Darkness Rising
Chapter 2:
Christmas Day
A sharp voice sounded her awake. "Slasher! Get up!." She opened her eyes and looked up. Through the blurring she could make out a small orange form. "What Tails?" she asked groggily.
Tails was nearly jumping with excitement in her hut. He grabbed her arm and tried to drag her out. "Cmon! Its time for the presents!" Slasher glanced at her clock sitting on one of the few small tables in her hut. 5:45 AM.
"Tails," Slasher paused to yawn loudly, "Its much too early. Go back to bed." Tails pulled on her arm again. "But Sonic and Sally are up!" Slasher's head came up sharply. "What!" Tails pulled again. He lost his grip in the process and falling on his rear with a grunt.
"Ouch." He stood up and rubbed his wound. He looked back at Slasher and all thoughts of his fall disappeared. "Why can't you get up if Sonic and Sally are?" Slasher groaned and leaned her head on the floor for a moment.
"Fine Tails, ill be up in a minute." With that she laid her head back down. Tails stood for a moment before grabbing her arm again. "Slasher!" he whined, "You said you'd get up!" Slasher sighed and pushed herself to her feet. She wobbled for a moment before her the rest of her body caught up with her feet.
The air instantly woke her when she stepped out. The perfect Christmas morning. The sun was just rising over the treetops, a blaze of hot orange against the white terrain. The air was cold and crisp, with smells of the forest invading her nose. She rubbed her eyes looked down to where Tails had stood seconds before. His footprints led to a nearby hut, whose door was ajar with two orange and white tails. Before long, Bunnie clanked out of her hut and into the snow. Too tired to do anything, she just walked to the main hut.
Slasher looked around, admiring the morning for a moment before heading to the main hut. She pushed open the door and found the rest of the freedom fighters up. Sonic's was seated at a nearby table, his head dropped from his hand every few seconds, only to be brought up before hitting the table. The process repeated itself.
Tails was seated on top of one table, his legs swinging back in forth and his ears fidgeting in anticipation. He glanced around every few moments, as if waiting for someone to tell him to open his presents.
In front of Tails, in the far corner of the hut, lay the presents. A medium size Christmas tree, decorated with various objects, stood over them. Sally glanced around the room. All eyes were on her, with one thought. She smiled briefly before saying, "All right, everyone grab their presents."
The hut turned to chaos. Everyone practically ran for the tree. Different voices echoed thorough the room.
"Here Sally! This one's for you!"
"Wow! I got a big one!"
"Sonic, do you see my presents?"
"No. Ow! Watch the corners!"
"Watch it! Don't knock over the tree!"
Slasher and Sally stood back from the group. Sally sighed and pushed her hair back. "Animals." The large raptor next to her glanced at Sally before replying, "I agree."
When most of the commotion wound down, the two ladies stepped forward to retrieve their presents. Slasher picked up three for herself. Obviously one was from Sonic. It had been covered in blue paper with red sneakers colored all over it. A makeshift ribbon and bow held the paper onto the present. She grinned and looked at the next one.
This present had to be from Tails. It was sloppily covered, with the bow tied wrong and the ribbon at an odd angle over the present. Just the right style for someone like him. She moved to the next package. It was very neatly wrapped, with a green bow and ribbon. The paper was pulled tight, and it felt rather light. She looked around for its giver.
Her eyes finally fell upon Sally. The princess stood with a few presents in her hands. She looked up and met Slasher's eyes. Both just smiled.
Slasher opened all three presents, paying careful attention not to rip the paper on the last one. Sonic had given her a picture frame. It had been welded together with different pieces of metal, with a triangular stand on the back. The frame had seven small gems set inside the frame. Each had a different color. She noticed that each corresponded to one of the emerald colors.
Tails had giver her, what else, a picture. He and Sonic where standing together at a ski lodge, Sonic's arm on Tails shoulder. Both held snowboards in their outside hands. They were appropriately colored. Behind them, in the snow, were two words. They had been made perfectly. No sloppiness or misspelled letters. Each letter was the correct size as the last one. It was obvious that great care had been taken to make them. It read, "Thanks Slasher." She wiped a tear away as she remembered their journey to the Ice Cap mountain range.
The last package contained a single sheet of thick paper. She flipped it over and read the words written there. It was an official document from the princess, making her part of the kingdom, as "Guardian".
Slasher looked up to see Sally standing before her. With one swift movement, the raptor embraced the princess in a tight hug. "Thank you Sally." She stepped back and bowed down. Sally, taken by surprise, stood shocked for a moment. She regained her composure and returned the bow.
Sally stood up, Slasher following her a half second later. Both turned to look over their presents a second time and talk with everyone else.
