The group was trapped, nowhere to go. Angry protestors out for Sonic's blood had them surrounded and were demanding the hedgehog. Everyone was tense, waiting for the moment for things to completely go sideways.
"What do we do now?" Keith let out.
"Just let me at 'em!" Amy declared, pulling out her hammer. "I'll get those guys to back off!"
"I don't think that's a good idea," Chuck shot down. "Showing violence will only provoke them more."
"I think they're pretty provoked, Chuck!" Kat exclaimed. "They'll tear us apart!"
Just then, the sounds of sirens reached their ears, as well as the roars of several formula-one race car engines. Everyone turned, seeing the S-Team come roaring up the driveway. Protestors scattered as the cars came to a stop. The hatch on the lead car opened, revealing Sam Kent, who held up a bull horn.
"Alright everyone, listen up! Unless you want to spend the night in the Station Square lock-up, all of you yahoos need to leave the Kent family and Sonic's friends alone! You got it?!"
Slowly, the crowd began to recede, leaving everyone alone and unharmed. Amy and Kat both lowered their weapons, sighing in relief as Chuck approached Sam.
"Perfect timing, Sam," he commended. "Thank you."
"Heard on the police band about a mob heading this way. Thought I'd swing by and send 'em packing. Now, what's the deal with Sonic?"
…
Back with Sonic, he kept running across the desert, grunting slightly as his feet protested the destroyed shoes. He fought past it though, pressing onwards towards another mirror tower in the distance. Once the tower came into view, Sonic rolled into a spin dash and darted towards it at lightspeed. Once the tower was completely destroyed, Sonic pressed off, gritting his teeth through every step.
…
Mobius, 9 years ago
Sonic was asleep in his bed, which was shaped like a race car, his blankets pulled over his head. As he slept, voices from beyond his door began to rouse him. It sounded like Uncle Chuck was arguing with someone, and it was getting pretty heated. Curiosity getting the better of him, Sonic snuck out of bed, approaching the door and cracking it open.
"Ivo, you can't be serious about this!"
"I'm very serious, Charles. How can you not see the potential?"
"You mean the potential to enslave our fellow Mobians?!"
"So it has a few bugs, you can iron them out. Besides, they're soldiers. Free will is just a weakness to them. We'd be doing them a favor."
"Surely you can't be serious! You'd be turning innocent Mobians into mindless machines!"
"Better mindless machines than dead. Machines can be repaired, like your brother Jules. Is his Robian life not an improvement over-"
There was the sound of a harsh slap. Sonic covered his mouth as he heard his uncle speak once more, his tone cold and shaky.
"Get. Out."
Robotnik growled a bit before getting up to leave.
"You'll regret this decision, Charles. I promise you that."
Sonic heard heavy footsteps, then felt the entire house shake as the door slammed shut. Sonic quickly zipped back to bed as he heard his uncle approach his room, letting out a shaky sigh.
"I never should have invented that horrible machine..."
…
Meanwhile, the group was discussing what needed to be done about Sonic and his rampage.
"I hate to say it, but Sonic's completely lost it," Kat declared. "He's just snapped. He needs to be stopped for his own good."
"Assuming we can stop him," Tails added. "We tried doing that before and it just ended badly."
"Don't remind me," Knuckles replied. "Still I agree with Kat. Whether Eggman is legit or not, Sonic's reckless actions are putting everyone at risk."
"Maybe we can get those guys from Sandblast City to help us," Keith suggested.
"Antoine and Bunnie?" Amy asked. "Bad idea. They need to focus on the city right now. Like it or not, Sonic is our responsibility."
"But maybe there's a reason Sonic's doing what he's doing," Sam suggested. "Maybe it would be a good idea to have someone look into those mirror towers and Eggman's Egg Moon."
Knuckles mulled over what Sam said, then groaned promptly after."
"He's right," he admitted. "And I know who to talk to… I just don't like it."
…
At the White House, Robotnik was venting to the president about the Sonic problem in his own way.
"I'm warning you, Mr. President, Sonic will not stop until every single Mirror Tower is nothing but rubble. I know this is hard for you to come to grips with, but Sonic must be taken down.
"Alright," the President spoke. "Just take it easy Robotnik. There's no need to get too excited."
"Too late for that, sir! All I want to do is bring light to this world, but all Sonic wants is to destroy everything I've built! I know I've done wrong, but I'm serious about making things right this time. Sonic's too blinded by hatred to see me as anything but an enemy."
The President thought for a moment.
"You're right. For the good of the people, Sonic needs to be brought in. However, he will be taken alive and will receive proper justice. We owe him that much."
"Of course, Mr. President, of course."
"Christine, instruct my commanders that I want Sonic brought to justice. Use whatever means you have to, but I want him taken alive."
"Of course, sir," Christine replied, already pulling out her phone.
…
Elsewhere, several repurposed GUN bots were being deployed from Area 51, each one with the intent on taking Sonic down. Leading the assault were Topaz and Rouge, the latter flying alongside the helicopter the former was flying in.
"I don't like this," Rouge muttered. "It feels like Shadow all over again."
"Only this time, we know it's actually Sonic," Topaz reminded her.
