A metal hand slammed hard against the front door of the shack. The hut shook.
Sonic's tail perked up from where he lay in a ball-shaped heap on the top of his hammock. His ears flattened and he winced, pulling his head out of his ball. Pain raked down his throat.
He realized what day it was and what he had to do.
For a sickening moment, he didn't think he could do it. He wanted to go back to sleep. Or die.
Sonic opened his green eyes. He took a deep breath, uncurled, and jumped down from the hammock.
A second knock started at the back door. "Open up, rodents!" called an automated voice.
Sonic paused in a mid-crouch on the floor, glaring at the back door.
Tails groaned from the bottom hammock, still buried under his tails, his eyes closed. "I'll get the back door." he mumbled.
Sonic stared at his brother for a second, eyes bright.
This was a bad day to be separated.
The pounding on the front door slammed harder.
Sonic stood up and marched through their front room and kitchen, his jaw set and fists clenched. He flung the door open, the whole thing nearly falling off its hinges. Morning light streaked into the room. Sonic crossed his arms and stood feet apart, facing his escort—a robot.
The robot was one of Eggman's, not Robotnik's. Designed for creativity's sake. The word "scratch" ran down its thick torso and metal sheets shot in and out of its arms as if they were feathers. It had a hose-like, flexible neck, with a bird-shaped head perched on the end of it. Its eyes looked like dead bolts set in red sockets.
Sonic's muscles bunched up and his ears flicked forward, waiting for any sign of upcoming arrest.
"Morning, hedgehog," the robot before him snaked its head down to Sonic's level. "Today's another special day!" His mouth didn't actually move. The words came from a speaker in his chest.
Sonic rocked his weight onto one heel and lifted his chin. "Aw, someone having a birthday?"
The robot's hand shot up, snatching onto Sonic's jaw and swollen neck.
Sonic gasped, grunting in pain.
Scratch rattled him, his fingers pinching and biting into Sonic's neck. "Now, rodent, we're not going to play games today. We're going to go to Doctor Ivo Nikolos, your benevolent master."
Sonic's eyes burned. He had to resist every urge not to kick the robot's arm off and rip the hand away.
But he'd learned over the past three years. If he didn't take it now, someone else would later. He was just waiting for the day when he could turn Scratch into a can opener.
He waved a hand and shrugged the best he could. "Sure, man, no biggie, just fooling around," he gritted out.
"Now you're not going to talk," Scratch thrust Sonic back, releasing him.
Sonic caught himself before he fell, clenching his teeth.
"You have ten minutes to get ready, and you better have all thirty rings," Scratch said.
Sonic glared, but turned to obey, tossing his head.
He passed Tails on the way back to the bedroom, the fox rushing to appease his own robot at the back door. Grounder—a hulking thing with treads and a long nose, who took Tails to work every day. The two Mobians exchanged glances as they passed, Tails' eyes burning.
Here went nothing.
Sonic smirked at him.
"Where's the geezer?" Scratch crawed from the other room. "I could use a polish."
Wow, thank you so much for the follows and favorites and reviews! :-D Getting those made my week! :-) I'll try to upload a little more consistently now. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!
~Connie