Slasher returned to her hut with her presents. She inserted the picture into the frame and set it on a small table near the window. She put the document inside the single drawer in that table.
She had just finished when a soft knock sounded at her door. She took a step and opened the door. Outside, Sonic held a small box in his hand. "Hey Slash, I found this beneath all the wrapping paper. I think its yours."
Slasher took the box and motioned Sonic to come in. Sonic stepped in and closed the door behind him. He sat down cross legged on the floor beside Slasher. Slasher laid down and opened the box. Inside was a small object. It was a gold cross. A single green stone sat in the middle.
Slasher stared for a moment before glancing at Sonic. The blue hedgehog returned the look. "Wow Slash, who gave it to you?"
Slasher looked down at the cross again. "A friend. I think."
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Elsewhere in the forest, at about the same time, someone else was celebrating Christmas. The fox sat beside a blazing fire, orange and red light glinting off his armor. A small animal, now beyond recognition, was roasting over the fire.
The fox took his sword and cut off a chunk of the animal. He sniffed it and took a bite. "Hmm. A few more minutes." With that he put his sword back up and lie back. It was a beautiful morning. The sky was a deep blue, with no clouds in sight. The air had warmed to just below freezing. Warm for this time of year. The entire forest was covered in snow from the snowstorm two days before.
The armored figure lie in the snow for several minutes. He abruptly sat up and removed the animal from atop the fire. Using his sword as a fork and knife, he carved his breakfast up and ate it. Half an hour later, the only sign of his being there was a smoldering fire under a pile of snow, and a few leftover bones.
The fox cruised over the top tree limbs at eighty miles per hour. He was full and enjoying his slow flight. Suddenly a warning light flashed into his view. He was being scanned! He cut his engine and dropped to the forest floor. He hit hard and rolled to the left behind a tree.
He activated his own scanners and aimed them around the forest. A few seconds later he was rewarded by a ping. He focused his scanners on it and a figure popped into his mind a second later. Data about it quickly followed.
It was a robot. He couldn't tell what kind, but he remembered his fight yesterday. He reached down and pulled his sword out. The metal shined a bright silver in the morning light. The robot was less than fifty yards away. His scanners couldn't determine the exact location.
He dashed to a nearby tree and peeked out. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, something moved off to his right. He whirled around to face the disturbance.
Nothing. No more movement. His scanners lost the signal as suddenly as they had found it. He crouched down into a fighting stance, his ears swiveled in their protective slots toward the front. He listened carefully, eyes glancing every few moments from one side to the other.
Then he heard it. A soft hum, like a small generator. He used his hearing to zero in on the sound. He waited a few seconds before yelling, "I know you're there! Come out now and I will not harm you!"
The reply was instant. "Fool! You think you can hurt me? I will show you what happens to those I don't like!"
From directly in front of him came a figure. It was obviously a robot. Its most noticeable feature was its resemblance to a hedgehog. Its armor and outer hull was a dark blue, with the top of its head swept up and back into several pointed spikes. Its "muzzle" was a light gray, with a small spiked nose. The arms, from the shoulder to the elbow, were a thin piece of gray metal. The lower arms to the wrist was much thicker, as if designed to deflect or block blows.
The palms of its hands were yellow. The fingers curved into sharp points at the end. No doubt they were as sharp as they looked. In the center of its body lie a single jet engine. It was currently in operation, propelling its owner six inches off the ground toward its victim. Its two read crescent eyes glowed brightly as it looked at its target.
The fox moved toward the oncoming robot. He brought his sword up above his head in preparation for his attack. The robot dodged right as the fox brought his sword down. The sword swiped the air a mere two inches from the robots body.
The robot flew thirty feet and landed in front of a tree. "Stupid fool! I am Metal Sonic! The greatest robot ever built! You cannot defeat me!"
The fox smirked under his helmet, "A little too confident aren't we. Why don't you come over here now, I just want to talk to you."
The robot would have bared his teeth if it had any. Instead, it lowered its head and charged, arms outstretched, fingers ready to do damage.
The fox jumped up and activated his own engine. He shot above the trees, Metal Sonic right behind him. The two combatants accelerated and gained altitude. At five thousand feet the fox turned sharply and headed towards Metal Sonic. He jink left, then right, then left again. Metal Sonic followed his movements precisely, all the while coming closer. At the last second before the two collided, Metal Sonic slashed out with his hands, catching air and continuing on.
The fox however, jinked upwards and slashed down with his sword. The sharp blade caught the robot on the left shoulder, leaving a large gash in the armor there.
Both figures turned and stopped. Each hovered for a moment. Metal Sonic surveyed his wound. Light damage to the armor, nothing major. He looked back at the fox hovering a few hundred feet away, his eyes getting brighter at the thought of the fox drawing first blood. He was determined to make it up.
