Chapter 1: Glimpses

"We see and hear about him every day on the news, in the newspapers," the TV host began with just the right dramatic tone, "when he's not in a warzone trying to save people from military attacks, he's delivering food and aid to some of the most malnourished places on Earth.

"He had gotten his start when he intervened in the Adabat Civil War and defeated the Adabat Revolutionary Army almost singlehandedly, before moving on to quell violence and unrest in the Shamar uprising, and even personally bringing in that regime's president for his war crimes. He has done the same throughout Africa, where, in addition to his peacekeeping efforts, he has also delivered much food and supplies to some of its most malnourished areas. Some analysts have said that, in total, his work in providing aid and breaking up armed conflicts has saved at least forty thousand lives.

"And yet, despite all these accomplishments, we don't actually know that much about him. Who is he? Why does he go into these places to help out? What motivation does he have doing so? Many have asked these questions over the past year, waiting for the moment that they are answered, or wondering if it will even come.

"Well, wait no more, as that moment is now," he announced somewhat proudly, "as he is our special guest for today's interview, the first official interview, in fact, that he has ever received since coming to our planet…may I present to you, Sonic the Hedgehog! Welcome!"

The camera zoomed out to reveal Sonic seated casually on an armchair. Realizing that he was now visible on at least tens of millions of television sets, he smiled, waved, and gave a thumbs up, as per his usual custom. "Uh, thanks," he began awkwardly, "I'm happy to be here."

"No, thank you for coming," the presenter responded heartily. "So, shall we begin?"

The hedgehog nodded. "Sure, alright."

"If you don't mind, Sonic, I'd like to ask you: what do you think of your own work so far?"

"Hmm…" Sonic had already expected such a question, yet he still wasn't entirely sure how to answer. "I guess, uh," he began, "I'm happy that I managed to make a difference here and there, but at the same time, there's always that feeling that I could have done more or better sometimes. Still…I try to look at the positive side as much as I can, which there generally always is, unless it's, you know, some really serious mistake or whatever. So far, though…" He took a moment to clear his throat, before stating with a sudden confidence, "I don't feel guilty about any of my current actions. I'm happy to have helped people, and to continue helping in the future. I regret nothing whatsoever." Sonic liked to think that right as he said that, TV audiences across the world were cheering and applauding.

"Alright, thank you," the presenter said gladly, "anyway, another question commonly heard: Many have noticed that despite your speed and powers, you are much more likely to take the pacifist route while in combat. Is there any particular reason for this?"

Sonic just shrugged at this one. "Well, if I am able to bring, uh…" He really didn't like using the word 'enemy', and had to stop briefly to think of the best substitute. "…someone armed and dangerous down without causing harm to him or anyone, you know, non-lethally, might as well do so, right? And besides, it's not like it's something special that only I do. Many policemen are also trained to bring in or to take down threats like that alive, and only use guns if they have no choice. For me, in my case, I hate to sound like I'm bragging, but I feel like, since I have my speed, I always have a choice to do so, and it's the one I'll always take."

"Interesting, thank you. So you do this even to, say, enemies that are known to have committed grave atrocities?"

"Absolutely," Sonic answered without hesitation while looking straight at his host, "killing…it's just not something I can do, I think. And it's not just how I am able to take them in alive, you know, but that I feel like I…have to. I believe in, you know, giving people chances, and understanding why they do bad things, rather than simply dismissing them and taking their heads off, and, I don't know, help them see the errors of their ways, I suppose. Evil, I think, rarely comes from nowhere at all. There usually is a reason for it, something understandable, even if not justifiable. Even if it's the most pathetic excuse possible for committing the most horrible crimes, I still feel like I have to…make them see the light, somehow."

"Very good. Now, we come to the crux of this discussion, perhaps the most important question…" Sonic was already able to figure out what it was before it came. "Why?"

But that didn't mean he could figure out what his answer should be. The hedgehog needed just one more moment to think about it. During the silence, the audience around the world watched with immense anticipation. Why, indeed?

Then he finally got a desirable answer, which was actually fairly simple. "Well, why not?" Sonic replied with another shrug. "I mean, I was born with this ability, and…I like to run around for leisure too, it's my favorite hobby…but this seems like the best way to really use it. What else could I do with it, crash into cars? Go racing? Uh, I admit though, I'd kinda like to try that second one someday. With someone other than Tails, I mean."

