Second chapter, everyone! Time for some review responses!

Awareness Bringer: Thanks, and you're welcome! As for the word count, we'll see.

Chapter 2

Unnamed Bunker - 4:34 PM

"So.. They got you too, huh?"

This statement came out of Sonic's mouth as he numbly stared at other blue hedgehog, who, minus the large grey beard, was essentially the splitting image of the younger one, if Sonic was at least fifty years older.

Charles The Hedgehog was an esteemed inventor, who came up with all sorts of ingenious machines and devices. More than that, he was Sonic's uncle, and practically a second father to the younger azure Mobian. One day Charles had gone on a trip overseas and never came back. After a long and fruitless search, the hedgehog was presumed dead and Mobius mourned the loss of one of its great innovators. Sonic himself still remembered Chuck giving him a few words of advice before he had gone on that fateful trip to oblivion. They had chattered excitedly, hugged and then said their goodbyes, not knowing of the fact that the older one wouldn't be coming back.

So, naturally, their little reunion had been pretty emotional- Sonic's smug and cocky facade had all but shattered as he all but pounced into the older one's outstretched arms for a teary-eyed hug. After spending a good three minutes in the embrace, they'd broken out of the hug and Sonic had been shown a large mirror, sighing in relief at the fact that he was still as organic as ever.

He had then promptly choked on the same sigh when he actually took a good look at himself. There were reddish-tinted bandages on his legs and burns all over his body, and his fur was more black and brown than blue due to the abundance of singed fur and blood caked on his quills. In all, he looked terrible. However, the most abnormal part of his appearance was the metallic, diamond-shaped object in his chest.

The hedgehog's uncle had briefly explained that the bomb's explosion had sent quite a bit of shrapnel into his body. Whilst Charles had managed to extract the metallic bits from Sonic's legs and other areas, he could only do so much about the shrapnel that got into his chest. Apparently, the chest-thing was a magnet to keep the bits from entering his heart.

It was cool that he wasn't going to die just yet, but it was still unnerving.

"I'm afraid so, my boy," stated Chuck, "I was knocked out and abducted by the Jackal Squad. For years now, they've been forcing me to build weapons for a.. human. A human called Robotnik."

At the mention of the name Robotnik, Sonic stiffened, the breath hitching up in his throat.

Suddenly, everything, from the random hedgehog-hating egg drones and the jackals, to the bomb and the kidnapping- all made sense.

"Sonny?" came the voice of his uncle, evidently sensing something wrong.

"I know him." Sonic suddenly said. "Robotnik, I mean."

A hairy brow raised in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah, I... met him back on South Island. Long story short, he tried to kill me." The younger one said quickly.

When Sonic first encountered Robotnik, the human had just suddenly appeared, kidnapping the feral and sapient denizens of South Island and trapping them in killing machines to serve as organic power sources. Only Sonic had been able to stand up against this, and the hedgehog essentially had singlehandedly fought a guerrilla war against the mad doctor and his mechanical abominations.

As a result, stating that Robotnik had tried to kill him was a bit inaccurate- In all actuality, the human had hunted the hedgehog down to have him terminated with the utmost prejudice. Sonic had almost ended up impaled, drowned, filled with lead, squished to bits, blown to ashes by whatever new weapon Robotnik decided to test on him, and other very grim possibilities he didn't want to think about.

Chuck's expression darkened for a moment before he then- thankfully, changed the subject.

"How's your folks? Jules? Bernadette?"

Sonic's mood plummeted even further at the question of his parents and he slumped into the bed of his cell, morosely looking down at his shoe-less feet.

"Gone. They died in a car crash."

The hedgehog felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to find his uncle's features twisted in sadness.

"Sorry, my boy."

"It's alright," stated Sonic, switching to the matter at hand and bringing his old cocky bravado to the surface, "We'll have time for apologies after we get outta here."

To his surprise, however, the elder one didn't share his enthusiasm, shaking his head with a sad smile.

"Believe me, sonny, I've thought about it. I've even tried. But every time I tried, I failed."

"But-"

"Zero, the leader of the Jackal Squad, has his members and Robotnik's machines prowling at every corner. Escape is quite impossible, my boy."

At the older one's apologetic tone, Sonic didn't respond, just silently taking the situation in.

If he stayed, the hedgehog would likely spend the rest his days in captivity- assuming Robotnik didn't decide to outright have him killed for being such a thorn in his side all those years ago.

If he tried to escape, he would have to navigate the bunker with no idea of its interior, and also get jumped by a mob of sword-toting jackals and robots who undoubtedly belonged to Robotnik.

In all, both options seemed pretty bad. The younger of the hedgehogs was still debating this when the door to the cell-room opened and in came a jackal. The black-and-white-furred mobian held a sword casually beside him as he entered- and Sonic, by way of memory, identified him as the apparent leader of the Jackal Squad.

"Hedgehogs," spoke Zero, staring at them in a bored tone, "Pack your bags. We're moving the prisoner in three days. Robotnik wants to deal with.. 'Sonic' personally."

So that homicidal roboticist wanted to take a more hands-on approach? Sonic filed that away for later. As it stood, however...

"I didn't know we had bags." quipped Sonic, arms crossed flippantly as he tested the chain which bound his foot to the bed. The jackal turned to look directly at the hedgehog, allowing the latter to get a full view of the scar that stretched down his left eye.

"You'd best watch your tone, hedgehog, before you say something you might regret." Zero coolly replied, his sword glinting the light.

Sonic smirked, for his captor had taken the bait. "I don't think I'd regret it very much."

Zero responded with an intense glare. Not one to be deterred, Sonic stared back- two could play that game.

Their little staring contest continued, neither one going to back down. Charles just sent concerned glances at them both, worrying for his nephew's safety.

Eventually, the leader of the Jackal Mooks just scoffed, turning around and walking out of the room, the door slamming shut as he left.

"Man, can you believe that guy?" Sonic remarked, turning to his uncle, who still looked rather shocked. "By the way, about our escape plans..?"

The boy's uncle sighed heavily, but Sonic contìnued. "You couldn't leave because there was only one of us."

Being a worker at the bunker for so long and having attempted so many escapes meant that Uncle Chuck likely knew a good amount about the bunker's layout. Add Sonic's remarkable abilities to the equation along with some good timing, and they'd hopefully be out in a jiffy.

As it was, however, his uncle just stared at his nephew in confusion. A determined look came over Sonic's features as he elaborated on his thoughts..