"Even so, it just feels wrong somehow."
"Wrong or not, we still have a job to do."
"Doesn't mean I have to like it."
…
Meanwhile, Knuckles and Kat stood side by side, the former gritting his teeth as he clutched Kat's hand. She gently urged him on as he began explaining their current predicament.
"Here's the situation. Sonic's been wrecking the mirror towers that are powering the sunshine balls giving people light during this crisis. Sonic seems to believe that Eggman's up to no good with these things, and to be honest, I'm pretty sure he's right. The problem is, we can't find out the truth, and keep him from wrecking the towers at the same time. So… we came to you guys."
Vector, Espio, and Charmy all stood behind the former's desk, listening intently to the story.
"Hmmm, this sounds serious," Vector remarked. "Don't worry, we're on the case, and for once, we'll do it pro bono."
"For once?" Charmy questioned. "You always give out freebies."
"Yeah, but they didn't need to know that! Now we can't charge em for our next job!"
"Let's just see how you do on 'this' job," Knuckles insisted.
"We're seriously counting on you guys," Kat told them. "Please, anything you can find would be a big help."
"We'll do our best," Espio assured her. "That is a promise."
Knuckles rolled his eyes in response.
…
Back in Washington, Robotnik sat up in the whitehouse, watching as the President coordinated efforts to stop Sonic. As he watched, Orbot and Cubot hovered around him, talking amongst themselves.
"I must say, this is a delightful change of pace," Orbot commented.
"Yeah, now Dr. Robotnik's the hero, and Sonic's the villain," Cubot replied. "Does that mean we're in Robotnik Adventures now?"
"Cubot, what did we say about breaking the fourth wall?"
"Sorry, can't help it sometimes."
As they spoke, the trio heard a chanting coming from outside. They all moved outside to see crowds of people chanting "Ivo" repeatedly. Robotnik smiled, waving to the crowd.
"Ah, my adoring public," Robotnik revelled. "I must say, it's gratifying to be the one they're cheering for for once."
"It is refreshing," Orbot agreed.
"That's for sure," Cubot added. "I mean, I would have never imagined we'd be the good guys."
"It's quite the feat to be sure," Robotnik remarked.
…
Meanwhile, Chaotix were in their headquarters, going over various expense reports and shipment manifests. Charmy held up several of the documents, squinting incredulously.
"Where did you even get these?" he questioned.
"I have my sources," Vector replied. "Isn't that right, Espio?"
"I told you never to speak of it..." the chameleon grumbled, burying his face in a map of all the Sunshine Balls.
"Whatever," Vector replied. "Did you find anything useful, yet?"
"Nothing so far," Espio answered. "What are you expecting to find anyway?"
"Anything out of place," Vector said, rubbing the bottom of his jaw. "Anything that stands out from the Sunshine ball orders. Something that just doesn't fit..."
"You mean like this massive shipment of parts to the middle of the woods?" Charmy asked.
"What?!" Vector let out. "Why didn't you mention that sooner?!"
"You didn't ask."
"Just give me that!" Vector snatched the paper out of Charmy's hands, looking it over. "Hmm… either they're setting up the biggest sunshine ball ever out in the middle of nowhere… or something bigger is going on here. We gotta get down there and investigate."
"That's gonna be a long walk," Espio noted.
…
Knuckles stood atop a small cliff overlooking the beach, watching as more and more sunshine balls went out. His fists clenched at the sight, knowing that people were suffering because of their destruction.
"Sonic's gone too far…" Knuckles let out. "He has to be stopped..."
Steeling his nerves, Knuckles jumped off the cliffs, gliding in the direction of the downed Sunshine balls, determined to stop Sonic no matter the cost.
…
Back at the Kent house, Keith just sat in a pool chair, overlooking the water where he saved Sonic all that time ago. His eyes were a million miles away, just staring at the rippling water. As he sat there, Kat came walking up, seeing his expression and growing concerned.
"Hey… you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah… no… it's this whole Sonic mess. He's convinced himself that the only way to win is utter destruction. He's lost and… and I don't know what to do."
Kat looked at Keith for a moment, then sat down next to him. She was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh.
"You remember when we first met?" she asked all of a sudden. "We were 10, and I had just lost my mom in that car accident. I was mad at the world, on a self destruction spree, and I just wanted everyone to hurt like I was hurting… until you showed up. You took one look at my ten year old hissy fit, took my hand, and dragged me right here to this pool. We swam for hours, ate all those snacks Ella brought us, and by the time evening hit, I finally felt… normal again..."
"I remember…"
Kat took his hand in hers, the action startling him. He looked up as she met his eyes.
"You helped me that day by letting me see past my pain. You grounded me in the here and now, reminding me that I wasn't alone. And right now, that's what Sonic needs."
Keith smiled in response, getting back to his feet.
"Come on," he finally spoke up. "We've gotta find Sonic, fast."
Kat grinned, then got to her feet as well.
…
Meanwhile, GUN copters were moving through the woods in their hunt for Sonic, with Rouge flying alongside the one Topaz was riding. As they flew through the air, Rouge started to become light headed, causing her to begin dropping out of the air.
