Knuckles was awaken by a mechanical moan. The hands around him were moving. He didn't know what time it was, but obviously the time Tails had set for breakfast. He saw as the mechanical hands reached in the boxes below and pulled out some materials to make a bowl of cereal.
"It's not much, but at least Tails was smart enough to put something like that in this contraption." he thought to himself
[It's poison! Don't eat it!]
"What?!" Knuckles looked around. He was sure he had heard a voice..."Who's there?!" he yelled
[It's only me, Knuckles.] The voice echoed through the underground prison
"What do you mean? Who are you?!"
[It's you Knuckles.]
"Huh..what? Show yourself!"
[I'm you, Knuckles. You're talking to yourself.]
Knuckles closed his eyes tightly "GO away! Leave me alone!"
[No matter whar you want to think, Knuckles. They're all against you. This is a trap. They're going to kill you when you are weak.]
"No they wouldn't do that! They're my friends! They're trying to help me!"
[How do you know that? The SAID they were off to go help you but I know for a fact that they're just thinking of a creative way to kill you.]
"Liar! You're lying!"
[Knuckles! I'm suprised at you! You don't trust me at all?]
"You're just a figment of my imagination! Go away! Now! Go!"
[Fine. I will. But I want to tell you that you will regret not listening to me. I swear on my life. You will regret it.]
The voice was gone..what had it been? He thought he must be going mad being in seclusion, but he would not pay any more attention and go on with breakfast
_______________________________________________________________________
Sonic and Tails had gotten to Prison Island later than expected. They had to sleep in the Tornado, without being spotted. But when Tails awoke that morning. No sign of anything on that island. Hopefully they were gonna be in, out and on with their lives...yup everything was smooth sailin'...at least it would be...when Sonic woke up.
"Sonic.." He whispered as he shoved him to the side "Come on, Sonic. If you don't get an early start we'll probably get caught."
Sonic pushed Tails to the side roughly "Leave me alone, I need sleep.."
"Fine!" Tails yelled back "I know that when the world ends I'm not the one to blame!"
"Okay okay, fine!" Sonic grumbled, sitting up "Geez, all work and no play makes Tails a dull boy."
Tails rolled his eyes "Come on, let's get going."
They hid the Tornado under a cliff and set off into the secluded forest that was Prison Island. Tails was the one who was there, so Sonic had to trust Tails. Tails, on the other hand remembered almost exactly direction Eggman had headed after the battle, but after that he didn't know anything else. He knew Sonic didn't have very much faith in him, so he continued like he would if he knew every step of the way. Sonic walked behind him with his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky boredly.
"Tails.." Tails didn't turn around, he knew some smart alec remark was coming up "TAILS!"
Tails turned around so quickly he made Sonic jump "What, Sonic?! What do you want?!"
Sonic looked in shock at his two-tailed partner, but then chuckled. He loved to bust his chops. "Are we there yet?"
"Grrr.." Tails hated Sonic when he was like this. If only he had his mech to stomp the hedgehog down, he had a right mind to go down to that cliff and get it. "What do you think?"
"I don't know, Tails." Sonic smirked "You're the little tour guide, you tell me."
"We're close." Tails turned back and continued walking.
Tails was amazed that a few moments later there was light at the end of the path. He knew that he would make it and prove Sonic wrong. There it was. The G.U.N headquarters on Prison Island.
"See, I told you I knew where I was going." Tails walked toward the building
"Yeah, yeah.." Sonic rolled his eyes "What now?"
"I..umm..I don't know.." Tails said scratching the back of his head nervously
"Nice job, genious. I guess we can just walk in there and ask.."
"What if they take us prisoner?"
"Why would they? We just want information.."
"I guess you're right."
Sonic and Tails headed for the G.U.N. building. They were in for a warm welcome.
_______________________________________________________________________
Blinx was the first one to awake that morning. His side was hurting very badly. These girls were trouble even when they slept. He knew each of them must have kicked him twice each. They couldn't stay put. Nightmares most likely. Hopefully he wouldn't have the same problem tonight. He wanted to go into a nearby city that day and pick up supplies, hopefully an individual tent. He also wanted to bring along the girls. He didn't trust them for a minute by themselves. They were bound to get into a wrong that only he could right. It would be safer and Besides, it was a way to get them out of his hair for a few hours. They could shop, or do whatever women do. It was fairly early, around 10:00 am, but Blinx wasn't one to wait. He knew one thing that would definitly wake them up. Simple, really. He taught himself this technique..
"GET UP! NOW!!!" The girls scrambled around the tent, bumping into eachother until finally all backing into a corner. Blinx was standing by the entrance. "Get up, we're going into town." He picked up Amy and put her on his shoulders, she was still half asleep, trying to keep from falling off. "Let's go." he walked out. The girls got out of their night clothes and into their other clothes as quickly ass possible!
