Disclaimer- I don't own anything.

Episode two is here! Enjoy!

"Yeah uh…If you would've told me earlier that you had pulled an all-nighter, I would've chosen another way to shut you up that wouldn't have caused me extreme pain and agony."

Now that Sonic was splayed out in the middle of his living room floor, his body sore and painted with purple splotches, he was beginning to think that protecting his little brother's innocence wasn't worth a tired and cranky – more like rabid – Shadow attacking him. The experience wasn't pleasant. He swore that the striped one was going to bite him if Knuckles hadn't pulled them apart.

Sonic made a mental note to wait until Shadow had gotten his beauty sleep to give him a black eye. Maybe then he wouldn't be fighting for his dear life.

The azure hedgehog groaned as he adjusted the ice pack on his face, it covering a bruise on his cheek. "Ever think of going to anger management classes, Shads?"

"Shut it, faker," Shadow sharply hissed, mimicking an agitated cat ready to claw someone's eyes out. He was stretched out on the couch, and his only takeaways from the tussle were his rustled quills and his left eye that was nearly swollen shut. The black anthro was rapidly crushing the stress ball he had reclaimed with one hand and pressing a bag of frozen peas to his face with the other. "If I had my emerald, your insides would be fried."

Shadow pictured blasting his rival with a Chaos spear, and he didn't feel so bad anymore.

"Aw, you don't mean that Shads!" Sonic chirped, "You love me too much!"

Tails was sitting by the blue hero, warily staring at Shadow, surprised that the ball hadn't disintegrated under Shadow's increased abuse. The kit and Amy gladly had let Shadow have the whole couch out of the goodness of their hearts, not because they had been afraid that he'd come for them next. The pinkette settled herself safe between Knuckles and Eggman, forgoing being beside her crush on the floor. Apparently, being comfortable and wanting to stay as far away from Shadow as possible exceeded her love for the hero. For now, at least. The amount of time she could endure Eggman's shirtless-ness was unknown.

"Keep quiet, you pin cushion!" Eggman had retrieved the stress reliever that had begun the fight. Partially because he needed it for himself, and partially to prevent any other scuffles. He had been this close to being mistakenly punched in the face. "I want to be the one to destroy you once and for all, not him!"

Sonic chuckled, resting one hand behind his head with effort. "You both can come at me at the same time, and who's gonna end up on top? Me!"

Amy threw him a flabbergasted look. She loved him and all, but did he not notice the condition he was in? Taking a risk, the pinkette focused on the striped hedgehog. "How hard did you hit him on his head…?"

"Not hard enough," Shadow grunted, getting comfortable on the sofa.

Tails glanced between the two rivals with a frown marring his muzzle. "I don't understand why they started fighting in the first place! All I asked was-"

Knuckles didn't feel like dealing with fighting hedgehogs again. Their quills were too sharp. His precious mitts were nearly ruined. "Tails."

Said fox perked up at his name. "Yeah?"

"Do you want me to punch you?"

"…No?"

"Then drop it and focus on the stupid screen." Knuckles wanted to get out of here before he had to pry the Master Emerald away from a clingy Rouge. The guardian glanced up at the TV, reading the episode title. "'Can an Evil Genius Crash on Your Couch for a Few Days?' What kind of-"

"No!" Sonic had the idea to sit up, but his body blatantly refused. The plot of this one was obvious. "No, he can't! I'm the nicest guy in the world-" Shadow scoffed. "-but I wouldn't let Eggy crash here! He'd stink up the place!"

"And I shouldn't want be around a blue haired cretin!" Eggman's voice then dropped to a growl. "And what is it with you rodents thinking that I stink?!"

"Because you always smell like sweat, desperation, and disappointment." The azure hedgie listed off with a grin, inwardly wincing as he readjusted his ice bag.

Eggman followed Shadow's example and pretended his smiley stress ball was Sonic's head.

Amy, believing that the silence was a sign to play the show, did so with a single button press.

The scene began inside a darkened cabin, panning until Sonic and Tails were shown, sleeping on separate couches. Sonic was lightly snoring until light knocking was heard. He stirred but didn't actually waken until the knocks increased in intensity.

"And so it begins…" The laying hero muttered, hoping that his future self would send Eggman packing. Though, considering that he had tried to replace Tails as his sidekick, the odds weren't in his favor.

"Man…" Sonic groused as he sat up, Tails still sound asleep. He zipped over to the front door and opened it, revealing Eggman in a damp trench coat. It was raining.

Eggman groaned in sorrow, and Knuckles cut his eyes over to him. "It's not like you didn't know that this was going to happen."

"I still had hope!"

Amy wished that Eggman now was clothed like the one on-screen. "What other evil genius could the title be referring to? You're the only one!"

"…You know what? I'm taking that as a compliment."

"Hi!" Eggman greeted with a brief wave.

Annoyed, Sonic asked, "What do you want?"

"First of all, thank you for answering the door at such a late hour." The human sounded grateful. "I realize what an inconvenience this must be-"

"Get to it, Eggface," Sonic cut him off.

