Chapter #5: Trouble on the Tracks

10:15 AM

Eggman's Warehouse, Station Square Harbor

Time Left: 20 minutes

"Sonic, would you mind telling me what's going on?"

Both Sonic and Tails had recovered from their narrow escape in the burning warehouse, and now Tails wanted to know why he had almost suffocated to death in a cage. Sonic, however, seemed eager to be off.

"Tails, I don't have time."

"Sonic, please? Maybe I can help!"

"All right! Eggman put all four of you in traps so I would have to come and save you! He gave me an hour to rescue all of you."

The way the hedgehog rubbed his forehead in pain told Tails there was more to it, but he didn't press his friend. Instead he asked, "When did you start?"

"I'd say a little after 9:30."

Tails looked at his watch. "Oh boy. You only have about 20 minutes left."

"20 minutes! Jeez, that's pushin' it! I'd better stop wasting my time and get going now!" He leapt up from his seat on the ambulance's bumper and began to walk away, but suddenly he clutched his stomach and fell to the road on his knees, groaning in pain.

"Sonic!" Tails cried. He and Cream were at his side immediately. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"He did something like this before, when he rescued me and Cheese," Cream told him.

Realizing that the two might delay him further, Sonic stood up with one hand on his stomach and said, "I'm fine." He wobbled a bit on his feet, and his free hand flew to his forehead as the headaches returned to torment him. "It's nothing to worry about. Right now I need to find Knuckles and Amy. Do you have any idea where they are, Tails?"

"I don't know exactly, but I heard Eggman say something about 'causing havoc on the tracks', and the only place with tracks is..." The two looked at each other and cried out the answer in unison.

"The train station!"

Once again Cream climbed onto Sonic's back, and he rocketed away, with Tails half-running, half-hovering behind him.

They found the train station in an uproar—everything powered by electricity was off. When Sonic questioned one of the clerks at the ticket booths, he said that the power had been cut to the station, and all of the trains had been stranded.

"Eggman's work," Sonic muttered under his breath.

"But what is he up to?" wondered Cream.

Suddenly the lights flickered on, and the crowds of waiting humans cheered. Sonic glanced at the clock in the clerk's booth, and it read "10:20". He remembered what Eggman had said about the traps being set to start at certain times.

Suddenly one of the screens that showed trains leaving and entering the station came on, and everyone saw that one train loaded with passengers had embarked without permission from the conductors.

"That train must be under Eggman's control," said Tails.

Sonic snapped his fingers; the answer had come to him. "It's the old 'damsel-in-distress-tied-to-the-railroad-tracks' game!"

Once again that robotic voice spoke.

"It certainly is."

A crowd of humans scattered to reveal Metal Sonic.

"Not you again!" cried Cream.

Immediately Sonic sped off to the train's platform and leaped onto the tracks, with Metal following seconds behind. In half a minute they were out on top of a track raised above the paved city roads (much like the one train track in Spiderman 2). Up ahead was the train, and without much thought Sonic dashed past it; for some reason Metal Sonic didn't follow. The hero was relieved that his foe was gone for the moment, but he didn't slow down to regain his strength; instead he put on a bigger burst of speed. Now he could focus on the girl tied to the railroad tracks.

Or rather the guy tied to the railroad tracks.

"What the heck are you doin' tied here, Knuckles, old buddy?" asked Sonic with a playful smirk as he screeched to a stop beside his friend. "Aren't the girls supposed to be tied to the railroad tracks and left to be run over?"

"Aw, shut up," Knuckles growled before the hedgehog could add anything insulting. "Just hurry up and untie me!" He strained against the strong ropes binding him for emphasis.

"Okay, okay, keep your gloves on! And quit straining!" Sonic tugged against the ropes, but it did no good. "Man, I should've asked Tails for his trusty pocket knife." Suddenly a familiar laser shot missed his hand and cut a part of the rope. "A laser works too." He turned to face the shooter and gave a smart-aleck grin. "Thanks, Metal."

The robotic hedgehog was in his Sonic disguise, and he gave back an exact copy of the smile (Sonic hated it when he did that). "You're quite welcome," he replied.

With part of the rope ripped, Knuckles managed to free his arms. "Something's up," he whispered to Sonic as he slid his feet out of his binds.

"You've got more things to worry about than your echidna friend, Sonic. That train is carrying many passengers, and Master Eggman has put an end to the track circuit."

"You mean he sabotaged it!" said Sonic with gritted teeth.

"He destroyed one part of the track, if you want to be specific. The train will crash if it cannot avoid the danger."

"We'll warn it, and it'll stop before it crashes!" Knux said, getting to his feet.

"That train won't be doing any 'stopping' for a while, echidna."

"What the heck do you mean?"

Grinning wickedly, Metal pulled a strange object from behind his back. Sonic and Knuckles paled.

It was the train's brake lever.