Metal Sonic leaped forward, his engine whined with stress as it was red lined. The fox simply hovered there, letting the robot come closer. As it approached, the fox turned the right and moved backward a few feet. Metal Sonic turned slightly as his target moved. He put out his arms and aimed directly at the fox.
Metal Sonic got within ten feet before the fox reacted. Using unheard of reaction time, the fox reached out and grabbed the robots arm. He pulled and lay backwards in the air at the same time. His foot came up violently, catching Metal Sonic straight in his engine intake. The engine whined, sputtered, and died, its intake blocked by a large metal foot.
The fox swung the robot downward, pulling his foot out of the intake and sending Metal Sonic flying towards the ground. Now that its intake was cleared, Metal Sonic's engine sputtered a few times before turning itself back on. The robot pulled himself out of his nose dive and came to a stop a few hundred feet later.
He turned and glared back at the fox, his eyes burning a crimson red. He was about to attack again when his communicator received a message. Mecha's head turned slightly to the side as he listened to the message. After a few moments he replied, "Affirmative, I will return at once." With that he turned and fled the area.
The fox watched Metal Sonic leave, his mind wondering. Why had he been attacked? Why had the blue robot left? With his questions unanswered he headed to the nearest place that might have the answer. Knothole.
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Sonic paused at the edge of the Great Forest. Before him was the Great Plains. They stretched at least five miles from Robotropolis to the Great Forest. And that was at its thinnest point. It stretched for hundreds of miles, lining the western part of the Great Forest. The tree line made an excellent boundary. The plains came up, meeting the forest at a single line of trees. The boundary stretched for the entire length of the forest.
Sonic was out on a routine patrol. Although it was Christmas, Robotnik had been busy lately. Reports from uncle Chuck told them to be prepared for something big around the holidays.
Sonic had just completed his second to last leg of his patrol when he heard the familiar sound of a jet engine. He immediately ducked behind a tree and peeked out. For a few seconds nothing appeared. Suddenly, Mecha appeared over the treetops, his arms behind him and his body not quite flat. He was flying fast towards Robotropolis. Sonic, standing still behind a tree, was missed by the flying robot.
The blue hedgehog waited a few minutes until he was sure Metal Sonic had left the immediate area. He was about to leave for his last leg when he heard Tails voice.
"Sonic! Come quick!"
Sonic whirled around to see the small fox flying toward him at full speed. His mouth was open and his tongue hung out. As he approached, Sonic could hear him panting loudly.
"Sonic! I." Tails paused for a breath. "I saw Knuckles attacker!."
Tails fell beside Sonic, his small body heaved with each breath. Sonic picked him up and held him steady. "Whoa, you sure?" Tails turned and looked into Sonic's eyes, "Definitely, it was the same guy." Tails took a few more breaths. His breathing slowed a little and he continued.
"I saw him fly over. He wore armor and had a jet engine on his back."
Sonic thought for a second. "Which way was he headed?"
Tails eyes widened and he nearly yelled, "Straight towards Knothole!"
Sonic's mouth dropped and he stood for a moment. He regained himself a half second later and spoke. "Cmon Tails. We gotta get to Knothole before he does." With that Sonic blasted toward Knothole, his speed increasing every second. He held on to Tail's hand to keep him from falling behind. Behind him tails gasped for breath, he was having trouble keeping up and had never seen Sonic so panicked.
The two reached Knothole twenty second later. They entered the town and found the freedom fighters gathered around something. Sonic slowed and let go of Tails. The two tailed fox fell to the ground and gasped for breath. Sonic approached the group and entered the circle.
He gazed upon the figure in the middle in horror. It was Sally. A horrible burn marked her left shoulder. The wound had obviously been caused by a laser. The wound had not bled much because the laser cauterized it. However, the pain was immense and Sally was trying hard to keep from crying.
Slasher stood over her, cleaning the wound and applying some sort of gel. She appeared remarkably calm despite the ordeal. In a minute or two the wound had been cleaned and bandaged. Slasher picked up the wounded Sally and carried her to her hut. Sonic followed the whole way.
Slasher laid Sally on her bed. She turned to Sonic, whose eyes had teared up and threatened to spill over. She left the hut, closing the door behind her. She was immediately bombarded by questions.
"How is Sally!"
"Is she ok?"
"Is she going to die?"
Slasher looked down to see Tails. His eyes were teared and the fur on his face was wet from the tears. Slasher crouched down and took the small fox in her arms. "No Tails, Sally will be fine."
Trusting Slasher, Tails nodded and crawled out of her hands. He jumped to the ground and made a beeline for his hut.
The rest of the crowd, content with the fact that Sally would be fine, had gone off in small groups, muttering amongst themselves. All left Sally and Sonic alone.