"Did I have some kind of accident between then and now?" Eggman grumbled to himself. Maybe he should take a small vacation until he knew he wouldn't become that.

"W-Well, I…I uh…" The doctor sighed. "I need your help."

"Slam the door, me! End the episode right here, right now!"

Sonic eyed him like he couldn't believe his ears. "You need my help?"

"Yes! My sinister island lair – you know, the ultra-high-tech stronghold where I hatch my diabolical schemes to eliminate you – it was destroyed in the storm."

Knuckles scoffed. "I'm calling bs on that."

"Yeah!" Tails agreed, scratching his cheek in thought. "I mean, if his lair is so technologically advanced, then a simple storm wouldn't be able to damage it!"

"His plan is janky from the start," Sonic huffed, "so I better not fall for it!"

"I was hoping I could crash with you and Tails for a few days until my robots rebuild it? Please! Don't strand me in this wilderness!" Eggman implored.

"Well, you could certainly use a roof over your head," Sonic uttered before sniffing the air and scrunching his nose. "And a bath."

Whatever comment Sonic was about to say was forgotten when he heard that last part. He barked out a laugh, and Eggman sent daggers.

"Not a word."

The blue hedgehog was suspicious however. "But how do I know that you won't just capture me and Tails while we're sleeping?"

Eggman put a hand over his heart. "I swear not to harm you or your fox friend during my stay. I didn't even bring any weapons. Here, check my pants." He went to lift his coat.

Sonic waved a hand and quickly looked away. "No no no. It's okay. I believe you."

Sonic heavily sighed. "Two things, Eggy that was beyond gross, and Tails, please tell me that you're going to be the voice of reason here!"

"I hope so…" The kit was frowning at the TV. Having Eggman in their home was the last thing he wanted. Heck, they only had him as a guest now because the thing didn't give them a choice…

"So it's only for a few days and it's just you?"

"Just me!" Sonic gestured inside with his thumb, and Eggman ambled in…along with Orbot and Cubot. "And Orbot and Cubot. They're family!"

The hedgehog groaned in irritation and slammed his door.

"And you didn't kick him out…why?" Knuckles would've shoved the human and his minions back out in the storm without any remorse.

"I've gotten too nice…" Sonic whispered, appalled, before repeating it louder. "I've gotten too nice! Shadow! Hurry and teach me your ways!"

"Shut up before I shove these peas down your throat."

"Tails! Write that down for me!"

It was now daytime, and Sonic opened his front door with a yawn. Amy, Knuckles, and a female brown badger walked in.

"Whoa, who is that?" Amy leaned forward, narrowing her eyes at the stranger. "I've never seen her before!"

Tails wrapped his namesakes around himself to get more comfortable. "Probably just a new friend?"

"Maybe…" The pinkette mumbled. That badger better just be a new friend and not a barrier between Amy and Sonic. Sonic was hers and hers only! No badger – with questionable fashion sense – was going to get in her way!

Most people in the room felt the pinkette's dangerous aura, and the echidna and doctor threw her cautious looks.

The newly arrived trio gasped in shock at the sight of Eggman stretching in pink pajamas.

"And yet again…" Shadow stifled a yawn, needing to burn that image from his mind forever. "…I need to bleach my eyes."

Knuckles didn't know which version of the doctor was worse. Bare chested Eggman, or pink onesie Eggman. "I don't know if they're more surprised that Eggman is there period, or that he was currently a living nightmare."

"The latter probably." Sonic was utterly repulsed, but a smile still managed to grow. "Y'know Egghead, this is good blackmail!"

"I do not own one of those!" Eggman opposed, squeezing his toy.

"But you will!" Sonic winked with a snicker.

"Eggman?!" Knuckles shouted, getting into a fighting stance along with the girls.

The doctor waved before approaching them. "Oh, hey gang! Didn't know you'd be visiting so early. I'm still in my evil pajamas." He gestured to his rear. "They have a trapdoor in the back."

When the screen panned down, Amy resisted the urge to gag. "And I thought it couldn't get any worse!"

Eggman shared her sentiments.

The doctor then sat in a swinging chair. Knuckles pointed at him, clearly unhappy. "What's he doing here?"

Knuckles, enduring the visual trauma he was going through, was proud of his future self. "I haven't said anything stupid, that's one good thing that's happened so far."

"And I'm not juggling or singing!" Amy piped up. "That's good too!"

"Yet," Sonic said, and Tails quietly chuckled beside him, "None of that's happened yet."

The blue hedgehog crossed his arms. "We have a truce. Tails is letting him stay here until his lair is rebuilt."

Tails' snickers cut off, and he slumped in disappointment. "So much for me being the voice of reason…"

"Ahem." Eggman coughed to gain their attention, raising a finger. "Still waiting on that Salmon Eggs Benedict!"

"And I cooked for him too?!" Tails yelled in anguish, throwing his arms up. "What's wrong with me?"

"To be fair Tails," Knuckles smirked down at him, bobbing his head over at a brooding Eggman, "You cooked for him today too."

