I dedicate this entire story to Orin, Lonely Echidna and everyone's
favourite STH writer, Dan Drazen! Thanx to Amadeus who gave me
the name for this story, and Anthony Bault who has been my most

consistent reviewer!!

Chapter 4 –

In the heart of the dank city of Robotroplis, a large and rather egg-shaped overlander was in an exceptionally good mood. He and his hedgehog lackey were inside the medical wing, where the blue 'hog was getting his head patched up. While Sonic was having antibiotics rubbed into a rather large gash in his head, his master was dancing around the room in delight.

"It's wonderful, isn't it my little blue slave? That black imitation of yours has led me to those pitiful rebels without even realising it!" Robotnik exclaimed, jumping up and down on the spot.

"If it's such a good plan, how come I have to let that faker beat me up?" His rodent helper snapped, before howling with pain from the antibiotics.

The obese ruler stopped jumping long enough to explain his plan to Sonic, who was now being bandaged up by the bossy and rough Robian doctor.

"You see, hedgehog, Each Mobian who goes through the roboticizer is loyal to me, yourself included. Shadow was slightly different. I couldn't put him in the roboticizer because it would be going against my grandfather's wishes.  So instead, I implanted him with a small tracking chip, just above his left ear.  This means, hedgehog, that wherever Shadow goes, we can follow him. And those accursed rebels." He laughed maniacally.

He walked out of the room, still laughing. After a few moments, Sonic followed his egg-shaped master out into the long corridor. The morning was just breaking through, and if it not have been for the clouds of pollution draped over the sky. Sonic found himself wishing he could be back in Knothole, watching the sun setting in blazes of reds and yellows. But in an instant the feeling was over, and he trotted into the main roboticization room. Robotnik was there, peering into a screen on one of the smaller computers.

"Those rebels have crossed over three quarters of the Great Desert, and are heading towards the shore. I wonder what they're heading there for." The doctor mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Sonic dragged a chair over to the console and stood on it, looking at the screen.

"Hey, boss, isn't that the Floating Island?" he asked, pointing at a small area of land on the map. The dictator smiled.

"Sonic, my hedgehog, I do believe you've given me an idea!" he exclaimed, using the blue hedgehog's name for the first time in months.


"You head there…but first, bring Knuckles up here. He will be able to help you out on this. It was his island after all."

Sonic grabbed the communicator off his belt.

"Hey Knucklehead…get'cha bot butt up here pronto. Doc wants ta see ya." He shut off the walkie-talkie before the crimson robot could give an answer.  Minutes later, the red bot's presence was followed by a whole squadron of ULTRAbots.

"Mechabot…stand inside the roboticizer." Robotnik's eerie voice rang out.

The crimson robot did so, and waited patiently as Sonic chained him arms and legs up tightly in metallic bonds. As he moved back, the machine started up, and a bright light flashed throughout the room. A pearly ray of white light sped down the tube, transforming the robot from into an organic being.

As the tube slid back up, the now de-roboticized Knuckles the Echidna stood wearily, regaining his senses. After a few moments of realization, he began tugging at the bonds enclosed around his ankles and wrists. He howled with frustration as he had only succeeded in rubbing his skin raw. Robotnik approached him cautiously; trying to keep his distance from the echidna's gloved hands.

As he got closer, Knuckles lunged at him, the chains rattling as he did so. The doctor pulled out a needle full of a silvery white liquid, and approached him again. The crimson guardian was getting worried now; the smell of the liquid told him it was theryosophyne, a very strong, but sickly smelling, drug. It would knock him out cold in a matter of minutes. A bot approached the wary echidna from behind, and gripped him hard for his master to inject him with the liquid.

The robot loosed him, and Knux fell to his knees, his eyes drooping. The doctor laughed evilly. The same robot that had held the unconscious Mobian before gripped him again and strapped him into an upright position. Robotnik gleefully stepped back and pulled a lever. A thick tube slipped down over Knuckles, and was followed shortly by a red light, dancing lower and lower, until enveloping the echidna, bathing him in a warm light. All of a sudden, the red light vanished and the being within stood upright on its own. Robotnik laughed.

