Notes: I am purposely avoiding mentioning the name of the country this story is set in but can anyone guess?\

Chapter 6: Police Release Me Let Me Go

"So then," Sergeant Berry flipped her notebook open to a blank page and began to write something down. "Can you tell me your full names, address, ages and your whereabouts for the past three days?"

Tails gave the Sergeant their names and ages. Well, for Chip he had to explain about his amnesia and that he and Sonic were trying to help him recover his memories so he didn't really know his true age.

"We flew out here on Tuesday from Spagonia but made a couple of stops to refuel along the way. Our biplane crashed and so we had to walk the rest of the way."

"You arrived here this morning, correct?"

Tails nodded.

"Today is Friday, are you aware of that?"

"Um..yeah well…"

"Where were you and what were you doing between Tuesday night and this morning?"

Tails scrunched his brow, thinking really hard. "No, I still can't recall anything between the plane crashing and arriving here. Just getting lost out on the moors I guess." He shrugged. It was so bizarre how his, Chip's and Sonic's memories had failed them over that particular time frame.

Berry scrutinised Chip with the same question but just as little information came from him.

"Thanks lads," she stood up to leave, "thats all I need for now. Don't be leaving town or even the island anytime soon. We may need to question you further."

Tails nodded, and explained they wouldn't be able to leave while their transport was out of commission. He wrung his namesakes between his hands, fretting. He hoped he'd done the right thing in being as honest as he could with the police but he had a very bad feeling about it all. If only he knew what Sonic had been taken into questioning for, he could evaluate the situation better and come up with some kind of well informed plan. Not that he didn't trust Sonic to handle himself, he just wanted to help.

As the sergeant left the pub on foot, presumably back to the police station, Tails decided he would head to the museum to find out about the elusive Dr Lantroe. Chip could stay here at the Frog and Whistle in case said Dr decided to finally stop by. Then he could try the police station and find out what's going on with his big brother.

Inspector Winters of the Fernstone Police Department scrutinised the blue hedgehog in front of him. The kid was cocky. He didn't like that. He'd dealt with teenage delinquents like this many a time and they'd always cave before long. He was looking forward to taking the little punk down a few pegs and clear up this nasty situation at the same time.

Of course the hedgehog was denying any involvement in the crimes, claiming he had experienced some memory loss due to a plane crash. Winters would make sure to follow that up but for now he needed to confirm his theory and get this hedgehog locked away somewhere he would no longer pose a threat to his town. He had the evidence already, this interview was to give Sonic a chance to either explain and defend his actions or to come up with a rock solid alibi. So far the kid had done neither.

Without shifting in his chair, Winters unfolded his arms and began to tap a pen on the grey table.

"There is something you're not telling us, Sonic," he said.

The hedgehog, not breaking eye contact, mirrored the Inspector's movements, drumming his fingers as he didn't have a pen.

"I've said all I need to. I haven't had anything to do with this." Sonic shoved away the photographs of crime scenes that had been laid out in front of him earlier. They depicted images of wrecked buildings, cars, shops, parks and gardens.

"What about...the beast?" Winters said, a fraction quieter.

Sonic opened his mouth to say something then clamped it shut. Did they know about the werehog?

"Yes we know about that," Winters said as if hearing Sonic's thoughts, "Do you have it under control?"

"Under… control?" Sonic asked, raising an eyebrow at the man. No, he couldn't control when he transformed, that was ruled by the setting of the sun, but he still had control over his own mind when it happened. If that's what he means?

Before Sonic could say anything else, Winters spoke. "You see, I don't think you do. Take a look at this..."

Winters snapped his fingers and Sergeant Quint, who had been standing in the corner behind him, wheeled over a television set and video equipment on a metal trolley and positioned it so that Sonic could see it. He pressed a couple of buttons and grainy images flickered onto the screen.

Sonic watched as the video showed an interior view of a shop. The people on the screen were going about their business, faces grainy and unfocused, as security footage often was. He watched the shoppers suddenly freeze and run away from something out of the camera's view. In a jerky blur of motion thick, fury limbs, swiped and stretched out across the screen much further than nature should allow. Sonic's eyes grew wide, unable to look away, as the arms shoved, punched and jabbed about furiously, destroying shelves, throwing trolleys and knocking over people. The hero's jaw dropped when he saw what the arms were attached to. It was him. Well, it looked exactly like him but it couldn't be. Even when he was a werehog at night, he would never intentionally hurt innocent people the way this creature was. He might look ferocious once he'd transformed but inside he was the same free-spirited hero with a heart of gold. Yes, he still had control over the werehog.

The Inspector couldn't suppress a smirk. The boy couldn't possibly profess his innocence any more.

"That is in no way me," Sonic growled, his shock and confusion quickly turning into anger, "I've been framed."

"Wait, I want you to listen to the witness' interview," Winters said, ignoring Sonic's dissent and feeling very satisfied he'd managed to rile him a bit. The little deviant would crack soon.

He snapped his fingers again and Quint scurried over with a small black device, placed it carefully in front of the hedgehog and switched it on.

The recording started. Sonic listened as a shaky female voice described a terrifying ordeal with something she described as a giant wolf-like creature with spikes like a hedgehog. Apparently, it had chased her across town and cornered her in an alley.

Winters watched the hedgehog's expression change from outrage back to shock as the final words of the recording played out:

"...when he cornered you behind the bins, what happened then?" spoke the female voice of the police interviewer.

"He..he told me his name," the trembling voice of the victim answered.

"What did he say his name was?"

"S-sonic...he said his name is Sonic the Hedgehog," the victim's voice said before it broke into loud sobbing.