"B-But-!" The kit sputtered. Then he gave up, realizing that he might need to start taking notes from Shadow as well. "Touché."

"Coming! Coming!" An exasperated Tails brought over the plate and placed it on the table in front of the doctor.

Eggman leaned over and inspected the meal. He frowned at the fox. "I asked for egg whites. There are yellows. See the yellow? I'm trying to watch my cholesterol. And this salmon is farm-raised! What is this, prison?"

The human stressfully rubbed his forehead. "Either I'm a complete idiot, or the plan that on-screen me has conjured up is so brilliant that I can't even-"

"Don't give yourself that much credit, Eggy," Sonic tisked.

"I wasn't talking to you, rodent!"

"It's all some evil plot, man!" The badger started, shaking Knuckles. "First he lures us in with some terrible roommate hooey, but then wham! Out comes this fifty-foot obliterator bot that obliterates us all!" She took a deep breath. "We gotta get outta here."

Sonic whistled lowly, strangely impressed. "Wow Knux, guess we finally found someone who beats your level of paranoia."

Knuckles gritted his teeth. He wasn't that crazy! "Being protective of the emerald doesn't equal being paranoid, Sonic!"

The azure hedgie tapped his chin, stretching some sore muscles. He was so going to get Shadow back for this…after he healed. "Rouge told me that one time you threatened a little caterpillar-"

"That didn't happen!" The embarrassed flush on the guardian's face said otherwise. "Don't believe that crook's lies!"

"Whatever you say, Knux." It sounded like Sonic didn't believe him at all, and Knuckles dug his fingers in the couch cushion. It had been right after an Eggman fight, and that bug had been looking at him funny…!

"Guys." Amy's voice was calm. "We have to help him. If we don't, we'll be no better than he is."

"Yeah, no better than the evil scientist who destroys everything in his wake!" Amy wildly gestured at the television. "I wouldn't say that! I would've wanted him out too, not have him stay! I agree with the badger! He's up to something!"

"The question is what, though…" Tails trailed off, paying apt attention to the show.

Eggman smiled, talking around the egg and fish in his mouth. "Yeah, you'll be no better than I am."

Amy went up to the doctor's side, patting him compassionately on his arm. "Think about how this is for him." She gazed at the human. "Do you feel scared without a home? Do you feel alone? Are you eating your feelings?"

Amy gaped. "Um…I think I liked me juggling and singing more. Can we go back to that…please?" Was she some sort of therapist now? Why help out Eggman of all people? She herself needed professional help…

Eggman scowled, uncomfortable with this development. "Somebody get her away from me…!"

Tails glanced up from washing the dishes. "Guys, if Eggman needs to stay, he can stay. Who knows? He may not be so bad after all."

Eggman smiled.

"Yep," Sonic said confidently, "You just jinxed us Tails." The kit just gulped audibly.

Tails was now screwing in a bulb in the back of his plane. "Pillow fight!" Eggman came out of nowhere and hit the glass out of the fox's hand, it smashing on the floor. Tails glared at him, namesakes twitching in agitation.

Shadow watched on in muted interest. He had a feeling that he would be thoroughly entertained at least for the next few moments.

Eggman then was trying to whack Cubot and Orbot with his fluffy weapon while Sonic was constantly cleaning up around them.

That night, Eggman was sleeping on the couch while Sonic and Tails were on the floor. The man was snoring and laughing intermittently, and the anthros angrily covered their ears.

It was the next day. The female badger opened the fridge only to sigh sadly when she saw that the good food had been sealed off by Eggman.

Back to nighttime, Sonic was asleep on the floor until the feeling of feathers on his face woke him up. He barely had time to focus when he heard, "Pillow fight!" Eggman – swinging on a lamp – hurled the pillow at the hero's head. Hard.

The ghost of a smirk appeared on Shadow's muzzle. "Now that was grade A entertainment. If only the pillow had been filled with bricks."

Eggman hummed to himself. "Hm…that was pretty humorous to watch…"

Tails, who had winced at that last scene, was concerned for the well-being of his brother. "That had to hurt."

Sonic suddenly was glad that they didn't have any pillows in the living room.

The sun was up once more. A grumpy Sonic and Tails were sitting on a couch in the shack with Amy occupying an empty chair.

"That's it!" the speedster complained loudly, "I've had enough of Eggman! Lair or no lair, he's outta here!"

"It's about time!"

"You can't just throw Eggman out," Amy argued, "Sure, he might be a difficult roommate, but it's only because you guys have a communication problem."

Tails didn't understand what was happening. "Whose side are you on, Amy?"

"I'm on yours!" The pinkette depended herself.

"The show is tellin' a different story, Ames." Sonic hissed under his breath when he moved the ice pack to another bruise on his body. "You went from wanting to be my sidekick to basically wanting Eggman to annoy me half to death. Hold on…" He blinked. "Is this some kind of revenge tactic?"

Amy shook her head. "I wouldn't do that! That's something a future wife would never do!"

"…On second thought, keep on revenging."

