On a quaint little ranch in the country, Sonic and Amy were facing off against Dr. Robotnik and his latest robot: Lightning bird. The robot charged towards the two of them, flashing a bright light at Sonic. Sonic covered his eyes to shield himself from the light.
Sonic!" Amy cried out.
Sonic opened his eyes and saw Amy in Lightning Bird's beak as it flew away.
"Amy!" Sonic cried out before turning to Robotnik. "Bring her back!"
"You want her?" Robotnik cackled. "Then come and get her!"
Sonic scowled before running after Lightning Bird. Amy meanwhile managed to pull out her hammer and smack it against the robot. She did this about twice before part of her skirt began to rip. She gasped, realizing that if it ripped, she had a long way down.
"SONIC!" She screamed. "HELP ME!"
"Hang on, Amy!" Sonic called back.
Sonic then ran up the side of the barn's silo, launching himself up towards the robot. Instantly, Sonic collided with the robot, immediately shattering it. Unbeknownst to Sonic, as he came barreling out of the robot, Robotnik got behind him, launching a tiny piece of machinery at the hedgehog. It embedded itself right in Sonic's back, hiding amidst his spines. Sonic then bounced off part of the robot towards Robotnik, kicking the Eggmobile and knocking him away before diving after Amy.
"Don't worry Amy, I gotcha," he reassured, catching up to her.
"Amy breathed a sigh of relief, hugging Sonic tightly.
"My hero..."
The two then plopped down into a haystack. After pulling themselves free, they just laid there, enjoying each other's company. Amy looked up at the clouds, letting out a happy sigh.
"Isn't this just beautiful? I wish we could just stay here for days and listen to the wind..." she sighed at the prospect. "Wouldn't that be… romantic?"
Sonic didn't seem to hear her. He kept fidgeting in the hay, like he couldn't get comfortable.
"Have… you been listening?" Amy asked.
"Huh?" Sonic replied. "Oh, sorry, Amy. My back is itching. I think it's this hay."
In truth, it was the device on his back, which was just getting more and more entangled in his spines.
…
Later, that day, Tanaka was cleaning the Kent family car. On the roof of the garage, Sonic was struggling to scratch his back, rubbing his spines on the roof shingles. Keith and Tails came outside and noticed Sonic's distress.
"Everything alright with Sonic?" Keith asked.
Amy, who was watching from the ground, gave a shrug.
"I dunno. He's been complaining about his back itching since we got back."
"I think they have cream for that," Keith suggested.
"At this point, I'll try anything," Amy responded.
…
Onboard the Egg Fort II, Robotnik was sitting in his chair, cackling quietly to himself. He'd been going so for the past hour since Lightning Bird's defeat, and it was beginning to worry Orbot and Cubot.
"Is it just me, or does something seem off with Dr. Robotnik?" Orbot asked.
"No, but something is definitely wrong with him," Cubot insisted.
"I… agree. Perhaps you should talk to him about it."
"No way! You talk to him. He likes you better."
"He dislikes us equally. It doesn't matter who talks to him as long as someone talks to him. There's only one way to settle this."
"Rock, doughnut, Thursday?"
"Indeed."
The two robots began circling each other.
"Rock! Doughnut! Thursday! Shoot!" they both let out, Orbot making a fist and Cubot making a circle.
"Yes!" Orbot cheered. "Rock smashes doughnut."
"No," Cubot protested. "Doughnut makes rock taste better."
"Silence, both of you!" Robotnik insisted. "It's time to put my latest plan into action."
The two bots looked confused.
"Wasn't Lightning Bird your plan?"Orbot questioned.
"No, it was just the means to lure Sonic to me. During the battle I planted a tiny microchip on one of Sonic's quills. Before long, Sonic will perish doing what he does best."
"What's that, Doc?" Cubot asked.
"Hehehe… run."
Robotnik then pressed a button.
…
Suddenly, Sonic let out a help, his entire body shuddering. He then jumped off the roof and just began running. The three just stared at him in confusion.
"What was that all about?" Tails questioned.