"It's so early! I don't want to go anywhere so early, I'm too tired and my clothes are all dirty from leaving them on the floor." Rouge dusted herself off.
"Why do we need to go into town?" Tikal yawned
"I need to pick up supplies and I don't trust any of you alone. Let's go."
They all crowded around Blinx who was standing in one place.
"Are..we going to start walking?" Tikal asked raising an eyebrow.
"No. Hold onto my hand."
"Oh, I see." Tikal finally got it and grasped Blinx's hand softly.
Blinx was in a small blush again, Tikal turned her head, he really couldn't tell her expression. He looked down at her hand..it was so..tiny..
Rouge however wasn't on the same page. "Excuse me?"
Blinx snapped back to what was at 'hand' "Oh..I'm using teleportation, hold on to Tikal's hand."
Rouge did as she was told as she looked at Blinx in confusion, Amy was also confused but that was for the simple reason she was half asleep and falling asleep on Blinx. But Rouge got her answer as the words were yelled and once again that flash of light appeared as they were hurled into the teleport and vanished from sight.
______________________________________________________________________
Sonic and Tails cautiously walked out of the forest, toward the G.U.N. Headquarters Tails had gotten in and out alive once and he could do it again...but that WAS with his mech so the odds of him not getting out alive were higher. But then again..Sonic was with him, and they could only hope that speed was a good enough substitute for force and power.
They creeped up to the building. It was quiet...too quiet...maybe they were just imagining things..maybe they were just lucky..Maybe they were just imagining that laser pointer on their foreheads..
Sonic grabbed Tails and spin dashed as the shot fired, they could here it hit a tree in the distance. These guys must be camoflauged. He knew a sure fire way to get them out of hiding..but it was risky. Especially with Tails nearby. He motioned to Tails and Tails started to back into the forest. Nobody stopped him, that was good. Now with Tails out of the way he could go on with his plan.
Tails backed into the forest slowly, he was going to go get his mech but a hand grabbed him and pulled him from behind a tree.
Sonic prepped himself and built up speed for his plan of attack. He ran up to the building and broke the glass front door. At least a dozen men came out of nowhere, shooting wildly. He dodged these shots easily as he finally focused on where they all were. Perfect! They were syncronized he planned his homing attack and let his speed go as he rammed each and every one, knocking them to their feet. The smoke cleared as Sonic saw all the men piled up on top of eachother, some scattered around.
"Nobody messes with THIS one hedgehog army!" At this a few more dozen came out from above and below. Sonic gulped as he raised his hands in defeat.
Sonic was pushed into a cell, where Tails was sitting, resting his chin on his knees. Sonci rolled his eyes "Can't you do anything right?"
Tails glared back at him. "It's not my fault! They grabbed me from behind."
Sonic sighed. There was no way to go back. They were screwed. Unless he could break out. Why not? He could try.
"I don't think so, Sonic." Sonic turned as he saw a Doctor in a white trenchcoat.
"What are you talking about? Who ARE you?"
"Oh! I am so rude my apologies, Sonic. My name is Doctor Lott. I am head of Scientific research here. And I have telepathic capabilities."
"Don't josh us like that!" Tails looked up at the doctor "That's impossible."
"Oh?" he looked back at Tails " How would you know, my friend? Telepathy is simply a fracture of a certain part of the brain"
"What do you want?" Sonic cut back in
"What do I want?" he asked shocked "Well, when they said they had caught the famous Sonic Zee Hedgehog I just had to see for myself."
"Well, you've seen, now go away!"
"Tell me Sonic..just vat vere you breaking into the Headquarters for?"
"Why should I tell YOU?"
"Well, if it vas a good reason, I can get you out and possibly help you."
Sonic thought for a moment and then spoke. "Ok..." Sonic told the doctor the whole story. About Shadow and Dr.Gerald Robotnik, then about Blinx and the emerald. The doctor wa perplexed...amazed. He finally spoke when Sonic was finished.
"Astounding...GUARDS!" He called. A muscular man come in beside him "Release these two! NOW!" The guard did as directed and released Sonic and Tails.
"Thanks alot doc." Sonic shook his hand "We'll be off now."
"Not so fast Sonic!."
Sonic turned around looking annoyed "WHAT NOW?!"
"Please listen..before Gerald Robotnik went to do research on ARK...I was his partner.."
Sonic and Tails looked at eachother, both suprised. They were closer to this 'loophole' than they thought!
______________________________________________________________________
Knuckles looked around his prison after lunch. Those sandwhiches hit the spot, especially when he had nothing to eat or drink until the next meal.
How long would it take for them to get back? He was lonely..nobody to talk to..
[I can fix that, Knuckles.]
It was that voice again! "What do you want?!"
[I just want your help, please help me...do it for me and her..]
"You and her what are you.."..Knuckles paused..he was going insane..talking to himself.. "Nevermind."
