Shadow grumbled. He was getting bored, and VERY tired of the loop of music that was playing throughout this small section of the park.

youtu .be/DW4izwq0pR0 (No spaces)

The song was much too chipper for his tastes, especially once you understood what lies within.

Shadow looked back up at the large façade. Another thought came to him.

"What does this thing even look like?"

The black hedgehog walked up to the building, ducking under the yellow caution tape, before heading inside the roller coaster complex.

...

Log 075

Experiment one has failed! Hecotriton did not take hold, deactivated too early. Further investigation needed...

Josh perked up a bit. A wrench in the works! This could be important! He quickly swiped to the next page.

Log 075.2

Further investigation reveals subject wore emerald necklace. Emerald gives off electromagnetic pulse when in close proximity to Hecotriton. Ensure subjects change clothes and remove personal effects before administration of Hecotriton.

Josh: Hey, the gem emerald (not Chaos) messes with Hecotriton!

There was a long pause before a reply finally came.

Tails: Was your necklace made of emerald?

Josh: ...Maybe? It was green...

Tails: Shadow put it on Sonic and it made him freak out!

Josh: Is he back to normal?!

Tails: No...

Josh slumped a bit. Still no answers.

Josh: I'll keep looking.

Tails: Don't give up! Amy and Knuckles are looking into Marmalization right now.

Finally, they might get a clue as to what this top secret process is all about! Josh turned his attention back to the tablet and continued to read.

...

Tails intently watched the screen as Amy and Knuckles entered a dark room. Shadow stood off to the side, occasionally glancing at the sleeping Sonic. The whole situation perplexed the lonesome hedgehog. What was this group trying to accomplish by brain washing people? Sure, enslaving people is great, but what goal were they working towards? Were they trying to take over the city? The country? The world? While it seemed likely, something seemed off. Why did these people want to take over, if that was their goal? Money? They didn't seem to be in need of that, based on all that Shadow had seen. Power? Possibly, but that still felt wrong. If these people wanted to show their power, they should be out rampaging, making the people fear them, not running a covert operation like this!

Well, almost covert. There was still the roller coaster... Why build a roller coaster? Shadow went inside the grey façade shortly after Tails sedated Sonic. It seemed harmless, almost whimsical in a very dark sense. Littered with feather dusters, comically large barrels of toxic waste, and enormous flash bulbs, the thing looked like it came out of a twisted cartoon.

Not exactly intimidating Shadow concluded. But definitely noticeable. The hedgehog might even call it fun if he would ever lower himself to such a base state of pleasure.

Why?

Why? Why? Why?

Shadow held his head in his thumb and index finger. There were too many blanks. Something was wrong with this whole operation. It's like they don't have a goal in mind.

Yet, Shadow thought grimly to himself. Perhaps their real purpose would reveal itself. In the meantime, all they had to work with was an underground facility, glowing grey matter, and a roller coaster.

But why?!

...

Amy crept into the dark room, nervously gripping and re-gripping her Piko Piko hammer. She used her Comm to sweep the room, Tails' crackling image offering some light.

"Is there a light switch somewhere?" Tails sputtered over the video.

"I'm not seeing one yet..."

"Amy!" Knuckles called out from one side of the room. Amy made her way over to his voice. She nearly ran into what looked like some kind of chair in the dim light of her Comm. She worked her way to the other side of the room, where Knuckles stood near an open door.

"What's in there?" Amy asked.

"It looks like some kind of control room." The echidna replied, walking in. Amy took a deep breath and followed him in.

"Is there a light switch?" Amy asked.

"I'm looking..." Knuckles muttered distractedly. He found a panel of switches and brought his Comm close to try and read them. "This one?"

With the flick of a switch, light flooded the room. The control room wasn't much to look at, aside from the panel in front of them and the large window above it, allowing them to see into the chamber. Amy gasped.

It reminded her of a torture chamber!

A chair made of black metal sat in the middle of the room, with straps all along the arms and front two legs, obviously designed to hold a person in it whether they like it or not! A needle hung on the back of the head rest.

And Amy wasn't sure if it was the light, or something else... But it looked like there was dried blood all around and in the chair.

"What is this place?!" Amy shrieked.

...

Josh stiffened a bit as he hear footsteps go down the hall. He held his breath, waiting for the door to open. He remembered his pistol, and aimed at the door where, he hoped, the legs of the intruders would be. He breathed a sigh of relief as the footsteps quietly passed. He turned his attention back to the tablet.

Log 76

Experiment one a success. Hecotriton successfully taken into brain. Awaiting brain crimp to take hold.

Finally, another definition! Josh quickly tapped "brain crimp" and watched a new screen pop up. The molecule for Hecotriton popped up again.

"...I don't get it, is the Hecotriton the crimp too?"

"In a sense..." Suru replied. "It seems that these non-organic components make up this machine. It seems to prevent the brain from remembering anything before the Hecotriton is administered, including the subject's name, friends... Everything."

Josh stiffened.

Sonic didn't remember him.

The hedgehog had no idea who the human was.

"Is there anything on how to turn it off?"

"...Y-Yes!" Suru sounded shocked. Josh sat up.

"What?!"

"The Hecotriton was accidentally administered to a scientist, and a kill code had to be made. The code is hidden somewhere... It was too valuable to erase..."

"...Let's go." Josh quickly got up.

"No, let us wait for your friends to come retrieve you." Viha warned.

"You still haven't seen your file yet!" Ilo suggested. "Or Shadow's. Or Sonic's! Maybe you could get a clue as to why it didn't work on you!"

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it! They've had a pretty high success rate until you and Shadow came along. Even with the perfected Hecotriton amount, it still didn't affect you. Aren't you curious as to why?"

Josh thought for a moment.

"...kinda..."

"I also believe you must look into what they have done to your forearms and thighs... They are not behaving as they normally do..." Pelko muttered.

"How so?"

"The nerves... Are not responding in four areas on your body." Suru mused. "It is only in the slimmest area... The rest of the nerves function properly..."

Josh rolled up his sleeves and eyes the scars that wrapped around each arm. There hadn't been mention of any sort of surgery in the experiment logs. Josh resignedly sat down and plopped the tablet back in his lap. He tapped the screen to wake it up once again.

"Just a quick look. Then I go get the kill code." Josh placed his finger on the screen and swiped.

Log 76.2

First trial of Marmalization Chamber a success. Subject successfully Marmalized... Perhaps even deeper than ever before...

A video...

Josh looked at the thumbnail, a woman, sitting in a chair, facing away from the camera. Josh was... Hesitant to say the least.

"I'm afraid to watch..."

Josh took a deep breath and finally convinced himself to press play. The video started to load.

...

"What the heck are these?" Knuckles asked, looking at the control panel. Five large buttons were the main focus on the panel, each on labeled.

Inoculator

Flasher

Tickler

Giggler

Hypnotizer

"What do these even do?" Knuckles asked. Amy, who had finally calmed down a bit, walked over with Tails in hand.

