That same day, within a matter of an hour, Tom had gotten the three hedgehog triplets out of the garage and had the three all sat on the counter, Tom comparing the blue quill to Sonic, seeing it was an exact match in terms of shade of blue.
"Huh...the blue one's the Blue Devil..." Tom comments. "Guess the other two are the Pink Speedster and Green Demon he reported seeing."
Tom walked over and grabbed his phone. Was he really about to report what he's found to Crazy Carl? He didn't have much of a choice. Especially since he sorta owes it to Carl. However, when he turned around, the three had already gotten up.
"D-Doughnut Lord?" Sonic comments, still dazed
"You can talk? You aren't here to abduct me, are you?" TOm comments
The three looked at each other before looking back at Tom as Manic said, "You were the one who abducted US."
"Okay, that's a fair point." Tom commented. "What are you? Why were you hiding out in my garage?"
"W-We needed somewhere safe. You were the first person I could think of, Doughnut Lord." Sonic comments
"Why do you keep calling me Doughnut Lord?" Tom questions
"Because you literally talk to doughnuts." Sonia comments. "That's why he keeps calling you that."
"Exactly. And then you eat them if they get out of line." Sonic adds
"Again, fair." Tom commented in response
Sonic looekd around before saying, "Waitwaitwait, where are all the mushrooms? Why are we still on Earth-Oh no! I lost the rings!"
"Rings?" Tom comments, confused
That's when there was a low rumbling heard.
"What's going on? Is this your mothership?" Tom questioned as he walked over to a window. "I'm not in the mood to get probed!"
"You think you're worried?! Manic and I aren't even wearing pants!" Sonic responds
Tom peeked out the window, raising an eyebrow at the sight of the large black 18-wheel truck pulling up outside at the end of the driveway.
"What the?" Tom mutters
Sonic jumped a little and closed the curtains.
"They're coming for us!" Sonic yelped
"Who's coming for you? What's this got to do with me?!" Tom comments
"I don't know, but you gotta help us!" Manic comments
"No I don't!" Tom responds before seeing the look the three space hedgehogs were giving him. "Why?"
"Well, basically, what happened in the garage made us loose something important and my legs which NORMALLY would be classified as lethal weapons feel like ramen noodles." Sonic comments. "You need to help us. Please...it's life or death."
Tom thought before sighing and commenting, "Okay, fine, come with me."
Manic and Sonia go to follow Tom, but Sonic fell flat on his face.
"Uh...a little help?" Sonic calls out
When getting the three up to the attic, Tom started going back down to the main floor.
"Okay, you three stay up here and remain silent, okay? I don't want to hear a single noise from you while trying to take care of whoever's out there." Tom says, shutting the attic
The three hedgehog siblings looked at each other.
Back at the front door, Tom stepped out onto the porch and saw that Robotnik was by the mailbox.
"Hello there!" Tom calls out, catching Robotnik's attention. "Can I...help you?"
Robotnik stood up and brushed off his coat and walked towards Tom.
"Good morning, my rural chum." Robotnik says. "I'm from the power company investigating the blackout."
Robotnik then stepped up to the porch.
"If you don't mind, i'd like to take a few readings inside your house." Robotnik adds
"Oh, no kidding? You're from the power company?" Tom comments. "Then you must know my buddy Spencer, we used to play softball together."
"A, Spence...he's a good man." Robotnik says, continuing this false facade just to be able to get inside Tom's place and look around
"Come right in, take all the readings you need. Except one thing." Tom comments, blocking Robotnik's entry. Don't the power company usually take their readings from outside the house? As a precaution in case the house owner isn't home? Also, my buddy Spencer works for the gas company and he's more of an ultimate frisbee guy. SO, you wanna tell me why you think i'm dumb enough to just let you walk right inside my house? And without a warrant if it's a law related issue?"
Robotnik put a hand behind his back and pushed a few buttons on his glove and drones exited his truck through various means.