[PLEASE! I miss her so! If only you would understand! I loved her! I really did! It was our families! They were at war! Our love was forbidden!]
Knuckles rolled his eyes "Sounds like something right out of Romeo and Juliet.." He chuckled at his own joke.
[I beg of you, guardian of the other side..]
"I don't know what the heck your talkin' about. But I'm gonna wait for them to make everything right!"
[That's just it! If you don't let me go..they will kill you! I swear!]
"Why should I listen to you?"
[I've never steered you wrong before..]
"What? You're not me!"
[Yes I am! Please...hear me out...please..]
He had no choice but to listen to the voice's tale....he hoped Sonic and the others would hurry..
______________________________________________________________________
Tikal looked around the market place in awe. This was SO much civilized than her village in tha past not to mention fun! She had never been allowed outside by herself before but she was with her new friend Rouge and they were free to do what they wanted! Unlike Rouge, who was still a little tired and walked closely behind her, Tikal skipped happily through the market place. It was SO much fun! All the good smelling foods and the neat looking objects, VERY beautiful jewelery she might add. Her skipping was halted after she saw a man at the side of the street. A homeless echidna was sitting there with a hat in front of him with a few dimes in it. Tikal stopped in front of him.
"Oh, hello there." Tikal bent down in front of him "Why arn't you having fun with everyone else?" there was a sound of an explosion in the distance but neither of them paid any attention
The echidna looked up, he was an old man, almost close to death, however, he was friendly to Tikal none the less "Well, my dear, I have no home or no money. I wish I could have fun."
Tikal looked at him in confusion. "And without money you cannot have fun?"
"Not even if I tried." The old man shook his head. "What is a beautiful young girl like yourself talking to me when you can be shopping with your friends?"
Tikal looked around for Rouge. There she was! She was walking right toward them, she had been trying to find out what that giant explosion was. Rouge saw them and immidiatly ran over "TIKAL! What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Tikal smiled "I'm fine...can you give my friend some money so he can have fun with us?" She gestured down to the old man.
Rouge looked down at the elderly echidna and then back at Tikal and had a crooked smile on her face. "Err...umm..I really don't think he wants to."
"Please? I think he needs some friends right now!" Tikal put her hands together and looked up at Rouge hopefully.
"Don't worry about me! Go on! Have fun!" The old man tried to put his head down again and wait for more change.
"I most certainly will not! As a princess I must have manners and respect for other people!" Tikal grabbed his hand and lead him over into the street.
Rouge chuckled to herself and smiled as she watched Tikal lead the man to one booth after the next showing him things and laughing with him, she was so warm hearted, if only she could have an influence on Knuckles..or Blinx for that matter. She sighed and followed behind them.
______________________________________________________________________
Blinx was close by, but he wasn't having as much fun, nor was he learning the lesson of giving. No, he was stuck with Amy on his shoulders he looked idiotic with this child clinging to him everywhere he went, we couldn't go to the hunting store to pick up supplies without being ridiculed but that was not going to happen again..seing as how he did, afterall, destroy half of the store... He was slowly discovering the horrors of shopping. Amy wasn't making it any easier either, begging over and over to stop to the side at a jewelery stand, asking to eat at every resteraunt she set her little eyes on. He wasn't stopping anymore though, he didn't even know why he stopped earlier in the first place. He had gotten most of his needed supplies, knives, food, first aid kit and such. All he needed was his individual tent.
But what was that? He felt the faint presence of the master emerald. He was now focused on nothing but that he tightened his grib on Amy's legs.
"Hold on, Kid."
Amy looked down at him in confusion. "Wha? Whoah!"
Blinx was hauling it as fast as he could. It was getting more and more stronger finally it was in the food market he was sure of it. But where? His first thought was, maybe in a jewlery stand but that idea was gone when he remembered he was in the food market. It was getting fainter we ran forward..it got stronger...it was getting faint again. Forward he walked and it got stronger yet again. Somebody had it and was moving. He kept running in the direction his signal was going. It was going haywire! Running from one place to the next. Before he knew it he was at the end of the market place and the signalwas inside the gab between where the market ended and a building. There it was...a dead end..a brick wall
"Damnit!" he punched the brick wall, the punch softly quaked the building.
Someone tapped him from behind. The signal was back and stronger than ever he grabbed the hand and the creature it belonged to let out a yelp.
"Ahhh! Please..don't!" It was a cute little echidna girl. She was pink and in rags. She covered her face and shivered feircely.
"You shouldn't sneak up on a person like that." Blinx let her hand go. She held her wrist with her other hand and snuggled against it, trying to make the pain go away. Blinx eyed her other wrist. There was a string around her wrist, with 5 shards of the master emerald on it, she was wearing it as a bracelet.
"You shouldn't take things that don't belong to you." he pointed to her bracelet.
"What are you taking about?" The girl asked with a frown on her face "I found these on the coast when I was looking for seashells!"
