One morning, Sonic stood on the roof of the Kent household, his foot tapping restlessly. He looked out at the horizon, then jumped off the roof, dashing across the yard. He faulted over the back fence, then took off into the woods behind the house. A few seconds later, he came running back, jumping back over the fence and skidding to a stop in front of the back door. Amy opened the door for him, giving him a smile.

"Well, you held out longer than we thought you would," she remarked.

"What do you mean?" Sonic asked as he headed inside.

"Tails and I had a bet going on how long it would take for you to run off like you usually do. I said a week. Tails said three days."

They began walking towards the dining room, just chatting amicably.

"Hey, I may enjoy a good run, but even I'm not that reckless. I just couldn't take it anymore, being cooped up in here all day and all night."

"We get it, believe me. If we're not fighting Eggman, we're here. It's the only place that's safe for us."

They finally reached the dining room, where Keith, Chuck, Tails, Cream, and Cheese were all sitting and eating breakfast. Sonic and Amy took their seats as Ella brought them some omelets.

"I was wondering when you two would join us," the maid told them, pouring out some orange juice for the pair.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ella," Amy apologized. "Sonic went on a run."

Keith looked up in shock.

"What? Sonic, you know that's dangerous. You don't know Earth the way you know Mobius."

"I didn't go far, just to the edge of woods and back. Like I told Amy, I'm not that reckless."

"Well, if you're gonna be making a habit of these runs, maybe you should invest in an atlas," Keith suggested. "That way you won't get lost."

"Actually, I've been working on something that might help," Chuck spoke up, setting his napkin down and standing up. "I'll be right back."

He walked out of the dining room just as the phone began to ring. Mr. Tanaka reached over and took up the phone, answering it.

"Kent residence." He paused, listening for a moment before holding the phone out to Keith. "It's your mother."

Keith brightened, quickly swallowing his food and taking the phone.

"Hey mom!"

"Keith, darling! Oh it is so good to hear your voice again! It's been far too long since we've been able to talk."

"I know. How are you doing, mom?"

"Absolutely wonderful darling. In fact, I have a surprise for you! I managed to finish shooting earlier than expected and I'm on my way home now. I should be there around the same time you get out of school."

"Really? Mom that's great!"

"I can't wait to see you again. Oh! My plane is boarding. Love you!"

"Love you too mom. Have a nice flight."

He hung up the phone as Chuck came walking back in. When he saw the large grin on Keith's face, he couldn't help but smile.

"Who was that?"

"It was Mom!" Keith cheered. "She's coming home today!"

Chuck brightened as well.

"That's great to hear!" The scientist then paused, realization dawning. "Oh… I just remembered our guests."

Keith's face fell as he realized the same thing. Both of them turned to their Mobian friends, who were all just sitting there. All of them seemed excited for Keith, but Sonic's expression was unreadable.

"Is something wrong, Keith?" Cream asked.

"Well, kinda..." Keith admitted. "My mom's always had this… thing about animals."

"Keith used to bring home stray kittens or dogs, begging us to let him keep them," Chuck clarified. "They were almost always dirty, flea-riddled, and wild, leading to large messes across the house. After the fourth or fifth time this happened, Lindsey put a ban on all animals."

"And we're technically animals," Tails realized.

"Exactly," Keith nodded. "If my mom finds out about you, she'll throw a fit."

"Don't worry, we'll lay low while she's here," Amy assured. "No way we're ruining a visit with your mom, right Sonic?"

Sonic didn't say anything. Instead, he got up, walking over to Chuck.

"You said you had something that would help me?"

Chuck blinked, then he shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out a fair sized black watch.

"It's a multipurpose watch I designed for you. It's got a GPS unit, a communicator with Keith's and my cellphone number preprogrammed, and a clock for obvious reasons. With this, you can figure out where you are and how to get home, and it will allow us to contact you if Eggman shows up while you're on a run."

Sonic took the watch, sliding it onto his wrist with a click.