Both of them stopped briefly for a quick laugh. Mainly because with the new flying technique the two-tailed fox had discovered and refined, it wasn't even a given anymore that Sonic could beat him in a straight-line race, at least as long as it didn't last more than five minutes – the hedgehog still had the upper hand in stamina and endurance.

"But yeah, you know, I guess the simplest way to say it is, if I can, I should. I can, therefore…I do. Yeah, let's go with that."

"Alright, thank you, Sonic. So can we assume that this was also what you did back where you came from? On Mobius?"

Sonic was starting to have an uncomfortable feeling about where this could head to, but kept calm nevertheless. "You could say that. I guess I had to start somewhere."

"I see. Now, moving on, it's been mentioned that you are familiar with Dr. Robotnik, the guy responsible for the airport attack on the day all of you arrived and what happened in Adabat almost a year ago, and now suspected to be an arms dealer in hiding…to be honest, there is still so little we know about this man. Could you perhaps elaborate on who he is?"

The grin slowly disappeared. "Uh….okay, sure, it's only fair I explain what I can," Sonic replied. He was actually starting to feel a bit worried now. "What would you like to know?"

"Do you know where he comes from? Is he actually from here or Mobius?"

"Here, definitely here," Sonic said affirmatively, "though exactly where, I've never known. It's something only he knows."

"So he was transported onto your planet by the Chaos Emerald, as you call it, a long time ago, right?"

"Pretty much."

"What do you know about him personally?"

"Well, I know that he was-I mean, is, very talented at what he does, at engineering, building robots, machines, computers and stuff, kinda like Tails. I can only imagine what kind of good he could bring about if that's what he used his genius for. But, in the end…" Sonic shook his head. He could sense a certain inevitable question coming up, and was even less sure about answering it than the previous ones.

"Do you know why he…happens to be like that?"

And there it was. Finally. Sonic knew one day that it would come. At least he had knowingly chosen when it would happen by agreeing to come onto this show, rather than it being asked of him when he didn't expect it and catching him off-guard.

Sonic the Hedgehog visibly took a deep breath before he decided he was ready. "Something…happened to him," he began softly, "on my planet, I mean, long ago. And, you know what, I'll just say it straight here: my people…they weren't very nice to him. And honestly, I don't know if I feel like going into the details."

As he admitted the truth about his people, Sonic was starting to have that same tired, worn-out look that he was found having in Adabat, Shamar and other troubled areas he'd been to. Some of the photos of him with that expression had become quite well-known, to say the least.

"I see," the presenter said after a surprised pause, blinking a few times, "do you know why they did that to him?"

Sonic stopped once again. In truth, that was a question he'd asked himself for years now as well, but had never really found out the reason for it, despite his asking around on Mobius long ago. He was sure it had to exist. Evil rarely came out of nowhere, or so he believed. The idea that his own people were somehow the exception to that rule was something he found disturbingly unacceptable.

So far, the closest thing he could come up with to explain it, or at least satisfy himself, was that it wasn't really evil at all. "I guess it's, you know, just ignorance," he continued, "something like the racism you find in history books, and unfortunately still in parts of the world…our worlds. Or a superstition, maybe, the same thing that made Tails' life miserable when I'd first found him, because they thought a fox having two tails was a bad sign. Or both. I don't know.

"I understand. Back to Robotnik, though, what happened to him after that?"

"He, well, got broken, and changed into something else. He then managed to get into a position of power, a position to exact revenge on those who did those things to him. It's kind of a long story, but needless to say, I've had to fight him ever since.

"After that, I just kinda, you know, expanded my responsibility. I don't want people to end up like Robotnik, nor do I want them to become victims of people like Robotnik. I want to…"Sonic lifted his head high before letting it out. "I want to save everyone. Even the bad guys."

The interviewer nodded silently in intrigue. "That's an admirable goal, to say the least. So is it fair to say this is linked to the reason you continue to fight?"

"Don't get me wrong, I would have loved helping people out even without what happened to him," Sonic clarified, then added softly and solemnly, "I just think, you know, that, when I said I do what I should do earlier…Robotnik is the main example of what happens…when I don't. When people don't. And I can assure you that, one day, I will find him, and I will…try and make him normal again, I guess."