"Well it doesn't belong to you! Give it back!" he yelled
"Oh.." She looked at her bracelet "Is it yours?"
"No!" He snapped
"Oh. Well is it your girlfriends?" she gestured to Amy who blushed slightly "I'm no his girlfriend and no it's not mine!"
"Oh.." She smiled "Then why do you want it?"
"It..It's just...It belongs to someone we know." Blinx grabbed for it but the little girl pulled it back.
"Finders keepers loosers weepers." She smirked
"Look, girl. I know you'd rather sell it for money so you can buy grapes or whatever it is you poverty stricken people eat but it's ours!"
"First of all I don't eat grapes very much and second of all nobody will buy them from me! They don't trust a poor little girl in rags they think they're fake!" she snapped "And my names not 'girl' it's Michelle!"
Blinx sighed " Well, MICHELLE, Name your price."
"Hmm.." She pondered "Well...hmm.."
"I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"
She smiled cutely as she put her hands behind her back "You have to take me out to dinner." she giggled.
"What? Don't be idiotic! Look, I'm willing to give all my money if you can just.."
"You want them back don't you?"
"Well...yes..." he looked worriedly back at Amy for some back-up..but Amy was too busy trying not to wet herself from laughing so hard.
"Fine." She skipped off "Meet me back at this building in two hours." she yelled back.
Blinx immidiatly turned back to glare at Amy "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU BACK ME UP!?"
"W-W-haha...W-what did you want me to say?" Amy breathed heavily from laughing so hard.
"Yo could have fought her off or something! Don't you care about the future of your planet?!"
"I'm not good at fighting, my leg is sprained but I wouldn't anyway, after all, I'm not your girlfriend or nothin'" She giggled
Blinx picked up Amy and sighed once again, he was going to find Rouge and Tikal, maybe they could help him with his little dillema.
______________________________________________________________________
Doctor Lott led Sonic and Tails through a large room, full of robots and machines, some were robots they had seen working in contruction some machines were in hospitals they had seen. They followed the doctor through the room, trying to stay close, as the room was dark and they never knew when they were to trip over one of the machines.
"Before ARK, the Professor was a very kind man, all he wanted to do was help the world." he dusted off a hospital machine. "when he was a young lad he invented almost every machine used in hospitals today, he even invented the first robot, cabable of being controlled by any brain."
"Wow.." Tails whispered as he looked around.
The room ended as they all walked through a door into a lit library as the doctor continued "He was also the one who found out most physical capabilities are simply a fracture of the DNA and brain...and how to transplant these fractured cells." he walked up to a file cabinet and looked through it and pulled out a file that said G.Robotnik. "This is the doctors profile along vith some very interesting entries in hisjournal log."
Sonic took the file as the doctor handed it to him it had it all, pictures journal entries, even notes on what his projects were chemically made of. He picked up a journal that said Mystic Ruins It was way smaller than the rest.
"Do you think this could be it, Tails?" he showed the book to Tails, who shrugged.
"It might be, after all that temple in the middle of the forest had a lot to do with Chaos."
"Hmm.." Sonic picked it up and read it aloud.
"This was my first and only whole day on this expiditon, I found a scripture from ancient times and converted it to understandable language. It stated that when the Master Emerald evolves, it will either mean sure death to the planet or great fortune, I have collected enough information on the Chaos emeralds back in the laboratory and have already contstructed a skeleton on what might be the ultimate defense against them, there was more to the scripture but I think it best to leave it be as it is very fragile and come back for it later, I cannot risk the safety of the planet." Sonic closed the book "This has to be it! If we can find the scripture at the Mystic Ruins we can find a loophole for Knuckles!"
Tails nodded and chuckled "Wow, his whole plan was to destroy the planet, but he's doing just the oppsite, leaving behind all these clues for us!"
"Doc," Sonic held up the book "Can we keep this?"
"Sure, Sonic," The doctor smiled "as a matter of fact, take the entire file, it might be of some use to you."
"Thanks allot, Doctor Lott." He grabbed the file and Tails and ran off.
"Good luck Sonic.." The doctor spoke "You are the planets only hope."
______________________________________________________________________
"That's...that's awful.." Knuckles spoke to his new friend.
[I know, I have to get back to her..I just..have to..]
"Well, I don't know..you did try to trick me before..telling me my friends were trying to kill me!"
[Well, you understand my position now!]
"Yes.." Knuckles sighed "I do.."
[Please, guardian..will you help me?]
"Well..okay..Ah!---"
He had him at the word 'okay' it was too late...he had gotten him..the demon had gotten Knuckles.
Knuckles' eyes were now red "Hahaha! You fool! Now I can have my sweet revenge!"
[No!!] Knuckles spoke from the inside [You tricked me!]
"Alls fair in love and war, Knuckles." he broke through Tails' iron prison with ease, his veins from his muscles showing. "And me, my friend..I'm stuck in the middle of both."
