Chapter 9

Not long after they'd left, Sonic and Jules returned. Sonic raced into Sonia's room.

"Damn it! She's gone!" Sonic punched the wall. "That Davey! It must have been Dingo!" Sonic kicked the floor.

Jules mirrored his son's ire. "And Manic helped him. I can't believe my own son is a traitor to the crown. We must find your sister. They'll no doubt hide both she and Manic away somewhere."

Sonic remembered his sister talking about a secret population of Robotnik supporters. He still did not believe his adopted mom and dad were there. Sonia had never met them before and Robotnik could easily get two people to pretend to be them. "Maybe they'll be hidden at the… Secret Quarter. Sonia told us about it."

Jules seemed thoughtful. "Ah yes, the Secret Quarter, I know of it. Formed years ago to hide away traitors from their deserved fate."

Sonic frowned. What did he mean by that? "Deserved fate?" he asked.

Jules waved his hand. "Son, I know it sounds harsh, but you will learn when you are king. Sometimes, for the safety and well-being of innocents, you have to be. Kings cannot be kind."

Sonic nodded. "I guess I understand. But you wouldn't hurt them right?"

"Of course not my boy," Jules assured him. "Leave the capital punishment to Robotnik."

The Scorpion pulled into the Secret Quarter. Robotnik and Bartleby waited at the fountain.

When they'd received the call that Sonia had been found, Bartleby had practically collapsed to his knees. He had been so terrified of losing his beloved.

The Scorpion parked just feet away from the despot and the aristocrat. The door opened and Sonia leapt from the transport and ran to Bartleby. Pale arms encircled her as she started crying as if for joy. Bartleby wept with her in a mix of joy and pent-up fear.

"Oh my darling Sonia, how I missed you, worried for you," he shook like a leaf. "Oh my love, my dear precious love."

Sonia sobbed. "I missed you too Bartleby. I'm home now and everything's alright now." She pulled away and looked into his emerald eyes.

Bartleby meant to look into her eyes but gasped. "Sonia, what happened?" He touched the handprint. "If Sonic…" He left the threat hanging in the air.

"No!" Sonia caught his hand. "It was my father."

Robotnik asked. "Your father? Not Jules!?"

Manic came up. "Yeah. He came back several days ago. He said he'd been researching ways to stop you."

Robotnik was incredulous. "Except… of course. I understand now."

Manic and Sonia were both confused now. "You understand what Uncle?" Bartleby asked.

"We should talk about it later. In the meantime, there is someone who wants to see you," Robotnik gestured behind Manic. "And your sister needs to get an exam to be sure no harm was done through this ordeal."

Manic turned, hope and joy filling his own body to see that familiar giant roach. "FERRELL!" He launched himself into his arms, burying his green head into Ferrell's shoulder.

"Manic, my boy," Ferrel felt tears in his eyes. "I'm so happy you're alright."

Manic didn't hold back this time. "Me too, Ferrell, me too." He wept openly. Something he didn't even do around Sonic or Sonia.

Ferrell pat his son's back. He didn't care that someone thought they had parental claim to him. Manic was his son and he would make it legal once everything was calm again.

Lady Wyndemere grinned at the pair. It was always so satisfying to see parents and their children reunited. "So, is this that sweet little boy you've told me all about?"

Ferrell beamed. "It sure is. Manic, this is Lady Wyndemere."

Manic looked up and held out a hand to her. "Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Sonia. She's my sister."

"Well, seems the two of us have some catching up to do," Ferrell rubbed the green head before putting Manic back down on his feet. "Why don't the three of us go back to the house and chat."

Sonia shivered with the cold of the blue gel that Robotnik applied to her bare stomach which was starting to show evidence of her condition. She looked around the clinic while they waited for the computer monitor to boot up. "You sure thought of everything with this place."

"Leadership means taking responsibility for the people under you," Robotnik said. "Part of my responsibility is providing medical care. Now, let's take a look." He took the wand and slowly, gently guided it through the gel.

The sound of dual heart beats came over the speakers. Bartleby took Sonia's hand in hers, holding it close as they listened to that beautiful sound. On the screen appeared the two little peanuts that were their babies. They had grown a fair bit.

"Well, I see nothing abnormal. Thankfully, they do not seem too affected by your stressful ordeal," Robotnik put down the wand and picked up a clipboard, making a note of the ultrasound. "Although your blood pressure is a little high. You'll need to take it easy. We'll monitor it and make sure it goes down."

"Now, you were saying something about my father," Sonia reminded him. "You said you understood something."

Robotnik's eyes narrowed. "I don't know if I should tell you."

"I think you should," Sonia said. "He said something about reclaiming Mobotropolis."

Bartleby looked at his wife. "He said that?"

Sonia nodded. "Yes and he said I would help him, while yanking me around by my hair. He then said I was more valuable alive than dead. So, if you have a story to tell, I think we need to hear it."

Robotnik knew Sonia was right. "Very well." He turned. "But your brother should hear it too then. I assume he has left the Resistance."

Sonia nodded. "Yeah. He can't go back since Sonic knows surely that Manic played an active role in my escape."

"Good. He can start paying his debt to society by aiding our efforts."

Chili dogs, hundreds of chili dogs, a mountain of chili dogs. They were everywhere! Sonic couldn't believe his eyes.

