Warning!!! Contains slash and hints of human-mobian romance!!! And if you don't like Dark Angel-type stories or mush, don't read. And don't flame!
Contains some fluff and a romantic scene with Sonic and Sally. Sally may be pregnant.
Special thanx to Orin for letting me write an AU to her story.
Latifah 27 surveyed the wasteland of buildings. Dark. Filled with smoke and noxious fumes. Those were made by one of her own.
She shook her head and cursed under her breath at the memory.
Latifah 27 belonged to a sub-race of humans called 'banshees'. They had long been exiled to this planet, Mobius, because of their limited, but still impressive telepathic powers. The humans, being afraid of what they did not know, hated the banshees.
And they knew that the Mobians would not accept them as they were, so they settled in the secluded regions of the planet, and stayed away from the anthropomorphic-sapients. They also decided not to interfere with the normal development of the natives' society.
But, a few years ago, a rogue human called Julian Ivo Kintobar attacked the planet without provocation, possibly in an attempt to steal it's treasures.
The chaos emeralds. The energized stones that enhanced the banshees' abilities, mutating them into powerful telekinetics as well as telepaths.
Latifah herself had rather weak psy-powers, and could barely lift a pebble. She could feel the emotions of people around her, but she couldn't read minds unless drawn in by a stronger telepath. She suspected that her mother had something to do with it, something she would always deny.
The stale wind blew dust against her ebony skin and into her dark, seemingly iris-less eyes. She blinked to get the dust out, and brushed it off her field uniform.
Latifah looked down at the city again, this time using her visual scanner. Something blue rushed out of the mock-up of factories. Something too fast to pin-point.
She took out her comm-unit. The banshees' telepathic ranges were limited, the distance varying from person to person, so they still used comms.
"Base, this is Latifah 27. Do you read me?"
"This is base, we read you loud and clear, over"
"Base, I've spotted what could be a life-form in the vicinity of Robotropolis, do you copy?"
"Life form? Please elaborate, over"
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's way too fast for my scanners. Should I investigate?"
"I'd advise against it. Besides, you're here to scan for SWATbots. I'll have someone look into this 'life-form'. Base out"
Yeah, like hell they would, Latifah thought, as she switched off the comm.
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Sonic had to case the city again, this time alone. He had to keep Robotnik from doing whatever he was planning on doing, and avoid meeting up with his former-friend in the process.
Finding nothing, he radioed Knothole.
"Sonic to Knothole"
Knothole here. Have you found any clue to what Robotnik is up to?
"No. It'd be best if you sent in a team. Sonic out"
He pocketed the radio and made for the exit, not wanting to wait for the SWAT-bots to find him first.
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The banshee continued to scan for the life-form, hoping to be able to study it. It would probably be the most action she would ever see, since she was not in the combat-division.
Because of her weak powers, Latifah was relegated to the fringe of the millitia she had joined. They said she would be "unable to defend herself", but she knew that they just plain didn't like her.
Latifah 27. Her people didn't have last names. Instead they had designation-numbers. Numbers that their parents would use when mad, like, "Number 27! You clean your room!"
Suddenly, her sensors picked up a strange reading, and she saw that blue thing again. This time it was closer, so she decided to make herself scarce.
Any contact with the natives was forbidden; they had learned about the Freedom Fighters by hiding out near a hidden village, Knothole. The banshees had decided to help the natives because they didn't want to see a race go extinct.
The life-form stopped. A hedgehog! He sat down and regarded Robotropolis, sighing.
"What did I do? I was going to help him... Oh, shoot. Why do I even bother?"
He sighed again. Latifah was curious as to what he was talking about, but she knew that the people on this planet did not take too well to humans. Still...
"Oh, Knuckles, whatever I did, I'm sorry!" he cried out.
Latifah felt a familliar irritation in her nose. Must've been all that dust. No... Not here! Not now! If she blew her cover, there would be hell to pay.
"Achoooo!!!"
Too late...
The hedgehog turned to see who just sneezed.
"Wha? Who's there?"
Latifah didn't answer. Instead, she tried using what little psy-power she had to try to coax the hedgehog's thoughts to something else. She couldn't. The hedgehog started towards the source of the sneeze.
"Whoever you are, bless-whoa! Human!"
"Please, don't hurt me!" Latifah begged.
