Chapter 2: Call to Action
We bolted down the street, leaving trails of dust in our wake. The feel of the wind on my face, the sound of us shouting and whooping, it all brought back wonderful memories. Soon enough, we had arrived at our house. It was just like how we left it. The lights were off, and the bed was immaculately made.
"Well, now we can take a load off. Wanna play a game?" Sonic asked. I nodded yes.
"What should we play? We've got a couple of racing games, a fighter, some RPGs… I'm down with any of those." I said.
Sonic took a moment to think.
"I dunno, buddy. I guess it doesn't matter as long as I'm with you!" he said.
A red tint appeared over my snout and I laughed sheepishly.
"Aw, stop it, Sonic. We could play that new Mobotropolis 500 game! You love fast cars and stuff."
Sonic put a thumbs up. I went over to the TV, turned it on, and activated the gaming console. A green screen appeared, and the logo flashed on-screen. Sonic and I each grabbed a controller, and we started the game. I knew Sonic was very competitive, so I had to try and not make him get angry during this race. The sounds of the car engines roared out of the speakers. We had a blast.
"C'mon, Sonic! Step it up! I'm beating you here!"
My tongue poked out of the left side of my mouth as I focused on the screen. The car I was using blasted right past Sonic's, gaining the lead.
"Oh no, you don't! I won't lose to you yet!" Sonic yelled.
We were in the final lap, coming up to the finish line. 500 meters, 400 meters, 300, 200, 150, 75. We were almost there. Our cars were neck-and-neck. It would be a close finish. Suddenly, a buzzing noise came from my pocket and a loud ringtone. My phone was ringing. For the split second that I was distracted, Sonic had managed to slide right past my car and snag the win.
"Haha! I won! Keep your eye on the track next time!" Sonic said. I smiled and rolled my eyes. Pressing the call accept button on my phone screen, I lifted it to my face.
"Hello? Miles Prower speaking." I said.
The voice on the other side of the phone was unfamiliar.
"Yes, Mr. Prower. You've been invited by the President to a meeting in the Capital. It is very urgent. Please bring your friend Sonic the Hedgehog along with you. It won't be too long; you can get back to your game later. Thank you."
The person hung up.
"Who was that? By the look of your face, it was pretty important." Sonic said.
"The President wants me to attend a meeting of his in the Capital. He wants me to bring you along, too. It's very urgent."
Sonic scratched the base of his nose.
"Hm. If the President wants to see us, then we've gotta go. No time like the present!" Sonic stood up and grabbed his jacket.
"Wait up. The person on the other side of the phone told me that 'we could get back to our game later'. How did they know we were playing a game? This is kinda suspicious, Sonic."
Using my twin tails, I hovered in the air and inspected all four corners of the room. There weren't any cameras. But then, right before I was about to give up, I spotted a small black object on the ceiling. It was a tiny microphone. Our house was bugged. I used my claws to peel the small microphone off the smooth surface.
"Look at this. It's a microphone. We've been bugged." I told Sonic.
I dropped to the ground and held it in my palm. Sonic inspected it.
"Wow, this thing sure is small. I guess it explains how they knew what we were up to. They mean business. Let's get going." I walked to the front door and grabbed my jacket and the house keys. The door closed and I locked it.
"It shouldn't take too long, depending on how far it is," Sonic said.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and researched the distance from our location to the Capital. About 50 miles.
"It's fifty miles away. I think we can use about 60 percent of our speed to make it in time. You got everything?" I asked him. He took a moment to think.
"Yeah, we're set. Let me just text Blaze and tell her where we're going."
Sonic quickly texted Blaze, informing her of our whereabouts.
"Alright, I'm ready! C'mon, Tails!" he said.
We peeled out down the street, heading West. Weaving between cars and other vehicles on the road, we made our way to the All-Zone Highway. It was the largest highway in the country, so there was plenty of space to run. Once we got to the highway, we were able to let loose. Sonic's legs moved so fast, that they were just a blue-and-red blur. His jacket flapped behind him and his beautiful cobalt fur rippled in the wind. I was not too far behind him, flying at near mach speed. The landscape zipped past as we entered and exited numerous Zones. The road went through the Ice Cap Mountains, and around Azure Lake. Sonic and I had broken the sound barrier, creating a sonic boom. I pulled up next to him.
"Hey, Tails! How much longer?" he asked.
I looked at my watch. The time read 7:41 PM. The Sun would set soon.
"We're almost there! Just another minute!"