"I dunno, but I don't like it," Keith insisted. "Come on. Maybe we can catch him in the Tornado II."
The three rushed to the Tornado, Keith grabbing his goggles and sliding them on. The lenses lit up as he locked onto the GPS tracker in Sonic's wristband.
"Luckily he's still wearing his GPS watch," he said in relief.
"Call him!" Amy insisted. "Ask him what's going on!"
"Right."
…
Out in the city, Sonic was running like a maniac, doing his best to avoid oncoming traffic.
"I don't get it! I can't stop my feet!"
A car honked at him and he quickly swerved to avoid it.
"Sorry!" he called back before his wrist began to chirp, signalling he got a call. "Hello?!"
"Sonic!" Keith's voice came over his watch. "What's going on?"
"I don't know! All of a sudden, I'm running and I can't stop!"
"That's not good! You need to get out of the city! There's too many people and things out here!"
"Good idea! I'll head for the desert! Nothing for me to run into out there! You get the others and try and find a way to catch me!"
"We're on it! Just be careful!"
…
Keith hung up on Sonic, looking nervous.
"We need a way to catch Sonic. He's got no control of his own feet."
"But Sonic's the fastest around," Tails reasoned. "There's no way we can catch him."
Keith then perked, an idea forming.
"Maybe we can't, but I think the second fastest man in town might stand a chance!"
…
On the side of the road, Sam Kent had a teen with a mohawk pulled over on the side of the road. He had a ticket machine in his hand, shaking his head.
"Listen, punk, your car may be cool, but if you don't wear seat belts, you're a fool."
As he finished off the ticket, his phone began to ring. He plucked it out of his pocket, resting it on his ear.
"S-Team, Sam Kent speaking."am, it's Keith. We need your help."
"Keith? What's up?"
"Sonic's lost control of his legs and is speeding out of control. We need your help to try and catch him. He's heading down the main highway towards the desert. Hurry!"
"On it." Sam quickly hung up, grabbing his helmet. "You're getting a warning this time, but I better not catch you without a seatbelt again, you hear me?!"
He flipped on his sirens and gunned his engines, taking off towards the highway. Sonic meanwhile continued running frantically through the street, still trying to get at his back. Unfortunately, the itch was just out of reach, much to his annoyance. As he tried to scratch at it, he saw Sam coming up behind him.
"Sam!" Sonic called out. "Guess Keith must have called for help!"
"He did! Don't worry, we'll try and slow you down!"
"Please do! This is the one time I DON'T want to go fast!"
Unbeknownst to the group, an egg shaped drone was hovering just above them, watching Sonic's every move and broadcasting it back to Robotnik.
…
The doctor watched the footage, enjoying Sonic's predicament immensely. When he noticed the S-Team car closing in on him, he chuckled.
"Isn't that cute? They're actually trying to catch him. Let's see if we can't make it a bit more challenging."
…
Sam opened up the hatch of his car, reaching out for Sonic. Seconds before he managed to catch him, Sonic's speed began to increase, sending him shooting down the street. Sam's hand met empty air.
"No!" he shouted. "Sonic!"
Sonic disappeared and Sam pulled over, calling Keith.
"Sorry little bro, he suddenly increased speed and I lost him."
"It's alright. Just make sure there's a clear path to the desert. That's where he's going."
"I'll do what I can!"
He hung up, then grabbed his radio.
"This is Sam Kent to Dispatch. I need you to clear the desert road. Sonic's lost control of his speed and needs a safe evac point."
"Copy that, Sam Kent."
…
From the Tornado II, the group watched as the main road to the desert cleared up, giving Sonic a clear path into the desert. Once he was clear of the city, all of them gave a sigh of relief.
"Alright, that's one problem down," Tails declared. "Now we just need to figure out what's wrong with Sonic."
"Eggman has to be behind this," Amy insisted. "When we were fighting that robot earlier, it must have been a distraction for whatever this is."
"But why would Eggman make Sonic go crazy?" Keith questioned. "What does he gain?"