"Thanks."

He then took off out the front door fast enough to send food from breakfast flying. Everyone quickly grabbed their dishes to keep them from breaking and Ella gasped at the mess left in his wake.

"Dios mio, what is with that hedgehog? What a mess!"

As she went to get supplies to clean up the mess, Keith looked at the door, now just swaying slightly on its hinges.

"Is Sonic okay? Did we say something wrong?"

"Don't worry about it, Keith," Tail assured, brushing egg out of his fur. "He'll be fine."

Keith just sighed, then turned and glanced at the clock. When he saw the time, his eyes went wide.

"Oh shoot, I'm gonna miss the bus!" He grabbed his backpack, giving his dad a one armed hug before rushing out of the house. "Bye everyone! I'll see you after school!"

Everyone watched him go, then Amy turned to Tails.

"You think Sonic will be okay?"

"I'm sure he will. I just think Keith's mom hit a little close to home is all."

Amy nodded, turning back to the door with a worried expression.

…

On Robotnik Island, Robotnik was pacing around in annoyance. Orbot and Cubot were flanking him, the former holding a notepad and a pencil. There were several crumpled pieces of paper littering the ground, each containing some scheme that the doctor had deemed inefficient. After a bit, Robotnik let out a growl, kicking several of the pieces of paper in anger.

"I have to think of something!" he shouted. "I've tried the direct approach and it failed, and then there's that blasted hedgehog. Every robot I've thrown at him, he's completely scrapped."

"Perhaps you're thinking too big," Orbot spoke up. "You need a plan that's a bit more subtle."

"Ooh! Ooh!" Cubot began shaking his arm around until Robotnik acknowledged him with a nod. "Maybe we drop a bunch of banana peels on the ground and trip up Sonic!"

Both Orbot and Robotnik blinked at him before the latter pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"...It's times like this I regret making you so stupid, Cubot."

"Sorry boss…" Cubot moaned, looking down. "Maybe I need to go back to school."

Robotnik turned away, an idea beginning to form. He ran his fingers through his mustache as he muttered to himself.

"School... school… school...:" He snapped his fingers. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Cubot questioned.

"I'll infiltrate the school system!" Robotnik declared. "I'll brainwash all the urchins of this city into worshipping me! They are the future after all, and if I get my hooks in now, I'll be running this world unopposed in no time!"

"Hang on, doesn't Sonic have a friend attending one of these schools?" Orbot recalled.

"Oh yeah!" Cubot piped up. "The kid that pulled your mustache!"

Robotnik's face fell as he rubbed his lip, remembering the pain of almost losing half of his beloved mustache.

"Oh yes, I haven't forgotten that teenage terror." A grin then formed on his face. "In fact, I think he'll be the first victim of my newest plot!"

He headed over to his console, typing away for a moment before bringing his fist down on the big, red "DEPLOY" button.

…

At Naoto Ohshima High, Keith was still in a good mood from the news he'd received about his mom. He cheerily gathered his things as Kat came up to him. Before she could pull her usual stunt, he turned and greeted her.

"Hey Kat."

Kat let out a scoff of annoyance, though she gave him a genuine smile.

"You ruined my fun, Keith."

"Sorry. I'm just in a good mood today."

"Oh? Something happen?"

"My mom's coming home this afternoon."

Kat's face brightened.

"Dude, that's awesome! You must be excited."

"You bet I am. How about you? You seem cheerier than usual."

Kat gave a shrug.

"Eh, I made a new friend. He's pretty cool honestly, and even wilder than I am."

"Oh? Does he go here?"

"Nope, and probably for the best. I think he'd take to school like toothpaste and orange juice."

"Well, maybe you can introduce me later."

"Heh. Don't get your hopes up."

The bell rang, and the two of them headed for their class.

…

Just above the school, a strange figure was flying overhead. It focused on the building, touching down in front of the doors. Mechanical claws quickly hacked the security locks on the doors, allowing the robot access inside.