A few hours later, a very angry hedgehog left Sally's hut. He immediately went to Slasher, who had volunteered to cook dinner.
"Slash," the blue hedgehog said, "What happened here?"
Slasher stirred something in a pot before turning to Sonic. "Well, I was down by the stream, watching Serena and Bunnie try to ice fish, when I heard a scream come from Knothole." She paused and turned the heat down on the oven before continuing. "I ran straight for the village. When I arrived I saw Sally some out of her hut and fire a laser pistol at someting."
Sonic cut in "It was him wasn't it. Knuckles' attacker. He did it didn't he!"
Slasher nodded. "Sally got off a few rounds before he could react. He then shot her and flew away."
Sonic had heard all he wanted to hear. He ran straight for his hut, leaving a high speed wind in his wake. He was not seen for the rest of the day.
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Metal fingers drummed one arm of the large chair. Seated in this chair was the most hated being on the planet. Dr. Ivo Robotnik. His body weight equaled that of the metal chair and his mustache reached out past his head. He was probably the fattest person on the planet also.
He swiveled around and continued drumming his fingers. His left arm was completely metal. An accident years ago, caused by Sonic the Hedgehog, had nearly caused him to lose his arm. However, the prototype robitcizer had just been perfected, with himself as the first test subject. He now literally ruled with an iron fist.
The double doors to the command center slid open to reveal a tiny human. His hair had all but fallen out, and his skin was pale from living years in the polluted city. When he spoke, his voice was high pitched and annoyed the listener like nails on a chalkboard.
"Dr. Robotnik, sir, Metal Sonic has just arrived."
The evil doctor turned his chair to face the door. "Send him directly to me Snively, and make it quick!"
The small human muttured a "Yes sir" before scurrying out into the hallway. He reappeared a few minutes with a blue robot behind him.
Dr. Robotnik looked over his creation. He noticed the gash in his shoulder and frowned. "I assume that the new battle software did not meet expectations."
Mecha Sonic looked up at his master and replied, "No, it was worse than my original programming. I wish to delete the files."
Robotnik stroked his mustache and pushed a button the arm of his chair. Two swatbots appeared in the doorway. "Swatbots," he bagan, "Assist Metal Sonic with his repairs."
The two robots saluted before following the robot hedgehog down the hall. The doors swished shut behind them.
"Snively, how is project C8 going?"
Snively brightened a little. He always liked to bring good news to his uncle. It usually kept him from injury for a few days. "Project C8 is ahead of schedule sir. Reports indicate that we will be finished within the week."
The large doctor swiveled towards one of the many monitors in the room. He smiled and pushed a few buttons on the arm of his chair. On screen flickered and changed, showing the face and body of a weasel. He was wearing a lab coat and looked to be exhausted. Behind him in the distance, several towers and pyramids towered into the sky. Every few moments, a pyramid or tower seemed to phase around. The onlookers didn't seem to notice.
"When will the project be finished Dr.?" asked Robotnik.
The weasel cowered down before answering, "We will be finished tomorrow Dr. Robotnik. I will have the transport bring you it before the New Year.
Robotnik reached up and stroked his mustache again. "Good. Oh, and doctor, I want you to personally bring it."
The scientist's face changed to horror just as the screen faded out. Robotnik turned to face Snively again. "In a few days Snively, I will have my ultimate weapon back! Imagine what I could've done with it had that blasted hedgehog not interfered!"
He laughed an evil laugh that echoed around the command center. Snively smiled and walked out of the room. He always like to see his uncle happy. Those few times that Robotnik was happy was what kept him alive.
A cleaning bot scurried out of the command center doors and down the hall. It nearly ran Snively over in its hurry. Snively picked himself up off the floor from where he had jumped to. "Stupid robots, never can do anything right." He muttered.
A few minutes later, the same cleaning robot scurried through a trap door in a junk pile. The top of it popped off and out climbed another robot hedgehog. However, this did not look dangerous. It had no weapons and its eyes glowed softly. This was Sonic's Uncle Chuck. He was one of the first people to be fully roboticized by robotnik. Quite ironical, considering he was the inventor of the machine.
He walked over to his desk and scribbled a note. He then folded it up and placed it inside a robot pigeon. The pigeon cooed softly before flying away on its pre-programmed flight path. Chuck pulled out a small disk and slid it into a makeshift computer. He began to type quickly. "I have to find out what Robotnik is up to. It seems to be dangerous. I only hope Sonic can stop him this time."
The hedgehog stayed at his computer for the rest of the day. He stopped once his next shift began. He hopped back into the cleaning bot and out the door after checking for swatbots.
Whatever Robotnik was up too, he had to be stopped. It was his job to gather all the information he could to help the freedom fighters.