"Rouge?!" Topaz called out. "Are you ok?"
"I think so..." she replied. "I'm picking up some strange frequencies and its throwing off my equilibrium."
"Any idea where it's coming from?"
"I'm not sure… yet."
Rouge quickly dove downwards, hoping to find the source of the signal.
"Follow her!" Topaz called out to the pilot, prompting him to pursue the Mobian bat.
…
After finding a Mirror Tower that was still standing, Knuckles stood in wait, knowing Sonic would arrive sooner or later. He was not looking forward to the fight, but he knew it was inevitable. Finally, he caught sight of a rapidly moving dust cloud in the distance.
"Finally…" Knuckles let out.
Before he could make a move, several GUN Laser Hawks flew in, their sights deadset on the hedgehog. Sonic easily swerved around the laser blasts before leaping up into the air. Sonic quickly spun through one Hawk before landing on another one. Sonic quickly leapt off of it as the third opened fire, destroying it. Sonic then kicked the third one, causing it to crash to the ground as Sonic landed, prepared to take off towards the tower when he saw Knuckles standing in front of him, causing him to skid to a stop.
"Knuckles? What are you doing?"
"Stopping you from making a bad situation even worse. Do you have any idea what you're doing? The damage you're causing?"
"Nothing compared to whatever Eggman's got planned with these Sunshine Balls of his!"
"We don't even know what he has planned! Or even if he's planning anything at all!"
"There's no 'if's' with Eggman! You know this!"
"I also know that you're going about this the wrong way! You need to slow down, take a breath, and think!"
"Slowing down was never my style. Now are you gonna get out of my way… or do I have to make you?"
Knuckles groaned in response, seeing no other option.
"Neither…"
Knuckles then threw a punch at Sonic, forcing him to leap out of the way.
"That's the way you want it?" Sonic retorted. "Fine. Let's do this!"
Sonic quickly leapt up and delivered a series of rapid kicks towards Knuckles, who held up his fists to block them.
"I don't want to do this, Sonic, but if this is the only way to make you stop, I will take you down!"
Knuckles quickly shove him off, causing Sonic to backflip before landing on a nearby rock. Knuckles tried punching him again, but Sonic quickly leapt up and kicked Knuckles back.
"That your best shot?" Knuckles challenged. "Cheese hits harder than you!"
"At least Cheese could hit me!" Sonic challenged, leaping onto a nearby cliff.
Knuckles followed him. The two leaping higher and higher until we clashed. Knuckles threw a punch at the same time Sonic threw a kick. They both connected, causing the two to get knocked back.
…
Back in the woods, the Chaotix team made their way through the woods to the sight of the supply delivery.
"According to that shipment order, the parts should have been delivered to a clearing just up ahead," Vector announced.
"I suggest we stay on guard," Espio cautioned. "If this is some Eggman site, we may run into trouble."
"You mean trouble like that?" Charmy asked, pointing up.
The three look up to see a giant metal dome directly in front of them.
"That would do it," Espio confirmed.
"Well look who's here."
The three looked up in shock to see Rouge hovering over them.
"I certainly didn't expect to see you guys."
"Hey!" Vector shouted, pointing up at Rouge. "I know you! You're that jewel thief that kept stealing all of the Chaos Emeralds back on Mobius!"
"The name's Rouge, thank you very much. Besides, these days, I fly along the straight and narrow."
Topaz gave a hearty snort at that as she walked into the clearing.
"Right. And the Chao's a deadly assassin."
"I'm guessing you guys are here to investigate this thing too?" Vector deduced.
"Bingo," Rouge confirmed. "I could detect some kind of signal coming from inside."
"I'm getting it too," Charmy confirmed, his antennae twitching as he rubbed his head. "It's really weird."
"Then I say we bust our way inside and check this out!" Vector declared, marching up to the building.
Vector cracked his knuckles as he approached the wall. He then proceeded to whirl his fist up before flinging it at the wall with all his might. As it connected though, the shock travelled up his arm and through his body. He fell back with a thud, a thready whimper escaping his jaw. Charmy couldn't help but laugh hysterically in response, nearly falling out of the sky from how hard he was laughing..
"Yeah, yeah," Vector replied from the ground. "Laugh it up, buzz boy!"
Espio then let out a small cough, drawing the attention of everyone.
"If you're done making a fool of yourself, I found a door."
Vector then quickly got to his feet and followed Espio to where the door was located. Vector took another swing, this time, managing to knock the door down and allowing the five of them inside. As they entered, they were all shocked by what they found inside.
"No way…" Rouge let out.
…
Meanwhile, Keith, Kat, Tails, and Amy were in the X-Tornado, searching for any sign of Sonic. As they flew over a ridge, they caught sight of Sonic and Knuckles fighting at the base of the Mirror Tower.
"Down there!" Keith called out. "It's Sonic and Knuckles!"
"Looks like they're going at it," Kat noted. "Again."
"Tails, get us down there!" Amy insisted.
Tails nodded as he piloted the plane downwards. Down below Sonic and Knuckles continued clashing, finally landing across from each other and breathing heavily.
"You ready to call it?" Sonic taunted.
"Not until you put an end to all this destruction," Knuckles insisted.
