A young Sonic bent down on all fours; he wiggled his little tail and pounced. He collided into a giant owl who hovered in the air from shock. Her expression ceased when she saw who it was. She smirked and grabbed Sonic with her long wings. She tickled the little toddler making him regret ever doing that. They laughed and giggled. Sonic landed on the floor unable to take more tickling. This was a frequent game they played.

It took a little while for Sonic's fit of giggles to stop.

"Sonic, what did I tell you about pouncing like that?" the owl said sternly.

"That I'm not to do it outside of the treehouse… But I surprised you, didn't I?" Sonic beamed. The owl looked down disapprovingly. Then, her expression changed into a sweet smile.

"Come along little one, inside," she guided the blue hedgehog inside of the treehouse, out of sight. "I still have to figure out where you are from."

Sonic struggled to hold back a yawn but failed. He fell into Longclaw's wings, ready for his usual nap. As he struggled to keep his eyes open, the owl's image began to fade and distort.

******************************************************************************************

"Master Sonic!" a posh, formal, robotic voice made Sonic's ears twitch. He was slowly waking up from a long sleep. His mind was too groggy to fathom the faintest idea where he was or what he had been doing. He muttered "Longclaw" as the robot voice repeated his call.

"Master Sonic, wake up this instant-! Please…" the thin sheet that the blue teen was wrapped in was suddenly thrown off his body. His limbs curled closer to his body to retain the warmth. The air around him was icy cold, feeling like he was stuck in a freezer.

"Master Sonic, if you don't wake up… I'll have to resort to this…" the voice almost moaned in sympathy. Sonic's ears continued to twitch in the direction the voice was coming from, but refused to budge.

"I'm sorry, I did warn you…" without any warning, or any justification, Sonic leapt in the air as electricity filled his body. It felt like his own power but instead of warmth, hot pain shot at all parts of his body. The blue hedgehog fell to the cold floor clutching his chest and a strange, circular object protruded out of his chest. He chose to ignore it for now and bore his green eyes into the spherical robot trembling in front of him.

"WHAT DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" Sonic bellowed, his green eyes temporarily flashing blue in anger.

"I-I'm sorry! I was just doing what I was programmed to do!"

The hedgehog dropped his fierce gaze and glanced at his chest. He slowly stroked the new device that was awkwardly latched on him.

"What's this…?" He muttered.

"Um… that's what the doctor wants to speak to you about," Sonic shot a frown at the robot.

"And if I don't-?"

"He already had that covered… If you fail to comply, he will continue to electrocute you and if you dare to escape… death will be imminent. Oh and don't try to remove it, you'll most likely bleed to death," green eyes widened. Eggman wouldn't kill him, he was far too precious… wasn't he? Sonic's mind raced, he was trapped and this new device was no fancy new medallion, it was lethal. He didn't dare ask Orbot how the great Egghead would kill him as his fears were cemented. He wanted more than anything to be at home with his human parents.

"Ok. Lead the way," Sonic rose to his full, eighty-centimetre height. He buried his negative fears and confidently followed Orbot. Sonic took one last glance at the place he was sleeping, his cell. It was a bright white compared to the area outside. It was eerie. The area was dark with the odd red flashing light. Robots clunked and creaked in the background, machines hummed and the hair on the back of the blue hedgehog's neck prickled.

Sonic continued to press on, realising he was completely naked, not a glove or sock in sight. He subconsciously felt embarrassed and then a sickening thought hit him. Where's his locket?! It was gone. The one thing that was the closest to his family.

The blue hedgehog was lost in thought that he failed to realise Orbot was leading him into a smaller room. Sonic looked ahead to see this room was also dimly lit with red, yellow and blue lights flashing around the walls. Then, the teenager's heart sank as he saw the figure of a tall, round man. Eggman.

"Ah! Thank you Orbot, seems you persuaded the little fellow!" Sonic gingerly walked forward to succumb his fate.

"For a little animal, I never realised how pathetic you really are… and with all that power!" glistening in Eggman's gloved hand, was a little gold locket.

"HEY! Give that back! It's mine!" Sonic was about to lunge at Eggman's hand before he stopped himself… the device. The blue hedgehog clutched his chest.