"Communication problem?" Tails echoed, flabbergasted. "He whacked me with a pillow. Hard! I'm dizzy, and I have serious short-term memory loss." There was a moment of silence. "And I have serious short-term memory loss."

Knuckles couldn't hold his amused snort, and he was on the receiving end of the meanest glare an eight-year-old irked fox could muster.

Amy stood up and suggested, "Why don't we settle this with a roommate meeting?"

Later that same day, Eggman, Orbot, and Cubot were now sitting in the seat Amy previously had. Said pinkette was beside Sonic and Tails on the couch.

"Now Sonic," Amy regarded the hero, talking slowly, "do you have something to say to Eggman?"

"Yes. How to say this delicately…" Sonic pretended to think, scratching his head. "You're a horrible roommate and nobody in this house likes you."

The azure speedster nodded adamantly. "Couldn't have said it better myself!" Wait…did that phrase even work in this situation? Eh, he made it work.

Amy deadpanned. "Let's frame our statements with 'When you do this, it makes me feel this.'"

Knuckles frowned at the TV. "Amy, don't take this the wrong way, but you're getting pretty annoying." He eyed his neighbor, bracing himself for the appearance of a certain hammer, but it never came.

The girl simply huffed. "She's – I'm – No, she's getting on my nerves too!"

The echidna relaxed. Crises averted.

"Fine." Sonic sighed. "Okay, uh, let's see… 'When you live here, it makes me feel angry.' Because you're a horrible roommate and nobody likes you."

After a quiet moment, Eggman started crying – and another doctor held his head in his hands – before blubbering, "You're right. I am the worst roommate. It…I've never lived with other people before!"

"What about us?" Cubot questioned.

Eggman stopped crying to clarify, "You don't count," before resuming again.

"We seriously can't be believin' this!"

Amy faced the blue hedgie. "Sonic, I think someone here could go for two spoonfuls of forgiveness, washed down with a tall glass of friendship. What do you think?"

Sonic frowned, but thought about her words anyway. "Ugh." he eventually gave in. "Eggman, if we give you a second chance, will you promise to shape up?"

The blue Mobian facepalmed. "This is crazy. Okay, guys." Sonic strained to sit up; his bruises were begging for him to lay back down, but no. He had to speak his mind before it exploded. "I know I said that this might be our future, but I'm startin' to doubt that because I refuse to believe-"

"Then what in the heck do you think we're watching?" Knuckles furrowed his brow. "A show that was impossibly created? I almost rather have it be our futures because if it was a show, then what we're seeing is what other people think we act like. I'm not an idiot."

"And I'm not a singing therapist who juggles on the side!" Amy added heatedly.

Shadow stretched his relaxed muscles out more on the sofa. "Why don't we just ask the stupid thing that brought us all he-" The striped hedgehog sucked in a harsh breath when the bag of peas was yanked out of his hand and thrown across the room by an unseen force. "…I was using that." His voice was a tad strained.

"Don't call it names, Shadow!" Tails admonished, suddenly nervous.

Eggman disregarded the scene that just happened. He was safe as long as he watched what he said, a trait that all hedgehogs seemed to lack. The doctor went back to what Shadow had been saying. "Shadow has a point. There's no reason to guess when we can ask."

"For once, that's a good idea." Sonic paid no attention to the man's glare. The hero cleared his throat and held his ice pack tighter. You know, just in case. "So uh…thing, what exactly are we watchin' here? Is it some kind of actual TV show, or is it our futures?"

Everyone scanned the room, searching for any hints or answers. There was nothing for a long while, and they were about to give up until the lights flickered once…twice…three times. None of them were surprised that the thing could mess with the electricity.

Sonic was amazed. If he was honest, he didn't think he would've gotten a response. Then he was confused. "Three? But I didn't give a third option!"

"But maybe there is one?" Tails proposed, wracking his brain. "That we haven't thought about? If they aren't actors and if they aren't us in some distant future…then maybe they are us but…they are from a different dimension?" It was the only thing he could think of. "Something like where Blaze came from?"

Eggman stroked his mustache, pondering this. "It's very much possible…"

Shadow rolled his eyes, inwardly yearning for the coolness of the bag again. "Anything's possible in this funhouse."

"Huh." Sonic blinked, zeroing in on the paused screen. "That's kinda trippy."

"If that's true, then it'll be way less painful to watch." Knuckles commented before smirking at the brothers. "Since you two weren't the ones being harassed, that pillow fight scene was kind of funny, now that I look back on it."

"I mean…I still feel bad for them." But it does explain the drastic change in personalities, Tails thought.

Amy nodded at the kit. "Losing sleep isn't fun."

"It's not our problem anymore, now is it?" Eggman humphed as he rolled the ball around on his leg. "However, it does bring up the question of why we're watching them!"

Sonic gingerly reacquainted with the floor. "It's a gut feeling, but I don't think the thing is gonna answer that one. Keep it rollin', Ames."

Eggman ceased his sobbing and snapped his fingers. "You bet!"

Amy stood up and opened her arms wide. "Roommate meeting group hug!"