…

Mr. Stewart stood before his class, writing out several math equations out on the board. All of the students were quickly writing down what they saw. Keith was following along fine, but Kat was utterly lost.

"Ugh..." she let out before face planting on her desk. "I hate math..."

"Oh come on, Kat," Keith spoke up. "This is easy stuff."

"Says the guy with a super-genius for a father… You were probably doing this stuff while you were in diapers."

"That's an exaggeration and you know it."

"I stand by what I said. Besides, some of us can't learn when our teacher drones on and on like an emotionless robot."

At that moment, the door was thrown open, revealing a cylindrical robot with a large oval screen for a face on the center, a tie-shaped array of lights running from red to green, and a graduation cap on its head. It gave an enthusiastic wave as it came into the classroom.

"Hello class!" it greeted. "My name is Mr. Intelligente! I'll be your teacher for the forseeable future!" It scanned the classroom, focusing on every student individually. "It seems all of you are present and accounted for. Perfect!"

Kat leaned over to Keith, whispering under her breath.

"Is that an Eggman robot?"

"I don't know," Keith responded before realizing something. "How do you know the name Eggman?"

Kat turned pale, but was saved from answering by the interjections of Mr. Stewart.

"Excuse me, but you're interrupting my math lecture," he chastised the bot. "You think you can just walk in here and take over my classroom?"

"As a matter of fact, I can!"

The robot then grabbed Mr. Stewart, literally tossing him out of the classroom. Mr. Intelligente then slammed the door shut, effectively locking him out. He then turned back to the class, his screen lighting up with enthusiastic eyes.

"Now, it appears you're all studying math. Let's see if I can explain these formulas in a way that will be easier to remember."

…

Outside the classroom, Mr. Stewart tried opening the door to get back in, but to no avail.

"Where the heck does some hunk of junk get off taking over my class?!" he fumed. "Robotnik's behind this, I just know it. It must be here for Keith."

He then reached for his watch and pressed a few buttons.

"This is Chalkboard Charlie to homeroom. Come in homeroom."

"This is homeroom. What is it Charlie?"

"One of Robotnik's robots has taken over my classroom."

"10-4. Observe and report. If the robot poses a threat, take immediate action. Understand?"

"Understood. Chalkboard Charlie, out."

He stowed his watch, then approached the window into the classroom. To his surprise, the entire class was paying attention to Mr. Intelligente, who was giving a rip roaring lecture on the equations he'd provided.

"And that's how to crack an equation! Mathematics is a breeze when you keep your eye on the pi!"

Kat leaned back in her seat, letting out a surprised chuckle.

"How is it that the evil robot is a better teacher than our actual teacher?"

"I wish I could tell you," Keith replied.

Mr. Steward grumbled at the comment, turning red from embarrassment.

…

Meanwhile, Sonic was sitting at the top of a large mountain, listening to the sound of the wind. He took a deep breath as he relaxed, enjoying the crisp, fresh air that filled his lungs. He let out a sigh of satisfaction, then a small chirping sound began coming from his wrist. He glanced down, seeing that he had a call. With a reluctant shrug, he answered.

"Hey."

"Hey Sonic," Tails' voice replied. "I just wanted to check on you. You ran off kinda suddenly this morning."

"I'm doing good Tails," Sonic replied. "Just needed to clear my head is all."

"It's about Keith's mom coming home, isn't it?"

"Heh.. that obvious?"

"Only to someone who's known you for years now."

Sonic let out another sigh, flopping down into the snow.

"I'm happy for Keith, I really am. I just… something in me also feels… I don't know how to describe it… like it's not fair."

"It's called jealousy. Everyone feels that way sometimes, Sonic. Don't feel bad about feeling bad."

Sonic chuckled a little in response.

"Thanks Tails. I'll be heading back soon."

"Just make sure you're not spotted. Keith's mom will be here any minute."

"I hear ya."

Sonic leapt to his feet and began running back towards the house at breakneck speeds.