"...It wouldn't hurt to find out." Tails replied.

"What if we get hurt?!" Amy asked, slightly panicked, once again eyeing the dried blood.

"We're safe in here." Knuckles assured. "I don't see why these guys would let themselves get in harm's way."

Amy slowly nodded. She quickly ran over and shut the door to the control room, not willing to take any precautions. Knuckles nodded before staring down the first button.

Inoculator

...

The video buffered. The woman, a bird of some kind possibly, sat peacefully in a chair. The voice from the interview started to narrate.

"Testing of New Marmalization Chamber. Subject has previously been inoculated, therefore the syringe is empty for testing only."

Syringe? Josh thought to himself. Then he saw it, a medical hypodermic, sticking out of the back of the headrest. The needle gleamed, even in the dim light.

"Testing Inoculator in 3... 2..."

...

Knuckles pressed down on the button. The needle on the headrest quickly swung down on a hinge and stuck through the gap between the headrest and the rest of the chair. The clear chamber of the needle filled with a glowing yellow liquid before injecting it out of the sharp tip, spraying all over the seat and floor. Amy stepped back a bit in terror. Knuckles looked nervous.

"Hecotriton..." Tails muttered as the needle slowly returned to its original position. "Administered into the back of the neck..."

...

The woman did not once flinch as the needle bore itself into her neck. It slowly retracted.

"Testing next phase of Marmalization: Flasher. In 3... 2..."

An electronic whir sounded in the chamber, like the sound of a flash bulb charging, before the room erupted into bright flashing lights from all sides. The camera cut to the front of the woman. She was still smiling, but her eyes betrayed a feeling of pain as they rapidly shifted , trying to find the source of the light. She started to struggle against her restraints.

...

"Um..." Knuckles stared at the room that erupted in flashing lights. Amy looked less scared and more... Confused.

"I don't get it." She finally said. "First they inject that creepy stuff into a person, then they... Throw a disco?"

"It could give them a seizure maybe?" Tails wondered aloud. The lights came to a stop. Knuckles looked at Amy, then shrugged. He looked down at the next button.

"The Tickler..." Knuckles read aloud. He almost grinned. "Sounds harmless enough." He pressed down on the button, which lit up, signifying its activation.

The arms of the chairs suddenly lifted into the air-

...

Causing the woman to raise her arms high above her head. She looked a bit dazed from the last treatment, any small sign of intelligence left in her eyes disappearing with the last of the flashes. Two large arms with fluffy rollers on the end, like poofy car wash brushes, came down from the ceiling. The pressed themselves on either side of the woman and started to spin. The woman started to laugh uncontrollably, once again struggling against her restraints.

Josh shivered. The scene was harmless enough... But the sound the woman was making made Josh cringe.

The laughing... The more Josh heard it...

The more he swore she was trying to scream...

...

"This is what Sonic went through?" Amy asked, sounding a bit perturbed. How could this have caused Sonic to abandon the people he cared about?

"Something's not right..." Knuckles said quietly.

"What is this accomplishing even?" Amy asked. Knuckles and Tails shrugged. The red echidna looked back at the control panel. He sat in thought for a moment.

"I've heard that before... 'Inoculator...'" Knuckles racked his head, trying to remember, but he came up blank. He shook his head and tapped the next button. A thick, purple gas poured out from vents in the ceiling.

"The Giggler... Is gas?" Amy wondered. Knuckles cautiously walked to the door, and, before Amy could protest, speedily stuck his head out and smelled the gas before whipping back into the room. He giggled a little bit, before looking considerably frightened.

"Laughing gas." Knuckles stated.

...

The purple smoke began to flood into the woman's nose and mouth, causing her to laugh even harder, her smile widening, her eyes opening wider than Josh thought possible. She seemed uncontrollable at this stage, he wrists and ankles rubbing so hard against her restraints she actually started to bleed! The gas slowly vanished, leaving the maniacal woman behind.

"Final stage: Hypnotiser."

The room suddenly went dark as the wall in front of her began to rapidly display images, spirals, smiles, and words.

SMILE ALWAYS

WELCOME TO JOY

The Smiler's logo popped up periodically as well, the strange smile with spirals for eyes.

...

Knuckles and Amy stood silent after the macabre display of images ended.

Amy finally broke the silence.

"I don't like this place..." Her voice wavered, fear evident.

Knuckles quickly agreed, and the two quickly moved out.

"I think this is their plan." Tails mused. "Use the roller coaster to lure people here, then send them to this chamber to Marmalize them."

"That must be what happened to Sonic..." Amy mused.

"So, that smile..." Knuckles pondered once they were safely out of the room. "The one with the spiral eyes... Could it be more than just the logo for the roller coaster?"

"It's probably the symbol for whoever's behind this..." Amy concluded.

"I remember Mr. Watch mentioning something called "The Ministry of Joy" before he shot himself." Tails said. "Whoever they are, I bet they're behind this." Knuckles closed his eyes and grunted a bit.

"What?" Amy turned to her partner.

"Watch said something else... It's related to this stuff, but I can't remember it!" Knuckles clenched and unclenched his fists.

...

Josh unwillingly pressed forward through each file.

Log 090

Successful Marmalization.

Log 091

Successful Marmalization.

A video was attached to each Log, depicting the subject enduring the brutal Marmalization process. Josh had stopped watching after Log 083.

Log 092

Successful Marmalization.

Log 093

Successful Marmalization.

Log 094

Failed attempt.

"Shadow!"

Hecotriton did not take hold in subject's mind, despite meeting all requirements.

"Requirements...?" Josh wondered. "What requirements do you have to fulfill...?" Josh tried to search for answers on the tablet, but found none.

His eyes wandered around the room before falling on the filing cabinet. He crossed over and opened drawers. The first few contained articles of clothing belonging to past subjects. The next were the Logs in paper form.

"I'm sure the science world would love to get their hands on this."

Finally, he found a folder marked Applications. He pulled it out and closed the drawer again. He started to sift through the many sheets of paper.

There's definitely more than 96 applications in here... Josh thought as he sorted through. The applications seemed standard, asking for age, height, weight, gender, species (I guess that's standard for Mobians...), address, etc. The questionnaire wasn't out of the ordinary either, asking if they had heart problems, if they were pregnant, if they had a surgery within' the past year.

The questions after caught Josh's attention.

Are you in any emotional distress? Y/N (Answers are confidential)

Describe the nature of that distress. _.

How awful do you feel on a scale of 1 (not awful) to 10 (suicidal).

"What does that have to do with anything?" Josh muttered. This place, however creepy, seemed focused on smiling... What good would a person in depression be?

"Catharsis!" Ilo suddenly shouted, making Josh jump.

"What?"

"People crave catharsis, coming to terms with past woes and sadness."' Ilo explained. "That may be why these people are being chosen! This brain washing tricks them into smiling, and the crimpy-thing makes them forget why they were sad! They subconsciously allow it because it feels better than hanging on to past aggression."