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End Chapter 2
Chapter 2:
Christmas Day
A sharp voice sounded her awake. "Slasher! Get up!." She opened her eyes and looked up. Through the blurring she could make out a small orange form. "What Tails?" she asked groggily.
Tails was nearly jumping with excitement in her hut. He grabbed her arm and tried to drag her out. "Cmon! Its time for the presents!" Slasher glanced at her clock sitting on one of the few small tables in her hut. 5:45 AM.
"Tails," Slasher paused to yawn loudly, "Its much too early. Go back to bed." Tails pulled on her arm again. "But Sonic and Sally are up!" Slasher's head came up sharply. "What!" Tails pulled again. He lost his grip in the process and falling on his rear with a grunt.
"Ouch." He stood up and rubbed his wound. He looked back at Slasher and all thoughts of his fall disappeared. "Why can't you get up if Sonic and Sally are?" Slasher groaned and leaned her head on the floor for a moment.
"Fine Tails, ill be up in a minute." With that she laid her head back down. Tails stood for a moment before grabbing her arm again. "Slasher!" he whined, "You said you'd get up!" Slasher sighed and pushed herself to her feet. She wobbled for a moment before her the rest of her body caught up with her feet.
The air instantly woke her when she stepped out. The perfect Christmas morning. The sun was just rising over the treetops, a blaze of hot orange against the white terrain. The air was cold and crisp, with smells of the forest invading her nose. She rubbed her eyes looked down to where Tails had stood seconds before. His footprints led to a nearby hut, whose door was ajar with two orange and white tails. Before long, Bunnie clanked out of her hut and into the snow. Too tired to do anything, she just walked to the main hut.
Slasher looked around, admiring the morning for a moment before heading to the main hut. She pushed open the door and found the rest of the freedom fighters up. Sonic's was seated at a nearby table, his head dropped from his hand every few seconds, only to be brought up before hitting the table. The process repeated itself.
Tails was seated on top of one table, his legs swinging back in forth and his ears fidgeting in anticipation. He glanced around every few moments, as if waiting for someone to tell him to open his presents.
In front of Tails, in the far corner of the hut, lay the presents. A medium size Christmas tree, decorated with various objects, stood over them. Sally glanced around the room. All eyes were on her, with one thought. She smiled briefly before saying, "All right, everyone grab their presents."
The hut turned to chaos. Everyone practically ran for the tree. Different voices echoed thorough the room.
"Here Sally! This one's for you!"
"Wow! I got a big one!"
"Sonic, do you see my presents?"
"No. Ow! Watch the corners!"
"Watch it! Don't knock over the tree!"
Slasher and Sally stood back from the group. Sally sighed and pushed her hair back. "Animals." The large raptor next to her glanced at Sally before replying, "I agree."
When most of the commotion wound down, the two ladies stepped forward to retrieve their presents. Slasher picked up three for herself. Obviously one was from Sonic. It had been covered in blue paper with red sneakers colored all over it. A makeshift ribbon and bow held the paper onto the present. She grinned and looked at the next one.
This present had to be from Tails. It was sloppily covered, with the bow tied wrong and the ribbon at an odd angle over the present. Just the right style for someone like him. She moved to the next package. It was very neatly wrapped, with a green bow and ribbon. The paper was pulled tight, and it felt rather light. She looked around for its giver.
Her eyes finally fell upon Sally. The princess stood with a few presents in her hands. She looked up and met Slasher's eyes. Both just smiled.
Slasher opened all three presents, paying careful attention not to rip the paper on the last one. Sonic had given her a picture frame. It had been welded together with different pieces of metal, with a triangular stand on the back. The frame had seven small gems set inside the frame. Each had a different color. She noticed that each corresponded to one of the emerald colors.
Tails had giver her, what else, a picture. He and Sonic where standing together at a ski lodge, Sonic's arm on Tails shoulder. Both held snowboards in their outside hands. They were appropriately colored. Behind them, in the snow, were two words. They had been made perfectly. No sloppiness or misspelled letters. Each letter was the correct size as the last one. It was obvious that great care had been taken to make them. It read, "Thanks Slasher." She wiped a tear away as she remembered their journey to the Ice Cap mountain range.
The last package contained a single sheet of thick paper. She flipped it over and read the words written there. It was an official document from the princess, making her part of the kingdom, as "Guardian".
Slasher looked up to see Sally standing before her. With one swift movement, the raptor embraced the princess in a tight hug. "Thank you Sally." She stepped back and bowed down. Sally, taken by surprise, stood shocked for a moment. She regained her composure and returned the bow.
Sally stood up, Slasher following her a half second later. Both turned to look over their presents a second time and talk with everyone else.
Slasher returned to her hut with her presents. She inserted the picture into the frame and set it on a small table near the window. She put the document inside the single drawer in that table.