"Not until every last one of these machines is scrap metal."
"At the expense of all the people left without even the smallest shred of sunlight?! Sonic, I don't trust those frikken balls anymore than you do, but right now, they're the closest thing people have to real sunlight!"
"And what happens when those things do more damage than they fix?! I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna wait around until-"
Just then, the X-Tornado landed between the two, everyone quickly disembarking.
"Sonic"! Keith called out. "You've got to stop this!"
"Keith, not you too! You can't seriously think that Eggman actually wants to help anyone outside of himself!"
"I'm not saying that. But until we know what he's really planning, we can't just go off like this."
"By then, it could be too late! I have to stop this now!"
"Because of what happened to your Uncle?"
Sonic's anger suddenly evaporated. He froze, his jaw dropping in shock as all the color drained from his face. His arms fell to his side as his breathing hitched. When he spoke, he was unnaturally quiet, a far cry from the screaming and shouting from before.
"How do you know about him?"
"Tails told us," Keith explained. "Well, all he knew, at least. Look, don't blame him, he's as worried as the rest of us."
"What's this really about, Sonic?" Kat pressed. "What did Eggman do that made you lash out like this?"
Sonic clenched his fist in quiet anger.
"You remember Bunnie? The rabbit in Sand Blast City with the metal arm and legs?"
"Yeah?" Keith replied. "What about her?"
"Those are her actual flesh and blood limbs, transformed into robotic parts via a process known as Robotication."
The two humans were left speechless at the prospect.
"Robotication?" Keith repeated. "Why? Was she sick? Injured?"
"Experimented on… by Eggman."
Amy and Tails flinched, Knuckles looking shocked, then sick to his stomach. The kids weren't much better, taking each others' hand for comfort. Sonic let that sink in for them, then continued.
"She's one of the lucky ones, being the only being to have escaped with most of her body still organic. Everyone else who underwent the process found themselves turned into Robians: fully mechanical beings with no free will of their own."
The tension on the group was thick enough to be cut with a knife. After a tense moment, Keith finally forced himself to speak.
"Is… is that what he did to…"
Sonic just gave a silent nod.
…
Mobius, 9 years ago
The sound of fighting outside pulled Sonic from his sleep. He sat up in his racecar bed, rubbing his eyes. He climbed out of bed and went to his bedroom door, only for it to open first. His uncle came in, scooping up the young hedgehog in panic and fear.
"Uncle Chuck?" Sonic questioned, feeling his uncle's hands trembling.
"Sonic, listen to me. I want you to go up into the attic and hide. No matter what you hear or what you see, don't come down for any reason. Do you understand?"
"But why, Uncle Chuck? What's going on?"
Before he could get an answer, there was a heavy pounding on the door. Chuck jumped, quickly putting Sonic back on his feet.
"Go," he hissed. "Go hide, now."
Sonic didn't argue this time, opting to hide in the attic as instructed. He zipped up the ladder as fast as he could, retracting it just as the front door was kicked in.
"Knock knock!" the voice of Ivo Robotnik called out menacingly. "Anybody home?!"
"Get out, Ivo," Chuck snarled, sounding more like the Sir Charlies from the Great War than Sonic's fun loving uncle.
"Not until I get what belongs to me!"
"It was never yours to begin with! That vile machine took my brother and sister in law from me… I won't let you use it on anyone else!"
"It's amusing that you believe I was giving you a choice!"
Sonic didn't know what happened next, only that his ears were suddenly filled with the sound of fighting. He retreated into a corner of the attic, curling into a ball and covering his ears. After a little bit, the sounds of fighting seemed to die down. Slowly, Sonic uncovered his ears and moved towards the door. He pushed it opened, finding the house below completely trashed and deserted.
"Uncle Chuck?" he called out. "Uncle Chuck, where are you?"
He went down the stairs in search of his uncle, but found nothing besides destruction. Sonic quickly hurried towards the backdoor, making his way towards Chuck's lab. From the window, Sonic could see the lab, and that it had suffered a similar treatment to the rest of the house. The door was hanging from a single hinge, and an eerie green light was flashing in the windows. Sonic hurried over to the lab, opening what remained of the door and skidding to a stop at the scene before him.
Chuck was standing in a glass dome, green light shining down on him. The dome was attached to a very large machine, one Robotnik was in the process of fixing. He snapped a panel back into place, grinning from ear to ear.
"You really should have done a better job trying to disable this device, Charles. Now, it will serve my purposes."
"You won't win, Ivo," Charles swore, standing defiantly as he faced the vile doctor. "Someone will stop you."
"And who would dare oppose me with the power I now possess?"
"Leave my Uncle alone, you big bully!" Sonic cried out, running into the room.
Before he got two close, two robotic hedgehogs stepped out from either side of the door. They grabbed Sonic by his arms, lifting him into the air. He began kicking and struggling, Chuck's bravado evaporating the second he saw his nephew.
"Sonic!" he cried out.
"Sonic, huh?" Robotnik mused, walking over to Sonic and grabbing his muzzle, looking him over with an air of cruel interest. "So this is the speedy nephew you were always going on about."