"Welcome to the community, Guardian." He chuckled, removing the bonds from his new slave. Knuckles' usually bright, amethyst eyes were dulled to a darker shade of violet, a sign that usually showed when he was angry.

"As your 'test run', you will accompany Sonic to the Floating Island, and bring back the rebels as soon as they get there. Is that clear?" he asked. The two before him saluted mockingly.

"Crystal sir!" They exclaimed simultaneously, and left the room.

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles away, the small resistance sank down onto the ground, having the only rest that they had had all day. Tails sat up and gazed into the distance in front of him. They were almost at the ocean, close to the Floating Island. The young kit could see the majestic miracle from even this far away, and could make out the mountains and the dense jungle.

He sighed. The last time he had seen the island, it had been on a vacation with Sonic and Sally. They had been visiting Knuckles, and while they talked (very unusual for the blue hedgehog) he had wandered off, and got lost in the nearby jungle. It had taken Knuckles three hours to find him, and as soon as he got back to Sally, she had hugged him and he had had to spend the rest of the trip standing next to her.

The kit pricked his ears up. There was a funny humming noise. He had heard it somewhere before...he was sure of it. The humming turned to buzzing, and the buzzing turned to a soft roar of an engine. A HOVERCRAFT!

Before he could blink, a rough hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and had hurled him over the other side of a sand dune. He had the sense to curl up before he hit the ground, and successfully landed, skidding down the soft sand to the space in between the two dunes. He was followed by Mighty and Espio, and finally, Julie and Shadow.

They head the craft stop, and a sharp thud of something hitting the ground. Shadow peered around the sand mound, and was slightly bemused as to what he saw.

"I knew ya weren't any good 'Knux'. Trying to attack _this_ hedgehog has just earned you a free ticket to starvation. And now I've dealt with you, I'm gonna get on that island of yours and personally kill those buddies of yours. See you around Knucklehead." The blue hedgehog spat, his voice loaded with hate.

He glanced beyond the bloodied body of his 'partner' and saw Shadow's face. Shadow gasped, and pulled his head around the sandy bank, his heart pounding. A sudden slam told him that Sonic had clambered back into his Hovercraft, and moments later, the engine roared with life, and the vehicle started to move off.

Behind the dune, Shadow was panting. He knew Sonic had seen him. But what had unnerved him was the fact that he hadn't even bothered to come and get him. Like it didn't matter. Julie grabbed his arm. Her eyes searched his, looking for some sort of acknowledgement of what had gone on.

"Knuckles…" she whispered, before bolting out of her hiding place. Shadow glanced at the others.

"Stay here." He commanded shortly. Mighty sat down, and Espio huddled closer to Tails. Or rather, where Tails had been a few seconds ago. Now the young kitsune was scrambling over the top of the dune, towards Julie, and the bruised and battered Knuckles. As soon as she reached him, she flung her arms around his lithe form and hugged him to her, tears streaming down her cheeks. She nuzzled his face. Then, as quickly as the tears had started, they stopped again. The pink echidna glanced over to the dune, where the rest of the gang were staring at her.

"What …" she snapped "Are you looking at?"

Shadow and Tails continued their path towards her, and upon reaching her, Shadow slipped his arms underneath the wounded Guardian, and gently lifted him, carrying him back to the others. As soon as they were behind the dunes, Espio cracked open one of their last water bottles, and used it to wash Knuckles' bloody body down. It was nightfall, and the small group were sitting around  a small fire. They heard a groan from behind them, and they all stared as Knuckles stirred in his sleep, beginning to come round.

He opened his eyes, but the light stung them. He shut them again, and lifted a hand to his head, groaning loudly. His head was thumping and he felt hot. His entire body stung, from the numerous cuts and gashes he had sustained. He made a vague effort to open his battered eyelids again, and this time he saw several coloured blobs dancing in front of him.

"Is he ok?" he heard.

That voice…it sounded like his Julie. He blinked several times, and felt something pressing against his lips. He parted them, allowing the thing to enter. A wet, sweet taste encased his mouth. He knew that taste, it was fresh spring water. The liquid slid down his raw throat, healing it with its pure silk feel. The shapes in front of him were becoming clearer with every second that passed.

