…I think I'm getting hungry for reviews… So, come on people! Review!

Anyway, that's not the reason it took so long for this chapter though. The reason is because I was out of town from May 23rd-June 1st! Visiting my old friends, worshipping God at my old church, going on trips to theme parks, and just having an all-around awesome time! But I'm back now, so the chapters on both of my stories will hopefully begin rolling out again!

So, that being said, have a good read! I don't own Sonic, by the way! Oh, before I forget. For some reason, my italics aren't working right at the moment, so I replaced them with underlines. So when you see something underlined, pretend it's in italics!

Chapter 5: Sonic Vs. Robotnik

"I don't know…" Summer said quietly in reply to Eddie's recent question. It was only minutes after the incident with Miles and the trio had all sat down for a meal of some sort. They were eating mushrooms they prayed weren't poisonous and were going to be leaving soon to find the brook that Eddie had found before.

"But I know I'm a hedgehog and Miles knows that he's a fox! What's so different about you?" Eddie said, confusion etched on his face.

"How am I supposed to know?" Summer said scornfully. "It's not like I'm an expert."

"All right, all right. It doesn't really matter anyway. What's in a name?"

"This coming from the person who's hated his name ever since the day he was born…" Summer said with a laugh.

"Shut up! Can't you see that I'm trying to…" He paused and frowned. "Okay, I guess I wasn't really trying to do anything, but—"

"I am amazed at how stupid you are." Summer gave him a half-grin to show that she was just kidding and then munched on her mushroom some more.

And then, suddenly, the mushroom was simply… gone. No, not gone. It had been taken. And when she saw Eddie in his blue glory, eating a mushroom that he had not had seconds ago, she realized that he had taken it!

"Eddie! Give that mushroom back!" He smirked at her.

"It really sucks to know that I'm that fast, doesn't it? Fast enough to…" He popped the rest of the mushroom into his mouth and grinned. "Take something so easily."

Summer glowered at him and stood up, shaking her hand threateningly. "I'm warning you Edgar Wilsans! If you try something like that a—" She was cut off by Eddie's obnoxious laugh.

"You… you sounded like my…" His laughing slowed some. "Like my… mom…" His laughing stopped completely and his eyes got a dark look in them.

"I wonder if she's okay…" He said quietly, looking in the general direction of Mobius. "And Dad… Or even Uncle Chuck! What's happening to them?"

"We're both going through this, Eddie. I don't know about my parents either! But we can't lose hope… they could be alive and well!" Summer said, walking up to him and sitting next to him. She put an arm around his shoulder. It wasn't in any way a romantic gesture, but Eddie couldn't help but to enjoy having her so close. But even that couldn't help the utter soberness of the moment.

"I hope you're right, Sum..." He said, using an old nickname that he had given her a while back. Summer knew that he never used that unless he was in deep concentration about something.

"Eddie? What is it?" She asked.

He looked at her, slight excitement shining through his eyes—a direct contrast to the moment they had just shared. "Look at the rings, Summer. Notice how they're glowing blue and yellow?"

She looked down at her hand and noticed that her ring was glowing the color of her quills. Eddie's was doing the same.

"I think these are the things that caused us to change!" He said, his voice rising. And before Summer could reply, he slid the ring off his finger…

Second Lieutenant Jared Powers of the 1st Robotics Air-borne Squadron, or RABS for short, tried to quell his growing excitement. He was situated in the cockpit of the Wolf-model fighting robot.

The serial number for the machine was F-16x, and it was that for a good reason. Originally modeled off the Air Force's F-16, it was a flying jet of supreme power. When in its original form, it looked nearly identical to the F-16. Painted the deepest black, in the dark it was nearly invisible. Like the F-16, it only had one engine, but with advancements in technology, it did not run off of fuel. Instead, it was powered by a huge magnet, which in turn made the jet nearly silent as it cut through the air. Not to mention, it also raised the top speed of the jet considerably. The single fin for maneuvering was also still there, raising into the air much like the dorsal fin on a dolphin or a shark. However, it was now equipped with small but high-powered rifles situated on swiveling cannons, allowing them to shoot in nearly every direction. There was little other difference other than those except for the weapons. Besides the tail weapon, all guns had been upgraded to laser rifles capable of laying waste to a city in record time. Also it was equipped with even faster, more powerful, and smaller missiles than the likes of any other jet.