"You're learning, it seems. Shock an animal once, and he will obey. Just like a rat in a maze."

"I'm not an animal," Sonic mumbled, hurt by the remark.

"Set the machine up," the mad scientist said plainly to an Egg Pawn.

"Wh-what do you want with me?!" the blue hedgehog found his voice, remembering that he laughed in the face of danger. All Eggman was doing was stalling Sonic, giving him time to plan for his escape. Confidence soared in his soul.

"Your little power is more than I realised. But that would be spoiling the show, wouldn't it? I'll tell you more later."

Sonic stood his ground, "Tell me! What is so important?! I'm nothing more than this THING that has hidden his whole life! How can that be important! I want to go home! I want my family! I-!" The thought hit him like a tonne of rocks. He was sobbing. Small parts of electricity were emitting from his body as he felt a warm glow. He'd completely lost his cool, in front of his sworn enemy no doubt. Orbot had backed aginst the wall in fear of Sonic's form. Eggman simply folded his arms.

"Get inside rodent."

"N-no! I- I have to get out of here!" Sonic made a mad dash towards the door. As he fumbled to open it, a surge of energy hit him. He was on the floor screaming in pain just as he had got out of bed earlier. The pain ceased and a sickening smell of burnt fur emitted. His power never did this to him.

"I won't repeat, get inside now," Eggman ordered. Sonic slowly rose, wiping his eyes. Fine, he'll play to the mad doctor's game. The blue hedgehog entered the room Eggman had ordered for him to go into. The entire thing was made of aluminium metal beside one wall that was made of glass. Nothing else in this room indicated what Sonic had to do next. He faced the glass wall, watching the round man stand beside a control panel and smiling manically. It creeped the teenager out.

Eggman still smiled as he pushed a button. Without warning, Sonic was lifted by robot arms and claws that came out of the wall behind him. He was suspended against the wall and then it hit him… If he thought the first wave of electricity was bad, he'd felt nothing yet. It felt like his power was being ripped from his soul. He screamed louder than he'd ever done before, causing one of the glass walls to smash. Tears streamed down his muzzle; electricity filled the entire room. He thought he was going to die. The room blurred to white and the hedgehog blacked out.

The blue light reflected in Eggman's glasses. This was perfect. He didn't know the hedgehog was going to collapse, but even when unconscious, the power continued to soar out of him.

"Don't you think that's enough for the first try?" a gruff voice sounded behind Eggman. It did surprise him but he didn't show it. He turned around to see a red echidna, dressed in an ancient tribesman outfit, pointing a staff at the doctor.

"Just seeing how much can be taken on the first go."

"We promised a set amount of power from the specimen, but don't kill him, we need him," bit of a problem with that, Eggman thought to himself.

"I know."

"Why has he got that thing on his chest? I command you to stop the experiment!" Eggman reluctantly stopped the machine. The echidna dashed into the room, once it was safe. He undid Sonic's restrains and saw the little device sparking on his chest.

"What is the meaning of this?! THIS is how you treat our treasure?!"

"Let me explain. If I didn't add this, he'd be a wild animal. It's not out of anything suspicious. I swear on the lives of every Mobian."

"Hmmm… ok, but don't restrict him too often. We need him healthy."

"Of course," Eggman smiled coolly. "Egg Pawn, take the little dear back to his elite suit," the same Egg Pawn from earlier gently picked the hedgehog up and left the room, with Orbot just behind him. Eggman led the echidna out the opposite end of the room.

"And what of the other specimen? Has he been located yet?" the gruff echidna's voice trailed out of the room.

Meanwhile, inside the blue hedgehog's cell, the bumbling robot threw Sonic on the bed. He was out cold that he didn't stir. Orbot floated towards him in a panic.

"Be careful! He's not a lump of meat!" the Egg Pawn stomped off, locking the cell behind him. Orbot delicately placed Sonic properly on the bed. He tucked him into the sheet and waited for the hedgehog to finally wake up when he was ready.

"I'm so sorry for this happening to you child. It will get better soon. Your family will see you again," Orbot clutched something sparkling in his red hands. Sonic's locket.