…

Back at school, Mr. Inteligente moved the class out of the classroom and onto the baseball field outside.

"I've always wanted to play baseball," the robot admitted. "Shall we?"

Everyone was in agreement, grabbing gloves and baseball bats. Keith took the pitching position as Kat got behind the plate.

"Come on, Keith!" she shouted. "Throw me a fast ball!"

Mr. Stewart sat on the bleachers, watching everything unfold. He almost reacted when Mr. Intelligente approached Keith, but stopped when he realized the bot was giving him pointers on pitching.

"Now remember, Keith, keep your wrist relaxed throughout the throw. Understand?"

"I think so."

Keith followed Intelligente's advice and threw the ball, which Kat hit hard enough to send it flying into the outfield. As the outfielders scrambled to get the ball, she took off around the bases. Mr. Stewart just watched, growing more and more confused as this went on.

"I don't understand… is Mr. Intelligente really a Robotnik robot? He sure isn't acting like one. What's that madman's angle here?"

…

Back at Robotnik's base, the mad doctor was tapping his fingers at the keys of his console, waiting for a report from Inteligente.

"What's taking him so long?" He asked. "How long does it take to convince a group of kids that I am worthy of praise and adulation?"

"Do you want the honest answer, or the answer you want to hear?" Orbot asked.

Robotnik growled, batting Orbot aside.

"Oh who asked you?!" he approached his main console, typing for a moment. "I'll just figure it out for myself!"

Robotnik pressed a few buttons on his console and pulled up a birds eye view of the school, where he saw just what was going on with Inteligente.

"What's this?!" he let out.

...

The teams on the baseball field had switched, with Kat now on the pitchers mound and Intelligente up to bat.

"Hope you're ready, teach! No man alive can hit my curveball!"

"I'm ready!"

With that, Kat wound up her pitch and lobbed it with all her strength. To everyone's surprise, Mr. Intelligente hit the ball hard enough that it vanished from sight. Everyone on Intelligente's team began cheering as the bot made his way around the bases.

"My first home run! How thrilling!"

…

"You did it, doc!" Cubot praised. "You got the students to like Intelligente! Your plan was a complete success!"

"You imbecile!" Robotnik yelled. "He was supposed to make the students love me! Not him!"

"Oh, really? Well in that case, your plan failed miserably."

Robotnik let out another growl, grabbing Cubot and throwing him across the room. He hit the wall hard, denting one of his corners.

"Aw man… it'll take days to buff that out."

"I have more important things to worry about. Like Intelligente's betrayal!" He stood up angrily. "Send Bokkun with a message for the traitorous bot, and prepare the Eggmobile!"

…

Meanwhile at the Kent house, a large helicopter landed on a helipad situated on top of the garage. As the blades slowly began to stop rotating, the side door opened, allowing a beautiful woman with shoulder length brown hair to emerge from inside. Chuck came out to greet her, a large smile on his face.

"Lindsey."

"Charles!" Lindsey cried out, rushing to embrace her husband.

The two held each other for a long moment, then kissed. When they finally came up for air, both were smiling.

"Oh how I've missed you, Charles."

"You've been missed here too, my love. Come on inside, I'm sure you're hungry."

"Absolutely famished. What's Ella made for lunch?"

"Just some light sandwiches for now. We're saving the more lavish meal for dinner, once Keith gets home."

The two chattered back and forth as they headed inside, unaware of the observers watching from Chuck's lab. Amy was star struck by Lindsey, smiling brightly.

"Keith's mom is even prettier than I imagined."

"She seems really nice too," Cream remarked. "I wish we could go say hi."

"It would be nice," Tails admitted. "But you remember what Keith said about her stance on animals."

"I know..." Cream sighed sadly.

Amy put a hand on Cream's back.

"Don't worry, Cream. Maybe one day we can say hi, just not today."

Cream's smile returned at the prospect. All of a sudden, Sonic sped into the lab and came to a sudden stop as he landed in a chair.

