The Underground Game – a 50 Phrases collection

I'm an expert, remember?

DISCLAIMER: See, the thing I like most about the Underground universe is what they didn't say on the show. If you know much about politics in the real world, and then compare it to some of the back-story, or subtext, there's this really lush, complex world. It's just… hidden underneath Sonic the Hedgehog's eco-love and anti-industrialisation. Really well.

"Cheese and freaking biscuits."

The phrase, while not the strangest thing Manic ever heard from Loiter, was not something he especially liked hearing in the middle of a raid. Because it was the closest his partner ever came to swearing, and that was never a good sign.

"Dude, tell me you didn't," Manic hissed as Loiter looked over his shoulder. They were halfway through these food stores and were carrying more loot than they'd managed to nab in the last three months. The last thing either of them wanted to do was leave it behind because of an alarm.

"I didn't trip anything," he whispered, almost calmly, and Manic frowned.

"Then like… what's the prob', man?"

"I didn't trip any alarms because I realised there are none," he said, and looked over his shoulder, eyes hard and warning. "These aren't Robotnik's stores."

"What? Of course they are," he said, and gestured to the crates of food around them. "Who else would have this much food?"

Rather than answer, he took a step to the side and gestured to the crate he'd just opened. Manic peered inside, and immediately paled.

Guns. The crate was filled with guns. There was only one group on Mobius that used guns, because everyone else knew better.

"The Resistance," Manic breathed, and only the stubbornness borne of a lifetime of thievery kept him from dropping his loot and running for it. He looked up at Loiter, and for a moment they just stared at each other, not sure what to do.

The Resistance liked to think of themselves as the good guys, and there were a few reasons why no one argued. The main one was that Robotnik was a freak and Robotocisation scared everyone. Older thieves talked wistfully about the old days, where if you got caught, you just got put in something called prison. Apparently, it was a kind of cage, but they fed you three times a day and you always had a bed. Manic wasn't sure what the punishment was, but he guessed that was why Robotnik didn't bother with it. Prison even put aside, most people would be happy if Robotnik fell, and the Resistance were doing their best to make sure it happened.

The second reason the Resistance were the good guys was because they took care of kids and old people. Orphans, elderly, sick people… the Resistance took them in and made sure they survived until they could survive on their own. If they never got that ability… the Resistance made sure they were okay until it didn't matter anymore. And that was good, even by thief standards.

But the third, and for the thieves, the main reason no one argued with the Resistance being good guys, was because they had very big guns and they were not afraid to use them. Not even against thieves that were just trying to make a living.

"What do we do?" Loiter whispered.

"We get out," Manic said, and immediately began tying off his loot. "We take what we've got and run for our freaking lives."

"And pray no one sees us," he added, tying off his own. "Cheese and freaking biscuits."

They hurried to the door and peered around the corners, suddenly more alert than ever. Resistance members were just as good as thieves at being silent, but they weren't nearly so good at being invisible. Their version of unseen was to blend in, and out here in the empty streets, any sign of life was strange.

"Okay," Loiter whispered, and gestured to a warehouse across the road. "There's a hidden passage in the office of that building, should lead us back to the sewers."

"Dude, there's a manhole right next door," Manic hissed. "Why risk the street?"

"Relax, man, I'm an expert, remember?" he snapped back. "I know what I'm doing."

"Loiter, we don't know this area," he whispered furiously. "We don't know which buildings the Resistance use. That could be like, their headquarters!"

"We don't know the area, but we know the Resistance use the sewers. We go down a manhole with bulging sacks right outside their storehouse, we are going to get shot," he said, and furiously stabbed a finger toward the warehouse. "The next street over is one of Robotnik's factories. If we're closer to that than we are here, then we can bluff."

"Dude…"

"Stop wasting time and come on!" he hissed, and started hurriedly sneaking across the street. It wasn't easy, but with sudden bursts of speed and use of several streetlights, they made it without seeing anyone. They even made it into the warehouse, at which point Loiter breathed a sigh of relief. It was empty.

"Okay… I think we're okay," he whispered, peering out onto the street. With no signs of life, he stepped back, hitched the bag higher on his shoulder, and started hurrying down the warehouse to the row of offices along the back. Manic followed behind, worrying his bottom lip and staring around, but even his spirits started to lift as Loiter touched the doorhandle.

"So we just find a backdoor, sneak through, and then we're free and clear. No harm, no –" He cut off as he opened the door, and a light immediately snapped on, blinding them both and making the sound of a laser rifle cocking all the more audible. "Cheese and biscuits."

