CHAPTER 9

The girl turned to the four animels. "We gave to get him back!" she exclaimed.

"You've got to be kidding!" Sonic said. "There's no way we're going to-"

"I think we should," Amy Rose spoke up, stepping forward.

Sonic stared at her in disbelieve. "Amy," he began. "You know we can't help Metal Sonic. He's given us no reason to."

"True," Amy agreed. "but I think he might have changed. After all he did make a friend. Besides he has the power of the Chaos Emeralds in his body."

"I agreed with Amy," Shadow said.

"Me too," Knuckles put in.

Everyone stared at the blue hedgehog. "All right," he said, giving in. "We'll go."

"But where is his base?" Amy asked.

"I think Eggman mentioned the Mystic Ruins when he wanted me and Knuckles to help him find that robot," Sonic said. "It's probably there."

The group dashed to the train station.

Metal Sonic came to a while later. He had no idea where he was or how he got there. The only thing he could remember was a girl shielding him from being struck by something.

The robot looked around himself. He had no idea where he was. Suddenly a face filled his vision.

"AHHHHHHH!" the robot exclaimed in surprise.

Eggman laughed.

"Who are you?" Metal Sonic asked, as he sat up. He'd been lying on the floor.

"I am your creator," the fat man said. "I am Dr. Eggman."

Metal Sonic didn't say anything. "What do you want of me?" he finally asked.

"Well, it seems my Chaos Emerald radar has picked up Chaos energy... coming from you," the scientist said.

"So?" the robot asked.

"I would like to know how it got in there and what happened to the Emeralds they were suppost to be in."

"I drained them," Metal Sonic said smuggly.

Eggman didn't want that answer. He got angry. He grabbed the robot and shook him. "How dare you!" he shouted. "Well, that just means I'm going to have to drain you."

Eggman drug the robot into another room. He shoved the robot against a machine and clampted his arms and legs to it. The scientist got down on one knee and began to hook something to Metal Sonic's body.

"What are you doing?" the robot asked.

Eggman stood. "There wires will drain the Chaos Energy out of you," he explained. "But first, I need to get the Emeralds you drained."

Metal Sonic chuckled smuggly. "There is no way you'll be able to."

The scientist looked up. "And why not?"

"I don't have them with me."

"Then who does?"

"I don't know their names."

"Would one of them happen to be a blue hedgehog?"

"Yes."

Eggman's face grew angry. "So now Sonic and his friends have the Emeralds. Well I'll just have to wait. They're bound to come here to try to get the Energy back from you."

The scientist left the room.

When the four creature and the girl who said her name was Kakoe got off the train in the Mystic Ruins a few hours later Sonic said. "Okay everyone let me just inform you of one thing: Eggman's base is somewhere in the jungle near a ruin made by Knuckles ancestors. We need to find that ruin and then we'll easily find the base from there."

"The only way to get there is by railcar," Amy said. "We'd better check to see if one's working."

The group headed to the railcars. One of them indeed worked. They all climbed in and a few minutes later they reached the jungle.

"Where's the base?" Amy asked, looking around. "Is it even still here?"

Knuckles nodded. "Yes it is. I can sense it."

"Then let's go," Kakoe said. "We have to stop Eggman before he does something to my friend."

Sonic said nothing to that. He was still trying to figure out how someone as heartless as Metal Sonic could make a friend with anyone. Not to mention a girl he never met before. I wonder why he saved her life? he thought. Why? Does he actually have a caring emotion?

Sonic shook his head. I doubt it. There must be another reason. He glanced at the girl, Kakoe. But if not, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe he does have a soft spot. Can robot's love? Do they have feelings? Do they understand the meaning of friendship?

"Sonic," Amy's voice cut into his thoughts.

He looked at the female hedgehog.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"Nothing important," the blue hedgehog answered. "Let's go."

It was awhile before they found the base. It was a desolate ruin and only half its normal size.

"Is that is?" Kakoe asked.

Sonic nodded. "This is it, all right," he confirmed. "Now when we get in there here's what what we'll do. Shaow and Knuckles will sneak into the reactor and shut off the power. I'll keep Eggman busy while you girls search the base for Metal Sonic. Now once you free him don't let him go. We still need to figure out a way to get those Emerald's energy out of him."

"Okay," everyone said nodding.

"Does anyone have questions?"

Nobody did.

"Okay," he said. "Once we get Metal Sonic we have to get out of there before Eggman tries anything. We'll meet by Big's house when this is over got it?"

