Chapter 34
It started out as a relaxing Friday afternoon at South Side High. But it was completely turned upside down as it's taken over by robots and all of the students were corralled into the gym. The students were terrified and confused to why they were there. One of the students in particular, Alan, was amongst the crowd wondering why the enemy of the Freedom Fighters, Eggman, was holding the school hostage. More importantly he feared for what he had planned for them.
"Alan, I'm scared…" One of his classmates said grabbing his forearm tightly, He gives her a reassuring smile and a thumbs up.
"Don't worry, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters will come save us." He said trying to help her stay calm as her expression lightened. Part of him was just as scared as she was. But another part of him was excited to have a chance to see Sonic in person. Ever since Sonic Debuted he's been following the stories about her internally wishing to be as amazing as she is. The robots forced them into a corner of the gym, two massive robots hover over them all as Eggman floats over them in his craft. Alan couldn't help but think about how funny his mustache looked. He also wondered if the reason why Sonic called him Eggman was because he looked like an Egg when he sat in that flying craft.
"Now, as long as everyone listens and doesn't play hero, no one will be hurt." Eggman said in a reassuring voice as he looks them all over, "This might seem like a strange question, but have any of you found something that's fallen out of the sky a few months ago? A thick silver bracelet with a large gem in the middle that you just can't take off?" They all look around at one another confused as Alan begins to feel panic. How did Eggman know about his bracelet? He slowly grabs his flannel sleeve to make sure the bracelet was covered trying to make sure no one noticed. In the corner of his eye as he makes sure it's covered; he could have sworn the aquamarine gem in the center glowed. "So you won't step forward? … What a shame." He said shaking his head, "I'll just have to check one by one until I find you." One of the robots grabs one of the students and drags her over to him while she cried for help… They all sat in fear feeling helpless and not knowing what to do.
"Please let me go!" She cried as he floats over to her and jumps out of his craft. He kneels and give a reassuring smile.
"Like I said little one, I'm not going to harm you. I just need you to show me your wrists." He said as she shakily pulled up her sleeves showing her wrists. "See? Now that wasn't so bad right? You can go now."
"What?' She looked surprised; he points at the exit behind one of the giant robots as he gives her a little push in that direction. She runs to the exit and escapes. Alan lets out a sigh of relief fearing Eggman would hurt her as she ran away.
"Now you all see that I can be nice. The one I'm looking for knows they can't escape. But if they keep me waiting, I may have to kill some of you to get you out of hiding." Eggman grins at them as they all cower. Alan was positive this man was completely insane and feared what would happen if he did get his hands on him. A part of him knew that hiding wouldn't be what Sonic would do… he knew she'd save everyone here with a bright smile in her face. But what could he do? Eggman turns around with a disappointed sigh then waves his hand as one of the robots grabs another student and she screams in fear.
"W…Wait!" Alan jumps to his feet without thinking. His arms and legs were shaking but he couldn't just sit there while his classmates were threatened by this madman.
"Oh? And who might you be young lad?" Eggman asked with a raised eyebrow lowering his hand as the robot lets go of his classmate.
"My… My name's Alan Ross…" He said, his voice trembling. "You'll really let everyone go?"
"Of course my boy, you have nothing to fear. I'm a man of my word." He said returning to his reassuring voice, but Alan knew he couldn't trust him. However, he also knew that Eggman could just kill everyone here to get what he wants.
"Alan… what are you doing?" His classmate whispered as he ignored them and put his hand in front of him. Every instinct was screaming at him to stop but he knew that's not what Sonic would do… She would be brave. He pulls his sleeve away showing Eggman the bracelet as he smiles at Alan sinisterly.
"You're not what I was expecting at all Alan, come here so I can get a better look at you. Once you're standing by my side your classmates are free to go." He said, Alan looks over at everyone as they look at him confused and afraid, he takes a deep breath and gives them all a thumbs up with a weak smile.