"Sonic... He was sad because of our fight..." Josh realized. "But, what about me? The Hecotriton didn't grip into my brain, it should have! I was in that fight too!"

"You were planning on apologizing and making up for it in the morning, that gave you a sense of hope." Ilo explained.

"And Shadow lost Maria! He's still grieving."

"For him, moping IS his catharsis. It's just who he is. Although, I think being part alien helps."

"Wait, he's what?" Josh asked.

"He got his DNA from Black Doom!"

"Oh yeah... I think I remember that..." Josh mused. "Maybe those are the requirements he couldn't fulfill: He wasn't purely Mobian."

"Could be..."

A small bleep from the tablet distracted Josh from the applications. He was right, all subjects that were approved had horrible past experiences they would rather forget. He tapped the tablet to wake it up.

"Uh oh."

Josh lept for his Comm.

Josh: MAYDAY! Leave now!

Knux: Why?

Josh: Guards on their way!

Amy: We aren't leaving without you!

Josh: You can come back in after you get out! The guards didn't follow Shadow up to the main floor, neither will they for you! I'll re-route them AFTER you escape and you can come back down, now GO!

...

Amy and Knuckles sprinted back down the halls, retracing their steps. Guards were right on their tails, with more joining them from intersecting halls. They may have only been about 50 strong, but it was enough that not even the two heroes could take them down all at once. They arrived at the elevator, and Knuckles slammed the up button.

"That wasn't so bad..." Amy panted, leaning against a wall. Knuckles didn't reply. "...you don't agree?"

"They stopped right when we got into the elevator." Knuckles replied.

"What do you mean?"

"As the doors were closing, I saw the guards just stop running. They just stared at us. If they really wanted to get us, they were close enough, they could have run in and dragged us out."

Amy looked worried.

"What do you think it means?"

Knuckles shook his head.

"They didn't want to catch us..."

Amy gasped.

"They... They were trying to get us away from Josh!"

...

...

...

The bluebird walked into a dark room covered in video monitors.

"We've managed to flush out the intruders sir." He stated. A sinister chuckle sent shivers down his spine. An animal, shrouded in the dark, spoke.

"Excellent Maybeck. You do your job well." The British man's voice was smooth, yet demanding.

"T-thank you. Sir." The blue bird, Maybeck, stuttered. He felt nervous around his boss, not matter where he was, or why he was there. "There is one other thing sir..."

The shadowy Mobian leaned forward.

"Th-The boy..." Maybeck stuttered again. He trailed off.

"The boy...?" His boss pressed, not sounding pleased.

"W-we're afraid he has gone through all of your files... And has sent out the image of Hecotriton."

"...I figured he would..." The boss stood up and crossed the room. The monitors lit him up, if only dimly, allowing Maybeck to see his mane and form, but not his face. "Is he still in the security room?"

"I-I believe so... He still thinks we have no clue where he is." Maybeck informed. "He knows too much... Shall I dispose of him?"

"No. That would cause us more harm than good." The lion turned to look at a TV screen, placing his hands behind his back. "There would be an uproar. People would investigate. The ride would be shut down. And our goal would not be realized." He stared for a moment, deep in thought. "Are we ready for phase 3?" Maybeck looked shocked.

"Y-yes sir, but, it's too early!" Maybeck was about to show the lion the date on his tablet, but was stopped when the dark figure held out a hand, laughing softly.

"I know when the ride is supposed to be open." The lion brought his hand back behind him. "Call this some publicity."

The bluebird thought for a moment.

"You want to send the boy through."

"You catch on quickly. We'll offer him a deal he can't refuse." The lion reached into a pocket and pulled out a flash drive. "Once he is sent through, he won't remember a thing. Anything his friends say at that point will be disregarded as fiction to scare the public. They'll think they're all paid actors." He chuckled again. "And the boy won't say anything edgewise."

"Brilliant... I shall initiate Phase 3 straightaway."

...

Tails watched the last rays of sunshine disappear over the mountains, taking with it the last bit of light from the sky, plunging the world into night. He turned when he heard the door of the façade open. Shadow stepped out and walked back over to the kit.

"There you are." Tails said. "I was wondering where you went."

Shadow rolled his eyes.

"I don't need a babysitter."

Tails sat quietly for a moment before Shadow spoke again.

"What was that black thing in the middle?"

"Black thing?"

"It looked like a spider..."

"Oh!" Tails looked over at Shadow. "Some kind of gimmick for the ride. Watch said it was called-"

Tails' voice caught in his throat.

Of course, how could he have been so stupid?!

...

Josh pressed on to the next file. Sonic's.

Log 095

Testing of Marmalizer a success. Subject fully Marmalized.

"A new Marmalizer...?" Josh wondered. His eye wandered down to a video. There was no thumbnail other than a picture of his brother. Josh cautiously tapped the video. The screen went black for a moment as the video loaded, before it slowly faded to white. A schematic began to appear, showing a strange, spider-looking contraption.

...

Amy and Knuckles were almost assaulted by Tails as they stepped off the elevator.

"Th-The roller coaster!" Tails stammered, trying to form a complete sentence. Shadow pulled him back, allowing Amy and Knuckles to move out of the lift.

"Slow down!" Amy urged. Tails took a deep breath.

"We were wrong!" Tails gasped. "The roller coaster isn't to lure people to the Marmalization Chamber. The ride itself-"

"Is the Marmalizer!" Knuckles finished. "That's where I heard of the Inoculator before, it was one of the effects that weren't working on the ride!"

"And that's why we weren't Marmalized when we rode it!" Amy realized. "They probably just shut it off to make us think it was harmless!"

"Listen, we have bigger problems!" Knuckles said. "We think they know where Josh is!"

"Go get him out of there then, before they strap him in!" Tails yelled, pointing to The Smiler.

"Do you guys hear that...?" Shadow asked quietly, his ears pricking up.

Knuckles and Amy stopped for a moment.

They heard it too. The sound of creaking metal.

Coming from under the ground.

youtu .be/HpAKsWssXpA (No Spaces)

...

Josh looked up as he heard a loud metal groan. He stayed quiet, waiting for something to break.

"...Maybe just the building settling." Suru whispered. Josh nodded, looking down at the video again. The coaster had an on-board camera. He watched as Sonic whipped around the track, quickly losing all sense of intelligence, sense of identity, sense of sanity. There was another loud groan, followed by a sharp crack, startling Josh. The whole room seemed to shake.

"Still settling?!" Josh yelled over the now-constant groan and creaking of metal.

...

A maniacal laugh played over the speakers, as the ground around the façade split in half! Amy jumped back.

"It's moving!" Knuckles pointed up at the grey building as it slowly sank into the ground, taking The Smiler with it. More laughter pealed out over the speakers as the constant groaning and creaking from below began to speed up, getting more rhythmic. The façade split in half and sank the rest of the way into the ground, leaving the twisting mass of metal and track behind, sunken into a pit in the ground. Knuckles began to approach it.