"Leave him alone, Ivo!" Charles demanded, pounding on the glass of the dome. "He's just a child!"
"And I'd hate to think of what a problem he'd grow into for me. First though, he should get a chance to say goodbye to his dear Uncle… and hello to his own mother and father."
Sonic froze, then his eyes drifted to the two robotic hedgehogs holding onto him.
"Sonic, say hello to Jules and Bernadette Hedgehog. I'm guessing your dear 'Uncle Chuck' never told you why you've been living with him for as long as you can remember. Go on, Charles. Tell him what we did."
Charles' head dropped in shame.
"Your father was gravely injured in the Great War… I tried to save him… using the very machine I currently stand in. It was meant to be a tool for healing, but it was flawed."
"Any being who endures the full robotication treatment becomes a mindless robotic slave," Ivo declared. "And, thanks to my own machinations, I can control them at will."
"And… and my mom?" Sonic asked quietly.
"Well," Robotnik sneered. "I needed to make sure it wasn't a fluke."
Sonic struggled to free himself from his robotic parents, but his efforts were in vain. Robotnik just chuckled in response.
"Well, I believe we've wasted enough time here today. It's time for Charles to join the rest of his family..."
He flipped a switch on the machine and it powered on, the lights growing brighter. Power crackled through the dome, washing over Charles and causing him to cry out in pain. His fur began to harden, becoming plated metal.
"Sonic… whatever happens… run!"
He then tilted his head back as the energy engulfed him completely, the process completing. Tears were pouring out of Sonic's eyes as he watched, hanging limply in the grip of the robotic hedgehogs. The dome opened and Robotnik reached in, pulling out a now fully robotic Charles.
"Excellent," Robotnik mused. "Now for the brat."
They carried him over to the dome, setting him down inside. The second his feet touched solid ground, Sonic bolted, ripping himself free. He peeled out of the lab in the time it took Robotnik to blink, crying the entire time.
…
"I ran for days, ran until I couldn't run anymore. I didn't know where I was or what to do. I don't know how long I was on my own before Longclaw found me. She took me in and helped me, but I could never forget that horrible night..."
Sonic just dropped to his knees, overwhelmed by the influx of emotions. His throat seized, words failing to come out anymore as his grief-ridden silence took over. Keith knelt down and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry for everything Eggman put you through. I can't even imagine how you must feel."
"I-" Sonic choked, struggling to force words out. "I can't… fail again..."
"You were a kid, Sonic. You didn't fail. There was nothing you could do back then."
"Doesn't mean I don't think back to that night all the time… wanting nothing more than to save my family…"
"That's why you acted like this," Kat realized. "You were just trying to make sure nobody else suffered the way you did."
"It's all you've ever done, isn't it?" Keith put together. "Protect people from your pain, just trying to make up for not saving your uncle."
Sonic didn't answer. He didn't have to. Amy silently came over to him and knelt next to him, taking his hand in reassurance. Tails came over to his other side, doing the same. Keith and Kat remained where they were, just holding his shoulders in reassurance. Just then, several lights were shined on them at once. They all looked up to see GUN Bigfoots surrounding them.
"Sonic the Hedgehog, you are under arrest for destruction of government property and acts of domestic terrorism! Surrender now or we will open fire."
Wordlessly, Sonic got to his feet and walked forward, much to everyone's surprise.
"Sonic-" Amy began to call out, only to be silenced by Sonic's hand.
Everyone watched as he lowered his hand, then turned to the GUN bots. He got down on his knees and raised his hands in submission.
"What's he doing?" Kat questioned.
"I guess we finally got through to him," Knuckles remarked. "His anger's gone."
"I'll come quietly," Sonic promised, his voice barely audible to the soldiers. "Just don't hurt my friends…"
"Hang on a minute!"
Everyone looked up to see a helicopter flying towards them, with Vector hanging on the side as Rouge flew alongside them.
"We've just discovered some earth shattering intel that will-" Vector called out before losing his grip and falling off the copter.
Everyone watched as the croc face planted into the sand, letting out a muffled groan as he did. Knuckles let out a similar sound, burying his face in his hands.
"Why… did I ever think hiring that idiot was a good idea?"
The copter landed, allowing Espio and Charmy to run over to Vector.
"Vector!" Charmy called out. "Are you okay, boss?"
"To get through tight spaces, press the circle button to slide…" Vector rambled before shaking his head. "Nevermind that! We've just discovered something about Eggman's plan!"
"What did you find?" Kat asked.
"We found a metal structure out in the forest where a bunch of supplies were ordered by Eggman. It turned out to be a power station for the Egg-Moon."
"And it looks like it was working a high capacity," Rouge added.
"But that doesn't make sense," Knuckles chimed in. "The Egg-Moon is stuck blocking out the sun until it's fixed."
"That's what we thought," Vector replied. "Until we realized something. Any of you guys know anything about astronomy?"
Kat let out a snort.
"I know it's a word that starts with A."
"I dabble in it," Keith admitted, confused. "What are you getting at?"
"A simple astronomy fact we found out," Vector replied. "If the Egg-Moon was really as stuck as Eggman claims, would it really be blocking the sun all the time?"