"It's not much, but at least Tails was smart enough to put something like that in this contraption." he thought to himself
[It's poison! Don't eat it!]
"What?!" Knuckles looked around. He was sure he had heard a voice..."Who's there?!" he yelled
[It's only me, Knuckles.] The voice echoed through the underground prison
"What do you mean? Who are you?!"
[It's you Knuckles.]
"Huh..what? Show yourself!"
[I'm you, Knuckles. You're talking to yourself.]
Knuckles closed his eyes tightly "GO away! Leave me alone!"
[No matter whar you want to think, Knuckles. They're all against you. This is a trap. They're going to kill you when you are weak.]
"No they wouldn't do that! They're my friends! They're trying to help me!"
[How do you know that? The SAID they were off to go help you but I know for a fact that they're just thinking of a creative way to kill you.]
"Liar! You're lying!"
[Knuckles! I'm suprised at you! You don't trust me at all?]
"You're just a figment of my imagination! Go away! Now! Go!"
[Fine. I will. But I want to tell you that you will regret not listening to me. I swear on my life. You will regret it.]
The voice was gone..what had it been? He thought he must be going mad being in seclusion, but he would not pay any more attention and go on with breakfast
_______________________________________________________________________
Sonic and Tails had gotten to Prison Island later than expected. They had to sleep in the Tornado, without being spotted. But when Tails awoke that morning. No sign of anything on that island. Hopefully they were gonna be in, out and on with their lives...yup everything was smooth sailin'...at least it would be...when Sonic woke up.
"Sonic.." He whispered as he shoved him to the side "Come on, Sonic. If you don't get an early start we'll probably get caught."
Sonic pushed Tails to the side roughly "Leave me alone, I need sleep.."
"Fine!" Tails yelled back "I know that when the world ends I'm not the one to blame!"
"Okay okay, fine!" Sonic grumbled, sitting up "Geez, all work and no play makes Tails a dull boy."
Tails rolled his eyes "Come on, let's get going."
They hid the Tornado under a cliff and set off into the secluded forest that was Prison Island. Tails was the one who was there, so Sonic had to trust Tails. Tails, on the other hand remembered almost exactly direction Eggman had headed after the battle, but after that he didn't know anything else. He knew Sonic didn't have very much faith in him, so he continued like he would if he knew every step of the way. Sonic walked behind him with his hands behind his head, looking up at the sky boredly.
"Tails.." Tails didn't turn around, he knew some smart alec remark was coming up "TAILS!"
Tails turned around so quickly he made Sonic jump "What, Sonic?! What do you want?!"
Sonic looked in shock at his two-tailed partner, but then chuckled. He loved to bust his chops. "Are we there yet?"
"Grrr.." Tails hated Sonic when he was like this. If only he had his mech to stomp the hedgehog down, he had a right mind to go down to that cliff and get it. "What do you think?"
"I don't know, Tails." Sonic smirked "You're the little tour guide, you tell me."
"We're close." Tails turned back and continued walking.
Tails was amazed that a few moments later there was light at the end of the path. He knew that he would make it and prove Sonic wrong. There it was. The G.U.N headquarters on Prison Island.
"See, I told you I knew where I was going." Tails walked toward the building
"Yeah, yeah.." Sonic rolled his eyes "What now?"
"I..umm..I don't know.." Tails said scratching the back of his head nervously
"Nice job, genious. I guess we can just walk in there and ask.."
"What if they take us prisoner?"
"Why would they? We just want information.."
"I guess you're right."
Sonic and Tails headed for the G.U.N. building. They were in for a warm welcome.
_______________________________________________________________________
Blinx was the first one to awake that morning. His side was hurting very badly. These girls were trouble even when they slept. He knew each of them must have kicked him twice each. They couldn't stay put. Nightmares most likely. Hopefully he wouldn't have the same problem tonight. He wanted to go into a nearby city that day and pick up supplies, hopefully an individual tent. He also wanted to bring along the girls. He didn't trust them for a minute by themselves. They were bound to get into a wrong that only he could right. It would be safer and Besides, it was a way to get them out of his hair for a few hours. They could shop, or do whatever women do. It was fairly early, around 10:00 am, but Blinx wasn't one to wait. He knew one thing that would definitly wake them up. Simple, really. He taught himself this technique..
"GET UP! NOW!!!" The girls scrambled around the tent, bumping into eachother until finally all backing into a corner. Blinx was standing by the entrance. "Get up, we're going into town." He picked up Amy and put her on his shoulders, she was still half asleep, trying to keep from falling off. "Let's go." he walked out. The girls got out of their night clothes and into their other clothes as quickly ass possible!
"It's so early! I don't want to go anywhere so early, I'm too tired and my clothes are all dirty from leaving them on the floor." Rouge dusted herself off.
