Sonic waited impatiently as Chuck talked on the phone. "I thought they'd probably do something about those lines." He listened and nodded. "Well, thanks very much for giving me the scoop, and I'll talk to you soon." He closed the phone and turned to his grandson and Sonic. "Well, it seems that Sonic's friends have been captured by the police and moved to Area 99."

"Area 99?" Chris frowned. "That's the top secret military base."

"What?"

Chris turned to Sonic. "It's where the National Defense Force keeps all their tanks, fighter jets, and high-tech spy equipment."

"That sounds like Eggman's kind of place..." Sonic muttered to himself.

"Your friends have been taken there by the army and placed under 24-hour guard." Chuck said. "The authorities believe they could be aliens, or perhaps members of a mutant species developed by an enemy power designed to attack our population." He turned to Sonic. "I wonder if they might not be right, Sonic, eh?"

Sonic frowned. He was wasting time. "Think what you want." Sonic shrugged, closing his eyes. "I'm gone. Now that I know where my friends are, I'm outta here."

"But if you show up at Area 99, they'll lock you up, too!" Chris said.

Sonic turned to Chris with a smirk. "They can't lock me up!" He walked towards the door but stopped short when it was slammed in his face. Furious, he turned to Chris. "OPEN THAT DOOR!"

"D-don't look at me, I didn't do it!" Chris stuttered, waving his hands.

Chuck grinned. "Hah, it was me!"

"Huh?" Sonic glanced at Chuck curiously.

"You're gonna need some help, Sonic." Chuck said, flexing his arms. "I'll go with you!"

Chris turned to Chuck, his eyes wide. "Grandpa, are you serious!?"

Chuck grinned at Chris. "Of course I'm serious, and you're coming along too. You told me you don't want to lead a boring life like your father, so here's your chance for some excitement."

Chris raised his hands. "Well, if you're up for it, I'm up for it. Just don't tell Dad!"

Chuck grinned back. "All right, let's get going!"

Sonic just stared at them.

Sonic grumbled as he sat in the backseat, his arms crossed. "It's gonna take forever to get there! I'd rather go myself."

Chuck turned to him. "Chill out."

Chris held a headset in his hands and turned to Chuck. "Is it time?"

Chuck nodded. "It's time."

Chris turned to Sonic, giving him the headset. "Put it on." The boy said, pointing to his head.

"What's this?" Sonic hummed curiously.

"An infrared scope." Chuck responded, eyes never leaving the road. "I'm certain that Area 99 is full of infrared motion detectors that set off security alarms. If you wear that, you may be able to avoid them."

Sonic placed the infrared scope on his ear and shot them a thumbs up. He unbuckled his seat belt and hopped out of the car. "See you later, guys!" He called before zooming off in a flash.

Chris grinned excitedly as he watched his friend disappear.

Chuck looked stunned. "He's certainty a speedy little critter, is he?" He grinned and pressed his foot on the gas pedal, zooming after Sonic.

Penny whimpered, her ears flattening against her head as she held Cream and Cheese close. She studied the place they were being held in...it looked like one of Tails' labs back at home, but more advanced. People everywhere where either looking at them or working on their computers.

"We didn't do anything. Please let us out!" Cream cried, snapping Penny out of it. Hearing whirring, Penny, Cream, and Cheese gasped at the sight of a strange camera pressed against the window of their cell, slowly moving. Was it scanning them? Penny shuddered, holding Cream and Cheese tight.

"What is this place, Penny and Cheese?!" Cream cried. "We've got to get out of here!"

The two watched as a image of their bodies popped up on the screen.

"Sonic..." Penny muttered.

"Sonic, can you hear me?"

Chris's voice rang loud and clear through the infrared scope. Sonic smirked. "Yeah."

"Remember, when you get to the main building, go in through the air vent. That should be a blind spot for security. Got it?"

"Got it." Sonic answered.

Chris suddenly sounded worried. "But, Grandpa, after he gets inside, how will he find where his friends are?!"

Chuck grabbed the headset from Chris and placed it over his own head. "Listen to me, Sonic. You won't have much time, so think quickly and act quickly."

"Grandpa, what if he doesn't?!"

Sonic smirked. "Thanks for the tip. I'm going in."

The blue hedgehog sped into Area 99 and quickly avoided the cameras. The cameras sensed someone there and beeped an alarm.

"Intruder alert. Sector D. Intruder alert. Sector D."

Sonic dove into an air vent and slid through it. "I'm inside the air vent." He announced.

"Be careful." Chris responded.

Sonic grunted as he stopped and rubbed his rear. "Oh, oh. It feels like I have skid marks on my butt." He turned around and soon came face to face with lasers.