"Um…" Tails was uncomfortable saying this. "Does that Amy have a thing for Eggman, or…?"

Amy was shocked into a disgusted silence, and Eggman was green in the face.

"For the sake of my sanity," Sonic wished that he hadn't heard that. Now there were images in his head-! "Let's say that she's just overly friendly."

The doctor hugged all of them and when Orbot and Cubot tried to join, he growled, "Not you!" The robots slumped.

The next morning, Sonic yawned while he walked by Eggman doing the dishes, but he paused when the man started singing. "Scrubbing all the dishes, with my sponge and soap! Scrubbing all the dishes, it's cleaning up my hope! Cue the horn!" he yelled into the scrubber like a microphone.

Sonic's ears were plastered against his head. "I want to tell other me to kick Eggman out just so he doesn't have to endure his singing!" He glanced over to the doctor. "Eggy, please keep your voice to yourself, thank you."

"You don't need to worry about me, cactus." The human did have a reputation to uphold, unlike the one on-screen…

While Eggman was prettying up a house plant, Tails was on a nearby couch, leaning on a pillow and examining a device. The doctor picked up the pillow and raised it like he was going to hit the kit. Tails threw him a suspicious look, but Eggman just fluffed it and returned it to its place with a smile.

This was too good to be true. Amy was bouncing her knee up and down. "Eggman's up to something…"

"Definitely!" Tails agreed. It didn't matter if he was in a different place; Eggman was still Eggman. He was never that nice.

Nighttime. Eggman, Sonic, Tails, and the small robots were playing a board game.

"Thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine… Triple star bonus kazoo!" The man blew a kazoo, startling the mammalian duo. "I win again!"

A visually tired Sonic yawned. "That's great. Well, it's getting late. Time to hit the hay."

"Aww, just one more game?" Eggman tried to convince the reluctant brothers. "That's what good roomies do. We have fun!"

"If anyone, not just Eggman, bothers me in the middle of the night to play games, they're getting punched in the face," Knuckles muttered.

Sonic knew that better than anybody.

"I'm all for fun, but aren't you guys exhausted?" Sonic turned to the red and yellow bots. "Orbot? Cubot?"

"They're robots!" Eggman gestured at them. "They don't get tired, because they have no souls."

The quilled hero scoffed. Try convincing Metal Sonic that.

"Hey, why isn't Eggman getting tired?" Amy pointed out, "He's the most energetic one there!"

"He must've drank tons of coffee," Tails mused.

Eggman didn't respond to them. He was starting to see what his other self was planning. Again, he wouldn't have ever done it this way – the man on-screen was thinking unnecessarily way beyond the box – it was somewhat clever nonetheless, if he ignored the irritating and degrading quirks.

"Hey!" Orbot angrily cried out while Cubot sighed. "He's right…"

Sonic gave a fleeting wave as he headed for the front door. "Whatever. Good night, guys."

Eggman quickly blocked his way. "Wait! Don't leave! Just hang out a little longer. I'm so lonely!" He then begged. "Please, roomie?"

Sonic exhaled deeply before turning around, obvious bags under his eyes.

"Just push him outta the way! When he rolls away, cut and run!"

"Roll?! I won't roll, rodent!"

"Could've fooled me." Eggman hurled the smiley stress ball at one of Sonic's purple splotches and grinned victoriously when the speedster groaned in pain. The man then frowned. He really didn't feel like getting the toy again. He really should've thought that through…it was still worth it.

"Yay!" Eggman cheered happily, blowing his kazoo once more.

Late in the night now, the boys were watching television.

"We now return to the Comedy Chimp Show, with your host, Comedy Chimp!"

"I've never heard of him before…" Amy mumbled thoughtfully. It could be because they were in an alternate dimension, but he could've still existed, right?

"I almost didn't make it to the show tonight. I had to go to the doctor. I had a backache!"

"That's why. He's horrible." Knuckles scratched his cheek, lips twitching downwards. "Was that supposed to be a joke? Hopefully he doesn't stick around like that annoying beaver."

Sonic scoffed. "Yeah, I swear if I would've heard another 'Actually' from him, I would've broken something."

"Like his neck."

"Whoa Shads, your murder is showing."

Eggman cackled at the 'joke' while Sonic and Tails looked miserable, their bags more prominent.

"I didn't really like that doctor anyway. I think he used to be a mechanic! He tried to fix my problem with a monkey wrench!"

Sonic gave a thumb's down. "Boo!"

Another voice chimed in as Eggman basically shook the borderline unconscious duo awake. "Oh ho! You, my friend, are one witty simian!"

A lengthy yawn escaped Sonic's mouth.

Morning came. Knuckles, Amy, and the badger let themselves in.

"You're still hanging with Eggman?" the echidna questioned, "How many hours of sleep did you get?"

Sonic held his head in his hands, mumbling out, "Zero…"

"Ah ha!" Tails snapped his fingers when a lightbulb went off. "I see-"

"That a sleepy Sonic is so adorable?" Amy cooed, smiling softly.