She had just finished when a soft knock sounded at her door. She took a step and opened the door. Outside, Sonic held a small box in his hand. "Hey Slash, I found this beneath all the wrapping paper. I think its yours."
Slasher took the box and motioned Sonic to come in. Sonic stepped in and closed the door behind him. He sat down cross legged on the floor beside Slasher. Slasher laid down and opened the box. Inside was a small object. It was a gold cross. A single green stone sat in the middle.
Slasher stared for a moment before glancing at Sonic. The blue hedgehog returned the look. "Wow Slash, who gave it to you?"
Slasher looked down at the cross again. "A friend. I think."
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Elsewhere in the forest, at about the same time, someone else was celebrating Christmas. The fox sat beside a blazing fire, orange and red light glinting off his armor. A small animal, now beyond recognition, was roasting over the fire.
The fox took his sword and cut off a chunk of the animal. He sniffed it and took a bite. "Hmm. A few more minutes." With that he put his sword back up and lie back. It was a beautiful morning. The sky was a deep blue, with no clouds in sight. The air had warmed to just below freezing. Warm for this time of year. The entire forest was covered in snow from the snowstorm two days before.
The armored figure lie in the snow for several minutes. He abruptly sat up and removed the animal from atop the fire. Using his sword as a fork and knife, he carved his breakfast up and ate it. Half an hour later, the only sign of his being there was a smoldering fire under a pile of snow, and a few leftover bones.
The fox cruised over the top tree limbs at eighty miles per hour. He was full and enjoying his slow flight. Suddenly a warning light flashed into his view. He was being scanned! He cut his engine and dropped to the forest floor. He hit hard and rolled to the left behind a tree.
He activated his own scanners and aimed them around the forest. A few seconds later he was rewarded by a ping. He focused his scanners on it and a figure popped into his mind a second later. Data about it quickly followed.
It was a robot. He couldn't tell what kind, but he remembered his fight yesterday. He reached down and pulled his sword out. The metal shined a bright silver in the morning light. The robot was less than fifty yards away. His scanners couldn't determine the exact location.
He dashed to a nearby tree and peeked out. He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, something moved off to his right. He whirled around to face the disturbance.
Nothing. No more movement. His scanners lost the signal as suddenly as they had found it. He crouched down into a fighting stance, his ears swiveled in their protective slots toward the front. He listened carefully, eyes glancing every few moments from one side to the other.
Then he heard it. A soft hum, like a small generator. He used his hearing to zero in on the sound. He waited a few seconds before yelling, "I know you're there! Come out now and I will not harm you!"
The reply was instant. "Fool! You think you can hurt me? I will show you what happens to those I don't like!"
From directly in front of him came a figure. It was obviously a robot. Its most noticeable feature was its resemblance to a hedgehog. Its armor and outer hull was a dark blue, with the top of its head swept up and back into several pointed spikes. Its "muzzle" was a light gray, with a small spiked nose. The arms, from the shoulder to the elbow, were a thin piece of gray metal. The lower arms to the wrist was much thicker, as if designed to deflect or block blows.
The palms of its hands were yellow. The fingers curved into sharp points at the end. No doubt they were as sharp as they looked. In the center of its body lie a single jet engine. It was currently in operation, propelling its owner six inches off the ground toward its victim. Its two read crescent eyes glowed brightly as it looked at its target.
The fox moved toward the oncoming robot. He brought his sword up above his head in preparation for his attack. The robot dodged right as the fox brought his sword down. The sword swiped the air a mere two inches from the robots body.
The robot flew thirty feet and landed in front of a tree. "Stupid fool! I am Metal Sonic! The greatest robot ever built! You cannot defeat me!"
The fox smirked under his helmet, "A little too confident aren't we. Why don't you come over here now, I just want to talk to you."
The robot would have bared his teeth if it had any. Instead, it lowered its head and charged, arms outstretched, fingers ready to do damage.
The fox jumped up and activated his own engine. He shot above the trees, Metal Sonic right behind him. The two combatants accelerated and gained altitude. At five thousand feet the fox turned sharply and headed towards Metal Sonic. He jink left, then right, then left again. Metal Sonic followed his movements precisely, all the while coming closer. At the last second before the two collided, Metal Sonic slashed out with his hands, catching air and continuing on.
The fox however, jinked upwards and slashed down with his sword. The sharp blade caught the robot on the left shoulder, leaving a large gash in the armor there.
Both figures turned and stopped. Each hovered for a moment. Metal Sonic surveyed his wound. Light damage to the armor, nothing major. He looked back at the fox hovering a few hundred feet away, his eyes getting brighter at the thought of the fox drawing first blood. He was determined to make it up.