"How's it looking there, Sonic?" Chris called.

Sonic frowned. Not wanting to worry Chris, he replied, "Just great."

He walked over to an grille and bent on his knees, studying the view below him. The hall seemed empty except for cameras on every corner.

Sonic smirked to himself. "This'll be a piece of cake."

He lifted the grille and hopped to the ground, quickly dodging the cameras. He grinned when he was in the clear. "I'm too fast for them!"

He sped off.

As for Penny, Cream, and Cheese, things weren't going so well for them. The female hedgehog watched as a strange looking shield surrounded them, and all she, Cream, and Cheese could see was green stripes surrounding them.

As soon as it happened, the cage smashed and Sonic quickly grabbed both girls and dashed behind a corner. Penny glanced up at their rescuer, and her eyes brightened at the sight of him.

Sonic.

"SONI-" Cream happily began, but Sonic quickly shushed her. Cheese, on the other hand, was so excited to see the blue blur that the chao attacked Sonic in a hug, startling the hedgehog into laughter.

"Over there!"

Penny's eyes widened with horror. Sonic turned to her and Cream. "Let's go."

"Right!" Cream said.

Sonic handed Cheese to Cream and grabbed Penny's hand. Penny scooped Cream and Cheese up in her other arm and ran after Sonic, gripping his hand tightly.

"Wow, Sonic, how did you shut off all the electricity?!" Cream asked excitedly as they ran.

"Whatever you did, it was amazing!" Penny huffed.

Sonic grinned at the girls. "I didn't do it, girls. I guess it just happened!"

Cream smiled. "Maybe it just happened because you bring good luck everywhere you go, Sonic!"

Penny smiled at Cream's sweetness.

Sonic smiled back at Cream. "You may be right, Cream."

They spoke too soon. The lights turned back on, and the three stopped. Sonic stood protectively over the young girls. Cream whimpered, clutching Cheese in her arms. "I shouldn't have said anything. It must be a jinx."

"This isn't your fault." Sonic muttered reassuringly.

Penny's eyes widened as the cameras opened up miniature lasers. Sonic gritted his teeth and glanced at Penny. "Penny, hang on. Keep a tight hold of Cream and Cheese."

"Right." Penny said. She grabbed Sonic's wrist and felt him tighten his grip around hers. Penny tightened her grip around Cream and the three yelped as Sonic took off.

A voice soon came out of nowhere. "Sonic, what's going on?! Are you and your friends all right?!"

"Not exactly..." Sonic mumbled.

Penny let out a frightened cry as Sonic's grip slipped from them. She let out a shriek as a laser hit her arm, and she tumbled to the ground, dropping Cream and Cheese.

"SONIC!" Cream screamed.

Sonic quickly turned around to see Penny wincing in pain, holding her arm. He gritted his teeth and hopped up to the cameras and grabbed one of them, firing its laser at the other cameras, destroying them.

Penny winced as her arm burned in pain. Cream's eyes widened. "Miss Penny?"

The three let out a yelp as one of the destroyed cameras fell in front of them, and Sonic yelled at them. "KEEP RUNNING!"

"Right!" Penny said, ignoring the pain on her arm. She grabbed Cream with her good hand and took off. However, the security doors started sliding down, and Cream's eyes widened. "The door! We can't make it out!"

Sonic gritted his teeth and zoomed over to the three, picking them up in his arms and zooming through the closing doors. Penny squeezed her eyes shut and clung to Sonic as he ran, not daring to look.

Sonic quickly skidded to a stop, and Penny opened her eyes and gasped at the sight of the security cameras staring at them.

"Hey, what are they?" Cream asked, snapping Penny and Sonic out of their thoughts. The two looked up to see tiny paper airplane models smashing into the cameras, slicing them in half and destroying them completely.

"I don't understand, what's going on?!" Cream cried.

"W-what are those things?!" Penny added, clinging to Sonic.

"We can't stick around to find out!" The blue blur grabbed Penny, Cream, and Cheese in his arms and zoomed out. Their luck ran down when the lasers started shooting out of control. She shuddered and clung to Sonic as he ran, dodging the out of control lasers.

"Sonic, are we going to make it out?!" Cream cried.

"I'm scared..." Penny gasped.

"Don't worry, you three. We'll make it!" Sonic panted.

One of the lasers sliced through the stairs, and Penny lost her grip on Sonic. Penny let out a startled cry, but thankfully Sonic grabbed her arm. She glanced up at him, whimpering. Cream and Cheese were behind him, shuddering as they held on to Sonic, trying to help him pull Penny up.