"No…?" The fox looked at her strangely before shaking his head. "I see what Eggman's scheme is!"

Eggman grunted. "It was about time, fox boy. It was obvious." He looked away from the kid when he puffed his cheeks in agitation. "Sleep depriving heroes in order to successfully strike. Even though he could've gotten the same result by just trapping them…"

Sonic smirked at him. "Oh yeah? And how many times has that worked out for you, Egghead?"

When Eggman glared, Knuckles tisked. "You walked right into that o-" His words died off when the sound of a ball bouncing grabbed all of his focus. Multiple pairs of eyes drifted to watch a smiley stress ball roll across the floor. Their gazes then shifted to the hedgehog who had dropped the ball. Shadow was fast asleep on the sofa, breathing evenly.

"Guess he really needed his beauty sleep, huh?" Sonic joked. He would go over there, but he liked his limbs attached to his body.

"…Should we wake him up?"

Knuckles gave Tails a pointed look. "That's the equivalent of saying 'Should we poke that feral tiger?' Let's leave him be until he shows up in the episode, if he does."

"It's stage two of his evil plot, man!" The badger danced nervously on her toes. "We are minutes away from him summoning his big obliterator bot with its…obliterator legs! And its obliterator teeth!"

"Sticks…"

"Sticks?" Tails repeated, leaning back on his arms. "That's an interesting name."

"It fits her!" Amy was over her little spell – maybe she could pay Eggman to keep Sonic up one night – and she gave the badger a once-over. "Just look at her! Looks like she just came from the jungle or something!"

"She does look a little uh…" Sonic struggled for the right word. "…dusty. More than Knuckles is."

"Don't make me throttle you, Sonic. The thing didn't mind Shadow beating the crap out of you, so it should mind me either."

That got Sonic thinking. He could've been protected from being hurt, but he wasn't! What was up with that? He hadn't done anything wrong to it!

…Sonic had a bad feeling that the thing had laughed at his pain.

Amy got closer to Sticks, hands on her hips. "Stop being paranoid!" Eggman was leaving the room in the background. "Eggman's lived here for two days, and he hasn't hatched a single evil scheme!"

Tails frowned at that. Had the other him dumbed down too? Why hadn't he spotted Eggman's plan beforehand? Why was this random girl the first to figure it out? Granted, she probably didn't know that she was right, but still…

They all were then distracted when hearty laugh came from outside. Amy, Knuckles, and Sticks filed out quickly while Tails and Sonic were a little slow on the uptake.

"What's so funny…?" Unfocused sapphires trained on Eggman as Tails dragged his feet.

"Remember when I said my island fortress was destroyed by a storm?" Eggman jumped down from the rock he was standing on. "I…uh…may have fibbed." He sneered, walking in front of the group. "You see, I kind of faked the destruction of my fortress as an excuse to live with you and tire you to the point of exhaust-" Seeing that Sonic was falling asleep on his feet, Eggman slapped him awake. "Tire you to the point of exhaustion!" The human ran over to a nearby tree. "So you'd be too tired to stop Obliterator Bot!"

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter what dimension you're in," Sonic returned the ice pack to his face, sending Eggman a jeering smile, "You always love to explain your plans, huh Eggy?"

Eggman glowered. "If I had that ball I would hit you again with it!"

"There's a lot of holes in his plan though…" Knuckles pointed out, "Or at least one big one. He didn't even care about me, Amy, or the badger. Amy and I could easily take down some stupid robot."

Sonic shrugged. "So he didn't think things all the way through. What else is new?"

The human crossed his arms. "I would say my hatred of you, but that's been there since day one!"

Eggman jumped out of the way when that tree toppled over, revealing a large red robot much bigger than Burnbot.

Amy flipped her quills over her shoulder. "Yeah, we can definitely take it down! We've dealt with worse!"

Eggman smugly giggled while Sticks started to freak out. "I knew it. He did have an Obliterator Bot! Why doesn't anyone ever believe me?!" She grabbed Amy's shoulders and shook her. "It's not like I'm paranoid!" She then glared at her shadow. "Stop following me!"

Tails slowly blinked. "Does she not know how…shadows work, or…?"

"She probably doesn't." Knuckles huffed. "Like she doesn't know to ever stop yelling. Her voice is harsh enough as is."

"Knuckles, that was rude!" Amy admonished, "Say you're sorry!"

Tch. As if. "She can't hear me, Amy." When a hammer materialized right in front of his face, he suddenly had a change of heart. "I may have been too harsh…"

Amy nodded victoriously before putting her weapon away.

"Enough!" Eggman yelled, "Obliterator Bot, destroy Sonic and his four friends!"

"For…tress?" The bot misheard. "Fortress. Destroy fortress. Destroy island fortress."

Eggman began to panic, tinkering with his wrist controller. "What? No! That's not what I said!"

Orbot and Cubot poked their heads out of the door. "We're still working out a few kinks," the former bot said.

Sonic barked out a laugh. "They didn't have to do anything this time for your plan to blow up! Eggster, if you made thwarting your plans that easy, here's a tip, just retire!"

