in The Wave, I feel more alive because every day is a new beginning for me! Even when me and my friends talk about the same old stuff, we have more fun!"

Another paper came up. "'I was tired of the usual school routine. I felt like there was more to life. When I joined The Wave, I found new meaning. Wherever I go, I feel like I can make a difference in this world! Not only do I eagerly await the day when I graduate, but I'll savor every day until then!"

Finally, Obotir put down the papers and cleared his throat. "These were but a few excerpts of the wonderful papers that you submitted to me yesterday! I must say, I admire the effort that all of you put into them and I am very happy to see that you're still keeping good discipline! However, you will have to keep this up if you want to succeed!

You see, the country has been in a state of decline for a few decades. Crime has risen, the economy has gone down and job prospects are at an all-time low. Our politicians tell us that things have improved since the old days, but nothing could be further from the truth! These politicians hide themselves away, but they only started the war! Why shouldn't they go out to fight? Alas, they leave that all to the poor!"

A bunch of Wave members cheered and booed simultaneously, as large groups might do when told such triggering words. They also saluted.

"Fortunately, as you all know, things will be different this time! I've already told you about the nationwide youth brigades, but here's the real announcement: Ladies and gentlemen, in the name of The Wave, I have been nominated to run for President!"

All the Wave members cheered, saluted and chanted over and over.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Upon hearing this piercing scream, everyone turned towards its origin: Silver. Trembling, he quickly turned red and was starting to form a puddle of sweat.

"SEIZE THEM!" shouted Shadow. "Seize the traitors!"

Sonic was fast, but the Wavers jumped him and his friends before they could get away. As Team Sonic was being held down, Shadow jumped over to them.

"How many times do we have to tell you, Sonic?" said Shadow. "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way!" He gave Sonic a vicious uppercut, putting him out of action.

The easy way.

When Sonic came to, he and his friends were in a dark room, shackled to some metal tables. The only light in the room came from the lamps directly above them, the better to focus on their plight. They had no idea where exactly they were, although Big Blue suspected they were still on the school grounds.

"It's been too long, you subversive pincushion!" said a familiar voice.

"M…Mr. Obotir?" Sonic blinked a couple of times.

"Ohohoho…wrong again! Allow me to reintroduce myself!" Stepping into the light, it became apparent who he really was: Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik.

"HA!" exclaimed Sonic. "I figured this would be comin' from a mile off!"

"How could you do something like this?" asked Tails.

"Ha!" replied Robotnik. "For someone who's such a prodigy, you're so naïve! But enough idle chat! After my most recent defeat, I went into hiding. I knew that Sonic here had such an overblown ego, so I decided to entertain him for a while by letting him think that I'd been permanently defeated. While I was biding my time, I decided to brush up on history. It's one of my favorite subjects, after all.

During my studies, I discovered it was far easier to subjugate the world through psychological manipulation than any machine I could ever create. Thus, I decided to seek employment in a profession that would allow me to carry out my diabolical plot, and once I succeeded, I designed the wondrous experiment that you call The Wave! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Rouge spat at Robotnik. "You monster! You'll never get away with this!"

"Yeah, it's no use!" exclaimed Silver.

(OK, I think we get the point, man) thought Sonic.

"Oho…but it is!" said Robotnik. "Did you not forget the part where I said that there were nationwide youth brigades like this one?"

"No, but then again, I didn't forget where you were jivin' us about that part!" said Sonic.

Robotnik slapped him.

"SILENCE! I'VE HEARD ENOUGH OF YOUR IRRITATING VOICE TO LAST ME A LIFETIME!"

"Whoa…take a chill pill, man!" said Sonic, earning him another slap.

"Now, would any of you imbeciles care to irritate me more than you already are?"

None of them responded.

Robotnik smiled. "Good. Very good! Now, if you would be so kind as to excuse me, I must be going! Oh…and if you were thinking of escaping…don't." He turned a nearby knob, illuminating the room a bit more. By doing so, he revealed a group of six SWATbots, armed with laser rifles. After that, he walked out the door.

"How are we going to get out?" asked Silver.

"I'll get this eventually," replied Sonic. "We all do!"