The lasers sliced the stairs above Sonic, and with one mighty pull, Sonic grabbed Penny in his arms and darted off, pulling Cream and Cheese with them. He kept climbing until he reached a high space. He sighed in relief. The lasers won't tough them at this height.

The blue hedgehog glanced at the female hedgehog, who was shuddering, clutching her burnt arm. "Penny? Are you okay?" He kneeled down to her height and lightly touched her shoulder. She winced, but nodded.

"And I'm okay, too," Cream added. Cheese chaoed.

Sonic sighed in relief, and smiled at his friends. "See, Cream, Penny, I told you we'd make it, and we did! You didn't doubt me, did ya?"

Cream shook her head and smiled. "Thank you for saving us," she said, clasping her hands.

"Any time, Cream. Any time." Sonic smiled, shooting the little girl a thumbs up.

Penny didn't say anything, she winced and clutched her arm, squeezing her eyes shut. Sonic kneeled in front of her. "We'd better get you checked out. Are you sure you're okay?"

Penny let out a shaky sigh, and smiled at Sonic, her ears still pressed against her head, but she forced a smile. "I-I'm okay, thanks, Sonic."

He smiled back.

"Hey, do you hear something?" Penny quickly asked, looking around the room.

"Hear what?" Sonic frowned. He quickly placed his strange head set off and pressed his right ear to the edge of the wall. He listened for a few seconds. "Sounds like a plane..." He then grinned. "The tornado!"

"Tails!" Penny grinned happily, holding her arm. "That explains the strange stuff that happened through our escape!"

"Right." The blue hedgehog grinned back. "Hang on!" He scooped Cream, Cheese, and Penny in his arms and smashed through the wall, landing perfectly on Tails' plane wing.

"Hey!" Sonic grinned at Tails.

"Ha ha!" Tails laughed happily.

"It was you!" Cream grinned. "You were the one who helped us get out of there!"

"You clever little fox!" Penny grinned as well. "Thanks for the rest of the save!"

Tails shot them a wink. "I helped, but Sonic's the real hero!"

"He definitely is." Penny smiled as Tails flew off.

Chuck smiled at his grandson. "Well, Chris, mission accomplished. Let's head home."

"My name is Christopher." The boy said, snapping her and Sonic out of their reunite. "Sonic landed in our swimming pool last night, and I dove in to save him."

Penny started cracking up. "Out of all places, Sonic fell in the water?!"

Sonic pouted, crossing his arms and glaring at the hedgehog. "Hey!"

"My name's Tails." Tails grinned proudly. "And I'm Sonic's very best buddy! Right, Sonic?"

Sonic looked up from Penny and nodded. "Correct." He said, applying the final bandages on her wound.

"And I'm Penny. Penny the Hedgehog." Penny waved her good arm at Chris, and he waved back.

"My name is Cream, and this is my very special chao friend, Cheese!" Cream smiled happily. She and Cheese bowed. "Thank you for helping us."

"It's very nice to meet all of you," Chris smiled. "I have a feeling we're all going to be very great friends!" He motioned his hand to the older man behind them. "Oh, and this is my grandpa!"

Penny turned to Chuck, who was studying Tails' miniature airplanes. "Extraordinary. Tiny radio controlled airplanes. Extraordinary."

Tails turned to Chuck, pridefully twitching his two tails and rubbing his nose. "We've got lots of great gadgets."

Chris turned to Sonic, looking annoyed with the blue hedgehog. "Listen, Sonic, this ain't some game we're playing, you know. You could've gotten us all thrown in jail!"

Sonic turned to Chris, holding his finger to prove his point. "Maybe I could've. But I didn't, didn't I?"

"Couldn't you try to be a little more careful?!"

"Oh, huh." Sonic shrugged, and Penny giggled. She turned to Chuck, who was kneeling in front of Tails, smiling at the fox's invention. "This is an amazing piece of equipment. It goes beyond everything I've ever seen. How did you develop it?"

"It's nothing special." Tails responded. "Not in the world where we came from."

"And where exactly is that world, Tails?" Chuck asked in interest.

Tails frowned, scratching his head. "Beats me. But I think we got here through a wrap in time and space."

"Hmmm. Very interesting." Chuck leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms, closing his eyes thoughtfully. "Not very helpful, but interesting."

Sonic chuckled, wiggling his finger through his ear.

"I just thought of something."

Penny turned her attention to Tails. "What is it, Tails?"

"If you, me, Penny, Cream, and Cheese are here, maybe the others are here, too!"

"You might be right about that, Tails." Sonic said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "And if you are, then that means..."

Penny, Sonic, Cream, and Tails glanced at each other, their eyes wide in realization.

"EGGMAN'S HERE, TOO!"