"Don't worry, everything will be okay." He said as he began to weave through his classmates. Some of them grab him as they try to convince him to run. That's exactly what he wanted to do but he knew there was no escape. At least this way he can make sure his classmates can get out of here safely. He stands next to Eggman as he places his hand on Alan's shoulder.
"I admire your bravery my boy, everyone else is free to go." He turns towards them with a terrifying look, "Run before I change my mind." In a panic, everyone begins standing up and running towards the exit. Eggman's grip on Alan's shoulder tightens making his posture stiffen.
"What are you going to do with me?" He asks shakily as Eggman lets out a laugh.
"If you're afraid I'll kill you Alan, then relax. For what I have planned for you is much worse and it will crush Sonic to her very core." He smiled letting go of his shoulder. Alan was confused, how could anything happening to him hurt someone as powerful as Sonic? One of the robots pulls a glass container off it's back and slams it down next to Alan. He jumps at the impact as the container opens and the robot pushes him inside sealing him in.
"Hey! Let me out!" Alan slams his fists against the glass as the robot lifts the container off the ground. "What do you want with Sonic anyway? And what does this have to do with my Bracelet?" he asked. If he was going to be trapped he might as well try and get some answers.
"To destroy her of course, And you're the perfect bait. You don't need to worry yourself about the Chaos… I mean bracelet." He said as Alan was shocked. He didn't want to be used by this maniac to hurt Sonic, but what could he do? He didn't have the strength to get free.
"You have the strength to fight…" Alan hears a woman's voice as he looks around, but the only other person in here was Eggman as he was climbing back into his craft. "The seven servers…" He heard the voice again, where had he heard that saying before? It felt familiar to him. The doors of the gym swing open as he sees her for the first time in person, Sonic and the Freedom Fighters run into the room ready to fight.
"Alright Egghead! We know what you're planning. Let 'em go and I might go easy on you." She said, giving him a taunting grin,
"At long last you've arrived. I was beginning to think I was in the home clear." Eggman joked, "But you're already too late, I've claimed my prize as he gestures to Alan. She turns to see him as their eyes meet. He was mesmerized by their emerald green color; she couldn't believe that she was looking at Amy's reincarnation and that they were a boy. Sonic's gaze turns back to Eggman as her ears lower angrily.
"Let him go!" She demanded; Alan was surprised to see her reaction thinking she always kept a smile on her face. He wanted to keep a smile on her face… He shakes his head feeling flustered as his heart continued to pound seeing her look so concerned for him.
"Oh, ho, ho! But I have such fun plans for him, Sonic. Perhaps I'll turn him against you." Eggman said.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" She said dashing towards them, but another flash appears and stops her approach. Metal Spira held her back, "Spira…" Saya's expression twists to a pained look as Shadow teleports next to Sonic and knocks Metal Spira out of the way, they give each other a nod, "Knux! Give me a hand! Cream, Tails, Blaze, keep the other one busy!" Sonic said as they all charged, Shadow kept Metal Spira at bay while the other three worked on disabling the other robot and Sonic and Knuckles charged the robot holding Alan hostage.
"The base of the container should be the weak point! Hit it there." Tails called out.
"On it." Knuckles said, as he jumps and strikes the bottom of the container holding Alan clean off as he starts to fall out.
"Got 'em!" Sonic said as she catches him midair and lands on the ground, "Nailed it!" She smiles as Alan just looks at her amazed. She loses her composure for a moment seeing the sparkle in Alan's eyes. It was hard for her to say anything to him already knowing who he is before he does. But she just had to remind herself that this isn't the same Amy that used to chase her everywhere around Mobius. She runs further away from the robot and puts him down. "You okay?" She asked but he was in a daze shocked that The Sonic the Hedgehog just came to his rescue.