"Easy," Tails answered. "Sonic can't control himself, and he can't stop. Meaning he's gonna keep running until he literally can't anymore."
"Literally running him ragged," Keith realized. "I'll call my dad. Maybe he can help us figure out a way to catch Sonic."
"I hope so," Amy replied. "Otherwise, Sonic'll be finished because he saved me."
…
Back on the Egg Fort II, Robotnik continued watching Sonic run rampant.
"My, Sonic is working up quite a sweat, isn't he?" He asked, chowing on a bowl of popcorn he made.
"Maybe you should follow his example," Cubot suggested. "I didn't wanna say anything, but you have gotten a bit-"
"If you say fat, I'll dismantle you and turn you into a gumball machine!"
"I wasn't gonna say fat! I was gonna say… um… uh… Hey, what're Sonic's friends up to?"
"Not sure," Robotnik replied. "Let's find out."
…
Back at the Kent house, Keith and the others informed Chuck about what was going on.
"And if he keeps running, he might just drop dead," Keith concluded.
"This is serious," Chuck noted. "There's no telling what Eggman did to Sonic to make him run like this."
"We have to get to the bottom of this," Tails insisted. "Do you have any ideas, Chuck?"
"Not yet, but I'm sure we can think of something."
…
Outside on the balcony, Amy was looking up at the moon, feeling melconcolly about the situation.
"This is the second time Sonic's gotten into trouble because of me… why do I keep hurting someone I care so much about?
She sighed, looking out in the direction of the desert.
"Sonic… please be alright."
…
Sonic was still running, unable to rest due to his constant motion. His breath was labored and his feet were beginning to hurt.
"I don't know how long I can keep this up. I hope the others find a way to catch me soon."
…
The next morning, Chuck gathered Keith, Tails and Amy out in the desert. They had a tent set up with a white board, some basic lab equipment, and some high tech tracking software.
"After many hours of planning, I think I have a plan that will help us catch Sonic. It's a simple two step process. Step one, we locate Sonic from the Tornado II. Step two, we launch a specially designed bubble bomb which will hold him securely and lift him off the ground. Once Sonic's off his feet, we'll be able to properly examine him and see what's causing him to run amok."
"It won't hurt him, will it?" Amy asked.
"Not at all, I promise. We're trying to catch Sonic, not hurt him."
"Just checking."
…
Meanwhile, Sonic continued running, breathing hard at this point. He then began to notice a familiar shadow rising up behind him. He looked back, smiling in relief.
"You guys!" he called out. "I was wondering when you'd show up!"
"Don't worry Sonic," Tails reassured. "We've got a plan!"
"Chuck, we've got Sonic," Amy relayed.
"Roger that. Proceed with step two."
Amy aimed a bazooka over the side of the plane, letting off a shot.
"Yeow!" Sonic let out as the shot connected.
Suddenly, a pink balloon started inflating on his back, lifting him off the ground. Sonic let out a sigh of relief, happy to be off his feet.
"It worked!" Amy cheered. "It really worked!"
Sonic was more than relieved to be off his feet, but then realized the ground was getting further and further away.
"Uh, guys?! I think there's a flaw in this plan! I'm floating away!"
"Chuck?!" Amy exclaimed.
"Sorry Amy… I guess I used too much helium."
…
Out in the woods just beyond the desert, Sonic was still floating, a fast moving river beneath him. He was flailing around, more than a little worried. Luckily, he spotted two familiar figures sitting on the river's edge, doing some fishing: Kat and Knuckles.
"Help me!" He screamed, drawing their attention. "Knuckles! Kay! Get me off of this thing!
Both of them looked up, shocked and confused.
"What the heck?" Kat let out. "Is that Sonic?"
"Looks like..." Knuckles replied.
He got up, grabbing a rock as Kat grabbed her bat. Knuckles tossed the rock up and Kat hit it, the rock sailing towards the balloon. It popped, dropping Sonic into the water. Knuckles prepared to go after him, but that's when Sonic began running across the surface of the water, whizzing past the pair. They were left standing there, a large bass now wriggling in Knuckles' arms.