It was truly a supreme creation… and that was only its first form. With a pull of a lever, it could show just what kind of raw power G.U.N. had. All one had to do was pull that one lever above the pilot's head and everything move back until it hung out like a tail. And a tail is exactly was it was! A long, eight-foot long tail, complete with the swiveling cannons at the tip, curved upwards with the tip facing forward much like a scorpion's tail. The engine would move to the inside of the jet, towards the center. If needing an extra boost of speed, one could flip a switch and the engine would rise from the back of the jet, like a jet pack, ready to be used. The wings would move forward a few feet and fold into canine-like legs. The twin stabilizing fins at the back would also fold into the back legs. The body of the jet itself would change, leaving the streamlined shape of the F-16 behind and becoming wolf-like in its appearance. Many of the laser guns on the bottom of the ship would also rise to the 'back' of the machine. At this time, the flying jet would land on the ground and stand upon the four legs. The final major change was the cockpit and nose cone. The cone and cockpit would change into the muzzle and head of a wolf, even going as far as to give it a huge mouth that had razor sharp teeth and a powerful laser cannon at the back of it. After that, only a few minor changes—such as repositioning certain inside components in such a way they won't be damaged by the way the new ship maneuvered—remained.

The F-16x had been nicknamed the Wolf for such a reason. On a whim, the supreme flying machine could become a super-tank unlike any other. On ground, without the aid of the magnetic engine, it could move at speeds over 300 miles per hour. With the engine, that speed was nearly tripled, pushing the top land speed past the speed of sound. Whether on land or air, it could outmaneuver, move faster, and overpower any other craft on the planet.

And the best part of it all? Lieutenant Powers was one of the few handful of men and women who had been given the chance to fly it.

And now it was time for her maiden voyage. Test runs were one thing, but it was finally time to test her in real combat. Powers' unit was being called on to go to a city called Mobius to fight off a madman with a robot army. His unit would be the first unit to arrive, but other units of G.U.N. and possibly ones of other military branches would follow them. But Powers didn't think G.U.N. would need the help of any others. They were the best of the best—faster, more powerful, and smarter than any of the others.

An alarm signaled him and the other various jets around him, each a different version of the F-16x capable of changing into different 'animals', to power up.

After entering in his launch code and flicking certain switches in a memorized pattern, his magnetic engine hummed to life. The only sound was the initial hum as electricity powered the magnet, but then it was all but silent.

"All systems go." He said into his intercom. His comrades in battle repeated him after they did their own preflight testing.

"Well, boys. Start up those engines and let's hit it!" He heard his flight commander say.

Immediately, he saw a jet in front of all the others, this one was a tiger when it changed, suddenly shoot forward and down the runway. A few other jets followed and finally it was his turn. Raising the throttle to max, his aircraft began shaking as the magnet tried to propel him forward, but was hindered by the brakes. He let off the brakes and his own jet shot forward. He watched his land speed and once he reached a good speed, he pulled back on his control stick. His jet lifted off easily and he shot up into the sky and joined his unit.

Nothing. Eddie pulled the ring off, but nothing happened. "I thought for sure…" He whispered to himself.

"Well, it took a long time for us to change before, and—"

"And maybe it needs to take some time to change back!" Eddie cried, cutting Summer off.,

Summer shushed him, "Miles is sleeping!" Sure enough, Miles was curled up in a ball near the far end of the clearing. He was using one of his twin tails as a pillow and the other was being used to cover his eyes from the setting sun above.

Eddie watched him closely and found himself becoming more and more protective of the boy every second. He was always like an older brother to Miles, but more so now than ever.

"What are you thinking about?"

Eddie looked at Summer. "I…" He hesitated, a little embarrassed to tell her his deepest thoughts at the moment. But a look from her prompted him to continue. "I was just thinking… Miles has no one else now. He's all alone…"

"He has us."

"Exactly. And I plan on keeping it that way." Summer frowned and looked at him in puzzlement. "He's an orphan, so I'm adopting him into my family. My parents are his parents. My cousins are his cousins. I am his brother."

Summer stared at him for a few minutes with an expression that could be nothing but awe. "Eddie, that's really…" Se paused to search for the word. "Sweet of you! I can tell you that he'll love that."

Eddie could feel himself blush, but thankfully his blue quills and fur covered it up. "I, uh… thanks, I guess…" And then suddenly, as if out of his greatest dreams, Summer leaned forward and put a light kiss on his cheek.

He doubted that even his blue fur could hide his blush this time. His expression was one of pure disbelief and Summer's matched his own.

