The combots hauled Sonic between them through the hallway to the landing balcony. Sonic's green eyes shone, sharp and wild, his gaze flitting over the walls around him. He struggled to breathe.
His focus had pinpointed so hard, he could only concentrate on a few inches of space at a time. The hallway felt as if it was going to collapse in on him and Tails, and swallow him up. He kept trying to breathe, trying to relax.
Behind him, another combot dragged Tails. The fox kept his head bowed, his lips pinched together.
The doors to the balcony burst open and the air cruiser was there, waiting for them.
Sonic's gaze locked on the cruiser.
A shot of panic raced through him, blinding his pain and anger.
He had to find that weak spot soon, but he just hadn't seen it yet. His gaze darted over his surroundings—looking for anything—
He glanced behind him, back where Tails stood. He glimpsed his younger brother's shoulders heave as the fox sucked up a breath.
Sonic's eyes burned. If he made one wrong move, Tails would take it and Tails couldn't take much more. The combots had done what they could to get the fox in good enough condition to appear in court, but Tails would need serious medical attention soon. Or better yet, a healing ring.
They jerked him forward.
The combots carried Sonic inside the cruiser, then dropped him to his knees on the cabin floor. Sonic winced, the ECcord slicing deeper into his burning flesh. He took a deep breath and looked up to see one of the combots opening the lid of some sort of shiny black case, big enough to be the size of a small car. The case opened up like a clam shell to reveal a velvet-lined seat on the inside…a velvet-lined seat surrounded by thick restraint straps. Tubes hung inside the lid of the case and the combot pulled free some sort of face mask…
Sonic stared at the mask, his blood running cold.
He'd worn that before.
One of the combots behind them carried Tails into the cruiser. It dumped the fox on the floor in a corner of the cabin several feet away from Sonic. With a soft grunt, Tails set himself upright, then looked up. He froze.
The combot adjusted the straps and tubes connected to the mask, then walked over to Sonic.
Sonic lurched back, catching his breath. He whipped his bound legs out beneath him, speed on, and dove his heels into the floor of the cruiser. His body shot back into a combot standing behind him.
At the same moment, Tails threw himself out of line of his combot's crossfire, kicking back at it with all his might. He dove towards the cockpit and scrambled beneath the control panel.
Sonic bucked, and rolled backwards, adrenaline drowning out his pain. He hit another combot in the chest with his sneakers and sent it toppling backwards.
"Sonic!" Tails' shout rang out.
Sonic used his momentum to spin into a tight roll. He whipped into the cockpit and uncurled.
"Give me your legs!" Tails poked out from a mess of wires beneath the control panel, his eyes wide with urgency. His hands were free and he held a single prong plug.
Sonic blinked.
-How Tails had gotten his hands free, where the plug came from or what it belonged to, Sonic had no idea—
That was Tails for ya, though.
Sonic thrust his body towards Tails as the fox scrambled across the cockpit floor. Tails lunged out his arm, grappling for the electric socket on the ECcord around Sonic's ankles—
Neither one saw the combot arm reel around into side of Sonic's head.
Sonic toppled forward with a shout.
Tails yelped, jerking forwards towards his brother—when a second combot hand wrapped around his face, cutting him short.
The combot hauled Tails backwards by his chained tails, away from the cockpit desk controls, and pulled him into a crushing embrace.
The combots fell over Sonic, once again their metal hands snatching onto his arms and tunic and legs and spikes and tail.
Sonic writhed and spun—if he didn't make it out now, he would never make it out—
One of the combots snatched his jaw, gripping Sonic's head still. Sonic shouted, trying to wrench free as the combot pressed the mask up against the hedgehog's face.
Sonic closed his eyes. He tried to pull his head away, he growled, he spat.
The mask latched onto his head as if it were alive, and blacked out his vision. The mouthpiece grew forward, forcing itself through his lips, between his teeth, back into his mouth. He tried to hold his breath, but he'd been fighting too hard—he needed air—
He breathed in and the foam came with it. It filled his mouth, pressed up against the back of his throat, nearly cutting off his airflow all together.
From beneath the mask, Sonic's eyes widened in terror.
He was drowning.
The nose piece pushed into his nostrils, and a sweet smell cut into his brain.
He felt his weight drop and something hard hit his back. Velvet pressed around him, but in several seconds he couldn't feel it anymore. He couldn't feel anything.
Tails tried to scream. He clawed against the heavy metal limbs crushing the life from him, but it was no use. He watched, helpless, as the combots began to strap his brother's limp body into the velvet case, the mask clinging to Sonic's face like a mechanical spider.
They closed the case as the combot dropped Tails. The fox gasped, clutching at the steel bolts on the floor. Black spots stabbed at his vision and his world reeled.
He closed his eyes.
In his heart, he begged to give up. He begged to let it all end.
This isn't over yet, kid, Sonic's voice shouted in response, blaring in his mind. You better shut up, buck up, and get ready to move fast—
The fox tried to push himself up, but his arms gave way beneath him. He heard the combots walk around him to the cockpit as the thrusters burned louder. Grounder and some of the combots began to leave the cruiser.
Tails screwed his eyes shut harder, feeling the vibrations of the air cruiser through the floor.
"Autopilot destination and route confirmed," the air cruiser speaker announced. "Arriving in Robotropolis in thirty minutes."
This isn't over yet, kid.
Tails slowly opened his eyes. Dim light burned in them.
His hands were still free. He stared across the sheet metal floor at the black case that held Sonic trapped inside, analyzing every cut and curve of the structure. His gaze fixed on a mess of cords and tubing at the back of the case.
He lunged forward—
A combot hand snatched the scruff of his neck, its metal fingers gouging into his skin, and dragged him away from the case.
Tails let out a sharp, last gasp before going limp.