Sonic was speechless, and that was not something that happened often. The only thought going round and round in his brain was the time Shadow the Hedgehog framed him for theft and got him locked up. He didn't want to think that his dark counterpart would try to do something like that again after what they had been through together since. He began to feel sick to the pit of his stomach. Things were not looking good right now.

The Inspector leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs and folding his arms complacently. We've got the little miscreant now, he thought.

"It's got to be a frame-up. Somebody's out to get me locked up and the only dude who's heinous enough for that is Eggman," Sonic eventually said, disregarding his thoughts about Shadow. "What about fingerprints? DNA and stuff?"

"No fingerprints were left at any of the scenes. Nor any trace of hair or skin. We don't know how you managed that."

"Because I didn't. My spines and fur shed daily so if it was me you'd find some. And don't I get a lawyer or something?"

Winters sighed in annoyance and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Every criminal he'd ever questioned to date had crumbled eventually. Despite all the irrefutable evidence and the hedgehog's lack of a convincing alibi, Sonic wasn't budging. He'd have to change tactics.

"Interview terminated at 17:28," he said. The uniformed police officer switched off the recording machine that had been running for the past fifty-five minutes.

"Look, kid," he lowered his head to the same eye level as Sonic, "Just admit what you did. Believe me the law will go easier on you if you do. Show some remorse and chances are the judge'll go easy on you. Keep denying it all and you'll be locked up in a maximum security prison with only the most dangerous law-breaking crackpots for company."

"What, like somewhere Eggman belongs, you mean?"

A knock on the door prevented Winters from responding to Sonic's scoff. Another uniformed police officer entered holding a a notebook. Sonic recognised her as the canine from earlier. She handed the notebook to the Inspector and then turned to leave, glaring at Sonic as she left the room.

Winters scanned the notebook then looked up at the blue hedgehog.

"It seems your friends, the young fox and the er... flying chipmunk, are unable to confirm your whereabouts for the past few nights," he said.

"Huh?"

It was a stretch but no clear memories for the time period in question equalled no solid alibi. His friend's couldn't remember anything useful…the beast had probably knocked them out before scarpering off to cause trouble. The hedgehog was guilty. Everything pointed to that conclusion. Winters was certain of that.

"The lack of an alibi, the witnesses, the evidence all means we have good reason to hold you here."

"You can't! I'm innocent!"

Sonic stood up defiantly and was met with cold steel against his wrists. Quint had moved behind him and had managed to slap handcuffs on his left wrist. He was in the process of trying to cuff the right one but Sonic was having none of it and proceeded to wave his arm about in an attempt to avoid the Sergeant's grasp.

"Sonic the Hedgehog," Winters began, "I am arresting you on suspicion of committing the following crimes..."

"No way..." Sonic said, weakly, letting his free arm drop slowly to his side.

"...First degree assault, destruction of public property..."

Quint took the opportunity and grabbed the hedgehog's surrendering limb, cuffing it to the other one behind his back.

"Hey!" Sonic growled, his spikes bristling, as the inspector continued his speech.

"...destruction of private property..."

"This is bogus!" the hedgehog declared, "I'm a hero, not a criminal!" He yanked himself free of Quint's clutches, leaped over the table and landed behind Winters, who was still reading out from his list of charges.

"...Second degree assault, robbery..."

Sonic jumped up, curled into a ball and spun. The handcuffs snapped immediately on contact with his sharp spines and he used his now free hands to leapfrog back over Winters, using the Inspector's head as leverage, just as Quint almost caught up with him.

Quint spoke into his radio; "I need back up in interview room four. Now!"

As if waiting directly outside the interview room, four more uniformed police officers barged in instantly, one of them was Sergeant Berry. Sonic leapt and bounced around the room, evading their attempts to catch him with ease. He didn't really know where he was going with this. The room wasn't big and if more police came in, it wouldn't be long before one of them finally caught him, if he didn't cause them an injury with his speed or spikes first. There were no windows in here but he could break down the door if only he got a clear shot of it. However, the biggest, burliest looking officer was barricading the door with his muscly frame and Sonic didn't really want to hurt anybody. The Inspector seemingly unfazed by the chaos around him, only ducking slightly whenever Sonic flew over his head, continued reading the charges.

"...antisocial behavior, harassment of the most inappropriate kind, taking of vehicles without consent..."

"Just stun him, dammit!" Sonic heard Berry growl.

The hero heard a high pitched whir followed by a click. Two pins attached to springy wire shot past him, just missing his right thigh. Too close, he thought, as electricity fizzed out on the floor. Another officer readied an electroshock gun.

"...reckless driving, driving without a license, driving under the influence of alcohol…"

He grimaced when another two pins shot out between his legs, just missing a very unmentionable area as he leapt over the table. Oh now this is harassment, he winced, panicking a little. It was only a matter of time before they got lucky with a shot.

"...and urinating in public."

"I what?!"

Sonic hesitated for a split second but that was long enough. The third shot hit him in the side and he went down, convulsing as approximately 1200 volts shot through his body.

In the few seconds it took for Sonic to regain control of his muscles, the five police officers had already jumped on him, securing his arms and legs with sturdy metal cuffs. The Inspector crouched down beside him and carried on with his legal babble.

"You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand, Sonic?"

Sonic groaned in response. The only thing he really understood was that he was in serious trouble. All this criminal terminology was giving him a headache.

Once satisfied he was sufficiently restrained, the officers dragged the hedgehog to his feet and lead him out of the room.

Sonic, feeling a little dazed, sick and weighed down with the metal restraints, decided he could do nothing right now but go along with his uniformed entourage. They escorted him down a couple of corridors to a quiet section of the police station and into a large room that contained what looked, to Sonic, like an electric chair.