"Give him back! I got here first!" Eggman yelled,
"Too slow Egghead! And I never heard you say dibs." Sonic said standing in front of Alan,
"We'll see about that!" He said as the two robots turn towards them. The top of one of the robots opens up like a secret gun but instead of a weapon it creates a bright flash that blinded both Sonic and Alan,
"Can't… see...!" Sonic said trying to get her vision to return,
"Sonic look out!" Cream called out trying to warn her, as the one robot strikes Sonic away and grabs Alan,
"You didn't think I'd let you save him that easily did you?" Eggman said as Sonic struggles to get up slowly regaining her vision.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Knuckles said taking a swing at Eggman's craft.
"Not so fast Knuckles!" He flies next to Alan and pulls out a strange needle injector. "One move and I inject the boy!" Knuckles stops, in a blue blur Sonic appears between Eggman and Alan taking him by surprise,
"Did you forget about me?" She said kicking the weapon out of his hand into the air.
"Curse Shadow for keeping Metal Spira busy…" Eggman glared shaking his hand out from the pain as he flies further away from Sonic just as she was about to strike at his craft. Knuckles runs over to the robot holding Alan and pries him free. Sonic helps him down then stands in front of Alan in a defensive position with Knuckles behind him,
"Sorry Robutnik, but I'm calling dibs!" She sticks her tongue out at him,
"You know it's Robotnik you pesky rodent!" he said sounding insulted, "Damn you all!" He presses a button as the robot the others were fighting changes shape where it now had six arms. They start swinging rapidly as both Cream and Tails are pinned down,
"Cream!" Blaze yells as she runs to help her but gets pinned down in the process.
"Knux… Can you help the others?" Sonic said looking at him,
"On it, keep him safe." Knuckles said as they give each other a thumbs up. Shadow was continuing to keep Spira distracted and away from Sonic as she tried to figure out what to do next. She could just run out of here with Amy but Metal Spira would go after them. On top of that she couldn't leave all of her friends in the middle of a fight… and she hasn't figured out how to trigger Amy's transformation.
"I don't understand…Why are you going to all this trouble?" Alan asked,
"We're the Freedom Fighters, it's what we do." She said with a smile, She couldn't just tell him that he's one of them during this chaotic fight, but she also needed to keep trying to figure out how to help him awaken. The robot that Knuckles took down starts to move again as four extra arms pop out, "We gotta move!" She said picking him up and dodging the attacks from the hands. He wondered how she could pick him up so easily and run like he weighed nothing. He was over a foot taller than her and her arms did not look very strong.
"Carrying him around is slowing you down Sonic." Eggman said with a grin,
"I don't need my full speed to make sure you don't get your way Egghead!" Sonic said,
"But I have so many more toys for you to deal with." He laughed as Metal Spira manages to kick Shadow to the ground and charges at them.
"Oh no you don't!" Sonic said flipping and kicking Metal Spira away. Alan wraps his arms around Sonic's neck tightly and closes his eyes trying not to fall. Sonic didn't notice the Robot from before flashed the bright light again blinding her while she was still midair, "Crap…" One of the hands of the robot swings to strike them down.
"Sonic! Behind you!" Alan opens his eyes right before the hand hits them as Sonic quickly turns enough to take the brunt of the impact trying to make sure he wouldn't get hurt as they crash into the wall. Alan's entire body felt sore as he realizes that Sonic moved herself just enough to shield him from hitting the wall. "Sonic…"
"Thanks for the heads up." Sonic said, Alan stands back up as she staggers down to one knee still struggling to see. "You need to go hide, it's not safe." She shakes her head trying to focus knowing she couldn't protect him when her vision was clouded.
"But you're hurt." He said helping her to her feet looking worried there was blood running down the side of her face from an injury to the head. He hated how helpless he was. Sonic kept getting hurt and he knew It was his fault.
"This is nothing…" She said as her vision comes back in time to notice one of the hands come straight at them, "Move!" Sonic pushes him out of the way as she's pinned to the wall.