"Hey, guys."

"Hey Sonic, you just missed Keith's mom," Amy informed him, "She finally got here."

"Good for him."

Sonic leaned back in the chair, propping up his legs and closing his eyes to take a nap.

…

Back at the ballgame, Keith was up at bat, and ready to hit it out of the park . Kat gave him a smirk as she readied her ball.

"Don't expect me to go easy on you just 'cause we're friends!"

"Just throw the ball, Kat!"

Kat grinned, then gave him another one of her curveballs. Keith swung with all his might, actuall connecting with the ball and sending it right towards the fence. Before it could clear the field though, Intelligente flew up and caught it. Kat punched the air in delight as Keith looked surprised.

"Nice catch, teach!" Kat commended.

"Guess I was built for more than just teaching!" Intelligente declared. "Now, who's turn is it?"

Unfortunately, before the game could continue, the sound of annoyingly high pitched laughter reached their ears. Everyone looked up at the sky as Bokkun descended in front of Intelligente. Mr. Stewart tensed, rising from his seat as all the students gathered around the two bots.

"A new robot?" Kat asked. "What's this one for?"

"I don't know," Keith admitted. "But I get the feeling we're gonna find out."

"Bokkun?" Intelligente let out. "What are you doing here?"

"I have a message for you from Dr. Robotnik," Bokkun declared.

"A message?"

"Yup. so I'd pay attention if I were you."

Bokkun pulled out his signature tablet from his messenger bag, holding it out for Intelligente. All the teens gathered around as well, watching as Robotnik's face came onto the screen.

"Intelligente you traitorous bucket of bolts! Your orders were to brainwash the children into worshipping me! What are you doing playing baseball with them?!"

"It's called Physical Education, one of the many courses offered in this fine learning establishment. All students should have the opportunity to stretch their legs and enjoy the outdoors on fine days like-"

"I don't care about them stretching their legs! You better start doing your job right now, or I'll throw you in the scrap heap!"

"I'll have you know, Doctor, I've taken great pride in teaching these students. You programmed me to be the perfect teacher, and I intend to see my programming through."

"Dude, I think Intelligente is rebelling against Eggman," Kat whispered.

"I didn't think his robots could do that," Keith let out.

"This is your last warning, Intelligente. Mark my words, you will regret this act of rebellion."

"Do your worst. I refuse to abandon the students in my charge!"

Robotnik just growled, then the screen fizzled out. Bokkun looked livid.

"You're making a big mistake, you hear me!? Dr. Robotnik is gonna dismantle you and turn you into a coffee table!"

Kat turned to Keith, holding out her hand.

"Hey, can I borrow your bat?"

"Uh, sure."

Keith handed her the bat, prompting her to snatch it and walk over to Bokkun.

"Excuse me."

Bokkun turned, yelping when he saw her lining up a swing.

"Get away from our teacher bot!"

She swung hard, striking the robot hard enough that he went sailing over the fence, striking a tree and sinking slowly to the ground. With a snort, she planted the bat on the grass, leaning on it and turning to Intelligente.

"You good, teach?"

"Indeed I am. Thank you for disposing of that miscreant."

"My pleasure," she replied with a bow.

The school bell rang, surprising everyone. Intelligente turned back to the building, his LED eyes going wide.

"Well, that's the bell. Everyone gather your stuff and head on home. I'd hate to keep you after class."

Everyone cheered, heading for the bleachers to get their stuff. Mr. Stewart, having witnessed the entire thing, was utterly dumbfounded.

"Well I'll be, it seems Robotnik doesn't have as much control over his bots as we all believed."

Just then, a circular shadow flew overhead, prompting everyone to look up and see the Eggmobile hovering over them.

"I warned you, Intelligente!" Robotnik declared. "Now you're going to suffer for this insubordination."

"Dr. Robotnik!" Intelligente let out in horror.

"Eggman!" Keith and Kat both shouted.