There was a good five seconds of silence before Keith straightened up. He immediately slapped himself on the forehead, groaning a bit.
"Of course! Ugh, how could I have been so stupid?! Some son of a scientist I am!"
"What are you talking about?" Kat asked.
"The earth is in a constant rotation, not just on its axis, but around the sun as well. That's why we have day and night, as well as the four seasons. The moon also constantly rotates, and it only looks like it's standing still because we're moving too."
"Then..." Tails let out. "Then for the Egg Moon to be able to put everyone in a permanent eclipse..."
"The Egg Moon has to be constantly moving," Keith declared.
"So, that's it!" Sonic realized, gaining some of his energy back. "Eggman's been controlling the moon to con everybody into buying those silly sunshine balls of his! It's not a crisis, it's just a cheap get rich quick scheme!"
"That rat!" Knuckles swore. "And now, everyone thinks he's the big hero."
"He masterminded everything so he could build himself up and ruin Sonic's reputation at the same time," Espio deduced.
"He played on Sonic's emotions," Kat realized. "He knew how Sonic would react and used that to turn everyone against him!"
"And I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker," Sonic lamented.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Keith insisted. "Eggman had us all fooled for a bit."
"Even so, there's no way everyone would cave as quickly as they did," Amy insisted. "Something else is going on, something we're missing."
"I'll bet my baseball bat it's got something to do with those sunshine balls," Kat declared.
"Lucky for us, we've got one on the roof of our tree house that's ripe for the smashing," Knuckles declared. "We'll get to the bottom of this mystery."
"Meantime," Rouge spoke up. "We need to warn the President that Eggman is rotten."
…
At the White House, the President's phone started ringing. He picked it up before the second ring rang out, knowing it could only be one person.
"Tell me the Sonic situation has been taken care of," he all but begged.
He listened for a moment, his eyes going wide. He then promptly facepalmed, grunting angrily.
"Of course! Why did it take this long for someone to figure that out?!" He took a moment to compose himself before letting out a breath. "Thank you for bringing this to me."
"Everything alright, sir?" Christine asked.
The President hung up, rising to his feet.
"Robotnik tricked us," he explained, his gaze hard. "It's time we had a talk with the 'good' doctor."
The two marched off, finding Robotnik in the White House kitchen, raiding the fridge to make himself a sandwich.
"Ah, Mr. President," Robotnik greeted. "What can I do for you?"
"It's over, Robotnik," the President swore. "We know the truth."
"And what truth might that be?" Robotnik asked.
"That the Egg Moon isn't as 'stuck' as you claim it is. You're controlling it, enforcing this permanent eclipse to gain funds and turn everyone against Sonic!"
"How dare you sir," Orbot protested. "Dr. Robotnik has gone out of his way to help you, and you repay him with suspicion?"
"I never thought a politician would stoop so low as to use slander against another concerned citizen," Cubot commented.
Orbot gave his cubic counterpart an odd glance, one that shifted up to Robotnik as the doctor began to cackle maniacally.
"Sorry to say Mr. President… but you're absolutely right! I've hated that hedgehog for years, and wanted nothing better than to stick it to him! So I devised a plan where I would be the hero and Sonic would be America's most wanted rodent!"
The two robots stayed silent for a moment before Cubot started laughing.
"Good one boss! You really had em going."
"It's no joke…" Robotnik told him.
"Then… all of this was just another one of your plans?" Orbot realized. "The good deeds, the sunshine balls, all of it? But you said we were turning over a new leaf. That… we would be heroes."
"I lied. And that's only because I knew you two duncebuckets couldn't keep a secret to save your skidplates!"
"Well that just makes me wonder what else you lied about!" Cubot called out. "Like when you forgot the wifi password, or when you said Santa Claus doesn't deliver to robots, or that cartoons would rot our… head… think… boxes!"
Orbot facepalmed, shaking his head.
"I should have known this was too good to be true..."
"Well the charades over now," The President declared. "As I recall, you promised to surrender should we discover foul play, and I intend to hold you to that!"
"Oh, I think you'll find that certain viewpoints have changed since then," Robotnik mused. "Just watch."
He snapped his fingers, and the President's own Secret Service agents turned on him, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back.
"What's the meaning of this?!"
"Your Secret Service is now under my command, as is anyone who's bathed in the light of my sunshine balls long enough. With the large number surrounding the building, it was easy to ensnare them all into my thrall. Them, and half the country by now."
"Your command?"
"Something I forgot to add in my commercials. Each Sunshine Ball comes fully equipped with a subliminal message generator, subtly influencing the populace to adore me as their new hero. Pretty soon, the people will want me as their President!"
"You?! And what about me?"
"Oh you'll have an important role to play Mr. President… as my hostage!"
…
On Angel Island, Knuckles tore down the Sunshine Ball and tossed it to the ground, allowing Kat to wail on it with her bat. The pieces scattered across the grass, Tails and Keith looking them over for anything out of place.
"Look here!" Tails exclaimed, holding up a cracked recorder. "It's a low-frequency message emitter!"
"Looks like Eggman was using it to brainwash everyone who bought a Sunshine Ball," Keith deduced.