"Okay… that was weird," Kat declared.
"Even for Sonic. Something's going on here."
"Let's follow him," Kat insisted. "And bring the fish. We can make lunch out of it."
…
Back with the others, they were all discussing what to do about Sonic, all of them worried if he'll come back. As they did, Kat and Knuckles approached.
"Hey guys," Kat greeted.
"You mind telling us why Sonic nearly ran us over?" Knuckles questioned.
"Did you stop him?" Amy asked instinctively.
"Fortunately, he missed me," Knuckles replied.
"He did give us a nice fish though," Kat declared, holding up the large bass. "Lunch anyone?"
"How can anyone think of food at a time like this?!" Amy let out. "Sonic is in trouble, and we have to do something!"
"We are doing something, Amy," Tails insisted. "Sonic is going to be alright, but fighting amongst ourselves won't solve anything."
"Besides, lunch sounds like a good idea," Ella declared, taking the fish from Kat. "I make us all some of my famous fish tacos and we'll all feel much better."
"Agreed," Chuck declared. "It'll also give us a chance to get Kat and Knuckles up to speed."
…
Some time later, everyone was eating fresh fish tacos, munching happily. Amy, however, was still feeling quite melancholy, her taco barely touched.
"Sonic hasn't had anything to eat since yesterday," he said softly. "He must be starving."
"It's gonna be okay, Amy," Keith assured her. "Next time we catch him, we'll make sure to give him some food."
"So long as Chuck doesn't send him flying again," Kat quipped.
"It was just a case of too much helium," Chuck insisted. "Even so, perhaps keeping him on the ground would be a better idea."
As they all sat and ate, a tumbleweed came rolling by. It enveloped Tails, rolling off with him. Kat saw that and snorted hard.
"Hey Tails! You having fun in there?"
"Not really!" Tails replied as he kept rolling along.
Ella caught him before he rolled too far away, but the situation had given Chuck another idea.
"That's it!"
…
"Alright, here's the plan," Chuck relayed, drawing out a crude schematic on the whiteboard. "Knuckles will wait at the top of a hill with a specially engineered wheel trap. As Sonic approaches, we'll give him the signal, and Knuckles will roll the wheel down the hill, trapping Sonic inside. He'll be like a hamster in a cage!"
Tails looked at the schematic with some apprehension.
"I'm not sure I like this plan..."
"Sonic's not going to be hurt, and the trap is only until we figure out what's wrong with him. Once that happens, he'll be a free hog once more. I'm not Robotnik after all."
"Alright then. Let's do it."
…
Sonic was still running through the desert, beginning to get extremely tired. He yawned, then shook his head.
"Can fall asleep on my feet now. I might hit something."
It was then that he noticed a large sign with an arrow pointing to the left.
"Gotta be from the guys."
Sonic followed the arrow, turning left and spotting another arrow to the right. He then kept going in a straight line, scanning the area.
"Whatever they have planned, I hope it works!"
…
"He's almost in position, Tanaka," Chuck said, the butler giving a nod. "Roll it!"
Tanaka turned towards a nearby hill, where Knuckles and Kat were waiting. When the butler held up two flags, Kat gave a thumbs up.
"Now!"
Knuckles pushed the wheel down the hill, rolling it towards Sonic. He saw it coming and grinned, managing to side step right into it. Chuck then hit a button on a remote, legs sprouting from sides of the wheel, lifting it off the ground and forming a hamster wheel. Now, Sonic was running on the wheel, and not going anywhere.
"Yes! We got him!" Keith cheered.
As Sonic ran, a tray descended, containing about three chili dogs and two bottles of water.
"Considering all the running you've been doing, I figured you could use some food," Amy told him.
"Thanks Amy," Sonic replied, taking a chili dog and chowing down on it. "Pretty tasty."
…
After finishing his meal, Sonic was still running on the wheel. Chuck was looking him over, trying to find anything that might be wrong with him. While this was going on, Sonic let out another yawn.