With a joyous yell, Sonic threw himself at the first mound and landed hard on the ground. "Hey! What gives?" Slowly, pile by pile, the chili dogs vanished. "Hey!"

"Sonic! Bath time!" a voice called. Sonic turned around to see his childhood home.

Excitedly, happily, Sonic zipped to the small home by the river when the home exploded in flames and his mom and dad were marched into a transport by SWATBots.

"Sonny!" He heard his Uncle Chuck call just before…

Sonic sat up, sweat pouring down his forehead. He looked over at his father who was hovering over him.

"You okay sonny?" Jules asked.

Sonic panted. "Yeah, just the return of an old nightmare. About my adopted mom and dad and the day they were taken away. Uncle Chuck saved me."

"Chuck?" Jules asked. "Sir Charles Hedgehog?"

"Yeah," Sonic replied. "The same day I found Sonia and Manic, he was caught and roboticized." Sonic looked down. "I've lost so much to Robotnik. Sonia says my mom and pop weren't roboticized, but I don't believe it. Now he has both Sonia and Manic."

Jules sat in a chair next to the sofa. "Well if your adoptive parents weren't roboticized that would mean they were traitors to the crown."

There was that phrase again. Sonic found he didn't like the phrase. But he wanted his father to be like him. "Exactly and they wouldn't do that. But I miss them. And Uncle Chuck too. Did you know him?"

Jules smiled. "Yes, he's my brother. I'm glad he kept an eye on you for me."

Sonic knew he should feel good about this knowledge. However, the coincidence was unsettling. How did his father's brother just happened to become friends with his mom and pop? "Well, I'm going to go check in with Trevor about tonight's mission."

Sonia and Bartleby followed Robotnik to one of the houses to the west of the square. He didn't bother to knock.

Sonia giggled to actually see Manic actually sitting upon Ferrell's lap as they talked with Lady Wyndemere. "Manic, aren't you a little old for that?" she teased.

Manic stuck out his tongue. "Like I care. I have my REAL father back after I thought I'd lost him.

Ferrell smiled. That was the first time that Manic had actually applied that title to him. When he had first taken the little baby hedgehog, he'd seen a new member of his guild. Someone he could train in all of his sacred skills. But he'd found something more precious. While Manic had been his best pupil, he had also become his own child.

"As adorable as this is," Robotnik pulled up a chair. "We need to discuss how you, Manic, can atone for your crimes against Robotropolis."

"He can work with me of course," Ferrell answered. "He's my best student."

Bartleby laughed. "I can attest to that as often as he's attempted to lift my precious family heirlooms."

Manic blushed while Robotnik continued. "I actually had a different penance for him. I need him to guide my men to Sanctuary."

"What?" Manic asked before Sonia interrupted.

"He wants to rescue the children, Manic," she explained "Many of them were victims of abduction. Their parents were either killed or brought here by Robotnik for their protection."

Manic looked up at Ferrell who nodded. "Your brother is among the kidnap victims."

Manic sighed. He was still having trouble with accepting all of this. "I don't know. Forgive me, but my system of beliefs has just been knocked over. I'm surprised I know which way's up."

Sonia put a hand on Manic's hand. "I know but I'm sure it'll take a few days at least to plan the mission."

Robotnik nodded. "Yes naturally. We'd need to make sure we can safely rescue the children on top of facing any guards they have posted."

Manic looked at his hands. "I can't fight my brother or my friends. I mean I could kick that King Hedgehog's butt a million ways from Thursday but…"

"We're not asking you to," Wyndemere told him. "We're asking you to help reunite heartbroken parents and families with their children."

"Before they can be brainwashed as your brother clearly has been," Robotnik finished.

Manic thought for a minute before responding. "Well…"

"Take your time; I don't need an answer now. However, if you did this, I would be able to reward you with a certificate of pardon." The ruler added. "We could find another way, but you are our only effective link to those children."

Manic bit his lip. He thought about how much he had missed Ferrell and apparently how much Ferrell had missed him. "I'll think about the mission, to consider what, if any role I could play in an effective rescue. If I feel I can really be effective, I will accept. But if I think I would only end up a liability in such a mission, we'll have to find something else. I agree the children should be brought home to their families but I won't put them in any danger."

The logical argument left everyone in the room floored. Everyone except Ferrell who simply patted Manic's head with pride.

"You present a very good point," Bartleby said as he recovered. "Doesn't he Uncle?"

"He does indeed," Robotnik agreed.

"Whoa!" Manic shouted. "Did you just call him 'uncle'? Robotnik's your uncle?"

Laughter filled the room for several moments. "No," Bartleby said. "He's not my uncle, he's my godfather but I've called him 'uncle' since I could talk."

"I was always close with the Montclairs, especially after my wife and unborn child were both killed," Robotnik explained.

Manic looked somber. "You were married? What happened?"

Robotnik took a deep breath and Bartleby looked over to him. "They need to know Uncle."

Robotnik's expression went from anger to sadness to regret. It was almost fascinating to see as Manic had never thought it possible.

"I'm sorry, you don't have to answer," Manic said. "It was rude."

Finally the array of expressions were brought under control. "No. It's important that you know. It involves both your father and your mother and might even have a role in this war. It starts approximately two years before you were born..."

AN: Looks like Sonic might be developing some doubts of his own. Manic is reunited with Ferrell. Sonia's safe, for now. And looks like we'll be getting part 1 of the story behind this war. Next time.