Fleetway Timeline: Between Sonic the Comic #42 and Sonic the Comic #43

Chapter 6: Fleetway Sonic's POV

"We've failed, Sonic!" cried the princess. "Robo-Robotnik snatched the Giant's Hand out from under our noses! And now he and his Giant Borg are wreaking havoc across the face of Mobius, crushing everything in their path! We've got to stop them!"

This world's Sonic looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Tell me something I don't know, princess like how?"

I partially had to agree with him. Giant Borg was a bit tough. But I was sure it was not too tough for this hedgehog.

Oh and we were all back in this world's Robotnik's command centre by the way, doing nothing but watching Giant Borg wreak havoc on the big screen. I was not too thrilled about it, needless to say.

"This is all your fault!"

"No! It's yours!"

"No! Yours!"

While some Sonics were busy being depressed and down in the dumps, others were arguing with each other or even trading blows. Much as I would have liked to join in, I didn't for fear that the stress of fighting with someone who's literally my match would transform me into Super Sonic. Luckily, judging by the others, it seemed that I was the only one who could turn into an out-of-control, mad-with-power, golden hedgehog.

"If you hadn't let yourself and your Freedom Fighters get captured and turned into cyborgs, none of this would have happened, Cyber Sonic!"

"We were taken completely by surprise," argued Cyber Sonic. "And furthermore "

"Oh, be quiet!" shouted Sally, so loud was she that everybody stopped and gazed at her. "This is nobody's fault! Pointing fingers at one another won't get us anywhere!"

Then her voice took on a softer tone. "Why can't you guys act more like our little friends did before?" She pointed to the four midget Sonics, who, earlier, had succeeded in knocking over a humongous Sonic. "They're small but they know that by working together, the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts."

That was pretty corny. Me, work with the other doppelgangers? In your dreams, lady. Okay, maybe I did cooperate with a few others last time but that was before I figured out that none of them would transform into Super Sonic from the stress of a life-and-death situation.

"Hmmm Hey, wait a minute, I've got a idea!" yelled this world's Sonic, snapping his fingers. "Gather 'round, everyone, and listen closely "

We did, though some of us, including me, were reluctant and he told us his bold plan.

Moments later, we found ourselves heading towards Giant Borg's current location. To my surprise, I found myself actually chatting with this world's Sonic.

"Who was that lady?" I asked him.

"What, you don't know her? She's Princess Sally Acorn," he replied.

My jaw dropped and I gawked at him. "Did you say 'Princess Sally Acorn'?"

"Uh yeah. Why?"

"'Cause she looks and acts nothing like my Sally Acorn."

"Really? How?"

"One: she's not a princess; two: she's a squirrel; and three: she's a bit younger, thus a bit less mature. Say, your Sally doesn't have a brother by any chance, does she?"

"No, she's an only child. And by the way, my Sally's a squirrel too. Well, half of her is; the other half's a chipmunk."

"She's a hybrid?" Well, fancy that.

Just then, we heard a shout. "Whoa! Look at the size of that thing!"

We looked up and saw Giant Borg straight ahead.

"He's big alright!" yelled another Sonic. "But in my universe, I fought others who were even bigger and defeated them! Just as we shall defeat Robo-Robotnik and his Giant Borg!"

Robo-Lard-Bucket spotted us. "How typical of you to not give up no matter how high the odds are stacked in your opponent's favour."

"Look who's talking! We outnumber you!"

"It's quality that counts, not quantity, hedgehogs."

What a hypocrite. "Enough talk. Let's rumble!" I yelled.

What followed was a blur of missiles, Spin Attacks, laser beams, Spin Attacks, stomping and Spin Attacks. Sweat poured down my face as I hastily evaded every attack. Well, almost every attack. I got a few laser burns, bruises and cuts from some close shaves with death but nothing serious. The humiliating part was that sometimes other Sonics saved me from certain death or transformation. I hope my Freedom Fighters never find out.

After what seemed like forever, the time became ripe to put our plan into motion. I gave the signal and half of us, including me, turned tail and ran from the battlefield.

"Running away, are you?" called Robo-Robotnik. "Fine, retreat, you little rodents. No matter where you go, I will hunt you down, root you out and annihilate every last one of you."

While he was distracted, the other half crowded as close as they could to each other and started to swarm near Giant Borg's feet. "Even with our numbers cut down, we'll still beat you!"

Robo-Egg-Belly finally noticed them. "Spare me the false bravado, you red-white-and-blue buffoons. While I control the power of Giant Borg, you are all less than nothing!"