"Ah," the presenter acknowledged, "very well. Additionally, Sonic, I'd like to ask, in your personal quest, do you ever feel like your faith in humanity is…challenged? After seeing some of the admittedly unpleasant things some of us can do in the situations you've encountered?"

"Hmm…" Sonic was quiet again for several moments. "Well, I've seen all kinds of things done by people in war. Yeah, there's a lot of bad, but there's plenty of good actions carried out too. You know, people risking themselves to protect others, giving them food and shelter when they don't have any. I've seen people sacrificing themselves to protect others, even complete strangers, with my own eyes. Normally people just ignore each other, you know, while out on the streets, but when bombs are falling and people around you are getting killed, it really makes you stick together to help out. So I think that it's kinda funny, in that sometimes, the worse situations bring out the best in people. I mean, people already help each other in natural disasters like earthquakes or floods. Even in a man-made one like war, it's no different.

"As for the bad stuff…well, I feel sad seeing people kill each other, but I know it usually happens over some really complex stuff that can go back a long way. It's hard for me to judge others that way when I remember that. And even if that's not the case, well…" He took a deep breath before completing his statement. "…it can't be any worse than what I've seen on my world, can it?"

There was an unusually silent and long pause after Sonic was done. He wasn't sure what to think about his overall appearance on this show, in front of so many people. It had always been rather difficult for the hedgehog to truly give out his reasons and motivations for fighting due to how they reflected on his people. Yet, at the same time, it was probably best he wasn't regarded as an enigma by the world. Already there had been suspicions from a few quarters about Sonic's true motives and allegiance, about how he was possibly a pawn or a weapon used by the U.S. government, especially given that he and Tails had earned their U.S. permanent residence some time ago.

The allegations had annoyed him greatly, but he'd realized later that if a major public figure like him, the likes of which the world had never seen before, never said anything about his own actions, could he really blame others for coming up with their own theories regarding himself?

Yeah, it is better this way, Sonic decided, otherwise you'd never have accepted the offer for this interview in the first place.

"So that's how you see it," the host commented with interest, "you're definitely one to be idealistic, Sonic, especially considering your experiences. I wish you luck in spreading that attitude around."

And with that, Sonic was smiling warmly again. "Thanks."

"So, final question, what do you say to allegations that you are a tool for the government or the military, that you are actually carrying out orders that came from them?"

Aha! Feeling glad that to be asked of this question at last, he replaced his smile with a sterner look before answering. "Short answer: No. Absolutely untrue. Long answer: if I ever do work for anyone, it won't be individual countries or regional organizations, you know, like NATO, but only international organizations like the UN or Red Cross. Do people accuse them of being tools of conquest? You know, honestly, I think the UN is a great concept, because we don't have anything like that on Mobius, and I'm definitely doing more for them eventually.

"But anyway, I can't please everyone. Somehow, I don't think there'd be fewer complaints if I just sat my ass on a beach while Shamar's people were getting killed by their own government or whole families not having anything to eat or drink in Africa while also getting killed in crossfires between warlords and armies, while the big countries get into petty squabbles over what to do because they have conflicting interests in those places, so all they do is talk, you know, condemn what happens there, but not walk. I can go there and get things done with my bare hands and without dealing with all of this political bureaucratic stuff. If I do something, I get complaints, but people are saved. If I do nothing, I get complaints anyway, and people die. So, it's really a no-brainer for me. Like I said earlier, I don't regret anything.

"That said, though, I know I'm not perfect. I'm only human…er, mobian, but whatever. Sometimes I worry that I might do things I think are good, but end up backfiring. Like, Adabat, for example, their military has taken over the country since I helped them last time and is imprisoning people left and right…I understand the complaints about that one, but I don't know what the best way to deal with that is. Other than that, I also think I need to do even more than what I'm already doing, and look at more troubled areas that don't get much attention. I'm open to all advice on what I can do, and if any of you have some, please don't hesitate to send it to me or Tails. Because as much as it looks like I can do all of this alone, well, no, I can't. I need your help and support. Only then, I think, can we make some serious, positive, differences."

Sonic paused briefly to take a deep breath. Then, unexpectedly smiling again, he added, "you know, I'm kinda glad you asked me that. And, uh, sorry if I'm delaying the next show."

