CIHTD2

Chapter 2

Bartleby paced just outside of what he knew was the Underground's hideout. Sonia wasn't home. He could only assume she was on another mission. His informant had warned him that she wouldn't be able to tell him when she was home.

He wrung his hands together anxiously. Should he wait? Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe she didn't love him anymore. Maybe she would laugh at him for daring to ask her after she'd broke up with him.

"This is crazy. I have no choice with her listening to her ruffian brothers," he rambled to himself. "No I have to at least try. I'll be better off once I know for sure." If she said 'no' then at least he'd be able to move on. "I just can't give up until I know for sure."


Meanwhile, Sonia and her brothers were hand driving to meet Trevor and Cyrus. With Manic in the driver's seat and Sonic making himself a plate of chili dogs, Sonia was alone to gaze at the invitation. Her eyes were completely focused on the handwriting. It was Bartleby's elegant script.

"Bartleby…" She whispered. Her imagination wandered to the night of the ball. She'd be wearing her beautiful ball gown. He would wear the Class A military uniform that he'd inherited from his father. He would look so handsome as he reached out his hand and said…

"Sonia? Möbius to Sonia!" a white gloved hand waved in front of her face.

Sonia jumped and looked at her brother. "Um, hi Sonic. What's up?" She quickly stashed the invitation in her back pocket.

Sonic eyed her. "What's that?" He asked. "You alright?"

"None of your business Sonic and I'm perfectly fine." She replied. "Are we there yet?" She changed the subject.

Sonic sighed but let it go. If Sonia wanted to tell him, then she would. "Yeah, we're there. Let's go find out what's going on."


Robotnik examined his new toy with fascination. "Yes finally we'll have a heads up on the Resistance."

"Yes Sire, with this brain assimilated into the computer system," Sleet explained. "We'll be able to catch the Resistance members and bring them back to Robotropolis."


"Where he'll roboticize them," Sonic summed up as Sonia explained the details of Robotnik's Predator. He slammed his fist down.

"So what do we do?" Manic asked.

Cyrus held out a metal bar. "This, it's called a Sleeper. We'll use it to override the brain by assimilating and altering its molecular structure. Then we'll be able to control it." He handed off the rod to Sonic. "You'll have twelve hours to pull this off. Can you do it?"

"Is Robotnik fat?" Sonic quipped. "Let's go sibs."


"Now remember Sleet, Dingo." Robotnik began. "We have a lot riding on this. Let nothing happen to the brain or the ship, or I'll need to roboticize you!"

Sleet nodded, scared. The hedgehog trio always seemed to mess things up. Why should this be any different?


Outside the hideout Bartleby sat. It was getting cold. Why wasn't Sonia home yet? "Maybe this isn't the place. No, this is it for sure. Maybe. Oh no, maybe she's hurt… or worse. I knew I shouldn't have let her go… She could be lying in a ditch somewhere… Oh Sonia… Where are you"


"Is that it?" Sonic asked as they landed down at the factory.

Sonia nodded. "Now remember the plan. I'll set the explosions as a decoy. You tunnel under to the ship and place the override smack dab on it. Then Manic you distract everyone else so we can escape."

Sonic and Manic mock saluted. "Got it sis."

Sonia left her brothers for the factory. SWATBots swarmed the entrance. She stood behind a rock waiting for an opening.

Almost against her will, while waiting, she again imagined the ball. How she longed to go. It didn't help that it made her miss Bartleby. She would have been going with him and he would have been announcing their engagement publicly. Now that wouldn't happen, nor may it ever happen.

"I'm a Freedom Fighter now," she whispered as tears peaked her eyes unbidden and she couldn't hold back her heartache.

So lost in her thoughts, she didn't see the SWATBot approaching until it grabbed her wrist. "Priority One Hedgehog!"

Sonia gasped and began fighting but to no avail as the SWATBot lifted her into the air and began taking her down to Sleet.

"Sonic!" She screamed.


Sonic and Manic waited for Sonia's signal to move but nothing came. "Where is she? We're waiting…" Sonic tapped his foot impatiently.

"Sonic!" Her scream echoed up the mountain.

Sonic hid his head. "Bummer Majores! Coming Sis!" Sonic sped away to help his sister.


Sleet was endlessly amused to see one of the very banes of his existence brought to him. "Why hello Cecilia. How good of you to visit?"

Sonia growled as she struggled. "Well I won't be staying long, sorry to say. I'll be gone in a Sonic Second!"

Sleet feigned insult. "But Sophie, you haven't … . !" He shook with the ground before Sonic popped out of a small tunnel.

"Hey there buddy," Sonic smiled cockily.

Sleet aimed his lasers. "Hedgehog! Get him!"

Sonic zipped this way and that before starting a spin-dash around the bot holding his sister. Dizzily, the bot dropped her to the ground, freeing Sonia. He grabbed her by the wrist. "See you Sleaze," he ran off at top speed.


Sonic raced through the factory until they reached the control room. As predicted, there was the Brain in all it's glory.

"Okay, place the bomb and I'll be back. Stay here!" Sonic told her. He was worried that his sister got caught at all. What was she doing to just be snatched so easily?

Sonia went to her duty, not noticing anything weird about the orange contraption in front of the Brain. Suddenly the machine's arms grabbed her about the waist. "Oh Sonia..."

Sonia groaned. "Eww yuck!"


Sonic dug underneath the factory until he reached the ship hangar. There he grabbed the metal bar Cyrus gave them and slammed it on the side of the ship. He was surprised to see the ship completely absorb the sleeper. "Okay time to juice." He dove back into the hole.

Sonia squirmed in Dingo's grasp before fighting a proper footing. "Wanna dance?" With blur, she began spinning. A tornado seemed to form about them.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Dingo shouted, feeling increasingly ill with each rotation. He was forced to release Sonia while he continued spinning helplessly.

Sonia laughed. "Round and round he goes. When he'll stop, nobody knows." She reached for her bag and threw out several explosives.

"Sonia!" Sonic shouted from the door. Sonia didn't wait for a second invitation.

"Let's get out of here Sonic. Ten seconds until this factory goes kaboom," she grabbed Sonic's hand and let him drag her behind him.

Dingo cringed. "Kaboom? I gotta get out of here!" He creaked helplessly towards the door. He hated when Sleet morphed him. "Lucky, lucky, lucky, I'm a lucky son of gun...whoa!" He screamed as the place began exploding.


Sonic and Sonia met Manic outside while he released a series of fireworks into the air signaling their success. They returned to the van and quickly made a get-away.

Sonic turned worried eyes on Sonia. "Okay what happened back there?"

Sonia gasped. "What do you mean?"

"How did you get caught so easily?" Sonic asked again. She turned her head but Sonic couldn't let it rest. "No Sonia, not this time. What's wrong? We're your brothers and we're here for you but we can't help you if you don't talk to us."

Sonia's lip trembled. "Like you would even understand! You can still live fairly normal lives, both of you! You didn't literally give up everything you were used to!" She stomped off to her private room on the van. Even the one you loved and the dreams you shared... She put her hands over her eyes and wept.


AN: Sorry this took so long. Word up, this is officially a prequel to Rock-A-Bye A Different Path. Keeping the Predator for that reason.