"Don't go near it!" Tails shouted. He picked up a rock and hurled it towards The Smiler. There was a sudden flash and the rock was gone! "There's some kind of field around it, we can't get anywhere near it!"

"But Josh-!"

...

Josh backed into a wall as he heard a woman shriek in terror over the speakers. A deep, throbbing bass played in the background, like a soundtrack. The room shook as the music pumped deafeningly through the speakers.

The room suddenly gave a great lurch, and Josh fell towards the monitors, catching himself on the counter in front of them. He looked up as the screens fizzled, and a video started to play. It showed him strapped to a table, covered by a blanket, with his arms and legs showing. Each arm and leg had two black lines drawn around them, each about two inches apart on the arms, and five on the legs. Josh nervously looked at the thin red scars on his forearms. His attention was drawn back to the video as words began to type across the screen.

Log 096

Subject does not yet meet Marmalization requirements. Hecotriton did not fully take hold upon initial Inoculation. Corrective measures needed.

"Th-They... They cut off..." Josh stammered as he watched a man in a white coat walk into the frame. He carried something large and shiny. Josh began to feel sick as the man carefully lined up the large hacksaw with one of the black marks on Josh's arm. He quickly turned away from the video, supporting himself on the table, as he heard a sickening squishing sound.

"What have you done to me?!"

...

"I can't get ahold of Josh, the signal's being blocked!" Amy yelled.

"How could we have been so stupid, they wanted him alone in there!" Knuckles seethed. Tails perked up as the music changed a bit. A melody from a broken music box screeched through the air.

A messed up version of the cheerful song that had been playing only moments ago. Tails shivered, before looking at the roller coaster again. He almost shrieked.

"Guys!"

Shadow stared in awe at the sight. The roller coaster was stretching, shifting, bending over and under itself as it grew larger and larger. It writhed around itself like a serpent, twisting itself into loops and spirals, weaving around and around itself.

"It-It's alive!" Amy shrieked, not able to take her eyes off of the spectacle in front of her. Flood lights from within the pit shot up into the night sky, illuminating The Smiler, as more laughter squealed into the air. Another building started to rise from the ground, swallowing up a small portion of the ride.

...:...

Josh returned to the screen once he was sure the video was over. What he saw confused him. It looked like a map of the facility, but all of the rooms were moving, stretching, or disappearing altogether! A small, yellow dot that read "you are here" was in the only room that wasn't changing drastically, simply moving upwards, like an elevator. He began to understand how deep underground he was. The screen fizzled again, as the music changed back to the music box song, but this time, people were laughing along madly.

"The Smiler's Anthem..."

The room shuddered again, as the room came to a stop. The screen came to life, flashing image after image of him, Sonic, and all of his friends, with the crazed Smiler logo plastered on all of their faces.

WAnT TO SavEyOUrBRoTHeR?

Various pictures of Josh and Sonic together flashed. Sonic's face was still plastered with the Smile. Josh backed away slowly, a feeling of unease creeping through him. The music got louder as it changed key.

...

The floodlights flashed on and off in time with the deafening music, as the coaster started to settle. Tails, Knuckles, and Amy all watched in horror, and even Shadow seemed more than a bit nervous. What scared Knuckles the most, however, wasn't the twisted metal, the shifting ground, or the horrifying music.

Josh was still inside. And Knuckles had no clue what had happened to him.

The music cut out with a scream-

...

And the surveillance room was plunged into darkness. Josh gripped the counter tightly, whimpering a bit, the only sound made in the silent room. One single screen flickered to life. A small, yellow arrow pointed out the room. Josh looked towards the door. He shakily made his way to the door knob.

...

The spider-like Marmalizer made a loud pinging sound, as the large, wrap-around screen in the center sputtered to life. It began to play surveillance footage, showing a pure white room. A large track was dug into the middle, that fed out into a large, dark hole in the wall. They heard the sound of a door opening, as a figure walked into the frame.

"Josh!" Knuckles lunged forward, reaching out as if he could grab the boy from out of the video. Josh jumped as a loud scraping came from behind him. A small portion of the large building slid back into the ground.

"...no going back..." They group heard Josh murmur. He looked back at the track sunk into the middle of the room. "...must be The Smiler..." He jumped as another voice boomed over the speaker.

"I have the code to cure your brother." The voice stated. "All you must do to get it is ride."

"No, don't do it!" Knuckles screamed. Josh looked back as a roller coaster car rumbled down the track. Painted in shades of bright yellow and black, with The Smiler logo plastered all over it, the car looked like it could fit about ten, five seats between two rows.

But this ride had only one rider.

"I'll see you soon Sonic..." Josh said quietly as he made his way to the car. He sat down in the seat, reached up, and pulled down a restraint that went over his shoulders, locking him in. Two silver handles stuck out of the yellow restraint, which Josh held onto tightly. He was scared. But he was going to free Sonic.

He was going to free everyone.

The hole in front of him began flashing as the cart lurched forward with a hiss. Before Josh knew what happened, he was already flipping upside down, as the cart spiraled around a curve. As he went right side up again, he stopped in a short tunnel, with the night sky split in half by the inclining track. Lights flashed on above him as the cart rolled toward the chain that would drag the cart up the hill. The walls were plastered with "HA HA HA" on either side, reminding Josh of his goal: Stay sane.

...

The Marmalizer screen changed again, to show a long line. A human silhouette filled white stood underneath the words "Begin Correction." While Knuckles couldn't see everything, he could see numbers and a few of the phases of the Marmalization process further down the line. Knuckles quickly ran around the ride to see the rest of the screen. The numbers one through fourteen were somewhat unevenly spaced out, with the five Marmalization treatments interrupting them periodically. The silhouette started to move, causing Knuckles to stop. As it passed under the one, it gave a quick spin before stopping. The sound of the chain lift starting turned his attention back to the roller coaster. The silhouette started to move again, as a cart started to rise out of the building.

"It's Josh!" Amy shouted, pointing to the coaster.

Josh stared up at the top of the track, watching it come closer and closer, almost blending in with the night sky.

"Josh!" Knuckles shouted, trying to get his attention. Josh was shaken from his temporary trance as he looked over as best he could. His friends started to wave to him. Josh smiled and waved back. Seeing them gave him hope.

"I'll see you guys soon!" Josh shouted back. "I'm gonna cure Sonic and we can all get outta here."

Knuckles grinned back... But looked at the rest of the track. Josh still had a ways to go...

The silhouette slowly approached the number two as the cart crested the first hill. Gravity pulled the cart into another loop. As Josh flipped over, the silhouette passed under the number two and flipped as well.

"It's a time line!" Tails realized. "It shows what Josh is going to go through."

3

"But, that means-" Amy gasped, watching as the cart swooped down under a leg.

The Inoculator

Josh had actually been having a bit of fun up until this point. As he passed under the Inoculator leg, three powerful jets of neon yellow liquid squirted out from three giant medical syringes attached to the leg. As Josh passed under, he felt the Hecotriton hit his body hard, like water coming out of a fire hose. His mind started to grow cloudy as the chemical made its way through his skin into his brain. He shook his head as the cart swung upwards.