"Hold on Knux." A loud purple blob exclaimed.

He groaned again and held his head. His gloves were soaking wet. But he felt stronger now that he had drank something. He used his hands to push him up into a sitting position, and his vision suddenly became clear again.

"Tails? Mighty? Jules?" he croaked, before coughing again.

He looked around and a familiar scowl appeared on his face.

"Espio…I'm gonna kill you!" he yelled, and lunged and the chameleon, grabbing him by his long purple tail.

"Ow…leggo Knux dude!" he yelped.

"Well, he seems ok." Mighty laughed, rolling onto his back. "Unless you count the bruises an' cuts an' stuff." He added, chuckling at Espio, who had sat a fair distance away from Knuckles.

The red Mobian was, at that point, being squeezed to death by Julie, who was refusing to let go of his neck. He was losing his breath and gradually turning from his usual tanned colour, to a funny blue. He prised her hands from around his neck, and pulled her into a warm hug. Shadow, who had been rather quiet for a while, looked at Knuckles, and asked.

"What happened then?"

Knux's amethyst eyes turned a shade darker as he remembered. Still holding Julie in his arms, he settled himself into a more comfortable position to explain.

"Well, at first all I could remember was seeing Sally and Sonia being roboticized. Sonic was too, but he was the test subject for the 'latest' form of the roboticizer…having not his body roboticized, but his mind and free will taken from him somehow. I was taken away to be tortured. They wanted my knowledge of the Chaos Emeralds, and my island before I was turned into a robot. Needless to say, I did not talk. Eventually, Robotnik threw me into the roboticizer and roboticized me.

It must have been a while later, but the next thing I can remember is being deroboticized, and I felt as though my body was on fire! The pain was intense. Then I saw Robotnik approaching me with a needle filled with theryosophyne, and I was knocked out almost instantly. I woke up to find myself walking. I didn't know why, but it was as though it was acting on its own accord. I tried to stop myself from walking, but I couldn't. I felt like I was trapped in my own body. Sonic was walking in front of me, and when we had started to fly out over the Great Desert, he stopped and told me that there was no way to control the chip that was inside me. He said I would get used to it, and I was going to help him destroy the island, and you guys too. I guess I got really angry,  and it must have disabled the chip, cause I grabbed Sonic round the neck and slammed him up the wall. Then he pulled out a laser and shot me…I guess then, I must have been knocked out, because the next thing I know is waking up here with you guys." Knuckles finished.

Julie  hugged him again, and her Knuckles kissed her gently. She frowned thoughtfully. Something wasn't quite right, but she dismissed it as quickly as she thought of it.

Tails was lying on the sand, his twin tails wrapped around him for warmth. A soft wind had begun to blow, causing the young kit to feel chilled, and he shivered. How he wanted to be curled up in his nice warm bed, with the comfort of knowing that all those he loved were close by. He laughed to himself gently. A few weeks ago and the only thing he was really worried about was losing at dirt hockey. Now he had been plunged into a deadly game, where you could either win, or die. And there would be no restarts in this game. Once it was game over, that was it. Tails closed his eyes, yawned loudly, and drifted off into a deep sleep.

One by one, the others drifted off as well, until only Shadow was left awake. He got up, and plodded over to the latest addition to the group. He checked him over, searching for just one scrap of evidence that would give him the right to knock him off the team. Nothing.

He knew, that if Knuckles joined the gang, then he would become the leader, on the island, if not sooner. And if there was anything that Shadow hated, it was being second in command. Being ruled over, told what to do. That was what Sonic had been like to him. His boss.

He leaned back from the sleeping echidna, and sighed, unsatisfied. He would keep an eye on him, just to make sure. He knew that there was something wrong, something…out of place. Even when he beat Sonic up and ran out of the city, he knew it had been too easy. He knew that something wasn't right.

He curled up, a few metres away from the group, and fell asleep. He was probably just being paranoid…

So…whaddaya think so far? Sorry this chapter took so long, but school takes up a lot of my time.

R & R

Orion

X x X