While Team Sonic was trying to figure out an escape plan, two police officers had entered the school. One was a blond male human with a small scar on his neck. The other was a blue male crow. They could have been here for any reason: Perhaps a student was involved in an act of gang violence. Maybe a student was believed to be storing marijuana in his/her locker. Or maybe an irate teacher had a pencil thrown at him/her. Actually, these two officers were headed straight for the gym. Here, Bark and Storm were still holding their positions.

"Sorry, this is a private party" said Storm.

"Police officers," said the human. "We received a complaint about the noise."

"So?"

"So let us in," said the crow.

"No, I ain't lettin' you in!"

"Yes you are."

Storm crossed his arms. "And if I don't?"

"We'll have you two arrested for obstruction of justice," replied the human.

"Big whoop! I still ain't lettin' ya through!"

"Kid, we're serious. Open the door or we're going to end up talking to your parents."

"P…parents?" Storm froze. First, he looked at Bark. Then, he slowly turned to face the police officers.

"O…OK!" said Storm. "I don't want no trouble! Come on in!" He gently pushed Bark aside and moved along.

The officers opened the doors to the gym, only to encounter the same scene that Team Sonic gazed upon earlier. Almost immediately, the human brought up his bullhorn.

"Attention, this is the San Santos Police Department," said the human. "You are in violation of local ordinances. Stop what you're doing and return to your classrooms. I repeat, stop what you're doing and return to your classrooms."

Being that some of the Wave members stopped whatever they were doing at the moment, the officers were clearly seen and heard.

"You dare interrupt us?" queried Shadow. "Go ahead and try it!"

Suddenly, Shadow drew a Walther P38. Other Wave members followed his lead, drawing P38s, Lugers, MP 40s and Mauser rifles, and they all took aim at the officers.

"Holy…" The two officers tried to make a break from the first few rounds that were fired. In an unlikely stroke of luck, they managed to escape serious injury. They rushed out the building, taking as many twists and turns as necessary to avoid any pursuers.

There were no pursuers, however, for the Wavers simply chose to continue with their rally.

Outside, the two officers rushed back to their patrol car. Once they did, they parked it further away from the school, leaving the lights flashing. While the crow grabbed a shotgun, his partner grabbed the radio mic.

"Officer needs help!" said the human. "12-Adam-24 reporting shots fired at James F. Charleston High School, 993 South Napoleon Street! Suspects have automatic weapons and are extremely dangerous; we need backup NOW!

"12-Adam-24, roger," said the dispatcher. "All units in the vicinity and 12-Lincoln-31, 12-Adam-24 reports shots fired, at James F. Charleston High School, 993 South Napoleon Street. All units, handle Code 3."

Meanwhile, Team Sonic was still tied down, trying to come up with an escape plan. Silver had tried his PK powers, but the table he was clamped to had some PK limiter hooked up to it, thus nullifying that idea.

"Sonic, did you think of anything yet?" asked Tails.

"Nah, not really," replied Sonic. "Hey Tails, did ya remember your inhaler today?"

"My inhaler? But I…" Suddenly, Tails started coughing and wheezing. "H-help me…can't…breathe…"

"Don't try to fool us, forest creature," said a SWATbot.

"He ain't foolin' ya, dude!" said Sonic. "If he doesn't get his inhaler soon, he's gonna croak!"

"Very well, we shall release him." The SWATbot went to do so. Upon being freed, Tails destroyed two of them with a Spin Dash. Using the element of surprise to his advantage, he was able to flip the master switch on a nearby control panel, freeing his friends and starting a brief frenzy. When the scuffle was done, Team Sonic's captors were shredded piles of scrap metal.

"Yeah, that was decent, buddy!" Sonic gave Tails a high-five.

"Wait…Tails has asthma?" queried Silver.

"Really, Silver Boy?" Rouge facepalmed. "Ah…never mind. I'm surprised you two aren't jewel thieves!"

"Enough messin' around! Let's rock 'n' roll!" Sonic sped out of the room, only to return a moment later. "Guys…why are ya hangin' around?"

"I got bad news," said Tails. "I think I forgot Miles Electric at home!"

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Sonic. "Well let's go get it, then!"

After escaping their little dungeon, which turned out to be one of the computer labs, Team Sonic proceeded quickly but carefully through the school hallways. Sonic knew that even though the rally was going on, there could still be a rogue Wave member lurking about. Fortunately for him, they were too enraptured with the rally to care.

Outside, they made a mad rush for Sonic's house. When they got there, Tails grabbed Miles Electric. He also happened to catch a glimpse of something outside the window.