"And bread, and rice, and meat," a female voice continued cheerfully. "You guys were having quite the shopping spree."

Manic cursed under his breath, trying to glare through blinded eyes. "If you were watching, why didn't you get us there?"

"Uncle Chuck here's a soft touch. He figured you'd drop the food and go once you realised who you were stealing from." She paused, and Manic really wished he could see past the light. At least know how many there were. "We don't stockpile it for nothing, you know. We need that food."

"So do we," Loiter snapped. "You aren't the only ones who have to eat."

"Join the cause; we'll feed you all you like."

"I'm not big on risking my neck for a hopeless crusade."

"You're risking your neck stealing from the Resistance," she pointed out. "You know what we do to thieves."

Manic clenched his fists, shifting into a ready stance. The spikes on his wrists weren't just decoration. "Try it. We dodge good."

"C'mon now, kids," another voice said gently. It was much older and friendlier, but thieves didn't fall for that. "Just put down the stores and we can all go our separate ways tonight."

"Not a chance, old timer!" snapped Loiter.

It was a third voice that said, "Guys, just drop the stuff and get out. You're not gonna be taking it home either way, and we ain't got no beef with you if you don't got our beef."

"Like we believe that," Loiter snarled. "Like the lady said: we know what you do to thieves."

The voice muttered something inaudible, and Manic stiffened as the barrel of the laser rifle came into the light.

"Last chance. Take the guys' advice, boys," the girl advised.

Staring down the barrel, and seeing the energy building inside, Manic's hand loosened on his bags, and he began to lower them. He knew when to cut and run. But Loiter wasn't the kind of thief that planned to live long. "Try it, honey."

"Fine."

Later, Manic wasn't sure if his own yell echoed, or if one of the other two voices shouted at the same time as him. But he tackled Loiter to the ground at the same time as the laser shot, blasting a hole in the wall far above their heads.

"What are you doing?" the girl demanded, but Manic didn't take the time to answer, hauling Loiter back to his feet and scrambling for the door.

"The loot –" Loiter began, but Manic just shoved him a little harder.

"Forget it, just go, man!" he yelled.

Another shot blasted over their shoulders as they sprinted down the warehouse, but Manic couldn't help but notice the shot was stupidly wide, and the girl was still shouting, but not at them. Not that it mattered as they tumbled across the street and into the manhole Manic had wanted to take earlier. They didn't stop running until they reached the central tunnels: Thief territory more than Resistance.

Then, and only then, did they collapse against the wall, panting hard and scared.

After almost a minute, Manic shoved his hair back and stared around at his partner to ask, "How are we not dead?"

"M-maybe they're not as scary as we thought?" he suggested weakly, but a snort cut them off.

"No, we are," a voice commented, and they both cried out, recognising it as the third voice from the warehouse. But no shots came out of the shadows, and all they could make out was a small shape leaning against the wall. "How else would I have found you before you even stopped running?"

When it didn't make any other moves, Manic straightened up, pulling his fists up to the ready. "Wh- what do you want? We left your stuff –"

"Yeah. Messages from Uncle Chuck and Sofie," the voice said. "Sofie says: you ever come near our storage quarter again, you're getting a laser to the eye, pretty boy. Uncle Chuck…" He paused, and then suddenly they both had to lunge to catch loaves of bread thrown from the shadows. "Uncle Chuck says the offer stands. New members always welcome."

They stared down at the bread, then up at each other. But by the time they looked up, the shadowy figure was gone, without so much as the echoing steps of someone running down the sewers.

Manic huffed out a breath and tucked the bread into his pack. "I guess thank heavens for soft touches."

"Guess so," Loiter agreed, and they started heading home. "Let's not do that again…"

"So agreed."

This is a challenge to myself, inspired by my friend Jkateel, who told me to stop complaining about how I can't write anything and just do it.

And so, at least once a week, I will write a fic based around one of the 50 phrases. I will post it, whether I like it or not (so sorry for the spam). And to further force myself, I'm going to say it will be in my head canon of Sonic Underground merged with the Sonic games, because that's a canon that's stayed with me for years, so it's not like I'll lose interest.

I'm not actually doing it on LiveJournal because for one, I can't find the community again, and for another, I don't think I'm actually matching the rules. I just copied down the challenges once and still have it.

No restrictions on length. It does not need to have a point. Just a story or a thought. And the phrase, of course.

Because fanfic should be about fun, not whether it's fabulous or not.