4

5

Amy watched as another screen popped up on the Marmalizer. It looked like an on-board camera, recording Josh. His eyes were going nuts, trying to gain a sense of direction from yhe constant flips and tumbles the cart was going through. She snuck a quick glance up at the time line again.

The Flasher

Everyone heard a familiar, high pitched whir, as the cart sailed under the next. Dozens of flash bulbs began to strobe all at once, bombarding Josh with bright light, disorienting him even more. His eyes began to grow dull, as the coaster looped again.

6

7

8

The cart calmly came to a stop in front of another hill, this one going strait up.

Halfway Corrected

The group went silent as they watched the on-ride footage. Josh wasn't moving. He wasn't responding to anything.

"...JOSH!" Knuckles screamed desperately, fear rising in his chest. He waited for a response.

Josh's eyes suddenly flicked in the direction Knuckles' voice came from.

"Kn...Knuckles..." Josh gasped. The cart lurched forward again as the cart went up another hill. A glint of intelligence returned to Josh's eye. "I... I'm scared... I don't think... I'll make it..."

"Think sad thoughts!" Tails shouted suddenly. Knuckles and Amy turned to the kit in confusion. "Marmalization makes you focus only on good thoughts, it makes you compliant."

"I... I can't..." Josh's speech started to slow, that small glimmer of sanity slowly fading.

"Your parents!" Amy shouted. "Think about when your parents were murdered!"

"They what?!" Knuckles gasped, looking at Amy in surprise. Josh had never told him that.

"M... My... Parents..." Josh slurred. The words alone were enough to conjure up nightmarish memories. Almost all at once, Josh came back to himself. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

"It worked!" Tails cheered. The coaster cart cruised over the top of the hill and sped down to another loop.

9

"My parents were shot in cold blood." Josh told himself as he passed under the next leg.

The Tickler

Josh wasn't even sure how, but as he passed under the large tube dusters, he felt himself getting tickled from all sides, causing him to laugh.

"Focus Josh!" Shadow shouted from nowhere.

"Me and my brother were kidnapped!"

10

"He was tortured mercilessly by a crazed doctor!"

11

"I was dropped 80 stories out of a tower!"

"He's almost there!" Amy cheered.

"Three more loops to go, he can make it!" Knuckles assured himself.

The Giggler

Thick, purple gas sprayed out of various nozzles on the leg as the coaster sped under it. As Josh came out, he was laughing and giggling, his eyes wide open.

"No!" Knuckles shrieked.

12

"Josh, the fight with Sonic! Remember that?!"

13

"He abandoned you! He told you to go find the Emeralds alone!"

Josh stopped laughing as the memory came back to him.

The Hypnotiser

Josh's eyes were transfixed on the large, spinning wheels at the top of the leg, getting lost in the spirals. He started to sway in his seat as the last light of intelligence faded from his eyes. The car pitched forward.

14

Correction Complete

The car made it's way back into the station. Josh sat still as stone. His eyes were opened wide. If you looked closely, you could see yellow and white spirals in the iris. A smile started to tease it's way onto his face.

"No..." Amy slowly put her hand to her chest, before moving it to cover her mouth. Another screen popped up on the Marmalizer, replacing the time line.

75% Marmalized

80% Marmalized

"Fight back Josh, c'mon!" Knuckles silently urged. Everyone watched the screen intently. Josh suddenly shook his head.

65% Marmalized

70% Marmalized

65% Marmalized

"He's fighting back!" Tails cheered.

"And losing." Shadow added, still staring at the screen.

75% Marmalized

85% Marmalized

90% Marmalized

Josh grunted a bit as he shook his head again.

"My name is Joshua Logan Corey." He recited through gritted teeth. "I'm 16 years old."

91% Marmalized

"My parents were murdered!" Josh gasped and shut his eyes, sweat starting to come down his face as he literally struggled to maintain sanity. "Me and my brother had to fend for ourselves!"

95% Marmalized

"I took care of both of us so we wouldn't have to be orphans! Because I didn't want us to get adopted separate! Because... Because..." Not only was he sweating, he started to cry.

He was going to lose... He knew it.

Tears began to prick at Knuckles' face as well, as he watched the losing fight. Amy was weeping uncontrollably, shaking her head, and Tails silently wept, tears matting his fur. Shadow closed his eyes and turned away from the screen, unable to watch anymore.

99% Marmalized

"Because I'm afraid of being alone..." Josh whimpered. The progress on the screen halted.

Knuckles held his breath. It wasn't moving. Josh may have found his worst memory.

"That's why I'm afraid of the dark..." Josh whispered, as he started to cry, tears falling down his face. "I'm all alone..."

90% Marmalized

"Guys look!" Knuckles shouted. Amy looked up from her hands and almost fell over. Not only was the progress bar dropping, it was dropping quickly!

"When Sonic said he'd abandon me, I was so mad... So afraid..." Josh sobbed.

50% Marmalized

It was an odd sight, having everyone rejoice as their best fried recounted his darkest fears and sobbed like a baby.

"He's gonna make it!" Tails exclaimed, jumping up from the bench and running forward a bit. Amy squealed in excitement, her tears quickly becoming those of joy. She lept over to Knuckles and hugged him, jumping as she did. Knuckles caved in and jumped with her, tears falling down his own face. Shadow allowed himself a smile. A genuine smile.

That kid was full of surprises.

"I don't want to be alone anymore..." Josh sobbed again.

10% Marmalized

"Don't leave me..."

ERROR ERROR MARMALIZATION INCOMPLETE ERROR ERROR

Everyone screamed in excitement. (Except Shadow of course.)

"He did it!" Knuckles shouted triumphantly.

"Guys, look!" Tails yelled, pointing. "

...

The head restraint slowly raised itself back into it's starting position. Josh's head fell to his hands as his sobs became uncontrollable.

"Come back Sonic!" He wailed, his hands muffling his cry.

"I never left buddy." A calming, familiar voice cooed to him. Josh suddenly sat up. He stood and looked around the room.

"Can you hear us Josh?!" Tails asked excitedly.

"Y-Yeah..." Josh's voice cracked as the corners of his mouth quivered. He was almost afraid to ask the next question... "S...Sonic...?"

"It's me buddy! I'm here!" Sonic cheered through the speakers in the room.

"The Hecotriton is completely shut off in his brain!" Tails added. "He's really him!"

Josh broke down, overcome with emotion. The day's events caught up to him, the kidnapping, the fighting, the running, Josh could no longer keep it in. He fell to his knees and sobbed uncontrollably, leaning against the ride car for support.

...

Sonic watched as his brother fell to the ground crying. He laughed softly.

"That's not quite the reaction I had in mind buddy!" He gently teased.

"I-I missed y-you S-Sonic!" Josh cried. He looked up and tried to smile, but it came out a bit lopsided. He laughed a bit through his sobs as he covered his mouth.