"Sonic!" Alan cried out,
"I knew protecting him would get you caught Sonic." Eggman said with a laugh, "Now stop playing with Shadow, Metal Spira and bring me the boy." Metal Spira attempts to charge at Alan but Shadow uses Chaos Control to get in the way striking her down.
"We're not gonna let you take him…" Sonic struggled, trying to push off the robotic hand pinning her to the wall.
"You should be worrying about yourself my dear." Eggman said as she fingers of the robot hand start to curl towards her digging into the wall.
"Shads? Knux? Little help here!" Sonic called out sounding panicked. But Shadow couldn't let up her attacks against Spira or she'll make a grab at Amy and Knuckles was still trying to help the others.
"She needs you…" The voice Alan heard earlier spoke in his mind again, "Just speak the words in your heart."
"The seven servers are the seven Chaos, Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart, the heart is the controller, the controller serves to unify the Chaos…"
"No! Stop him!" Eggman yells as the other hand swings down towards him,
"Chaos Control!" He said as he's enveloped in a warm pink light as all of his memories flood back to his past life as Amy Rose. The one who would always be there to support and love Sonic. The light fades showing his hair changed to a dark pink. His shirt and shorts were a matching red with white trim and Red and white boots. He snaps his fingers as a giant hammer with a golden handle and red mallet appears in his hand. He swings the hammer striking the hand that was swinging down towards him knocking it away with a picko sound. "Nobody hurts my Sonic!" He yelled striking the hand pinning Sonic to the wall.
"A…Amy?" Sonic asked looking shocked as he smiles at her. She knew who he was this entire time, but it still took her by surprise at how quickly it gave her flashbacks of being constantly chased by Amy Rose. But She had also forgotten how terrifying Amy could be when angry.
"No! this isn't how it was supposed to go down! Metal Spira take down…" Shadow appears next to Metal Spira and knocks her into a wall.
"Sorry, but not going to happen Robotnik." Shadow said standing next to Sonic and Amy,
"Hey Amy! Wanna play some croquet?" Sonic asked Amy with a knowing smile. He smiles back getting into position to swing his hammer as Sonic get into a spin dash. He strikes Sonic towards the other robot with a Picko sound and Sonic goes straight through the robot destroying it and freeing the others.
"You guys okay?" Knuckles runs over and helps Tails to her feet while Blaze helps Cream.
"A little sore." Tails said as they all look towards Eggman,
"Curse you Sonic! You won this time, but I'll be back!" He said as he and Metal Spira disappear. They all walk over to see Sonic stuck in the wall from hitting it so hard, but she was just laughing.
"Isn't that what he said yesterday?" Caroline asked as Brandy nods to her.
"That was awesome!" Sonic laughed as Knuckles pulls her out of the wall. Amy slowly walks up to all of them now beginning to recognize who they are to him.
"Nice to meet you Amy," Tails said as he was shocked to see both Tails and Shadow swapped genders just like he did.
"Of course we had to rescue you for you to transform." Knuckles said shaking his head, "Just like old times."
"Weren't you in a similar predicament when you first transformed?" Shadow said raising an eyebrow as Knuckles looks embarrassed.
"That wasn't the same!" He argues as they all laugh. Amy's eyes fix on Sonic as she smiles at him,
"Nice hit!" Sonic said. Tears start filling his eyes as the rest of them look confused. He was remembering Sonic's final words, "H…hey! Why are you crying? We're all together now." Sonic looked flustered not knowing how to comfort him. Amy quickly tackles her to the ground with a hug.
"I missed you so much!" Amy said still crying holding her tightly,
"Um… is anyone going to get him off me?" Sonic asked as they all smirk and chuckle at her situation.
"I'm never letting you go again!"
"Amy…" Sonic let out a sigh accepting that she was stuck like this until he had calmed down.
"Alright, you can do that later. We need to go before the press shows up." Shadow said getting impatient as she rips Amy off of Sonic.
"She's right, let's go." Tails said as they all head towards the Twin Tornado and head towards their new base of operations hidden deep within the mountains outside of Station Square.