Sonic nodded and continued. By this time, most of the vehicles on the road had reached their destination, and we were some of the only people left. I could vaguely see the city on the horizon. Spotlights were shining throughout the various skyscrapers, and fireworks going off in the sky.
"What's going on over there? Did we miss a celebration? Aw man…" Sonic said.
We entered the city limits and tore past the gate. Screeching to a halt on the main road, we were able to see the true scale of the Capital. I panted, trying to catch my breath. Sonic laid a hand on my back.
"Was that too much for you? I don't think we've ever moved that quick before. We can take it slow next time." he said.
I shook my head.
"No, it's fine. Accelerating is exhilarating! I just need a moment."
My breath wheezed, but I had gained control over my panting.
"Whatever makes you happy."
He leaned closer to me and planted a kiss on my cheek. I blushed super hard.
"Alright, the President's office should be in the central area of the city. How about we take the subway there?" I asked. He shrugged.
"Why not? It's been a while since I last visited this place."
We walked around, and eventually found an underground subway station. It smelled of diesel fuel. Many people were waiting on the platform.
"Wow, this is cool! Back in Spagonia, we didn't have a subway!" I said to Sonic.
There was a screen hanging from the ceiling, listing arrival times for upcoming trains. The one we were waiting for would arrive in five minutes. We sat on a bench and waited. While waiting, I played around with the wedding band on my ring finger. It was made of tungsten, and on the inside, words were engraved.
"For my dear Miles. Our love is eternal."
I smiled, remembering the day when Sonic proposed to me. He had taken me to a really fancy restaurant. Must've cost him hundreds of Rings. He took me to the outside balcony, crouched on one knee, and the rest is history.
I looked at him. Sonic stared at a point in the distance. His eyes shone in the light of the train station. His fur color was further exaggerated by the light as well. I placed my hand on top of his.
"Huh, what's this about?" he asked.
"Oh, it's nothing, Sonic. Just thinking about our time together. It's been fun, and I won't have it any other way." I told him.
He smiled and winked at me.
"Yeah, it's been great. I have no regrets."
Suddenly, an announcement sounded from some hidden speakers.
"Train to Presidential Hall approaching. Please let disembarking passengers leave before you board."
A strong gust of wind flowed through the station, signaling the arrival of the train. Its steel body burst into the station, light glinting off the smooth surface. It slowed, and then screeched to a halt. The doors opened and passengers flooded out.
"Here we go, Tails. Move with a purpose." Sonic said.
We slid our way through a crowd of people and emerged through the craziness. The inside of the subway car was modern and clean. The air conditioning was blowing lightly.
"Stand clear of the closing door, please." the robotic voice said.
The train lurched forward and sped through the tunnel.
"So, did they tell you what we're here for?" Sonic asked.
I shook my head.
"No, all the lady told me was that it was urgent. It might be work-related, though."
The train continued down the tunnel, and soon we had arrived at our destination.
The doors opened, and Sonic and I exited the train. There was a large crowd, each person on their way to a different location. Going home, presumably. We left the station and walked down the sidewalk. At the end of the block stood the huge Presidential Hall. It had ornate marble pillars, a large triangular roof, and two branching-off wings on either side of the building.
"What an impressive looking building! Look at all those carvings on the side!" I said. Architecture was an interesting subject to me.
"Mhm, it's pretty cool. Anyways, let's go inside." said Sonic.
We walked through the doors, and were met with two large security guards. They stood from their chairs and stood in front of us, blocking the way.
"Who are you and what do you want?" One of them asked.
Sonic, with his usual nonchalant attitude, walked up to the guard and explained the situation.
"Heya, buddy. You need to let me and my...friend... through. We have an appointment with the Pres! He called for us earlier." Sonic said.
The guard laughed.
"You're Miles Prower?" he asked.
"No, he's Miles. I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."
The guard's eyes widened.
"Oh, I couldn't recognize you! I'm sorry, sir! Come right in!" the guard said.
"No problem. You have a good day." Sonic said as he flashed a quick thumbs up at the two guards. Sonic and I called for the elevator.
"Wow, Sonic. You persuaded them so easily. I'm impressed." I told him.
He smiled and winked at me. The elevator door opened, and I pressed the button for the top floor.
It was a quick 5-second ride. The door opened up to a hallway. At the end of the hallway was a wooden door. We walked up to it and knocked.
"Come in!" said a person inside.
Sonic opened the door. There was a long rectangular table, and several official-looking people sat around it. At the head of the table, the President himself sat.
"Ah, there you two are. We've got a lot of stuff to discuss. So take a seat and make yourself comfortable. This might take a while."