"Why do we need to go into town?" Tikal yawned
"I need to pick up supplies and I don't trust any of you alone. Let's go."
They all crowded around Blinx who was standing in one place.
"Are..we going to start walking?" Tikal asked raising an eyebrow.
"No. Hold onto my hand."
"Oh, I see." Tikal finally got it and grasped Blinx's hand softly.
Blinx was in a small blush again, Tikal turned her head, he really couldn't tell her expression. He looked down at her hand..it was so..tiny..
Rouge however wasn't on the same page. "Excuse me?"
Blinx snapped back to what was at 'hand' "Oh..I'm using teleportation, hold on to Tikal's hand."
Rouge did as she was told as she looked at Blinx in confusion, Amy was also confused but that was for the simple reason she was half asleep and falling asleep on Blinx. But Rouge got her answer as the words were yelled and once again that flash of light appeared as they were hurled into the teleport and vanished from sight.
______________________________________________________________________
Sonic and Tails cautiously walked out of the forest, toward the G.U.N. Headquarters Tails had gotten in and out alive once and he could do it again...but that WAS with his mech so the odds of him not getting out alive were higher. But then again..Sonic was with him, and they could only hope that speed was a good enough substitute for force and power.
They creeped up to the building. It was quiet...too quiet...maybe they were just imagining things..maybe they were just lucky..Maybe they were just imagining that laser pointer on their foreheads..
Sonic grabbed Tails and spin dashed as the shot fired, they could here it hit a tree in the distance. These guys must be camoflauged. He knew a sure fire way to get them out of hiding..but it was risky. Especially with Tails nearby. He motioned to Tails and Tails started to back into the forest. Nobody stopped him, that was good. Now with Tails out of the way he could go on with his plan.
Tails backed into the forest slowly, he was going to go get his mech but a hand grabbed him and pulled him from behind a tree.
Sonic prepped himself and built up speed for his plan of attack. He ran up to the building and broke the glass front door. At least a dozen men came out of nowhere, shooting wildly. He dodged these shots easily as he finally focused on where they all were. Perfect! They were syncronized he planned his homing attack and let his speed go as he rammed each and every one, knocking them to their feet. The smoke cleared as Sonic saw all the men piled up on top of eachother, some scattered around.
"Nobody messes with THIS one hedgehog army!" At this a few more dozen came out from above and below. Sonic gulped as he raised his hands in defeat.
Sonic was pushed into a cell, where Tails was sitting, resting his chin on his knees. Sonci rolled his eyes "Can't you do anything right?"
Tails glared back at him. "It's not my fault! They grabbed me from behind."
Sonic sighed. There was no way to go back. They were screwed. Unless he could break out. Why not? He could try.
"I don't think so, Sonic." Sonic turned as he saw a Doctor in a white trenchcoat.
"What are you talking about? Who ARE you?"
"Oh! I am so rude my apologies, Sonic. My name is Doctor Lott. I am head of Scientific research here. And I have telepathic capabilities."
"Don't josh us like that!" Tails looked up at the doctor "That's impossible."
"Oh?" he looked back at Tails " How would you know, my friend? Telepathy is simply a fracture of a certain part of the brain"
"What do you want?" Sonic cut back in
"What do I want?" he asked shocked "Well, when they said they had caught the famous Sonic Zee Hedgehog I just had to see for myself."
"Well, you've seen, now go away!"
"Tell me Sonic..just vat vere you breaking into the Headquarters for?"
"Why should I tell YOU?"
"Well, if it vas a good reason, I can get you out and possibly help you."
Sonic thought for a moment and then spoke. "Ok..." Sonic told the doctor the whole story. About Shadow and Dr.Gerald Robotnik, then about Blinx and the emerald. The doctor wa perplexed...amazed. He finally spoke when Sonic was finished.
"Astounding...GUARDS!" He called. A muscular man come in beside him "Release these two! NOW!" The guard did as directed and released Sonic and Tails.
"Thanks alot doc." Sonic shook his hand "We'll be off now."
"Not so fast Sonic!."
Sonic turned around looking annoyed "WHAT NOW?!"
"Please listen..before Gerald Robotnik went to do research on ARK...I was his partner.."
Sonic and Tails looked at eachother, both suprised. They were closer to this 'loophole' than they thought!
______________________________________________________________________
Knuckles looked around his prison after lunch. Those sandwhiches hit the spot, especially when he had nothing to eat or drink until the next meal.
How long would it take for them to get back? He was lonely..nobody to talk to..
[I can fix that, Knuckles.]
It was that voice again! "What do you want?!"
[I just want your help, please help me...do it for me and her..]
"You and her what are you.."..Knuckles paused..he was going insane..talking to himself.. "Nevermind."
[PLEASE! I miss her so! If only you would understand! I loved her! I really did! It was our families! They were at war! Our love was forbidden!]
