A/N: Yep. I'm back. I've been having computer problems lately but I just got a new tablet for Christmas so yay!

I've decided that I'm gonna delete all of my Sonic fics except for Watch Me Unravel, Chaos Academy, and Sonic Comic Reboot. I have this great AU idea and want to make a series but at the same time I want a clean slate. Besides, I read some of my old fics and either couldn't stop cringing at the lack of description or I had writer's block. So yeah. Enjoy this chapter.

DWTL out!

The fighter jet landed smoothly in a freezing expanse of barren tundra. Sonic hopped out and immediately shivered, cursing himself for not bringing some kind of jacket. Sally had scolded him endlessly about his lack of clothing in certain climates. He could almost hear her voice chastising him as if she came back from the death just to mother him.

"You'll catch hypothermia!" she always warned with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed in her oh so Sally manner. "At least wear a scarf or something!"

Sonic actually missed that, even though at the time he was annoyed with her for being a nag, as he'd put it. Sure, Sally was sometimes uptight and overprotective... but that just served to show that she cared. Perhaps he should've listened to her more...

He shook his head, snapping out of the momentary reverie. In the distance was a concrete building, perhaps a military compound. Sonic could faintly see the outline of Eggman's iconic (and obnoxious, in his opinion) symbol.

He balled his fists and plotted his path as his muscles tightened with unused energy. After a moment, that energy was released in the form of a blur of red light, blazing through the snow.

As Sonic ran, the cold wind whipped and stung his face, but he forged on. Strangely enough, he always liked the feeling of stinging wind. He was long used to it.

He skidded to a sloppy halt at the metal door, which was the height of a house. Sonic balled up his body and performed a spin dash, trying to bust open the imposing door. He landed on his feet and looked up. He had left a dent, but that was it. Frustrated, he tried a homing attack. Nothing. Sonic kept attacking and dashing and performing any tactic he could think of. He made little progress.

"Erg! That freaking door!" he cursed. His voice was drowned out by the howling of the wind as he proceeded to undergo a stream of swears. He heaved a sigh. "This isn't helping. But I've tried everything..." Then an idea popped into his head. He looked down at the Ruby implanted into his chest. It's deep red and black hue contradicted with Sonic's blue fur and the white snow. It was so stand out, Sonic was suprised he hadn't had the idea sooner.

The Ruby glowed as a sphere of energy formed in Sonic's right palm. Letting out a grunt, he threw the orb toward that cursed door. A hiss sounded as the metal glowed orange and melted, leaving a gaping hole.

"Finally!" Sonic exclaimed. He was just about to climb through the hole when a laser shot whizzed past his ear and struck the wall. Yelping in suprise, he spun around to see... no... way. How did they get here in time?! "So you actually caught up with me?" he sneered.

The Freedom Fighters were dressed in heavy parkas, scarves, goggles, and boots in each fighter's favorite color. Like him, they had snow tangled into their hair and fur and tired broken eyes that made them look much older than they really were.

"Sonic," Nicole said. Her eyes locked on his, brow upturned and pleading. "please stop fighting everyone. This whole revenge thing isn't doing you any favors. We don't want to kill you, but we will if you leave us no choice,"

Sonic scoffed. "You think I'm doing this for myself? What part of revenge do you not understand? Besides the humans have forsaken us, left us to die. They left Sally to die," The Freedom Fighters exchanged uneasy glances as Sonic said their late leader's name. He continued. "It's use versus them,"

"This ain't what Sal gal wanted," Bunnie argued. "She fought for everyone. Humans and Mobians. We get that you're angry, but labelling all humans is as bad as humans discriminating against Mobians,"

Sonic clicked his tongue and turned his back. "I'm not here to chit chat," He looked over his shoulder one last time. "I have things to take care of and if you get in my way, don't expect me to hold back,"

"Fine. Neither will we," Nicole stated. "Freedom Fighters! Attack!"