"Don't hurt you, huh? I'll just hafta see about that!"
And he spin-dashed at her.
"No!!!!!"
Latifah shielded herself with her arms, and waited for the pain she knew would come. When she opened her eyes, however, the attacker was suspended in mid-air.
"What's goin' on? What are you doin' to me?"
"I-I don't know..." she answered, "And who's knuckles?"
"NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!!!" the hedgehog screamed.
Shaken by all this, Latifah took her gear and ran. Then she realized that it would be her neck if this was found out. So, she instead started towards the city, this time with a strange new awareness.
She could sense the hedgehog's feelings with greater intensity, and was vaguely aware of his thoughts. Sonic... His name was Sonic... And The banshee could make out a red figure too hazy to recognize. Knuckles... A friend... No, no, not a friend anymore... He was in the city, she was sure of that.
Latifah turned her comm off, and entered the city, with the choking smoke and chemicals. She put on a gas-mask to protect her lungs and eyes, and a safety-suit in case some of the gasses were corrosive.
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Back at Knothole, Sonic was pacing the floor of his hut, wondering how that human was able to do that. Was it working for Robotnik? It sounded confused, as if it didn't know how it was able to suspend him in the air.
It must've been eaves-dropping, listening in while he was baring his soul.
Sonic cursed at the thought. More then anything, he hated humans. Anything that looked like a human was evil. He had learned that a long time ago, when Robotnik took over the planet, and roboticized most of the inhabitants.
Uncle Chuck... Roboticized but able to reclaim his soul... But would Knuckles be so lucky?
"Sonic?"
It was Sally. She walked in, hesitantly, since it was considered improper for a woman, let alone a princess, to come into a man's house alone.
He met her gaze, and then hung his head.
"Sonic, what's wrong? You've been in there all day!"
"I don't wanna talk about it!"
Sally put her hands on her hips. This was not like Sonic. He always wore his mind on his sleeve(figuratively). But now he was behaving almost like Knuckles.
"Sonic, what the hell is wrong?"
"I was attacked by a human," the hedgehog hissed.
"A human?"
"Yes. A strange-looking one, probably a female"
Sally rolled her eyes and snickered.
"Well, beaten by a girl..."
"What's so funny about that?" Sonic yelled, "First Knuckles wants to kill me, for some strange reason, then a human suspends me in mid-air, then you-"
"What???"
Sally raised an eyebrow in a quizzical fashion.
"Like I said! The f***ing human was holding me in the air without touching me!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Oh, forget it! Go away!" a now very upset Sonic yelled.
The squirrel princess was at loss for words.
"B-but Sonic... I-i'm sorry... Please..."
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"Oh, Sonic, I'm sorry. I... It just seems so far-fetched-"
"It happened! I'm telling the truth! You gotta believe me!"
Sally looked the hedgehog in the eyes, saw them filling with tears. She put an arm around him, walked him to a couch and sat him down.
"Sonic, I do believe you. It's weird, but I have faith that what you said happened"
She sighed.
"And we're gonna get to the bottom of this. I promise. We'll get Knuckles back for you... I know the two of you didn't get along that well in the past, but things have changed, alot of things... I won't let it end this way!" Sally said, as she traced the still angry-looking scar on Sonic's face.
Sonic stroked the lovely squirrel's face, drew her close and kissed her. He kissed deeper than he ever had, touching her tongue with his.
Sally let him in, even though she knew it was wrong... She felt him clutch at the vest she was wearing, slowly easing it off...
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Robotniik was pleased; the echidna was very useful in putting that miserable hedgehog out of service, even if it was only temporary. Soon, however, the adamantine implant would poison the Guardian's body, killing him. And his death would be painful.
The mad scientist had already expected his victim to start having headaches because of the virus. The pathogen would temporarily keep him alive, but death was inevitable... Then again, if he decided to, Robotnik would take the half-dead echidna and roboticize him.
A prize-catch, made even better by the cold-hearted betrayal...
Mobius's destruction was so close he could taste it. And it tasted good.
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Latifah wandered through the city, scanning for this 'Knuckles'. Finally, she decided to do a mind-sweep. Putting away her scanner and taking off her mask, she touched a gloved hand to her temple, and searched for him.
Knuckles...
............
Knuckles???
?