They both then looked at each other in confusion, unsure as to how the other knew him by name. Luckily for them, they were both spared the need to explain by the timely eruption of a pissed off Robotnik.

"Never! Use that name!" Robotnik yelled. "I am Dr. Robotnik! The most brilliant mind your world has ever had the pleasure of knowing, and you will treat me with respect!"

Kat just gave him a rude gesture with her right hand. Keith snorted, shaking his head.

"The day we respect you is the day hell freezes over," he declared.

"Bold stance. Let's see how it holds up." he turns to Intelligente. "As for you…"

Intelligente backed away slightly as Robotnik moved closer to him.

"It's time you learned your place. You're going to keep these brats in detention until they learn to respect me!"

Intelligente looked nervous, but stood firm.

"No!" he declared. "I stand by what I said earlier. I refuse to abandon my students!"

"I thought you might say that." Robotnik then began pressing some keys on his onboard console.

Suddenly, Intelligente froze stiff, before his eyes turned red and sinister. He then turned towards the class, all of whom began backing away in fear. That's when Mr. Stewart finally acted.

"Alright, that's enough!" He declared. "Everyone, get as far away from here as possible! I'll hold off the robot!"

The teens immediately took off for the edge of the field. However, they found themselves trapped on the field due to sturdy padlocks on the gates. Orbot and Cubot hovered just outside the gates, clapping their hands together at their handiwork.

"Mr. Stewart!" Keith shouted. "We're stuck!"

"What?!" Mr. Stewart let out before turning back to Robotnik. "Let them out!"

"I don't think so. And since I have no need of you…"

He hit a button on the Eggmobile, which caused Intelligente to activate several weapons. First, they were all aimed at Mr. Stewart, then they slowly shifted focus to the teens who were still trying to escape. Mr. Stewart went wide-eyed.

"Stop it! Leave them alone!"

"Surrender to me now and I'll go through with my original plan to brainwash the children. However, you even think about resisting me, and I won't hesitate."

By now, the teens all looked scared out of their minds, huddled together behind home plate.

"Well 'teach'?" Robotnik taunted, grinning maniacally, "What's it gonna be?"

Mr. Stewart just looked down in defeat, seeing no way out of this.

"Alright… just don't hurt them."

Robotnik chuckled darkly.

…

At the Kent house, Ella was in the middle of dinner preparations, Mr. Tanaka helping out. Lindsey and Chuck were sitting in the living room, the former continuing to glance up at the clock.

"Shouldn't Keith be home by now?" she questioned.

"I will admit, this is unusual," Chuck muttered. "He was so excited that you were coming home today."

"Do you think he got in trouble at school? Or maybe his friend Kathryn brought him home to play videogames again."

"No, he would've called first." Chuck began rubbing his chin in thought. "Maybe he just lost track of time. I'm sure he'll be here any minute."

Lindsey didn't seem that sure, her hands clenching and unclenching nervously in her lap. Chuck stole a glance out the window, where he could see the outline of Amy in the bushes. He gave a small shake of the head, his expression grim. Amy pulled herself out of the bushes, heading back to the lab.

"Keith hasn't come home yet," she announced. "His parents are getting worried."

"I'll swing by the School," Sonic volunteered, leaping out of his chair. "See if anythings up."

"Be careful, Sonic," Tails warned. "Something about this doesn't feel right."

Sonic nodded before speeding off.

…

Back in the baseball field, all of the teens were lined up along the base line. Each of them had a drawing pad and pencils and were being forced to draw. Mr. Stewart was off to the side, being guarded by both Orbot and Cubot.

"For today's art class," Intelligente instructed, his voice now emotionless and robotic. "We will sketch the illustrious form of the great Dr. Robotnik. As you draw, take special note of the doctor's noble visage and dignified bearing."

While many of the students drew for fear of their lives, both Keith and Kat hid behind their sketch pads, whispering among themselves.

"There has to be a way out of this," Keith insisted. "My mom's gonna be worried sick."

