Chapter 29
Sudden guilt
Sonic awoke in a hurry (like most things he did) and found himself standing at an odd, diagonal way and looking down at the floor. He wondered if this was the effect of the Death Egg, or if he was just imagining things. One thing was for sure though, and that was that he did not like it one bit.
He tried moving his arms, but found he couldn't. He glanced over at his upper limbs to witness that they had been chained up to some bolts on a wall. The he tried to move his feet, which also snagged as well. He sighed and looked down at the useful-now-useless feet and found that they were bolted directly on the wall. He was leaning forward too, which would explain his diagonal position.
He struggled to try and get himself free, but the movement was futile, and he simply kept snagging himself. Eventually, the broken spirit of the hedgehog soaked in and he gave up entirely.
"I could have told you that was pointless, Sonic." Said the now hated voice of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik. Sonic winced at the sadistic maniac, now knowing the intentions of his conscience.
"What do you want from us? We didn't do anything to you."
"I want to hold possession of your freedom, Mr. Hedgehog. I wish to build an army with you and of course…" he paused, and then turned away from Sonic "you will obey my commands as your new general."
Sonic looked up and glared at him, then noticed that he appeared to be in a control room. "How are you gonna make us do that?"
"Simple… I'll turn you into the one thing that has never disobeyed man or Mobian before."
"And what's that?" Sonic darted. Eggman did not answer him for the longest time, perhaps trying to think of something to counter Sonic's point, or possibly just trying to think of a way to put it. Whatever it was, the answer came anyway.
"A machine, Mr. Hedgehog." Eggman stated quietly, grinning evilly.
Sonic hesitated with this statement. He had no idea how Eggman was going to turn them into machines… but he thought it wouldn't be impossible, knowing that he built an floating metal base underground, of all places. He didn't doubt that Robotnik could do something like that.
"So… you're going to make us into robots?" Sonic asked, sarcasm totally wiped clean from his voice.
"Precisely." Eggman answered, picking up the slight fear in the hedgehog's voice, and adding to it.
Sonic dropped his head in despair, just thinking of what he could do to him. "Where are my friends?" he finally decided to ask, truthfully wanting to know.
"Let me get them for you…" he said, more sadistic manner in his voice. He turned around a pressed a few buttons on a control board behind him.
Something started happening to the room. Six large, metallic tiles opened up from the floor in an arch around Sonic's front, and something stirred underneath. A few moments later, large cages started appearing from the tiles. All the cages held at least one of his friends, save Tails and Sid, who were in the same cage.
Angel had noticed that she wasn't with Todd anymore, and thanked the heavens for it. The cage they had been in split in two and Todd was still back there, in a cell half the size it used to be. She slightly smirked at his torture, knowing that whatever he got that was bad, was in fact good for her.
"SONIC!" Amy yelled from his direct right, tears streaming down her face wildly. Her worry for him was now greater than it was outside the Death Egg, just before she got taken away. Now she knew where he was, but thought it was much worse than what she had imagined then.
"Amy…" Sonic said back, both his face and voice distraught with worry and guilt. It WAS, in part, his fault that this all happened. It was him that insulted Eggman and set him off in the first place. It was him that started all this… and he felt that he should be punished for having this happen.
It was his fault she was crying, too… if they hadn't gotten so close, then she might not have cared. He made the move, and now she was crying because of them being so close, in one way or another…. And he hated to see her cry.
"Yes… Mr. Hedgehog…." Robotnik started, dragging out what he wanted to say "The friends you have here… will watch me turn you into my ever-bidding slave. Not only to view their best friend become something he is not… but to also pain them more when it's their turn."
Then something snapped in Sonic's head… sure he was going to be the first like Eggman had said, but now he hated the idea even more. Rage built within him, his blood boiling inside his heart and veins. The sudden will to fight to the last breath conquering his mind and intentions, as well as his instinct.
Robotnik cackled evilly, as he had before. Only this time, his voice seemed to make Sonic shake. Not with fear…neither with doubt, nor disgust… but with hate. For the first time in Sonic's entire life… he felt hatred towards someone… towards another living thing. It was truthfully new to him.
He slowly lifted his head up to view the mad doctor, his emerald eyes now seeming to burn red. The hatred swelling in him, making him feel as if he was about to burst with rage.
Tails looked away from his friend, Sonic. The image of him looking at someone in true hatred was just too much for the nine-year-old to bear.
He was behind Eggman, therefore, right in Sonic's sight. He started averting his eyes anywhere he could, then he spotted something, and came up with an instant idea.