"Looks like he's starting to tire out," Amy noted.
"He's been running for a full 24 hours by this point," Tails reminded her. "That would make even Sonic tired."
"Can he sleep while he runs?" Kat asked.
"Maybe, but if he does he could veer off the wheel and hurt himself," Chuck admitted. "I hate to say it, but Sonic needs to stay awake."
"Anything we can do to help?" Amy asked.
"I won't know until I finish these scans. Hopefully I can figure out what's wrong with Sonic before it's too late."
"Just keep trying, Chuck," Sonic told him. "I'll be fine. I promise."
"I'm sorry Sonic," Amy told him. "It's my fault this is happening to you."
"Why would you think that, Amy?" Sonic questioned.
"Eggman did something to you when you saved me. If I hadn't gotten caught-"
"Amy, what's going on with me isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself, okay? We'll find a way to free me from this and then we'll go kick Eggman's butt."
Amy cracked a small smile in response.
…
Onboard the Egg Fort II, Robotnik watched Sonic run on the wheel, absolutely losing it at the imagery,
"Run, run, run, my speedy little friend. It won't be long before you drop dead from exhaustion!"
"Doctor, aren't you worried that his friends will figure out what you did while they have him trapped in place?" Orbot asked.
"Hardly. We just need to pick up the pace."
Robotnik then turned a dial on the control console to its furthest setting.
…
Sonic's legs began speeding up, becoming like infinity symbols. He looked down, eyes widening.
"Oh no, not again!"
"He's speeding up," Ella let out.
"Dad, you need to find out what's wrong with Sonic quick," Keith insisted. "I don't know how much of this speed the wheel can take."
Chuck nodded, quickling trying to finish the scan. As he came around to Sonic's backside, a blip showed up on his scan.
"Aha! There's some sort of device on Sonic's back!"
"So that's why my back's been itching since the fight!" Sonic realized.
Unbeknownst to the two, the hinges on the wheel were beginning to turn red from the friction. Kat noticed, while also noticing that a certain echidna was standing right in its path.
"Knuckles, look out!"
The wheel broke loose of the frame, rolling towards Knuckles and flattening him into the ground. Seeing what happened, Sonic quickly jumped off the wheel, racing off once more.
"Sorry!" he shouted as he disappeared into the distance.
Kat rushed over to Knuckles, pulling him off the ground.
"You alright?" she asked.
"Just wondering why I keep hanging out with these guys…" Knuckles grumbled.
…
The sun was beginning to set on another day, the group growing more and more worried. Ella was tending to Knuckles, rubbing salve on his back before bandaging him. Chuck had several doodles on the board, most of them he almost immediately erased.
"So what do we do now?" Amy asked.
"Well, we know what's causing Sonic to run amok, but we don't know how to stop him long enough to remove it." Chuck tapped the marker against his chin. "Why is this so difficult?"
"Maybe we're just overthinking this," Tails suggested. "Maybe what we need is a simpler solution."
"May I make a suggestion?" Kat asked, holding up a hand.
Everyone turned to her.
"When my apartment had rats, my dad set out these glue traps to catch them. The rats would get caught in the glue and wouldn't be able to move. What if we made a really big glue trap for Sonic?"
"That might work," Chuck agreed. "Tails, we need as much high strength adhesive as he can make, and a hedgehog sized frame."
"I'm on it!"
…
Back on the Egg Fort II, night had fallen as Robotnik continued watching Sonic run aimlessly through the desert.
"My, my, Sonic looks almost as worn out as his sneakers."
"I'm surprised they haven't given out with all this running he's done," Orbot remarked. "Those are some heavy duty shoes."
"If Sonic's as tough as they are, then I don't think he has anything to worry about," Cubot remarked.
"Quiet, both of you!" Robotnik snapped. "Sonic doesn't have much strength left, and no matter what his little friends do, their friend is doomed."
…
The next day, the group laid out a large frame full of pink, super stick adhesive at the mouth of a canyon. After making sure it was in place, everyone gathered around Chuck.