"I—I'm sorry! I don't know what just came over me! Watching too many romance movies… Spur of the moment… It's all catching up to me, and hindering my judgment, I suppose." She stuttered, creating an excuse of why she had just done that.

And before Eddie could reply, before he could say how much he didn't mind, she got up quickly and lay down next to Miles, using her arm as a pillow, leaving Eddie to his thoughts.

Oh man… I've been waiting for that for so long… Well, I've been waiting for a chance for a real kiss, but that's close enough! But is that it? Does it mean anything more than what she said? Eddie wondered to himself while staring at Summer's resting form.

How could I be so stupid to do that?! Now he's going to think that I like him and things are going to be really uncomfortable between us! And I don't like him either! Never have! …Except for that one time two years ago, but that was a long time ago! No feelings now! Right? Summer thought to herself while her eyes were squinted shut.

"This morning I could have been sure of that…" She whispered, the sound hardly ever reaching her own ears. "But after today, after seeing Eddie in… action and after hearing him say that…" She stopped and shook her head slightly. "Now's not the time to start thinking about that." After that last thought, she let her exhaustion hit her in full force and, in a matter of minutes, she was dead asleep.

Eddie watched her with interest until he was finally sure that she had fallen asleep. He then switched his gaze to the blue ring that was still in his hand. "I guess I'll try out that theory later…" And with that, he slipped the ring onto his finger again and smiled as it glowed bright blue again.

He looked to the sky and noticed with satisfaction that it was nearly nightfall.

"Time to go." He got to his feet and stretched. "Wish there was someway to tell them that I'm all right… if they wake up, that is. But I can't, so I'll just have to hope I'm back before then." He gave Summer and Miles one last glance and then walked out of the clearing.

Mobius was a wreck. Only a few buildings near the center of the former city still stood. The bridge from earlier had collapsed completely, leaving a twenty foot gap. But that was okay; Eddie would just find another route.

"Let's see just how fast I can go…" He took a deep breath and took off at a slow pace. But with every step he took, he sped up slightly. Faster, faster, and faster. Wind whipped past his face roughly, causing him to squint his eyes. But even as he became nothing more than a blue blur moving parallel to the river there was still no stop to his speed.

And then suddenly… he stopped. "There!" Quickly he ran over to the river and smiled at the large tree that had toppled over and was now serving as a perfect bridge that extended across the gap.

"Wonder how far I can jump…?" He judged the tree, checking how wide it was and smiled again. "Here goes…" After back up about thirty feet, he reached inside himself pulling out his top speed and blasted forward, kicking up a large dirt cloud behind him.

Twenty… Ten… Five… Three… NOW! And he leapt! On an instinct deep inside of him, he curled into a ball and did many somersaults while soaring through the air.

Ground, sky, ground, sky… And following that same instinct that caused him to curl up, he straightened his body out and landed. But instead of landing on the tree branch, he landed easily on a grassy patch of dirt.

Looking back, he realized that he had just cleared the river's gap with ease. "For Pete's sake, what else can I do…?" Eddie whispered to himself disbelievingly.

He shook his head and looked towards the shattered city. He knew he should have turned back. That not too long ago, he was promising never to leave Miles and that he could very well die by venturing into the city. But he would not rest until he saw the full extent of the damages himself.

And regardless of the risk, he blasted forward, kicking up more dust clouds.

Eggman laughed loudly as he walked the war torn streets of Mobius. "You should have never scorned me like you did, Mobius! I warned you so many years ago! You called me crazy, but now I'm the only one left!"

"Sir, there is an intruder. Someone is entering the city." A SwatBot that was walking beside him said in its metallic voice.

Eggman sighed. "An evil genius' work is never finished… Very well, dispatch a troop of SwatBots to detain him. Don't kill him unless he is a threat." The robot did not reply, but instead opened up its chest cavity and pressed a few buttons on a small consol inside there.

"The Fourth Regiment is intercepting at the moment."

"Very good. Now, come, let's head that way. I want to be the one to kill whoever is defying me."

"Yes, Emperor Robotnik" An evil leer washed over Eggman's face at the name Robotnik. When he had finished destroying the city, he realized that the name Eggman did not suit a future emperor of the world. So, instead, he changed his name to Robotnik, a name that he thought suited him much more.

"On better thought, call a Hovercraft. I'm sick of walking."

TSEEW! Eddie dodged right and avoided the laser bolt with room to spare.

"Come on, you big bucket of bolts! Can't you even hit one little target?" He said, taunting the solitary SwatBot that had come across him.