"I missed you too." Sonic soothed. He wanted to be in there, holding the sobbing boy. "I promise you, I will never, ever leave you alone, okay?"

"Oh," Josh said, laughing a bit again. "Y-you heard t-that?" He took deep breaths , trying to calm himself down.

"I remember everything..." Sonic said quietly, guilt rising in him. "I'm so sorry for all those horrible things that happened to you."

"You don't have to be sorry Sonic." Josh replied, smiling a nice smile this time. He managed to reduce his sobs to hiccups. "I'm just glad you're here!"

"We're glad to see you're doing good!" Knuckles yelled out. Josh plugged his ears as the sound came through loud and clear.

"Don't shout Knuckles!" Josh teased. "And I don't know if 'good' is the word for it." As if on cue, Josh hiccuped again. "How are you guys doing?"

"We're all just glad you're safe!" Amy replied, hiccuping a bit herself. Knuckles quickly wiped away a few lingering tears.

"We'll be in there in a bit!" Tails cheerfully reported. "There's a force field surrounding the place, I gotta take it down before we can come get you!" Josh nodded. He stopped for a moment before biting his lip.

"Was there a signal that shut off the Hecotriton in Sonic's brain?" Josh asked. Tails looked a bit oddly at the screen bit quickly checked.

"...yeah, it came from inside, bit I can't tell exactly where... The field's scrambling the signal."

"Can you tell if any more were sent out?" Josh asked.

"Sonic's was the only one." Tails reported. Josh bit his lip again.

"...I need to go do something before I can meet up with you guys." Josh said quietly.

"What?" Sonic asked surprised. "What do you mean?"

"There's a flash drive that shuts off the Hecotriton! If I can find it, I can free everyone!" Josh replied.

"Just wait for us then, we'll all go get it!" Sonic said, worry growing in his voice.

"There's no time! Whoever has the flash drive could run off with it when he gets the chance! Not to mention he could potentially reactivate you once we're inside, and you could ambush us!"

"Josh-"

"He can do it Sonic!" Knuckles urged. "He pretty much spear-headed this whole rescue mission."

"He has a gun." Shadow said, walking over. "He knows how to use it. Not that he needs it. He's clever, he could get anywhere he wants without being seen."

"But what if he gets into trouble?" Sonic shot back.

"Then he can handle it." Shadow replied calmly. "Let him go." Sonic looked at the screen, then back to his friends.

"He's just a kid!" Sonic said, motioning to the screen.

"I can do this Sonic!" Josh urged.

"You were fighting Eggman at his age. Younger even, back when he was Robotnik!" Tails exclaimed. "I was even younger!"

"I know, but-"

"Sonic, he'll be fine." Knuckles cut him off. "We have to have a little faith."

Sonic was silent for a while.

"...Josh... Be careful in there." Sonic finally sighed. "We'll be in as soon as we can. If you see any danger, you need to run, got it?"

Josh smiled and nodded.

"You can count on me!" Josh exclaimed. He ran off towards a door and threw it open. "See you guys soon!" Josh took off through the door in search of the flash drive.

"...Be safe..." Sonic whispered. Amy gently took his hand.

"He will be." Amy replied, smiling.

...

"He's traveling further in sir..." The bluebird nervously shifted.

"I'm well aware." The lion sighed. "He's stronger than I thought."

"What shall we do sir?" Maybeck shifted again as his boss fell quiet.

"...Is the prisoner awake?"

"No sir."

"Good. Place him in the Marmalization Chamber." The lion pressed his hands together. "I will deal with the boy myself."

"...Sir, how does showing the boy that traitor help?"

"He's already lost two people dear to him." The lion mused. "By showing that he might lose another..." The lion chuckles darkly. "We gain the upper hand."

...

"I'm way too happy for this." Josh thought to himself. He sprinted from hall to hall, pistol at the ready, stopping at each corner to check for people, and... humming the Mission Impossible theme. While there were guards milling about, Josh snuck by them with ease. He had to conserve bullets, he had no idea how many he had left.

The search for the flash drive was, however, not proving successful due to a sudden lack of doors.

"Why did they need all those rooms if they were just going to get rid of them when the layout changed...?" Josh pondered to himself. "They have to had kept the main office though!" Josh gave a squeak of joy when he caught sight of a door at the far end of a hallway. "Thank you glorious intuition!"

"Full of ourselves, are we?" Ilo teased.

"I can be, I'm almost done with these stupid people, then I get to see Sonic again!" Josh quietly cheered. He took one last look around before sprinting down the hall towards the door. He quietly tested the door knob, dubiously eyeing the keypad next to it. It would he a problem if it were locked.

But it wasn't. Josh hesitated.

"...Is something the matter?" Pelko asked.

"I have a weird feeling..." Josh simply replied. "I need to be on guard." He quietly opened the door to reveal a pitch black room. Swallowing his fear, he stepped in and silently shut the door behind him. He fumbled in the dark with his iPod for a moment before managing to turn on the flash bulb, casting a dim glow in front of him. "Well, this isn't the main office." Josh deadpanned, eyeing the dirty floor.

"W-who's there?" Josh jumped. A weak voice came from further into the darkness. It sounded like...

"Scourge?!" Josh yelped as he got close enough to see the hedgehog's outline. He was slumped over in a chair, his breathing labored. Scourge chuckled softly, painfully.

"I-is that you kid?" Scourge rasped. "I just can't shake you, can I?" Josh got closer. Scourge wasn't sitting there willingly, he was tied down a the wrists and legs. Josh got closer and found deep cuts and large bruises all over the green hedgehog's body.

"Who did this to you?" Josh whispered. Scourge attempted a sneer.

"Nothing I can't handle."

"Why did they do this?"

"He disobeyed my orders!" A deep, British voice that Josh was all too familiar of boomed. Josh saw Scourge tense up, his eyes betraying a deep fear of the owner of the voice. "We break those who don't listen."

The lights in the room sparked to life, momentarily blinding Josh and Scourge. Josh looked up at the sound of dress shoes tapping onto the ground, coming towards them. A tall and proud lion in a tuxedo was calmly walking towards Josh, his hands tucked into the small of his back.

"Why didn't you stay true to our deal boy?" The lion asked, not bothering to look down at the human, "Why didn't you leave?"

"Forcing me to ride a roller coaster to save my brother?" Josh asked angrily. "I would hardly call that a deal!"

"You could have walked off."

"You know that wasn't an option for me."

"None of that matters now." The lion replied cooly. "You broke my deal. Now you must pay the consequences." Josh stiffened and looked around the room for a place to escape.

"...So this is the Marmalization Chamber?" Josh asked quietly. Scourge shivered slightly at the mention.

"Primitive, I'm aware." The lion agreed.

"You won't be able to Marmalize me, it didn't work the first time!" Josh smirked. "Or are you forgetting?"

"I'm not Marmalizing you." The lion sneered as he reached into his tuxedo. "I'm going to kill you."