"You think this glue trap will be strong enough to hold Sonic?" Amy asked.
"It doesn't have to hold him for long," Tails told her. "Just long enough for us to remove whatever's on his back."
"Now we just need to get him here," Chuck surmised.
Tails smirked, turning to the Tornado II.
"Leave that to us. Keith, Amy, you coming?"
"You know it," the two replied as all three made their way to the Tornado II.
…
Sonic was beginning to feel like his legs were made of lead. His breath was becoming ragged, and he had massive bags under his eyes from two nights of no sleep. As he struggled to keep himself going straight, he saw the Tornado II closing in on him.
"I wonder… what the plan is… this time..."
His watch began to buzz, signalling a call from Keith. He answered it, but struggled to keep his arm up.
"Tell me… you have… a plan..."
"We've got a plan. Just follow us."
The Tornado II then flew off, prompting Sonic to follow.
…
Onboard the Egg Fort II, Robotnik saw what they were planning, and was not happy about it.
"Can't let them ruin my plan so soon. Time to step things up. Are the repairs on Lightning Bird complete yet?"
"Just finished," Orbot replied.
"Then it's time to lay this hedgehog to rest."
"Don't you mean lay this hedgehog to… nest?" Cubot asked, waiting for a response. "Because… it's a bird themed robot?"
No reply came.
"Eh, you'll get it in a minute."
…
The Tornado II continued flying through the desert, heading over a canyon as Sonic followed.
"We're heading your way," Tails relayed.
"Roger," Chuck replied. "Knuckles and Kat are on standby to remove the device. Just get Sonic to the glue trap."
"Roger."
Keith tapped his goggles, reconnecting with Sonic.
"Just keep running straight, Sonic. There's a glue trap ahead which will give us a chance to free you."
"I think… I see it."
Suddenly, something appeared on Tails' instruments.
"Hey Chuck, I'm picking up something weird on my scopes."
"I was about to say the same thing. Something is approaching from the sky, and it's coming in fast."
Keith looked up, adjusting his goggles to scan the sky. As he did, he quickly caught sight of Lightning Bird, freshly repaired, and making a beeline for the glue trap.
"It's Eggman! He's trying to sabotage the trap!"
"Sonic, look out!" Amy called.
Sonic looked up and saw Lightning Bird, quickly moving along the side of the canyon as the robot opened fire. It completely eviscerated the glue trap, sending all of the members of Team Sonic's ground team flying.
"Guys!" Sonic shouted, growling and circling around Lightning Bird: Alright, you asked for it!
Sonic quickly rolled into a ball, revving up a spin dash that launched right at Lightning Bird. He plowed right through the bot, losing a few quills in the process. Luckily for him, one of them was the one with the bug on it. He ended up crashing right into mission control, smashing the equipment and collapsing the tent.
"Sonic!" Chuck let out, rushing over to him. "Are you ok?"
The Tornado II landed, the three inside jumping out to help sift through the wrecked tent. Eventually, they managed to uncover the exhausted hedgehog, who had finally stopped running.
"Hey guys..." he muttered sleepily. "It worked… in a way."
"Sonic!" Amy cried out in relief, hugging him tightly. "You're okay! I was so worried."
"Yeah… I'm ok… just really, really tired…"
Amy smiled, then carefully picked up Sonic in her arms.
"You just rest, Sonic. Let us help you for once."
Sonic nodded as Amy and Tails carried him off, allowing him to finally rest.
…
"No!" Robotnik howled, smashing his fists on the console. "How is this possible?! He was supposed to run until he dropped dead!"
"Well what happened was-" Cubot was about to explain.
"I was watching! I know what happened!"
"I'm sorry your plan failed again, Doctor," Orbot apologized. "Perhaps your next one will work out better."
"I doubt it," Cubot remarked. "His plans never work."
"Don't be too sure. I was planning on saving it, but given recent events, and the fact that there's only one Chaos Emerald left to find, it's time to unleash my master stroke." Robotnik chuckled maliciously. "Sonic won't know what hit him."