"Hey, did any of you see that police car outside?" asked Tails.

"The cops?" Sonic shrugged. "Nah, I wasn't payin' attention."

"So what?" asked Rouge. "They come by here a lot!"

"Well, I think it may have something to do with what's happening at school," said Tails.

Sonic snapped his fingers. "Makes sense! Let's jet back!"

Sure enough, when Team Sonic got back, there were a few SSPD cars surrounding the building, including a couple of Blazers.

"Hold up!" Sonic motioned everybody to some nearby bushes, and they all hid.

"This better be good," said Rouge.

"I hope so," said Sonic. "If the five-o can finish this game, then we are golden!

"

On the officers' side, the two officers who made that first response were speaking with Sergeant Martin Hand, a brown-haired human with a slight tan and a square jaw.

"…we don't know exactly how many, but they should still be in the gym," said the crow.

"OK, Stolzfus, you and Wenger stay here," said Hand. "Stephens, Alto, Grenier, Lazar, see if you can evacuate the students and staff. I'll try to talk the suspects out." Hand turned his Blazer's siren to PA mode and grabbed the mic.

"Attention, attention," said Hand, "this is the San Santos Police Department. We have the building surrounded, and there's no hope of escape! Put down your weapons and come out with your hands up! I repeat, put down your weapons and come out with your hands up! If you comply, we will take that into consideration."

Inside the school, a bunch of students and teachers peeked out the window to see what was going on. Seeing a bunch of police cars outside, they looked at each other, then out the window again. A few students figured it might be related to the noise coming from the gym earlier. Some called their parents. A couple even left on their own, not knowing what was going on, only that a mention of "weapons" meant nothing good.

In the hallways, Bean happened to be out patrolling when he noticed some students crowding around the window in a nearby classroom. Curious, he went over to investigate. At first, he froze upon seeing the cops, but then he ran straight back to the gym and to Shadow.

"Grand Dragon! Grand Dragon, we have a big problem!" exclaimed Bean.

"Oh, what now?" asked Shadow.

"Somebody called for backup! Do something about them!"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "How many officers are out there?"

"Uh…all of them?"

"Never mind. Thanks for informing me." Shadow stepped back up to the microphone at his podium. "Ladies and gentlemen, stop whatever you're doing."

Everyone stopped as they were told.

"We are now facing a new test: The authorities are attempting to crush us from outside, but we will crush them! Follow me if you believe in The Wave!"

Shadow jumped down from his podium and bolted for the door. The rest of the Wavers followed him as best as they could. Once they opened the door, Shadow discovered a number of students and faculty members attempting to evacuate. Almost immediately, he stood in the way and raised his P38.

"All right, nobody else is leaving here until I say so!" exclaimed Shadow. Just to prove his point, a few of his fellow Wave members formed a blockade with him, holding the other people at gunpoint.

"Now, get back to your classrooms!" said Shadow.

"But what about the people who are escaping?" asked Knuckles.

"Never mind them! Just get the hostages moving!"

"Police officer! Drop the weapons!"

While some of the Wavers dropped their weapons and put their hands up, a bunch of them tried opening fire on the two officers who had entered. However, the officers dodged into a nearby bathroom, escaping serious injury. Rather than pursuing the officers, Shadow, Knuckles and the others simply filed into the classrooms with the hostages.

Outside, the other SSPD officers had their guns trained at the windows and doors, prepared for whatever contingency awaited them. Sgt. Hand repeated the same message he'd given earlier. Then, a moment later, some windows in the school were broken out.

"Get away from our school!" yelled Shadow. "You're making a fatal mistake!"

"Don't make this hard on yourselves," said Sgt. Hand. "We don't want you getting into any more trouble!"

"We don't care! We already have the upper hand, so if you know what's good for you, you'll leave us in peace!"

"Look, you're already in trouble for disturbing the peace. Please, stop this game and come out quietly! I don't want to repeat myself!"

"Well, you won't! FIRE!"

Shadow took the first shot, and a barrage of bullets followed. The confrontation was short but intense, with turf exploding, glass flying, bullets ricocheting off the pavement, a veritable thunder in the air. The police tried to return fire, but they didn't have many opportunities to do so with the hail of lead being thrown at them.

Criticism is gold. Negativity and nitpicking are pyrite.