Knuckles? I am a friend...
Friend? Who are you? Stop talking to me!!!
She was able to pin-point where the signiture came from, and could sense that something was terribly wrong. The life-force was fading, yet he was unaware.
Latifah had to act fast, or this creature would die.
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Knuckles was not feeling well. His headache was getting worse; he could not function like this. And he was hearing voices again.
Robotnik could not be trusted. He was certain of that. The madman must've done something to him. The echidna couldn't keep anything down. He had started rejecting food a couple of days ago, causing him to lose weight.
Knuckles...
That voice again!
"Will you leave me alone???" he screamed.
Knuckles, you're in danger...
"No s***!"
KNUCKLES!!!!!!!
It stabbed into his brain. Knuckles was disoriented, didn't know where he was or what was happening. He was also feeling an all-too-familliar sensation. Weakness.
"KNUCKLES! Wake up!!!"
He opened his eyes, and saw the form of a human, one much skinnier than Robotnik. And a female. He could sense she wasn't at all like the one he worked for.
Knuckles was too weak to say anything. He just moaned.
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Robotnik picked up something strange on his scanners. A human? Something was amis...
But no matter; whoever it was, it would never get past the SWAT-bots.
Of course, it was probably just Snively fooling around with one of his girlfriends. Sometimes the women who piloted the supply-ship would take a little 'time-off' to knock up his ugly nephew, for reasons he couldn't begin to fathom.
Snively was such an insubordinate, worthless piece of trash. The only reason Robotnik let him live was because he was family, and his death would raise too many questions...
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Latifah scanned the area. SWAT-bots had detected her, and she wouldn't have much time. She gently picked the echidna up and flew with him out to the forest.
The banshee scanned him, and cursed at what she found.
He was being poisoned, possibly by a piece of metal on his spine. Adamantine?!? That metal was poisonous even to her kind. And there were traces of hallucinogenic agents in his blood. And he had been infected with some kind of artificial pathogen!!!
Quickly, Latifah took out her med-kit and gave Knuckles a shot of local anesthesia, not too much though, because of his weakened state. Then she used a laser scalple to make an incision in his back. After working all night, she was able to remove all the offending metal. She also jury-rigged a blood-filter to take care of the nanites.
Soon, the echidna was sleeping, bandaged and wrapped in a field jacket.
Latifah shivered. Her fatigue did not protect her from the freezing air, but Knuckles needed the jacket more then she did. And he would also need a mind-link when he awoke.
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Meanwhile, Sally woke up in Sonic's bed, turned over to feel an empty spot where the hedgehog had slept. She heard the shower going, and realized that he was washing up. Sonic was afraid of large bodies of water, but thought nothing of showering or running around in the rain like a child.
She smiled. That hedgehog was still pretty much a little boy, but he was nobody's fool when it was crunch-time. And he was one romantic soul.
Then, the princess realized something. She and Sonic had just slept together, and there was no protection available. She could be pregnant. But they just got so lost in each other that they didn't think...
"I do not need this," she mumbled to herself, and went back to sleep.
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Knuckles awoke feeling better, but where was he? He looked around. He was in the forest, where Sonic had left him... Sonic... Why did he do that? Why did Sonic use him as a shield?
He tried to get up, but his legs would not work. Paralyzed again?
"W-what's goin' on..." he slurred, "Robotnik you Bastard! What the f*** did ya do to me..."
Knuckles usually wasn't that colorful, but he had obviously been betrayed, again. He had drempt of a human, a woman, who picked him up and flew... But that was impossible, or was it?
Someone was holding him down, and clamping a hand over his mouth.
"Shhhh! You don't want us to be discovered?"
Knuckles shook his head and relaxed, and the hand came off.
He looked at the figure. A human. The one that carried him away in his dream... No, it wasn't a dream...
"Knuckles, I know this is hard to believe, but Robotnik was trying to kill you. He re-attached your spine with an adamantine cable!"
She showed him the bloody cable, and the echidna cursed.
"And I think he subjected you to subliminal suggestions, possibly to turn you against that hedgehog I encountered yesterday-"
"Sonic?"
Now it all came together: Robotnik had tricked him yet again! As the old saying goes: 'fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me'.
"Noooo!!!!!!" Knuckles cried.
He had betrayed his best friend.
to be continued...