Josh barely had time to duck as the lion ripped out a pistol and fired. Josh pulled out his own pistol and shot back at the lion's legs, barely missing his mark. He noticed the sectioned off control room on the opposite wall.

"If I can turn on the laughing gas..."

Josh took one last shot and took off at a sprint. He zig-zagged as he attempted to dodge bullet after bullet, whizzing past his head and body.

He gasped as he felt a bullet tear through the sleeve of his shirt, barely missing the skin. Josh focused back on the door of the control room and made a last ditch sprint. He slammed against it as two bullets embedded themselves in the steel, right next to his head.

"Missed!" Josh called out as he triumphantly grabbed the door knob.

Josh's eyes widened.

Locked.

The lion laughed evilly and walked forward. Panicking, Josh looked around until he noticed the window. He took his pistol and aimed at the glass, hoping to break in.

Click.

"No!" Josh gasped. He turned to face the lion, and stared down the barrel of a gun.

"It's a shame it has to end this way." The lion said softly. "I don't like cleaning up messes."

Josh suddenly grabbed the gun and tried to pry it from the lion's hand. The lion, surprised momentarily, struggled back, yanking the gun away from the boy.

Bang

The glass pane shattered as a bullet sailed clean through. Josh quickly dove into the control room and turned back to the panel. He turned slammed a hand down on The Giggler button.

"Have fun!" Josh cheered as he heard a hissing.

But nothing happened.

The lion sneered again.

"Clever boy. Trying to make an escape? By making me breath laughing gas?" The lion calmly pointed his gun at Josh. "A brilliant plan. But all the gas is being pumped up to The Smiler." Josh pressed himself against the wall, glass crunching beneath his feet. He kept telling his legs to run, but fear kept him locked in place. The lion slowly cocked the gun. "Now, for the last time, goodbye."

Josh shut his eyes, his throat constricting.

Click

"What?" The lion pulled the clip out of the gun.

Empty.

Josh's eyes flew open. The lion was not happy.

A sudden surge if adrenaline flooded the teen. He looked down, grabbed the sharpest piece of glass he could grab, and lunged forward with a scream.

...

"It's down!" Tails announced, proudly stowing his laptop away.

"About time." Shadow grumbled.

"C'mon, Josh is probably waiting for us!" Knuckles said, walking forward.

"Can we hurry? I miss my blue..." Sonic whined, rubbing his brown arms. Shadow rolled his eyes before pressing forward down a ramp into the pit. The Smiler wound around through itself, creating a web as the group passed underneath it towards the large building at the end of the pit. They passed through a thick curtain acting as a door before finding themselves in front of a large set of spiral stairs. Sonic, growing anxious and impatient for Josh's safety, sped up the stairs, leaving everyone behind. He stood at the end of a long, dim hallway.

"Josh?!" Sonic called out. "Can ya hear me buddy?!" There was no response. Sonic walked forward down the hallway, being careful to avoid any possible confrontations with guards still within the building. Those poor Marmalized slaves. He grimaced as he thought back to his time being Marmalized. The entire time, Sonic knew what was going on, what these people were asking him to do... He just didn't care. All he could think about was how happy he was. And it wasn't a pleasant happy either, just a constant, pounding stream of happy, to the point where it was painful. The hedgehog felt a stab of guilt as he thought about what he did to his younger brother.

But this nightmare was almost over. He and Josh would be together again. Sonic smiled once again. This was real happiness.

His Comm buzzed from inside his glove. Sonic pulled it out.

Knux: See him?

Sonic: Not yet...

Sonic squinted, trying to see further down the hall. Nothing stuck out to him. He walked further down, occasionally glancing down side halls to check for any guards. He would explore those later if needs be.

The sound of a door opening ahead of him caused him to duck into a side hall out of instinct. He cautiously peeked around the corner. He couldn't see who it was exactly in the dark, but Sonic saw something gleaming in the person's hand, catching the dim lights. As he got closer, Sonic noticed a considerable lack of ears and tail.

"Josh?" Sonic called out cautiously. The boy stopped and shrunk back. Sonic smiled. Definitely Josh! Sonic quickly stepped out of the hall and started to walk towards Josh. "Didja get it?"

Josh mumbled something quietly.

"What was that?" Sonic asked, chuckling. "I have super speed, not hearing." He squinted as he got closer. "What's all over your shirt bud-"

The smile dropped off of Sonic's face as he saw the dark red blood stains on Josh's white shirt.

"What happened?! Are you hurt?!" Sonic grabbed Josh's shoulders in a panic. Josh stared blankly ahead.

"I killed him..." Josh mumbled. Sonic looked down at Josh. He wasn't in pain. He looked down even further at the large shard of glass, still slowly dripping blood. Sonic gulped. He never thought Josh had it in him to go through with killing someone. He began to imagine what must have pushed the normally calm boy over the edge. Sonic knelt a bit.

"Josh, calm down." Sonic said quietly. Josh stared blankly at Sonic. The hedgehog gave him a gentle shake. "C'mon buddy, it's me." No response He shook Josh a little harder. "Joshua, focus!" Sonic said a little louder. Josh blinked a few times, before tears started to flow.

"I'm sorry!" Josh moaned as he backed away. "I don't know what came over me, he was right there, and I... And I..." Josh raised up the piece of glass, as of he were about to stab someone. He broke down, his knees giving way. Sonic quickly grabbed him as Josh flung an arm around Sonic's neck, sobbing uncontrollably. Sonic gently reached down and took the glass out of Josh's other hand, throwing it to the side with a satisfying shatter. He rubbed the boy's back, soothingly whispering to him.

"I killed him Sonic..." Josh sobbed into his brother's chest. "He's dead! I murdered him!" Josh sobbed even harder, pulling back a bit and looking down at his hands, dyed red with blood. "I murdered him!" He cried in anguish.

Sonic slowly began to move towards Josh again.

"Calm down bu-"

"Don't come near me!" Josh shrieked, holding out a hand. He staggered back again, backing into a wall. He trembled as his eyes returned to his hands, his voice growing quieter, trembling.

"Stay away from me..."

He sank down the wall, his gaze never leaving his bloody hands. Sonic sighed a bit, before taking off his gloves and slowing walking toward Josh again. He knelt down and carefully slipped a glove on each of the boy's hands. Josh looked up at Sonic, who looked back at him sorrowfully. The hedgehog knew he didn't need to say anything right now. As Josh's sobs grew a bit stronger, Sonic gently pulled Josh towards him, holding him in his lap like a child. He slowly rocked back and forth, holding Josh's head to his chest, the other hand rubbing his back once again.

He looked up as the sound of footsteps came running down the hall.

Knuckles looked frantic. "What happened?" He asked. Josh buried his face further into Sonic's fur. Sonic quickly shook his head at Knuckles, before discreetly pointing to a door at the end of the hall. Knuckles nodded, taking the hint, and waving everyone else down as they caught up.

"Why is Josh covered in blood?!" Amy whispered to Knuckles. Knuckles gripped the door handle.