"Unfortunately, Eggman took our backpacks, so I don't have my get-out-of-class kits."

"Hey!" Robotnik shouted, making the two flinch. "No talking over there! I want to hear nothing but the scratching of pencils as you produce loving images that will make you adore me!"

"I'll be producing images, but they won't be loving, Eggman!" Kat snapped.

Robotnik growled in response. All of a sudden, a blue streak sped by, smashing through the padlocked gate and blowing everyone's pads away. Everyone turned to see the blur run up a nearby flagpole and come to a stop, revealing itself to be Sonic.

"I always knew you were a poser, Eggman."

"Sonic!" Keith cheered.

"Sonic?" Kat repeated.

"Sonic..." Robotnik growled. "Intelligente, destroy that hedgehog!"

"Yes sir!"

Intelligente then fired several missiles at Sonic, prompting him to dodge leap down and evade every single one of them before hitting the ground.

"Nice try, teach," Sonic remarked. "But I think it's time to teach you a lesson!"

Rolling into a spin dash, Sonic shot himself at Intelligente, tearing right through the robot with ease. The second Sonic made it clear, the robot exploded, leaving nothing but a smoking wreck. The teens all cheered, most of them running for the now open gate. Keith and Kat, on the other hand, stayed behind. Kat grabbed a nearby bat, charging right at Orbot and Cubot.

"Leave Mr. Stewart alone!"

"Perhaps it would be wise to initiate a tactical retreat," Orbot proposed.

"Forget that," Cubot replied. "Let's just get out of here!"

The two robots instantly flew towards the Eggmobile, Kat chasing after them the entire time. Meanwhile, Keith rushed over to Sonic's side, both of them facing down Robotnik.

"Well done, hedgehog," Robotnik commended sarcastically. "As a reward for your efforts," he pulls out a button with his face on it. "Here."

"Forget it," Sonic declined. "Who would want a booby prize like that?"

"Fine. Maybe your little friend will take it." Robotnik offered the button to Keith.

"Forget it." Keith crossed his arms. "I wouldn't be caught dead with that."

"Don't even think about it!" Kat declined, menacingly holding the bat.

"Fine!" Robotnik gave up. "I'll wear it then."

Robotnik stuck the button on himself before climbing into the Eggmobile and flying off.

"Until next time, Sonic!"

The three watched him go, then Kat turned towards Keith and Sonic.

"So, this explains a lot." she leaned on her bat. "Sonic, huh? Fitting."

"Uh… thanks," Sonic replied before turning to Keith. "Hey Keith, you need to get back home. Your mom's waiting."

Keith went wide-eyed.

"Oh man! What am I gonna tell her?!"

"Tell her I made us both get detention," Kat offered. "She'll believe it, and it'll spare you some awkward explaining. Just promise me we'll talk about…. This..." she gestured to Sonic, "later."

"Promise."

"Then let's go," Sonic declared, grabbing Keith and running off.

As they disappeared, Mr. Stewart walked off of the field.

"This is chalkboard charlie to homeroom. Situation neutralized. However, there's a new development."

"Development? Clarify Chalkboard charlie."

"One of my students also knows about the creatures, and I have reason to believe she's come into contact with one or more of them."

"10-4. Add the student to your monitor, but standby."

Mr. Stewart ended the transmission, watching as Kat headed off the field, wondering just how many people knew about the creatures.

…

At the Kent house, Keith came running through the front door just before sunset. He dropped his backpack, rushing into the living room.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!"

"Keith!" Linsey let out, getting up and hugging her son. "Where have you been, my beautiful boy?"

"Uh… got held after school. Couldn't be helped. Sorry."

"I'm just glad you're home." She pulled him into a tighter hug.

"Luckily, Ella kept dinner warm for us," Chuck informed him. "Let's all go enjoy it."

They all gathered around the dinner table, eating and laughing and just enjoying being a family. Watching from the window, the mobian guests all smiled as well. Even Sonic cracked a smile, happy to see Keith with his family.