Metal Sonic leaped forward, his engine whined with stress as it was red lined. The fox simply hovered there, letting the robot come closer. As it approached, the fox turned the right and moved backward a few feet. Metal Sonic turned slightly as his target moved. He put out his arms and aimed directly at the fox.
Metal Sonic got within ten feet before the fox reacted. Using unheard of reaction time, the fox reached out and grabbed the robots arm. He pulled and lay backwards in the air at the same time. His foot came up violently, catching Metal Sonic straight in his engine intake. The engine whined, sputtered, and died, its intake blocked by a large metal foot.
The fox swung the robot downward, pulling his foot out of the intake and sending Metal Sonic flying towards the ground. Now that its intake was cleared, Metal Sonic's engine sputtered a few times before turning itself back on. The robot pulled himself out of his nose dive and came to a stop a few hundred feet later.
He turned and glared back at the fox, his eyes burning a crimson red. He was about to attack again when his communicator received a message. Mecha's head turned slightly to the side as he listened to the message. After a few moments he replied, "Affirmative, I will return at once." With that he turned and fled the area.
The fox watched Metal Sonic leave, his mind wondering. Why had he been attacked? Why had the blue robot left? With his questions unanswered he headed to the nearest place that might have the answer. Knothole.
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Sonic paused at the edge of the Great Forest. Before him was the Great Plains. They stretched at least five miles from Robotropolis to the Great Forest. And that was at its thinnest point. It stretched for hundreds of miles, lining the western part of the Great Forest. The tree line made an excellent boundary. The plains came up, meeting the forest at a single line of trees. The boundary stretched for the entire length of the forest.
Sonic was out on a routine patrol. Although it was Christmas, Robotnik had been busy lately. Reports from uncle Chuck told them to be prepared for something big around the holidays.
Sonic had just completed his second to last leg of his patrol when he heard the familiar sound of a jet engine. He immediately ducked behind a tree and peeked out. For a few seconds nothing appeared. Suddenly, Mecha appeared over the treetops, his arms behind him and his body not quite flat. He was flying fast towards Robotropolis. Sonic, standing still behind a tree, was missed by the flying robot.
The blue hedgehog waited a few minutes until he was sure Metal Sonic had left the immediate area. He was about to leave for his last leg when he heard Tails voice.
"Sonic! Come quick!"
Sonic whirled around to see the small fox flying toward him at full speed. His mouth was open and his tongue hung out. As he approached, Sonic could hear him panting loudly.
"Sonic! I." Tails paused for a breath. "I saw Knuckles attacker!."
Tails fell beside Sonic, his small body heaved with each breath. Sonic picked him up and held him steady. "Whoa, you sure?" Tails turned and looked into Sonic's eyes, "Definitely, it was the same guy." Tails took a few more breaths. His breathing slowed a little and he continued.
"I saw him fly over. He wore armor and had a jet engine on his back."
Sonic thought for a second. "Which way was he headed?"
Tails eyes widened and he nearly yelled, "Straight towards Knothole!"
Sonic's mouth dropped and he stood for a moment. He regained himself a half second later and spoke. "Cmon Tails. We gotta get to Knothole before he does." With that Sonic blasted toward Knothole, his speed increasing every second. He held on to Tail's hand to keep him from falling behind. Behind him tails gasped for breath, he was having trouble keeping up and had never seen Sonic so panicked.
The two reached Knothole twenty second later. They entered the town and found the freedom fighters gathered around something. Sonic slowed and let go of Tails. The two tailed fox fell to the ground and gasped for breath. Sonic approached the group and entered the circle.
He gazed upon the figure in the middle in horror. It was Sally. A horrible burn marked her left shoulder. The wound had obviously been caused by a laser. The wound had not bled much because the laser cauterized it. However, the pain was immense and Sally was trying hard to keep from crying.
Slasher stood over her, cleaning the wound and applying some sort of gel. She appeared remarkably calm despite the ordeal. In a minute or two the wound had been cleaned and bandaged. Slasher picked up the wounded Sally and carried her to her hut. Sonic followed the whole way.
Slasher laid Sally on her bed. She turned to Sonic, whose eyes had teared up and threatened to spill over. She left the hut, closing the door behind her. She was immediately bombarded by questions.
"How is Sally!"
"Is she ok?"
"Is she going to die?"
Slasher looked down to see Tails. His eyes were teared and the fur on his face was wet from the tears. Slasher crouched down and took the small fox in her arms. "No Tails, Sally will be fine."
Trusting Slasher, Tails nodded and crawled out of her hands. He jumped to the ground and made a beeline for his hut.
The rest of the crowd, content with the fact that Sally would be fine, had gone off in small groups, muttering amongst themselves. All left Sally and Sonic alone.