Knuckles rolled his eyes "Sounds like something right out of Romeo and Juliet.." He chuckled at his own joke.
[I beg of you, guardian of the other side..]
"I don't know what the heck your talkin' about. But I'm gonna wait for them to make everything right!"
[That's just it! If you don't let me go..they will kill you! I swear!]
"Why should I listen to you?"
[I've never steered you wrong before..]
"What? You're not me!"
[Yes I am! Please...hear me out...please..]
He had no choice but to listen to the voice's tale....he hoped Sonic and the others would hurry..
______________________________________________________________________
Tikal looked around the market place in awe. This was SO much civilized than her village in tha past not to mention fun! She had never been allowed outside by herself before but she was with her new friend Rouge and they were free to do what they wanted! Unlike Rouge, who was still a little tired and walked closely behind her, Tikal skipped happily through the market place. It was SO much fun! All the good smelling foods and the neat looking objects, VERY beautiful jewelery she might add. Her skipping was halted after she saw a man at the side of the street. A homeless echidna was sitting there with a hat in front of him with a few dimes in it. Tikal stopped in front of him.
"Oh, hello there." Tikal bent down in front of him "Why arn't you having fun with everyone else?" there was a sound of an explosion in the distance but neither of them paid any attention
The echidna looked up, he was an old man, almost close to death, however, he was friendly to Tikal none the less "Well, my dear, I have no home or no money. I wish I could have fun."
Tikal looked at him in confusion. "And without money you cannot have fun?"
"Not even if I tried." The old man shook his head. "What is a beautiful young girl like yourself talking to me when you can be shopping with your friends?"
Tikal looked around for Rouge. There she was! She was walking right toward them, she had been trying to find out what that giant explosion was. Rouge saw them and immidiatly ran over "TIKAL! What's wrong? Are you all right?"
Tikal smiled "I'm fine...can you give my friend some money so he can have fun with us?" She gestured down to the old man.
Rouge looked down at the elderly echidna and then back at Tikal and had a crooked smile on her face. "Err...umm..I really don't think he wants to."
"Please? I think he needs some friends right now!" Tikal put her hands together and looked up at Rouge hopefully.
"Don't worry about me! Go on! Have fun!" The old man tried to put his head down again and wait for more change.
"I most certainly will not! As a princess I must have manners and respect for other people!" Tikal grabbed his hand and lead him over into the street.
Rouge chuckled to herself and smiled as she watched Tikal lead the man to one booth after the next showing him things and laughing with him, she was so warm hearted, if only she could have an influence on Knuckles..or Blinx for that matter. She sighed and followed behind them.
______________________________________________________________________
Blinx was close by, but he wasn't having as much fun, nor was he learning the lesson of giving. No, he was stuck with Amy on his shoulders he looked idiotic with this child clinging to him everywhere he went, we couldn't go to the hunting store to pick up supplies without being ridiculed but that was not going to happen again..seing as how he did, afterall, destroy half of the store... He was slowly discovering the horrors of shopping. Amy wasn't making it any easier either, begging over and over to stop to the side at a jewelery stand, asking to eat at every resteraunt she set her little eyes on. He wasn't stopping anymore though, he didn't even know why he stopped earlier in the first place. He had gotten most of his needed supplies, knives, food, first aid kit and such. All he needed was his individual tent.
But what was that? He felt the faint presence of the master emerald. He was now focused on nothing but that he tightened his grib on Amy's legs.
"Hold on, Kid."
Amy looked down at him in confusion. "Wha? Whoah!"
Blinx was hauling it as fast as he could. It was getting more and more stronger finally it was in the food market he was sure of it. But where? His first thought was, maybe in a jewlery stand but that idea was gone when he remembered he was in the food market. It was getting fainter we ran forward..it got stronger...it was getting faint again. Forward he walked and it got stronger yet again. Somebody had it and was moving. He kept running in the direction his signal was going. It was going haywire! Running from one place to the next. Before he knew it he was at the end of the market place and the signalwas inside the gab between where the market ended and a building. There it was...a dead end..a brick wall
"Damnit!" he punched the brick wall, the punch softly quaked the building.
Someone tapped him from behind. The signal was back and stronger than ever he grabbed the hand and the creature it belonged to let out a yelp.
"Ahhh! Please..don't!" It was a cute little echidna girl. She was pink and in rags. She covered her face and shivered feircely.
"You shouldn't sneak up on a person like that." Blinx let her hand go. She held her wrist with her other hand and snuggled against it, trying to make the pain go away. Blinx eyed her other wrist. There was a string around her wrist, with 5 shards of the master emerald on it, she was wearing it as a bracelet.
"You shouldn't take things that don't belong to you." he pointed to her bracelet.
"What are you taking about?" The girl asked with a frown on her face "I found these on the coast when I was looking for seashells!"
"Well it doesn't belong to you! Give it back!" he yelled
"Oh.." She looked at her bracelet "Is it yours?"