"And you made me get one for our house," Kat growled at Knuckles.
"Hey, I never would've done it if I had known," Knuckles insisted. "Now I'm glad you were knocking those Mirror Towers down, Sonic."
"Just wish I had good reasons first," Sonic admitted. "Right now though, we need to shut down that power station Vector and the others found."
"One step ahead of you," Knuckles replied, pulling out a walkie talkie. "Vector, think you and your boys can bring it down?"
"Unfortunately no," Vector replied. "Once we got back to the building, there was some kind of force field surrounding it. We can't get through!"
"Drat," Knuckles let out. "Eggman was prepared for us."
"So what do we do now?" Keith asked.
"Well I say if we can't destroy the Egg-Moon controller from down here," Rouge began to suggest, pointing up at the moon. "Then we'll just have to take it out from up there."
"But how are we gonna get up there?" Tails asked. "Without a Chaos Emerald, I won't have enough energy to get the X-Tornado into space."
Keith thought for a moment before remembering something.
"Actually… I think my dad might have something to help us…"
…
Back at the Kent House, Chuck pressed a button on a remote, which opened up a large section of the backyard to reveal a sunken launchpad for a small rocket.
"Behold, my mini-rocket," Chuck declared. "After that whole incident with the ARK, I felt it was a good idea to have space travel means on hand."
"Neat," Sonic commended. "Knux, you up for another jaunt into space?"
"More than!" Knuckles proclaimed.
"Now hang on," Topaz spoke up, putting her hands on the two. "You two are needed down here, putting a stop to Eggman's plan. I can handle the Moon Mission."
"Once we're up there, someone's gotta bring that controller down." Knuckles reasoned. "Besides, do you even know how to fly a rocket?"
"I do," Tanaka suddenly declared, approaching the group in a space suit. "I will pilot the ship with Agent Topaz, Knuckles, and Rouge. That will leave Sonic free to take care of the 'good' doctor."
"Sounds good to me," Sonic replied, shooting Tanaka a thumbs up. "I've got a Doctor's appointment that's long overdue."
…
Meanwhile in Washington DC, the crowds continued to cheer Robotnik's name, much to the doctor's amusement.
"I could listen to those yahoo's praise me all day," Robotnik mused as he kicked back in the President's chair, propping his feet on the desk as he ate his sandwich. "If only Mobius fell this easily."
…
Beneath the streets of the city, Mr. Stewart was making his way through the sewers towards the White House. Once he reached a certain wall, he pushed a brick that was loose, giving himself a way in. He slipped through the opening, dusting himself off before turning on his communicator watch.
"Chalkboard Charlie to Homeroom, I'm inside and starting the search."
…
Back in the Oval Office, the President and Christina were tied up and gagged on the couch, flanked by a pair of secret service agents. Sitting at the desk, Robotnik was hard at work drawing out some new money. Orbot and Cubot were doing the same, the latter humming to himself like a little kid.
"What do you think, boys?" Robotnik asked, holding up a new 1 dollar bill design with his face on it. "The new Robotnik dollar bill. I think I'll call it a Robium."
"Not bad, Doctor," Orbot commended. "I've made an Orbot 100 dollar bill."
"I'm making a Cubot ½ dollar bill!" Cubot happily announced, holding up his crudely drawn bill.
"Half dollar?" Orbot questioned.
"For when you need exact change but don't carry coins."
"Keep your two ugly mugs off my money!" Robotnik snapped.
The two robots quickly dropped their money and ducked behind the couch they were hovering over. Just then, the X-Tornado flew towards the White House, smashing through the windows of the oval office. Robotnik, Orbot, and Cubot all dove for cover as the main hatches opened, releasing Sonic, Keith, Kat, and Tails.
"Alright Eggman!" Sonic declared, pointing right at the downed doctor. "Your little political party is over!"
"Well well, if it isn't Sonic the Fugitive," Robotnik remarked, getting to his feet. "Tell me, how does it feel to be the villain for once?"
"I wouldn't know. You've been the villain since day one."
"Such brazen words. Best not let your Uncle hear you talk like that."
Keith had his gloves on, powering them up as Kat readied an explosive ball. However, Sonic held up a hand, much to their surprise. He gave them both a smirk, winking before turning back to Robotnik.
"You really think you're gonna get under my skin that easily? Well guess what, you're wrong."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, it is. For the longest time, I've let what you did that night haunt me. I blamed myself, kept telling myself that I should have been faster, smarter, should have stopped you. But now… Now I finally see the truth. What you did… to my parents, to my Uncle, all of that is because of you. I did everything I could, and while I wasn't strong enough or fast enough to stop you back then, I sure as hell am now!"
"Don't do anything foolish Sonic!" Robotnik cautioned, grabbing the President. "One false move, and the President gets it!"
"Please. You honestly think I care about that big bag of hot air?"
"My my Sonic, I had no idea you were so politically-"
"He means literal bag of hot air, egghead!" Kat shouted.
Confused, Robotnik looked down and saw he wasn't holding the President at all, but rather an inflatable dummy wearing a wig. In the room next door, the President and Christina were safely being escorted to safety by Mr. Stewart.
"Mission accomplished," Mr. Stewart reported.