Eggman didn't deem that statement was worthy of a response. He would retire as soon as he took over the world. No sooner.

The doctor was clinging onto the huge robot's leg as it walked. "Obliterator Bot! Do not destroy island fortress. Do not destroy island fortress!"

"Affirmative. Playing up-tempo music while destroying fortress." Speakers popped out of the mech's shoulders, producing loud music.

"Why would he even…?"

"Tails, don't question it," Knuckles advised, "Save your breath."

The robot stepped over a drowsy Sonic, who was watching it go. "No!" Eggman ran over to the hedgehog. "Sonic, you have to help me!"

"Why?" He crossed his arms. "He's your Obliterator Bot."

The doctor swiftly explained, "Because if you don't, I'm truly stuck living with you until I build a new island fortress."

"Not if you just leave him in the streets!" Sonic exclaimed, "What's so hard about that?"

"He's too nice, remember?" Tails chuckled, "And he doesn't have a nearby Shadow to take notes from, well, yet."

Sonic instantly perked up and made a fist. "Let's roll."

Amy pursed her lips as the scene changed. She and Knuckles would've attacked the thing before it left! Why didn't their counterparts do that? They were so weird.

Outside Eggman's lair, Tails landed his plane while Eggman parked his hovercraft. Obliterator Bot was brutally attacking the fortress's roof.

They all left their vehicles. "Gotta stop him…but so…tired…" Tails muttered before slumping to the ground and falling asleep.

Knuckles ignored those two, focusing on the bot. "He must have a weak spot!"

"Maybe there's a clue on the ground…" Sonic pointed downwards before sinking to his knees. "This soft…soft…bedlike ground…"

Amy squealed happily at his sleepy state, giggling, and Sonic knew that he couldn't let himself even get tired around her, like ever. She might pounce if he did, and he liked living.

Sticks went over to stomp on Sonic, who woke up at the harsh treatment. "What? What's wrong? Are we under attack?" The hedgehog jumped to his feet as his memory kicked in. He yawned. "Oh…right."

Knuckles turned to the human. "Eggman, you built that thing. How do we take it down?"

"Alright, I don't get it." The guardian's brow creased. "Last episode, he-" He was so glad that he could separate himself from that beefy and airheaded echidna on-screen. "-was an idiot. But now he's…I wouldn't say smart, but…"

"It had to have been the steroids, Knux!" Sonic said with a snicker, "They enlarged his muscles but shrunk his brain."

"I told you, he's not-!" Knuckles paused his angered retort. He didn't have to defend the other anymore. He wasn't him, and well, all signs did point to the use of some kind of drug. The other him was so disproportionate that it wasn't natural. "But then again, he might. Look at him, does he intentionally skip leg day?"

Sonic burst out laughing. "Roastin' yourself, Knucklehead? That's a new low! When's the last time you did some squats?"

A tick formed on the guardian's forehead and he grumbled under his breath about hedgehogs that refused to shut up.

"By activating two kill switches at the same time. They're inside the lair." Eggman walked forward and pointed to his right. "There…" Then he pointed to his left. "And there."

"Oh, come on…" Sonic groaned. "Alright, Amy, Knuckles, Sticks, distract that metal monstrosity." He picked up Tails by his arm. "Tails and I are on the kill switches. Eggman, you'll have to show us how to activate them." The human nodded.

Amy stepped forward and opened up her arms. "Pre-mission group hug?"

Sonic rose a hand to stop her. "No." He took off.

"Be persistent, other me!" Amy was disappointed that there wasn't a hug, but it passed quickly. Both Sonics weren't at that point yet. "You'll get him eventually!"

"Not in this lifetime," Sonic whispered to himself, relieved that the him in the show was on the same wavelength. Though it seemed easier for that Sonic. The other Amy wasn't as uh…direct in her approaches.

The sleepy speedster zoomed through the laser defense system, running on the wall. Lasers shot at and missed him. Tails flew over to a control panel and pressed a power switch, deactivating a laser wall in front of Sonic. The hedgie then barely dodged two hot beams, losing his footing.

Sleep caught up to him as he slid. The laser wall he was about to collide into disappeared, and he woke back up when he lost his momentum. "Ugh…"

Amy was smiling too wide, and Knuckles was becoming a bit worried. "Do you need to spend some time in the kitchen to calm yourself down?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine! He's just too cute! Don't you think?"

Knuckles could've barfed.

Tails opened up a panel filled with wires, but he was too exhausted to figure them out. Sonic approached a closed door, but he didn't make it in favor of snoring on the ground. Tails pressed a button that revealed the kill switches.

Eggman stomped over to Sonic, the hero startling awake. "Jam the kinetic barrier processor. The kinetic barrier processor!" Sonic threw him a confused look and pulled the lever. The human ran over to Tails, ordering, "Okay, power down the central operating system."

The doctor grabbed a tired Tails' hand and put it around the switch. On the other side, Sonic had slumped to the ground, letting the lever go.