"No!" He snapped
"Oh. Well is it your girlfriends?" she gestured to Amy who blushed slightly "I'm no his girlfriend and no it's not mine!"
"Oh.." She smiled "Then why do you want it?"
"It..It's just...It belongs to someone we know." Blinx grabbed for it but the little girl pulled it back.
"Finders keepers loosers weepers." She smirked
"Look, girl. I know you'd rather sell it for money so you can buy grapes or whatever it is you poverty stricken people eat but it's ours!"
"First of all I don't eat grapes very much and second of all nobody will buy them from me! They don't trust a poor little girl in rags they think they're fake!" she snapped "And my names not 'girl' it's Michelle!"
Blinx sighed " Well, MICHELLE, Name your price."
"Hmm.." She pondered "Well...hmm.."
"I DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"
She smiled cutely as she put her hands behind her back "You have to take me out to dinner." she giggled.
"What? Don't be idiotic! Look, I'm willing to give all my money if you can just.."
"You want them back don't you?"
"Well...yes..." he looked worriedly back at Amy for some back-up..but Amy was too busy trying not to wet herself from laughing so hard.
"Fine." She skipped off "Meet me back at this building in two hours." she yelled back.
Blinx immidiatly turned back to glare at Amy "WHY THE HELL DIDN'T YOU BACK ME UP!?"
"W-W-haha...W-what did you want me to say?" Amy breathed heavily from laughing so hard.
"Yo could have fought her off or something! Don't you care about the future of your planet?!"
"I'm not good at fighting, my leg is sprained but I wouldn't anyway, after all, I'm not your girlfriend or nothin'" She giggled
Blinx picked up Amy and sighed once again, he was going to find Rouge and Tikal, maybe they could help him with his little dillema.
______________________________________________________________________
Doctor Lott led Sonic and Tails through a large room, full of robots and machines, some were robots they had seen working in contruction some machines were in hospitals they had seen. They followed the doctor through the room, trying to stay close, as the room was dark and they never knew when they were to trip over one of the machines.
"Before ARK, the Professor was a very kind man, all he wanted to do was help the world." he dusted off a hospital machine. "when he was a young lad he invented almost every machine used in hospitals today, he even invented the first robot, cabable of being controlled by any brain."
"Wow.." Tails whispered as he looked around.
The room ended as they all walked through a door into a lit library as the doctor continued "He was also the one who found out most physical capabilities are simply a fracture of the DNA and brain...and how to transplant these fractured cells." he walked up to a file cabinet and looked through it and pulled out a file that said G.Robotnik. "This is the doctors profile along vith some very interesting entries in hisjournal log."
Sonic took the file as the doctor handed it to him it had it all, pictures journal entries, even notes on what his projects were chemically made of. He picked up a journal that said Mystic Ruins It was way smaller than the rest.
"Do you think this could be it, Tails?" he showed the book to Tails, who shrugged.
"It might be, after all that temple in the middle of the forest had a lot to do with Chaos."
"Hmm.." Sonic picked it up and read it aloud.
"This was my first and only whole day on this expiditon, I found a scripture from ancient times and converted it to understandable language. It stated that when the Master Emerald evolves, it will either mean sure death to the planet or great fortune, I have collected enough information on the Chaos emeralds back in the laboratory and have already contstructed a skeleton on what might be the ultimate defense against them, there was more to the scripture but I think it best to leave it be as it is very fragile and come back for it later, I cannot risk the safety of the planet." Sonic closed the book "This has to be it! If we can find the scripture at the Mystic Ruins we can find a loophole for Knuckles!"
Tails nodded and chuckled "Wow, his whole plan was to destroy the planet, but he's doing just the oppsite, leaving behind all these clues for us!"
"Doc," Sonic held up the book "Can we keep this?"
"Sure, Sonic," The doctor smiled "as a matter of fact, take the entire file, it might be of some use to you."
"Thanks allot, Doctor Lott." He grabbed the file and Tails and ran off.
"Good luck Sonic.." The doctor spoke "You are the planets only hope."
______________________________________________________________________
"That's...that's awful.." Knuckles spoke to his new friend.
[I know, I have to get back to her..I just..have to..]
"Well, I don't know..you did try to trick me before..telling me my friends were trying to kill me!"
[Well, you understand my position now!]
"Yes.." Knuckles sighed "I do.."
[Please, guardian..will you help me?]
"Well..okay..Ah!---"
He had him at the word 'okay' it was too late...he had gotten him..the demon had gotten Knuckles.
Knuckles' eyes were now red "Hahaha! You fool! Now I can have my sweet revenge!"
[No!!] Knuckles spoke from the inside [You tricked me!]
"Alls fair in love and war, Knuckles." he broke through Tails' iron prison with ease, his veins from his muscles showing. "And me, my friend..I'm stuck in the middle of both."