They charged forward, shooting their plasma blasters, guns, and whatever other weapons they had in store. Sonic crawled through the hole and winced as a shot struck his right leg. They'd shot him, he exclaimed to himself. They'd actually shot him! His limb screamed in pain but he forged on. Limping, he took off running at half his usual speed down an empty corridor. He could hear gunshots and yelling from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see the Freedom Fighters following him. They kept firing, but they were obviously trying to avoid Sonic's vital organs. They didn't have the stomach, he figured.

Sonic turned a corner as another shot grazed his arm, leaving a long bloody trail. Behind him, he left blood splotches on the floor from both wounds? It was as soon as he noticed this that he realized that his heart was beating way too fast and that he felt dizzy. His vision was starting to blur. He knew that he needed medical attention, but from where? If the Freedom Fighters helped him, they'd take him back to Knothole and he'd be locked up in prison. Henwould have to help himself, but he kept his focus on finding Eggman.

Gritting his teeth, Sonic accelerated. His right leg burned from the effort and his fur was slowly becoming more and more blood stained. He kept running, slid down a stair rail, rounded a few more corners, and skidded to a stop at a vault styled door at the end of the corridor. He looked around. He could hear his pursuers in the distance, but he'd obviously outran them.

He fired an orb of energy from the Ruby at the door, causing it to melt. He crawled through the hole. The burned metal sizzled his fur, causing him tomyelp and almost throw himself inside.

"Wha-what are you doing in my bunker, pesky pincushion?!" a voice demanded. Sonic looked up to see Eggman backed against the wall, wearing a white robe. He was dripping wet, indicating that he'd just taken a shower. The room was quaintly furnished with a bed, a writing desk, and a nightstand, as well as an egg shaped alarm clock. Tacky as heck.

Sonic growled lowly as he tried to pull himself to his feet. He suceeded, but his knees buckled and he collasped again. Blood now stained the doorway and floor. Sonic's mind felt light lead and his body was getting rapidly weaker. Still he spared no effort to hide his disdain for Eggman. "You killed her..."

"Who? That bratty princess girlfriend of yours?" Eggman wondered rhetorically, smirking in a way that made Sonic want to kill him right then. "You took everything from me, Eggman... now I'll take... everything... from..."

The words left his lips in an exhausted whisper as his elbows buckled. He landed on his stomach. The Ruby dug into his chest painfully. Then Sonic remembered his plan B. As he lost consciousness, he let the Ruby take control.

Eggman laughed in sadistic amusement as Sonic's eyes fluttered shut. He knelt down and rolled Sonic onto his back. The Phantom Ruby was lodged in his chest... the Ruby that Eggman himself had created and installed in Metal Sonic. How the hedgehog got his hands on it was unknown, but at least he had his main prototype back.

He reached forward to pull it out, but it began to glow. A small purple vortex floated out of it and elevated into the air. No... it couldn't be...

Eggman gasped as the vortex suddenly took full size and rumbled like an earthquake. He felt gravity tug him toward it. He grabed onto his bed for support, wondering frantically how Sonic had activated Null Space unconscious. Perhaps it was something he did. Perhaps it was karma. Perhaps it was his punishment for the sins he'd commited against humanity.

He screamed as the vortex sucked him in. It closed into nothing and Eggman was gone where none could find him.

Eggman opened his eyes to find himself in his worst case scenario. He was standing on a platform of glowing purple cubes. The "sky" was black and had pink lines running through it. In the distance, he could hear a forlorn echo bouncing off from some unknown source.

No... oh chaos no. It was true. He was in Null Space.

Nicole slowly approached a metal door with a gaping hole in it, her comrades behind her cautiously. Gathering her bravery, the lynx cralwed through the seared metal greeted with a shocking sight.

Furniture was toppled and broken. Sonic was on the floor, unconscious and bleeding from his right leg and arm. Eggman was nowhere to be found.

A/N: Will Sonic be okay? Is Eggman stuck in Null Space permanently? What will the Freedom Fighters do with Sonic? You'll find out sooner or later.

Ciao and late Merry Christmas!