Disclaimer: I do not and will never own Sonic the Hedgehog.

I meant to upload this yesterday but my computer demanded that I feel the wrath of its laziness.

Chapter 7: Search Faster

At the snap of a twig Amy had turned and with a breaking tone of annoyance bit off the words. "What do you want?!"

It was with strong distaste she examined the human(1) before her. Any enemy of her darling Sonic was an enemy of hers. "Why Amy…" The statement had almost a mechanical hum "I expected better manners from a young lady such as yourself."

Slipping the sack of diamonds behind her back Amy narrowed her eyes further "I am going to ask you one more time Robotnik. What do you want?!" Her fingers were itching for her hammer.

"What is it you are hiding behind your back?" Amy pulled a daring grin swinging into a run. "You mean THIS?!" Gripping the handle she whipped the Piko-Piko Hammer with such force it would crack a crevasse in the trunk of a tree.

It had been halfway through her attack she realized she had no effect upon her target but instead the tree behind him. With a deafening 'thud' the vibration shot back up her arms and she fumbled sideways looking agitated to the evil genius.

The man's image was splintering like the picture on an old television screen. "Now, now… try to control yourself would you? I request your presence at my base." The hologram hummed and the pink girl spat at the idea.

"As if I would ever spend time alone with you! Just looking at you makes me sick. I wouldn't even go where you wanted to if you tried to drag me there."

Robotnik had a very navel laugh but what could you expect from a face that was mostly occupied by a huge honker?

"I'm very glad you suggested that because that's just what I plan to do." Leafs were shifting, twigs cracking like firecrackers and from the shadows of the foliage red lights began to blaze. Targeting lasers freckled the annoyed hedgehog's figure.

The hologram snickered before flicking out. "Let's see if your as fast as your darling boyfriend, shall we?" She was left with robots edging closer of each side.

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Having left the first dangerous task behind Sonic was onto the next thing of the list, this was hopefully something less deadly to obtain.

Luckly the acid burned hole didn't disturb the words on the list too greatly, he could still read the most of them. The closet destination was very near.

The ground was softening, marshy trees peeking up from the mushy ground. His soles were sinking as his pace slowed at the difficulty of keeping speed in this sticky place. Emerald optics scanned the surrounding looking for some sort of sign to tell him he was where he needed to be.

There was a person up ahead standing knee deep in the mud and Sonic fumbled his way toward them picking his feet up high to prevent himself from being sucked into this unstable ground. "Hey!" He continued his way forward sloshing the thick substance around his ankles, a creeping feeling of realization tingling up his spine, with mud there was water.

They turned their head as Sonic took a leap of impatience splashing mud up to their waist and thoroughly knocking it up into his own face. It was as he was attempting to slop it away from his original blue that the old man commented.

"Aye?" They lifted the rim of their hat to get a better look of the hedgehog in front of them. "You're that Sonic fellow, rig't?" The hedgehog just nodded dimly knowing every second was another one counting down. "I need help finding something, some sort of clam or something?" He showed him the name on the now muddy list.

The human cast a wrinkled smile. "That's just the thing I came lookin' for t'day."

"So you know where I can find some?"

"I can do better then that boy." The man held up a thoroughly dirty sack. "I believe tis will be whatcha lookin' for." He pushed it upon Sonic who felt himself sink another inch into the mud. "Don't even worry about paying me back. Think of as gift for being a dependable force when people are needing teh help."

Sonic thanked him anyways speeding off in the opposite direction.

The sun was a little more then centered in the sky. They were running out of time.

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Robotnik leaned forward readjusting his goggles, according the dot zipping across the screen before him Sonic was really pulling out the stops. Would that be enough though? Probably not. Silently he laughed within his own company.

The evil genius switched screens, seemed that fox boy hadn't noticed the spider like robot clinging to the wing of his plane yet. To think that kid had an IQ of about 200... How pathetic.

Now to that Amy Rose character. He only flipped screens just in time to see something flying at it. The sudden static that ringed up in the room gave the doctor such a shock that his chair crashed back to the ground breaking beneath his hefty weight.

So much for that particular robot…

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A/N: (1) Robotnik is a human isn't he?

I know that my chapters are very confusing and I'm very surprised that you guys can follow… Sometimes even I get lost. Hope all you readers and wonderful reviewers, continue to enjoy.

Next chapter: Blood and Time.

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