"Alright!" Sonic let out, getting ready to charge. "My turn!"
Sonic then charged forward, prompting Robotnik to yell in panic. Thinking quickly, he held up the dummy President to shield himself, but Sonic easily popped it, launching him out of the White House.
"I hate that Hedgehog!" Robotnik yelled, shooting through the air.
…
Up in space, the rocket made its way towards the moon, Tanaka steering it with expert precision. Topaz watched him, mildly surprised with how easily it came to him.
"How does a butler come to know how to fly a rocket?" she asked.
"I have come to adapt many skills serving the Kent household," Tanaka replied. "Especially after gaining our special guests."
While they talked, Rouge manned a radar dish, looking it over before turning her attention to a comm in her ear.
"Alright Knuckles, it's right in front of you. The antennae connecting the Egg Moon to the control station."
"I see it!" Knuckles replied, hovering over the Egg Moon itself. "I'm going in!"
Knuckles then dove down and delivered a massive punch to the antenna. There was a small explosion, and for the first time in weeks, the moon shifted away from the sun. The endless eclipse was finally over, and the Sun was shining once again.
…
Back on Earth, everyone was in awe of the sun's return, finally being able to bask in its rays once more. Everyone began cheering, stepping outside to bask in the sun's rays. Cream, Cheese, Vanilla, and the Birnbaums all released poppers and dancing in the living room, Helen hugging Cream as they both laughed.
…
On the rocket, Knuckles reentered through the airlock, smiling as he approached Rouge.
"And that's that," he declared. "Finally, we can watch the sunrise again."
"Eh, you can," Rouge replied. "I personally prefer this planet in the dark."
"There's a shocker. Easier for you to rob half the planet blind?"
"That, and I prefer moonrises over sunrises anyday."
"That's fair…. They're pretty spectacular from Angel island."
"Maybe one day we can enjoy them together, provided you can ditch your shadow long enough to do it."
"Maybe…"
From the cockpit, Topaz and Tanaka took note of the pair, the two sharing knowing smiles of their own.
"You know, watching the sunrise does sound beautiful," Tanaka commented.
"Took the words right out of my mouth," Topaz replied.
…
Back on Earth, Robotnik groaned in pain as he finally came to. As he rubbed his eyes behind his glasses, Sonic came into focus. The hedgehog was standing on his stomach, leaning down with his usual cocky grin.
"Hiya Eggman."
"You!" Robotnik cried out, jerking upwards and causing Sonic to leap off. "You've ruined everything, hedgehog!"
"Thanks. It's my specialty."
"Well, you won't get away with this! Orbot! Cubot! To me!"
There was a moment of silence where Robotnik heard nothing but crickets. Sonic's cocky grin got even wider.
"Yeah, about that…"
Keith and Kat stepped forward, the former holding Orbot's ball form in his electrified hands, and the latter holding Cubot by his back hinge. The captive cube gave a nervous chuckle as he waved.
"Hey Doc..."
Seeing little options, Robotnik got to his feet and tried to run for it. His path however was cut off by Tails hovering in front of him.
"And just where do you think you're going?" the fox questioned, holding the remote for the X-Tornado in his hand.
Robotnik quickly turned around and tried to run the other way, running into Amy Rose this time. She had her hammer out, resting it on her shoulder as she leered up at him.
"You really think we're gonna let you escape this time?"
"Sorry Eggman," Sonic taunted. "But it's finally your day."
The three Mobians closed in on the doctor as the sound of sirens reached their ears. Keith smirked as he saw several police cars approaching.
"I think your ride's here, Doc," he declared with a smirk. "A one way ticket to whatever government blacksite they choose."
"You honestly think you've seen the last of me?!" Robotnik challenged, straightening up definitely as the police closed in. "No prison on this pathetic planet can hold me! I will be free, and when I do, every man, woman, and child will tremble before me!"
"Don't count on it," Sonic retorted.
The police slapped cuffs on Robotnik, dragging him off. Keith and Kat handed over the two bots, who did little more than sag in the grips of their captors.
"And to think we started off the day as heroes..." Orbot muttered.
"Now we're being carted off like common criminals," Cubot moaned.
The three were then tossed into the back of a police truck, with the doors slamming shut. As it drove off, Sonic let out a long breath, turning to Keith.
"Hey, you think your dad would mind helping me with something?"
"What is it?" Keith asked.
Sonic reached down and pulled off his busted sneakers, holding them out.
"I need help fixing my sneakers."
Keith took the sneakers, looking surprised.
"Sonic, why didn't you come to us about this sooner?"
"These sneakers were the last thing my uncle ever made me. They were made to last forever, even stretching to fit my feet as I grew, but with all the battles I've seen and all the running I've done, it's just become too much. I didn't want anyone else to touch them… because if I did..."
"It was admitting your uncle wasn't there anymore," Kat finished for him.
Sonic just nodded. Keith put a hand on Sonic's shoulder, smiling at his friend.
"We'll make them as good as new," Keith promised. "And I'm sure your uncle will understand."
Sonic smiled before turning to all his friends.
"Come on guys," he declared. "I get the feeling it's gonna be a beautiful day."