"I'm sorry, Mister..." Robotnik starts
"Wachowski." Tom responds. "But everybody calls me Tom. Except y dentist, he calls me Tim. But it's gone on for so long, well, it'd be weird if I corrected him."
"Well, Tom who's dentist calls him Tim, you may have noticed this ENTIRE TOWN has been experiencing a power outage." Robotnik says, taking a few steps back
"Yep, no lights, picked up on that one." Tom comments
A few drones entered Tom's house through various windows and chimneys.
"20 minutes ago, I tracked an energy pulse with a similar signature to the one that caused that disruption." Robotnik explains
In the attic, the three hedgehogs hid behind a few boxes and crates as the drones began scanning.
"Listen, uh, Mr..." Tom starts
"Doctor. Doctor Robotnik." Robotnik intercepts. "But my dentist calls me Rob."
"Look, uh, Dr. Robotskies...i'm sure what you are here for is very serious, but it's got nothing to do with me, you can ask anyone in town." Tom comments. "Everyone knows me."
"I bet they do." Robotnik comments. "I'm sure you're HELLA popular with the Jebs and Merls and Billy-Bobs of this glorified gas station rest stop. I bet you go way back to the days of tippin cows and playing in a jug band!"
Tom rose an eyebrow at Robotnik's over-the-top behavior.
"And maybe some day, you'll achieve your dreams of getting a Costco card, or adopting a Laberdoodle." Robotnik says as he got closer to Tom. "But the reality is...I surpassed EVERYTHING YOU'RE EVER GOING TO DO before I was even 4 years old."
Tom rose an eyebrow.
"I was spitting out formulas while you were still spitting up formula." Robotnik adds
"I was breast-fed, actually." Tom responds
"Nice. Rub that in my orphan face why don't you?" Robotnik comments. "Mr. Wachowski, are you familiar with US Code 904 Title 10 Article 104?"
Tom nodded and tried to speak but Robotnik cuts him off.
"ANYONE who attempts to aid an enemy of the United States shall suffer DEATH." Robotnik stated. "But if i'm the one that catches you...it'll be even worse."
"Worse than death?" Tom scoffed
Back up in the attic, the hedgehog triplets were all having to curl up into balls in order to try to hide.
"Okay, blending in like a ball, just a normal ball." Sonic comments. "Stop talking. You be quiet, Sonic, no YOU be quiet, Sonic!"
"Would you shut up?" Sonia comments. "Now's not the time for that."
"I hope they don't try to scan us for X-rays." Manic comments. "I have kind of an embarrassing lunge."
Sonic was trying his best not to freak out as the drones were getting closer. However, he couldn't help himself.
"I'M FREAKING OUT!" Sonci comments
He fell out of the ball stack, Manic and Sonia followign due to gravitational force and the stairs from the attic opened up.
"Why doesn't he have his staircase carpeted?!" Sonic questions as they then bumped into the counter
The crashing prompted a few pans to clank together and outside on the porch, both Tom and Robotnik heard the clanking.
"Old pipes." TOm comments
"Yeah, probably just the house settling in. NOTHING TO SEE HERE!" Robotnik says, turnign around and shoving Tom out of the way and storming into Tom's house, Tom following, only for the two to find a raccoon eating some cake that was left out
Robotnik shook a bit, somewhat ticked off.
"Here's the thing...i'm NEVER wrong." Robotnik says
"Welp, first time for everything, I guess." Tom comments after patting Robotnik's back as the raccoon left the house through the dog door. "Would you like some cake? I hear that they have the cleanest mouths of any animal that routinely eats literal garbage."
Robotnik turned to walk off. However, he stopped at a side table, making Tom raise an eyebrow, that is until Robotnik turned around, holding the quill from Sonic.
"Look at that, I was right." Robotnik comments, gesturing to his face. "Note the lack of surprise. Shall we try this again?"
Robotnik began whistling ominously as a drone came in through the attic, the three hedgehog triplets watching form under the counter.