They did.

"Now then," he said, lifting his arm. "Let's go!" he dropped his arm.

Once inside the fivesome split up. Sonic headed to the control room where Eggman was likely to be and the others headed to their assigned places as well.

This should be easy. If I can keep Eggman distracted long enough, the blue hedgehog looked at the bag off dead Chaos Emeralds. "With these I can have him running in circles for hours!"

"Where would Eggman put Metal Sonic anyway?" Kakoe asked, as she and Amy Rose walked down the corridor.

"I'm not sure," the pink hedgehog replied. "He could have him anywhere."

"Then I guess we'll have to search everywhere," the girl said.

Amy nodded. "I guess we will," she agreed.

The girl noticed a room with its door part way open. "Let's check in there," she suggested, pointing at it.

"It couldn't hurt," Amy said.

The girls ran up to the door and pulled it all the way open.

When Amy saw what was inside the room she said. "Looks like we'll have to search a bit."

The room held boxes and boxes of spair parts.

The two stepped inside.

"I guess we will," Kakoe agreed.

Even though the room was full of junk a door in the back was plainly visable.

"Let's check that out," Amy suggested.

Kakoe nodded. "Good idea."

They headed for the door. As they did they had to zig zag around the boxes and parts cluttering the room. "Eggman sure is messy," Amy commented, as she jumped over a large robot part.

Finally the two girls reached the door. When Amy opened it and Kakoe got a look inside the human girl gasped. 'There he is!"

The pink hedgehog looked in the direction the girl had pointed her finger. She too saw Metal Sonic. His head was down and his view screen was blank. He looked like he'd been turned offline.

Kakoe pushed past Amy and ran to the robot. "Metal Sonic!" she said, tapping the robot on the head. "Can you hear me? Wake up, please!"

The robot didn't stir.

"I think Eggman may have him turned off," Amy spoke up, standing beside the girl.

"What can we do?" the robot's friend asked.

Amy began yanking on the metal clamps holding the robot to some sort of machine. "We have to try to get him loose," she replied.

"But how?"

The pink hedgehog pulled out her Piko Piko hammer. "With this!" she said smiling smugly.

She then proceeded to smash at the clamps.

"Man, we are never going to find that reactor!" Knuckles complained.He and Shadow were still in the corridors tryng to find the room where the reactor would be.

"Yes, we will," Shadow said confidently. "It has to be around here somewhere. The Doctor can't hide a reactor. It's way too big."

"Maybe but-"

Suddenly a huge robot blocked their way.

"Oh great!" moaned Knuckles. "Now what are we going to do?"

"We have only one choice," Shadow said, going into a fight pose. "We must fight!"

He jumped at the robot's face. "TEEAAAH!" he shouted, swinging his foot and putting out the machine's view screen.

Sonic found the control room easily. Since the building was only half its origanal size, it didn't take very long.

The blue hedgehog peeked inside the room. He saw Eggman sitting in a chair with his back to the door.

"Oh, Eggman," Sonic said.

Eggman's body jumped, startled. He fell out of his chair onto the floor. "Who said that?' the scientits demanded looking around. "Whos' there?"

Sonic the hedgehog walked casually into the room. "Hey there Fatty," he said."Long time no see. How's it going?"

"Sonic!" the scientist exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to spring a certain robot."

Eggman looked confused. "What? Are you saying you're here to free that traitor Metal Sonic?"

"Yup!"

"Now why would you want to do a stupid thing like that? Metal Sonic works for me. He's none of your buisness."

"He is when he stole the Master Emerald's power as well as the other Emerlads then attacks Shadow and tries to kill him," Sonic retorted. "He's my buisness when he bothers my friends."

"Why would you want to release him then?"

Sonic's face turned serious. "That is my concern."

"Well, let me inform you now: You won't be 'sprining' anyone out. Especially not Metal Sonic."

Sonci took a step forward. That all to familer grin returned to his face. "Is that so?"

Eggman didn't flinch. He just grinned back.

Sonic hesitated. He didn't like that grin he recieved as an answer. He started to wonder if Egg,man had purposly done something to Metal Sonic so he could get to them. I bet he was lying about the whole thing. But if so, why did he act so desperate to get him back and why did Metal Sonic act so strange? Was it just that? An act?

Before Sonic knew what was happening Eggman had him by the throat.

Author's note: So this story isn't going the way I had planned it to go. Since the storyline is kind of a flop I will just finish it as soon as I can just so I don't have to worry about it anymore.