"...I think we're about to find out." Shadow replied. He turned the handle and pushed open the door. The sight caused everyone to gasp. Amy clamped a hand on her mouth.

Scourge was still tied to his chair. He looked at the group briefly, fear in his eyes, before looking back at the end of the room.

A body lied face-up near the shattered window, surrounded by blood.

In his chest was a large gash... Knuckles quickly shoved Tails back out of the room before the kit could see anything and slammed the door shut. He crossed over to Scourge.

"What happened?"

"...The kid, he... He just went nuts..." Scourge grimaced as he bent over in pain. Knuckles quickly undid the straps holding Scourge down and helped him up.

"Josh did this?" Amy asked in dibelief. "...wh...why should we believe you?!"

"He's telling the truth Amy." Knuckles said quietly.

"Josh wouldn't do this... Would he?" Amy looked petrified.

"If I didn't see it with my own eyes..." Scourge wheezed as he leaned on Knuckles.

"C'mon, we gotta get him to a hospital." Knuckles walked Scourge to the door, Shadow supporting Scourge's other side after a moment. Amy didn't move, staring at the corpse in disbelief. Knuckles stopped and turned back. "Amy, NOW!"

"C-coming!" Amy stammered as she was broken from her trance. They left the room again, hurrying down the hallway past Tails.

"Didja get the flash drive?!" Tails called out.

"We'll let the police look for it, let's just get out of here." Amy replied, gently dragging Tails with her.

Scourge looked over at Sonic and Josh as he passed them.

"G-get the kid out of here!" He called weakly over his shoulder. Sonic nodded.

"Can you stand up?" He murmured into Josh's ear. Josh sniffed and nodded. Gently pulling on his arms, Sonic stood the boy up. Josh continued to cling to his brother, wrapping his arms around Sonic's torso. Sonic wrapped an arm around Josh, supporting him and bringing him closer. Sonic looked down at Josh, confused.

"Josh, you... You've shrunk..." Sonic noticed quietly, Josh only coming up to his shoulder. Josh nodded again. He rested his head into Sonic's side.

"They hurt me..." He whispered. Sonic felt his heart break and he rubbed Josh's shoulder. Normally at this point, he would be furious at the injustices done.

Not this time... All he felt was sorrow.

All everyone felt was sorrow.

...

Flashing red and blue lights bathed the area as everyone stepped back outside.

Backup had finally arrived.

An officer came running to them, asking if they were alright, who was inside, what was going on. Amy took Shadow's place at Scourge's side as the black hedgehog calmly explained the situation, asking them to keep an eye out for a flash drive, and pointing out Tails as the person to bring it to.

"There's a man in there I killed defending the human as well." Shadow lied, glancing at Sonic and Josh as they passed. Sonic nodded appreciatively to Shadow, who returned the gesture.

An ambulance was waiting on the outside of the pit to take Scourge to the closest hospital. Josh grabbed Scourge's hand as the green anti-hero was wheeled away on a stretcher. Scourge looked at Josh with an uncharacteristic sense of compassion.

"Come see me later." He said quietly, wincing as the stretcher passed over a bump. "We need to talk."

Josh nodded as Scourge was loaded into the ambulance, which tore off, sirens blaring. Another medical team came to check on the remaining group, but Tails waved them off, telling them he would check his friends himself.

Finally, the group managed to escape the lights and sirens and find a quiet place in the park. Nothing was said between them as they walked, the taps of shoes on pavement the only sound. Josh looked over and quietly took Knuckles' hand. The echidna looked down at Josh and gently squeezed his hand. He tried to muster a small smile to his face... But he couldn't. The echidna instead looked over to Amy and grabbed her hand. Amy looked up at Knuckles, tears misting her eyes, before her gaze returned to Josh. Sonic looked from Knuckles, to Amy, to Tails on his other side, before taking Tails' hand in his own as well. The group continued that way for a while, walking, huddled close together, hand in hand. No words of comfort were said. None would come.

Sonic finally broke the silence.

"We should head back to the apartment..." He whispered. Everyone silently agreed as they made their way to the front gate once again.

They were suddenly greeted by dozens of flashbulbs and shouting voices.

The group stared out with a mixture of sadness and dismay as the reporters shouted question after question. Josh fearfully drew closer to Sonic.

"What happened in there?"

"Is your pet okay?"

"Why is he covered in blood?"

"Is he ravenous?"

"Why did you take him back?"

Never mind the rest of the group, the hollow looks in their eyes, the tears still fresh in Amy's eyes. All these people cared about was "the animal." It made Sonic sick. He finally couldn't take any more.

"He is NOT an animal!" He barked out furiously to his audience. Everyone almost immediately shut up, not used to seeing such intensity in their care-free hero's eyes. Sonic stared down the field of reporters as he drew Josh closer to him. He carefully picked Josh up, holding him in his arms bridal style. He looked down at Josh before turning back to the news crews.

"This is Josh the Hedgehog... My little brother."

Sonic sprung high into the air, soaring over the paprazzi, just as they were about to take pictures and ask more questions. The ensuing confusion allowed the rest of the group ample time to duck away from the crowd and disappear unnoticed into the streets. They watched as Sonic blasted out of the city, Josh in his arms, as they became nothing more than a small dot on the horizon.

...

Sonic had no clue where he was going. He just needed to run. His gaze stayed locked ahead of him as he sped forward, traveling over curves, banks, and rolling hills. He stopped for a moment to carefully set Josh down in the middle of a vast field before speeding off to make a couple hundred laps. Josh watched worriedly as his brother sped around him, going faster and faster each time. Sonic finally slowed to a halt and walked up to Josh. The two gazed at each other grimly for a moment before Sonic closed the distance between the two and pulled his brother close to him. Josh felt Sonic's hand on the back of his head as the other slowly stroked his back. The boy wrapped his arms around Sonic and nuzzled into his big brother's chest. Sonic closed his eyes. He wanted to say something, anything. But the words caught in his throat. He couldn't say anything. Josh sniffled.

"I didn't even know his name..." Josh's voice came out hoarse and quiet.

"Don't do this to yourself." Sonic tightened his hold on Josh. "You did what you had to do to survive."

"His gun was empty..."

"He still would have found a way to kill you."

Josh shivered.

"I was so scared..."

Sonic kissed the top of Josh's head.

"It's over buddy..." Sonic quietly reassured, both himself and Josh. "It's done..." Josh said nothing, nuzzling into Sonic's fur again. "I'm sorry I yelled at you..." Sonic finally murmured. Josh looked up at Sonic.

"Don't be... I should have told you I was running off..." Josh replied quietly.

"I didn't mean anything I said..."

"I know Sonic... I know..." A ghost of a smile tugged on the corners of Josh's mouth.

"I will always be with you..." Sonic whispered.

Josh held Sonic tighter to him.

"Promise?"

Sonic slowly scooped Josh back into his arms. He lowered his fore head down to Josh until it was touching Josh's. The two closed their eyes again.

"Promise."