"I'm going to give you five SECONDS to tell me where what this quill came from is and anything else you have like it." Robotnik stated. "5..."
"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about." Tom comments
"4..." Robotnik counted down
"Look, bud, i'm a cop and its' a federal offense to threaten an officer, regardless if they are armed or not." Tom stated
"How can you threaten somebody who never existed?" Robotnik responds. "3..."
Sonia looked at her brothers.
"We gotta do something, you two! We can't let that crazed madman hurt him!" Sonia says in a whisper
Tom remained silent still.
"Come on! Run your brain!" Robotnik said as the drone aimed at Tom, priming it's weapons. "You might be able to come up with some lame excuse to go on living in 2...1..."
Before Robotnik could give the drone the cue to open fire on Tom, Sonic groaned and bolted out, arms up as the other hedgehogs peeked out as well.
"Wait!" Sonic shouts. "Don't hurt him."
At the sight of the space hedgehog, Robotnik screamed, giving Tom the chance to deck him in the face and fall to the ground. Just before the drone opened fire, Tom ducked behind the counter and made sure the three hedgehogs were there as well.
"This feels a bit excessive, don't you think?" Sonia comments
Soon, the drone had run out of ammo. Tom peeked out before saying, "Stay behind me."
However, Manic looked back and saw Sonic was gone.
"Sonic's gone!" Manic exclaimed
Tom groaned a little before peeking out and seeing Sonic carefully climbing a shelf behind the drone, getting ready to jump. Tom shook his head to try to convince Sonic NOT to jump onto the drone, but that didn't stop him.
Sonic made the jump and landed on the done as it began spinnign around and shooting, the other three ducking.
"Don't worry, I got it right where I want it!" Sonic says. "Can you believe Amazon wants to deliver packages with these things?!"
Tom reached up for a dog bowl or something to whack the drone with, but he couldn't find anything. Sonia got an idea and used her medallion to summon her keytiuar/keyboard and put it into it's laser rifle mode.
"I'm gonna puke!" Sonic comments
The drone ran out of ammo and Sonia shot the drone, making it all down and Tom caught Sonic as Sonia reverted her keytiuar laser rifle back to her medallion and put it around her neck.
"Come on, we need to get out of here!" Tom says as they ran out and over to Tom's truck and got in as fast as they can, Sonic being too dizzy to even talk
Just as they all got in and Tom drove off, Agent Stone arrived. Out of instinct, he walked in and saw Robotnik on the floor and went to get him back up.
"Doctor." Agent Stone said as he rushed over and helped Robotnik up. "I just saw some people race out of here and thought that I-" Stone started
"That you should have stopped them?" Robotnik interrupted. "Open your mouth...and say that you thought you should have stopped them."
"No I thought that I should come and see if you were okay. cause they kind of were in a hu-" Agent Stone started to clarify until Robotnik grabbed him by the tongue and pulled him close
"You wanna know the problem with being the smartest person in the world?" Robotnik asked
"Everyone else is stupid." The two said at the same time
"That's right, way to go, you got it." Robotnik said as he let go of Agent Stone's tongue and rubbed his hand on Agent Stone's suit to dry off the saliva from touching his tongue.
"Whatever these creatures are, our job is to SECURE them, neutralize them, UNCOVER THE SOURCE OF THEIR POWER." Robotnik started as he smirked a little. "And if one resists, we take it apart...piece by piece..." he adds as he put on his busted sunglasses. "...and see what makes them tick."
Robotnik sighed.
"Stone?" Robotnik called
"Yes, doctor?" Agent Stone replied
"Call Optical Illusions. Tell them I need new frames. They know what kind I like." Robotnik said as he took off his glasses and tossed them to the side and walked to the door. "Oh, and bring that quill." he added as he pointed at the quill from Sonic he had dropped
"Yes, doctor." Stone replies as he kneels down to pick up the quill