"Why can't Eggman just…hold one of the switches?"

No one answered Tails because they couldn't think of why that Eggman couldn't. Relying on barely conscious heroes wasn't the smartest thing.

Outside, Obliterator Bot cut off a part of the fortress before dropping to the ground. Knuckles, Amy, and Sticks ran up to it.

"I knew you were coming." The badger growled, pointing at the robot. "But you will never obliterate Sticks, because Sticks is unoblit – unoble – unobitababl…" She gave up, stating proudly, "You can't kill me."

Amy snickered. At least she tried.

Knuckles was less amused. "Well, she's definitely going to be a reoccurring person."

"She's way better than that beaver," Tails pointed out. She was borderline crazy, sure, but she wasn't blatantly annoying.

"She's got spunk." Sonic grinned. "A necessity for someone on Team Sonic!"

"Spunk?" Knuckles snorted. "She's going to fight the bot with a boomerang! She's insane."

"To each his own."

"Jam the kinetic barrier processor!" Eggman frantically shouted to a sleeping Sonic. The hedgie popped up and yanked the lever, but he almost immediately dozed off again. Tails was out of commission as well. Eggman glanced back and forth between them before taking out and blowing into his kazoo.

Sonic and Tails instantly woke up and pulled the kill switches, which caused Obliterator Bot to shut down. The speedster raced outside with a slab of discarded metal. He jumped up in the air and yelled, "Pillow fight!" before knocking the robot's head off. It promptly exploded.

"It only took one hit?" Tails tilted his head. "Maybe that Eggman doesn't have as much experience or something?"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "That was a compliment to our Eggman, Tails! We can't his ego grow any bigger than it already is!"

The human's 'stache flared. "It doesn't matter how much mine grows, because it'll never match up to your oversized arrogance!"

The azure anthro scratched his nose with a smile. "You're right, Eggman! Thanks!"

"That was supposed to be an insult you little-!"

"Yes!" Eggman cheered. When his fortress blew up anyway, he slouched. "No…!"

Amy was twirling one of her quills. "So…that was all for nothing?"

"I'm not even surprised," Knuckles murmured.

Sometime later, Sonic and his crew were peacefully sitting on the beach. Eggman scampered up behind them with suitcases.

"Hey fellas. As you know, my fortress is now a smoking ruin, so I was wondering maybe…" He plopped down into a reclining chair. "If I would stay with you guys for a little while? Just until it's built back?"

Sonic ran back to Eggman's lair, dropping off the doctor, the chair, and the suitcases. He sprinted away without a single word.

"Yes! That was perfect!" Sonic praised. He would applaud, but his body wasn't ready for that yet. "The nice streak is over!"

Eggman just shook his head, appalled. His double really needed help.

Tails flicked his bangs out of his face. "Now let's just hope that they don't fall for it again."

"If they do, they're completely helpless," Knuckles uttered as he plucked one of the many loose threads on his mitt off. He weakly glared at the sleeping striped hedgehog. He owed him new gloves.

Amy, Orbot, and Cubot sauntered up. The pinkette was holding a balloon. "I can keep you company! Let's explore your feelings about being a roommate. Now, pretend this balloon is your self-esteem."

"Stop, stop!" Eggman jumped to his feet and ran away screaming, "Stooooooooop!"

Same, Eggman. Same. Sonic felt oddly empathetic.

"I really don't get her!" Amy complained. "Why does she want to be a therapist to badly?"

The red echidna stretched in his seat, gently cracking a couple bones. "Only she knows." He kinda wanted to go outside to get some fresh air, but the thing – he halted his train of thought right there. The peas had been hurled across the room; he could be next if he wasn't careful.

"That's what she wants to do when she grows up?" Tails guessed with a shrug, giggling, "Along with entertaining the masses with her…other talents."

Eggman tapped his slipper-less foot on the floor. "Enough of that pink menace." He felt the heat of Amy's glare. "Let's move on so I can get out of here as soon as possible."

Sonic clicked his tongue, eyes swiveling over to the man. "Leave the impatience to me, Egghead!" He refocused on the television. "But yeah, we can plow through." He read the title of the next episode. "'Translate This'? That can be about anything!"

"Well, let's figure it out!" Amy pressed play on the remote, but nothing happened. She frowned, perplexed. "Huh?" She tried it again and again. "It's not working!"

Knuckles grabbed the remote from her and rapidly jabbed the right button. "Come on! You're already keeping us in here, at least work for us!"

Tails' attention drifted from the echidna to the striped anthro. He swallowed thickly. "Uh guys…I think I might know why it won't play."

"What is it? Spit it out, bud," Sonic prompted him.

Tails gestured over to the sleeping Shadow. "Maybe the thing thinks that missing half of an episode is enough…"

"…So we need to wake him up?" Amy asked hesitantly, somewhat fearing the answer.

As if he was hearing their conversation, Shadow softly snored before turning over, his back to them now. He then curled up into a ball, his sharp spines protruding out in many directions.

"Eh…" Sonic shook his head. "Let's give him a few minutes."

Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome!