Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog

A/N: Spirits… I don't know what happened. I've had half this chapter sitting in my computer for ages and just now get the desire to finish it. It's so sad… I'll try not to keep everyone waiting again. I for one hate waiting for things and it was absolutely horrid of me to make you guys wait SO long.


Chapter 11: Desperation Running High

This was more annoying then Knuckles ever wanted to deal with. No one was telling him anything useful, just wasting his time. He didn't understand why the police wanted a bag of garbage, or why a few of them were suddenly looking so green in the face.

"Hand over the bag and the hedgehog and no one has to get hurt."

Knuckles cast the officers a skeptical look as he scooped his arm around the hedgehog's middle, hoping this wouldn't cause him to hurl again. He lifted him off his feet and tucked him to his side like a rolled up carpet. While he knew Tails had said to stay put he really didn't want to put up with this.

"Don't make another move." One of the police lifted his hand in an order to make them stop. However the man's attention was drawn away as one of his fellows heaved- vomit splashing up against his legs. The moment he looked down Knuckles turned and collapsed a section of the wall with a single punch.

He leapt out of the hole as bullets tinged against the bricks. He skidded around the corner of the building, pushing up dirt before trotting in a straight line again, both hedgehog and bag still in his grasp. "So what now?"


The robots had set to preparing the pots, massive glass structures that were filled halfway with water.

Ovi Robotnik lead Amy around to this back room without the assistances of violent escorts. He explained things briefly and pointed her towards a high platform where metal barrels of various liquids were lined up.

Her expression was dangerous, her hand reaching back into the space behind her- fingers tensed. "I swear if this is some sort of trap, I'm gon-" Her words were cut short as the man simply turned to walk away. "Where are you going?" She yelled after him, stomping her feet as she turned to watch. "If you hurt even one spike- are you even listening to me?"

Robotnik waved her off as he disappeared through the sliding metal doors.


The police sirens were loud in his ears, buzzing and whirling.

As it was Knuckles was rather tempted to slip into the sewers, it wouldn't be the first time, but he had been told to stay put. The only way he'd get rid of the hedgehog was if someone else took him off his hands and he got the feeling that the authorities weren't a good choice at this point. "Every time I come down from my island…" Knuckles was grinding through his teeth as he pressed against the back side of a building.

A round of police cars just roared past, unaware of the pair hidden behind the bundle of trash cans.

"What is this shit?" He shook the bag but Sonic offered up no explanation, looking green in the face once more. Knuckles dropped him to the side- unwilling to be the victim of vomit a second time but nothing came up when the hedgehog heaved.

In the end Sonic had just made a miserable sound and collapsed onto his side. "By the master emerald…" Knuckles groaned in the form of a curse. "You're really messed up aren't you?" This was probably a bit more serious then the stomach flu. Knuckles glanced around the corner and saw that the few people out on the streets were positioned on benches and leaned against planters and walls. No one really looked like they wanted to move much.

"We just got to get this stuff to the geezer right?" Knuckles didn't like the whole thing but it was beginning to dawn on him that it was important. So once more he picked up the hedgehog, slinging him over his shoulder.

"Listen…" He intended to get to the closest sewer drain and for that reason he ignored Sonic's faint demand. It wasn't long before he heard the whirling of propellers as well though and stopped in his tracks as the plane pulled over their heads. The plane wobbled upon landing, one wheel coming down before the other and causing it to veer dangerously to the side.

Knuckles dived away with a number of unpleasant words and hit the ground with a grunt- Sonic bouncing off his back though the bag remained in his grasp. "Sonic!" Next thing he knew the two-tailed fox was leaping out of his craft with a cry and making his way towards the hedgehog.

By the time he passed, Knuckles had straightened up though and he grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, lifting him off his feet with ease. "No time for that." He gestured down the road to where sirens could still be heard. With that, he shoved the bag into Tails' hands and tossed him back towards the plane, the fox hitting the asphalt at a roll.

Knuckles didn't check if he was alright just yelled at him: "get that thing off the road!" as he dashed towards Sonic's motionless form. The police cars could be seen cresting the hill- their lights whirling with such intensity that they lit the sky. They were approaching fast, probably not wanting to lose any momentum, probably expecting Sonic to bolt away...

The plane was lifting into the sky once more, ascending higher with each second. Knuckles glove closed around Sonic's ankle and without a moments hesitation he swung around- releasing him at the end of his spin. Knuckles whipped his head around as the cars approached at a breakneck speed and just barely had enough time to dive through the closest entrance to the sewer- the metal cap of the manhole spinning in his wake.

Sonic soared high into the air and the feel of it rushing past, stirred him in the slightest. He opened his eyes just in time to see the hull of the plane approaching quickly, though that did little to help him regain any grace. He crashed into the side with a loud thunk but fortunately landed on the wing- fingers gripping at the edge.

When they reached a safer height Tails pulled him into the cockpit, despite it being a tight fit.

"I got everything you asked me to Sonic." Tails said with a wavering voice as he attempted to keep his focus on where he was going while trying to steal glances at the hedgehog. Along with the sickness crawling up in his gut there was worry. It was almost over now- Tails just hoped his brother could make it a little longer.


A/N: and it wasn't even very long -_-