Ch.2: Girder's Dark Plan

"So what's this meeting about Girder?" asked Shelia, a cat who had been with the Freedom Fighters for about two months.

"My plan is simple enough" said Girder " that traitor Manic is a threat to the whole Resistance. I don't care if Robotnink was controling him he must be destroyed!"

"You're sugguesting we kill him?" asked Espio the chameleon " but won't Trevor throw us out of the Resistance?"

"He won't catch us as long as you're there to keep him distracted" said Girder "Shelia and the others will join me to dispose of the hedgehog. Now the only thing is to get rid of Sonic and Sonia,"

--

Little did Girder know that his dark plan to get rid of Manic would happen sooner than he thought. For while the fox was having his little meeting with his gang Manic was exploring the sewers.

It was nessasary to check the sewers every once in a while to make sure the water level was low enough that a quick escape could be possible just in case anyone found the Freedom Fighter base. Manic had the most experince in the sewers having being raised in them in the first place.

When Queen Alena was forced to give up her children so that the Oracle's prochecy could come true Manic was aducted by a gang of thieves and raised to be just like one of them. The leader of the gang, Farrel, had taken in Manic like a son and Manic loved him like a father.

Until he met Sonic and Sonia Manic wasn't to sure about his past, in fact sometimes he still wasn't, but he bet Farrel would be proud.

Suddenly a strange sound from up ahead interrupted Manic's flashback. Curious to see what it was the young hedgehog raced ahead and stopped when recgonized the voices of his two least favorite people. Sleet and Dingo.

"Would you stop whining" said Sleet to Dingo " we got to get this gate open,"

"I'm trying" said Dingo struggling with the flood gate's turning wheel " why does Dr. Robotnink want to flood Mobious anyway?"

"You idiot" said Sleet " must I remind you? We open the flood gates and blow the dam and all of Mobious will be submerged. Once everybody is dead Robotnink will own all of Mobious,"

From his hiding place Manic gasped. Sonic's nightmare was indeed coming true, he had to warn the Freedom Fighters. But just as he started to run he stepped on a rat's tail, alerting Sleet and Dingo to his presence.

"A hedgehog" said Dingo " let's get him,"

But Sleet stopped his orange companion before he could race off in pursuit.

"No" said Sleet looking at the flood gate controls " I have a better idea,"

As Manic ran down the tunnel he noticed that Sleet and Dingo weren't following him. Although confused he didn't slow his pace, he had to get back to the base to warn the others. That's when another sound stopped him in his tracks.

Everything seemed to have grown silent at once when the hedgehog stopped. The rats stopped squeaking, the spiders stopped crawling, and the water stood still. His ears caught the sound of wind flooding through the tunnels even when there was no wind to be felt.

Suddenly the hedgehog realized what that wind was and looked back behind him. His guess was proven correct as he saw what had to be a thousands tons of water rushing right at him. He was going to drown.

Then suddenly an idea came to his mind. Running as fast as he could through the sewer water Manic made a sharp turn to the right. The tunnel he heading down was heading striaght for Robotnink terriotory, but was the only tunnel within a hundred feet that had a ladder leading to the surface.

Gripping onto the rungs Manic scaled the ladder as quickly as he could, and made it out of the sewers with just seconds to spare. The green hedgehog lay gasping in relief that he had made it out just in time, but then forced himself to keep moving.

If the opening of one flood gate could cause that much destruction, what would happen if Robotnink succeeded in blowing up the dam?

--

Needless to say when Manic returned with his news nearly all the Resistance rose to a panic. Sonia and Sonic were stunned by Manic's news as Trevor worked to get the others to calm down.

"Man" said Sonic " you could have been killed!"

"I know" said Manic " we have to stop Sleet and Dingo before they blow up the dam,"

"How are we going to that?" asked Sonia " what happens if the dam blows before we get there?"

"The choas emerald" said Sonic " if I can get Knuckles to use the choas emerald to stop the flood before it happens then Mobious won't be buried underwater,"

"How's he going to do that with the choas emerald ?" asked Manic.

"You'll see" said Sonic " I'll leave for Angel Island tonight and return with Knuckles. Meanwhile you two deal with Sleet and Dingo. There are only three more flood gates those dogs have to open before the streets get flooded. So watch out,"

--

Keeping to his word Sonic left for Angel Island later that night leaving his brother and sister alone. Little did he know that when he returned he was going to find out his nightmare had come true.