Suddenly, three laser bolts peppered the ground right by his feet and he spun around to see another dozen robots running his way.

"Outnumbered and outgunned… I like these odds!" Before the next volley of laser bolts could hit him, he had taken off straight for the dozen SwatBots.

"Wait for it… wait for it… Now!" He leapt, sailing over the heads of the robots and landing quietly on the other side. "That'll probably fry their circuits! If not, it'll confu—"

TSEEEEEEW! Every robot had turned to face him and shot off a laser at the same time. Eddie barely jumped back in time to dodge them.

"Ooookay, note to self…" He dodged another laser bolt. "Robots have motion sensors!"

Suddenly the whine of more lasers silenced him and he looked over his shoulder to see another few dozen robots leveling lasers at him. The bots in front of him did the same.

Looking around for an escape route, he paled when he realized that he had trapped himself in an alley with two broken walls on both sides. He had no escape route!

But, for some reason unknown to him, the robots never shot. Instead, they withdrew their lasers and as a group began walking purposely towards Eddie.

"You are under arrest by orders of Doctor Robotnik Do not resist or we will be forced to destroy you." One of the SwatBots said.

"Well, that was a bad move." Eddie whispered to himself, smirking at the robots' stupidity. And louder, he said, "All right! You caught me! Cuff me!"

The SwatBots stared at him in confusion, but a couple of them moved forward anyway. And just like that, there was an opening in the ranks of robots.

"Really bad move. Sorry to be a party-pooper, but I gotta fly! Tell your boss that he'll never catch this Gingerbread Man!" And suddenly, all the robots watched as he became a blue blur and shoot through the openings in the ranks.

"Have they caught the nuisance yet?" Dr. Robotnik asked the SwatBot sitting next to him in the cramped Hovercraft.

"Negative."

"What?! How could they not?!"

"He escaped. He was too fast and escaped through an opening in the ranks as they moved forward to detain him"

"How fast is too fast?"

"Unknown. They were not able to get a lock on the intruder before he was out of their range."

Robotnik groaned loudly and clenched his fists in frustration. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "Where is he now?"

"Directly below us."

Robotnik paled and immediately sent the Hovercraft to the ground, not even bothering to land it correctly.

Eddie watched with interest as the Hovercraft hit the ground roughly and slid a few feet across the ground before coming to a stop. When he had seen the ship, he had momentarily stopped.

The Plexiglas dome of the Hovercraft lifted to reveal an overweight man who stepped out. The man stared at Eddie for a few moments in wonder. Now Eddie was able to recognize him. He was the Dr. Eggman that his father had sued! But why was he taking over the city?

"You are Dr. Eggman." Eddie said while glaring at the fat man with hatred.

"No. I am now Dr. Robotnik! Who are you?" Robotnik said while pulling a laser gun from its holster in his belt.

"You destroyed my city!" Eddie cried, clenching his fists as all the pent up anger in him became evident. "You killed thousands! You ruined the life of my friend and God knows how many others!"

Robotnik smirked. "I'm so sorry. How about I fix that right now?" He pulled the trigger on the laser gun, but the red laser only hit the torn streets. Eddie had dodged with ease.

"You won't get away with it, you know." Robotnik whipped around to see the blue hedgehog standing on top of his personal Hovercraft. "You have the entire country against you now. You can't hope to win!"

TSEEW! Robotnik watched in horror as Eddie leaped away and the laser ended up putting a sizeable hole in the Plexiglas dome.

"What are you?!" Robotnik yelled while leveling his gun as Eddie again.

Eddie looked at him with an amused smirk. "Just your everyday, average blue, super fast hedgehog."

"Hedge…hog?" Robotnik's eyes narrowed. "And your name?"

Eddie stared coolly at Robotnik for a long time, contemplating on whether or not to tell him his real name. He thought about that day and everything that had happened. Maybe his life was flashing before his eyes, maybe his remembering the day was a random thing, but regardless of that, his mind focused on one thing… his speed. And suddenly, he knew what to tell him.

"SonicCall me Sonic the Hedgehog." And suddenly he was gone, a blue blur against the dark buildings. And before either the SwatBots or Robotnik could react, he turned a corner and was gone.

Red Sonic, that's for you! I told you I couldn't stand Eggman for much longer!

Anyway, thanks for the good reviews, even if there were only two! Read and review, everybody!

And tune in next time, because I'm hoping for a big plot advancement (Note that it may take two chapters to get to what I'm thinking about!).

God bless anybody who reviews! …And God bless everyone else too, of course!

--Ben