With a Mobius shaking 'thoom', Giant Borg slammed an oversized fist into the ground, knocking them all off their feet.

As the other Sonics lay there, pretending to be dazed, Giant Borg lifted a huge foot.

Robo-Robotnik was distracted once again; that was our cue. My half turned around and ran back towards Giant Borg. We had to do this right the first time. If not, we would never get another chance.

He, thankfully, didn't notice our approach. He was too preoccupied with taking out all the clustered Sonics in one stomp. "Farewell, my miniature enemies! It's been fun but the outcome was never in doubt!"

"Now!" I yelled. "While he's off-balance, let's hit him with everything we've got!"

And that's just what all of us did.

Ker-raash!

With a sound like thunder, Giant Borg was torn apart by the combined forces of our Super Sonic Spin Attacks and we (safely) fell alongside the wreckage in triumph.

"That's the end of Giant Borg!" yelled that other Sonic.

"But what about Robo-Robotnik?" questioned Sally, who, along with Cyber Sally, had arrived just in time to see Giant Borg's destruction.

A clanging sound made us turn our heads. There was Robo-Robotnik's tin head, bouncing along the ground like an ugly, giant egg. It finally came to a stop at this world's Sonic's feet.

Robo-Robotnik looked shocked. It seemed as if he hadn't really counted on being defeated, let alone scrapped. Typical. "This does not compute !"

With those final words, Robo-Robotnik's metallic eyes and mouth closed forever, never to open again.

Even if he probably was never good, I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. The other Sonic didn't seem to feel the same way though. Picking the head up, he smiled and said, "Alas, poor Robo Guess the big guy finally lost his head!"

"I'll take that..."

With a 'whoosh', Cyber Sonic swiped the head from the other Sonic.

"...and I won't be back!"

As if in response, an orange portal opened up nearby. Cyber Sonic and Cyber Sally walked towards it.

Before entering, he picked up a piece of Giant Borg. He turned around, looked at us, waved and said with a grin, "Hasta la vista, hedgehogs!"

Then they both jumped into the shimmering disc, which disappeared along with them.

"Incredible!" This world's Robotnik had arrived as well and was inspecting one of the portions of Giant Borg. "Upon 'destruction,' Giant Borg has broken down into interlocking parts, like a jigsaw puzzle! And they're mine! All mine!"

That's what he thought. We Sonics instantly surrounded him. "You were saying?"

"You can either leave in peace or leave in pieces like Robo-Robotnik. What will it be?"

"Curses!" he replied, looking around at us all in shock. "Foiled again!"

Though he departed without a part, the princess was still worried. "We can't leave these parts lying around; they could be connected to reform Giant Borg."

"I've got a great idea!" answered this world's Sonic. Again?

"Don't shove, there's plenty for all!"

As we Sonics exited this world in single file via another orange portal, we each picked up a Giant Borg puzzle piece from a huge pile. A nearby signpost said, "Souvenirs of the Great Battle. Own a piece of the 'bot."

"With its interlocking parts scattered to the four corners of creation," I overheard this world's Sonic saying, "I don't think we'll be hearing from Giant Borg anytime soon!"

The princess looked hesitant. "Are you sure the pieces will be safe with them?"

As the portal closed behind me (I was the last one to leave), I could barely make out that world's Sonic answering, "Hey, if you can't trust yourself, who can you trust?"

I couldn't help but smile. I had to admit, that was a good one.

Some Sonics would later find out that it had been Zonic the Zone Cop, another alternate version of themselves, who had been assisting them by opening and closing portals left and right.

Evil Sonic would escape and keep coming back multiple times to wreak havoc in some way or another before finally getting arrested by Zonic.

Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Robo-Robotnik hadn't died at all; his memories had just been transported to an incomplete space station back in his homeworld instead. There he would remain for a period of time until Archie Robotnik would be teleported there by accident. While sending him home, Robo-Robotnik would scan his memories and learn the fate of Giant Borg. Using the piece of it in his world, he would build a new body and eradicate Mobotropolis entirely, including no-longer-Cyber Sonic.

Robo-Robotnik would secretly try to take over every universe in existence yet again but fail as before. He would then travel to the Archie Sonicverse upon hearing of the death of that world's Robotnik in an attempt to conquer it, not to mention fill the void in both his and Archie Sonic's life. His appearance would change and his body would be deroboticized later on by aliens.

Unfortunately, despite a second failure, Robo-Robotnik had still failed to learn the lessons of history.

The end...for now.

A/N: Wanna see more? Read 'Sonic United'.