A few hours later, a very angry hedgehog left Sally's hut. He immediately went to Slasher, who had volunteered to cook dinner.
"Slash," the blue hedgehog said, "What happened here?"
Slasher stirred something in a pot before turning to Sonic. "Well, I was down by the stream, watching Serena and Bunnie try to ice fish, when I heard a scream come from Knothole." She paused and turned the heat down on the oven before continuing. "I ran straight for the village. When I arrived I saw Sally some out of her hut and fire a laser pistol at someting."
Sonic cut in "It was him wasn't it. Knuckles' attacker. He did it didn't he!"
Slasher nodded. "Sally got off a few rounds before he could react. He then shot her and flew away."
Sonic had heard all he wanted to hear. He ran straight for his hut, leaving a high speed wind in his wake. He was not seen for the rest of the day.
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Metal fingers drummed one arm of the large chair. Seated in this chair was the most hated being on the planet. Dr. Ivo Robotnik. His body weight equaled that of the metal chair and his mustache reached out past his head. He was probably the fattest person on the planet also.
He swiveled around and continued drumming his fingers. His left arm was completely metal. An accident years ago, caused by Sonic the Hedgehog, had nearly caused him to lose his arm. However, the prototype robitcizer had just been perfected, with himself as the first test subject. He now literally ruled with an iron fist.
The double doors to the command center slid open to reveal a tiny human. His hair had all but fallen out, and his skin was pale from living years in the polluted city. When he spoke, his voice was high pitched and annoyed the listener like nails on a chalkboard.
"Dr. Robotnik, sir, Metal Sonic has just arrived."
The evil doctor turned his chair to face the door. "Send him directly to me Snively, and make it quick!"
The small human muttured a "Yes sir" before scurrying out into the hallway. He reappeared a few minutes with a blue robot behind him.
Dr. Robotnik looked over his creation. He noticed the gash in his shoulder and frowned. "I assume that the new battle software did not meet expectations."
Mecha Sonic looked up at his master and replied, "No, it was worse than my original programming. I wish to delete the files."
Robotnik stroked his mustache and pushed a button the arm of his chair. Two swatbots appeared in the doorway. "Swatbots," he bagan, "Assist Metal Sonic with his repairs."
The two robots saluted before following the robot hedgehog down the hall. The doors swished shut behind them.
"Snively, how is project C8 going?"
Snively brightened a little. He always liked to bring good news to his uncle. It usually kept him from injury for a few days. "Project C8 is ahead of schedule sir. Reports indicate that we will be finished within the week."
The large doctor swiveled towards one of the many monitors in the room. He smiled and pushed a few buttons on the arm of his chair. On screen flickered and changed, showing the face and body of a weasel. He was wearing a lab coat and looked to be exhausted. Behind him in the distance, several towers and pyramids towered into the sky. Every few moments, a pyramid or tower seemed to phase around. The onlookers didn't seem to notice.
"When will the project be finished Dr.?" asked Robotnik.
The weasel cowered down before answering, "We will be finished tomorrow Dr. Robotnik. I will have the transport bring you it before the New Year.
Robotnik reached up and stroked his mustache again. "Good. Oh, and doctor, I want you to personally bring it."
The scientist's face changed to horror just as the screen faded out. Robotnik turned to face Snively again. "In a few days Snively, I will have my ultimate weapon back! Imagine what I could've done with it had that blasted hedgehog not interfered!"
He laughed an evil laugh that echoed around the command center. Snively smiled and walked out of the room. He always like to see his uncle happy. Those few times that Robotnik was happy was what kept him alive.
A cleaning bot scurried out of the command center doors and down the hall. It nearly ran Snively over in its hurry. Snively picked himself up off the floor from where he had jumped to. "Stupid robots, never can do anything right." He muttered.
A few minutes later, the same cleaning robot scurried through a trap door in a junk pile. The top of it popped off and out climbed another robot hedgehog. However, this did not look dangerous. It had no weapons and its eyes glowed softly. This was Sonic's Uncle Chuck. He was one of the first people to be fully roboticized by robotnik. Quite ironical, considering he was the inventor of the machine.
He walked over to his desk and scribbled a note. He then folded it up and placed it inside a robot pigeon. The pigeon cooed softly before flying away on its pre-programmed flight path. Chuck pulled out a small disk and slid it into a makeshift computer. He began to type quickly. "I have to find out what Robotnik is up to. It seems to be dangerous. I only hope Sonic can stop him this time."
The hedgehog stayed at his computer for the rest of the day. He stopped once his next shift began. He hopped back into the cleaning bot and out the door after checking for swatbots.
Whatever Robotnik was up too, he had to be stopped. It was his job to gather all the information he could to help the freedom fighters.
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End Chapter 2