Once again both of them chuckled. "Thanks for your clarification there! Well, unfortunately it looks like that's all we have time for. So, there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, Sonic the Hedgehog and everything you wanted to know about him, straight from the horse's, or should I say, hedgehog's mouth! Again, Sonic, thank you for coming! It's been an honor!"

"Nah, the honor's mine, sir," Sonic said sincerely as he and the interviewer got up to shake hands. The timing, he thought, was just right. Aside from not wanting to stay too long and possibly run out of things to say, there was also another talk he had to attend soon, albeit not as the speaker. For once!

Soon after leaving the talk show's studio, Sonic made for his next destination quickly, which fortunately wasn't that far away.

Within a few minutes, the hedgehog arrived at UCLA. More specifically, he was now before the open doors of the hall where the university's special guest of today was giving a speech. Despite his fame and reputation, Sonic was amused to find that he still had to write his own name down on the visitor list outside before the guard could allow him in. Eh, it's just his job.

Sonic casually walked inside, before stopping to smile at the little VIP on the stage that the audience was listening intently to.

"…and I know this probably sounds cliché, but…" Tails spoke as he walked around on the platform with the microphone in his hand, "you are very fortunate to have had a well-rounded education and school life, all the way up to this level. I know I wish I had one, rather than just being stuck in a library for the first few years of my life," he continued, sounding slightly wistful. Meanwhile, Sonic had simply taken to leaning on the back wall, as there weren't any empty seats left, and besides, he thought he'd give the audience a surprise when they turned around to leave. Strangely, Tails didn't appear to have noticed him entering.

"It applies even more, I think, to higher education, especially considering rising college costs these days, which makes it all the more precious. I can't imagine what it's like to study in a proper atmosphere, with trained teachers and lecturers to teach you, in a comfortable classroom or home, rather than needing to do it all by yourself.

"Also, you know, most of you were able to choose what you wanted to study. For others, they had to study certain things because they had to. I got myself to read engineering books 'cause that was the only option I had back then, and after that, I had to know even more about that because I was following Sonic in dealing with Robotnik's machines. Granted, if I could choose, I likely would still have chosen engineering anyway, but at least it wouldn't have been because I was forced to. So I think that it's really a privilege to have a choice when it comes to studying, something worth treasuring.

"And that's not even getting into the social life that comes with school, like making friends, taking part in activities, that sort of thing. Anyway, I shouldn't talk about myself so much. I guess my point is that, I know many of you have expressed admiration of me, and I suppose I can see why…but the truth is, you have a lot going for yourselves too. You've had plenty of things I've never had, and probably will never get to experience, not in the same way, anyway, which gives you a lot of advantages. I'm also pretty sure that, given time, you'll all do way more than I have so far. I know the fusion reactor design I've created is considered revolutionary, but really, if any of you got to study the Chaos Emeralds on Mobius and have Knuckles explain what he knows about them, you could easily get the same results. I was just lucky, that's all, that I could earn his trust, mainly because Sonic and I could help him against Robotnik. Ironically, I guess that's one thing I could thank Robotnik for." That earned several chuckles across the hall, one from the hedgehog himself who thought it was way too true.

"To sum it up, a proper education, and the experience that comes along with it, is one of the greatest things a person can have in life. It's not the be-all, end-all, of course, but I can't imagine a life that can be improved without it. Remember to never take it for granted. If you really want to be like me, that's fine, but I'd rather people not take the same route I did to get here, especially if there isn't anyone else like Sonic there to help you.

"So…that's all, I suppose. Thank you for listening, and have a good day!" As Tails concluded, the audience gave a loud applause. The fox decided to bow in response, as well as mention one other thing. "Oh yeah, and by the way, Sonic? I can see you, you know. Thanks for coming!"

Everyone in the hall abruptly turned around to see the hedgehog grinning and waving sheepishly, which resulted in pleasantly surprised cries all over and a lot of people standing up to approach him. Shortly before he was overwhelmed by the crowd, Sonic was able to see Tails winking at him in the distance. Ah well, he thought with a shrug, I wasn't really trying to hide anyway…I think…

A few hundred signatures and hugs later, Sonic and Tails had both managed to leave the university and simply hang out in the city throughout the afternoon, finding it rather refreshing to simply take the day off rather than needing to go on some adventure or inventing spree.

The sun was already setting as they arrived back home. The duo still lived under the roof of the Doherty family, their official guardian and main benefactor since they started staying on Earth, although with Tails' newfound fortune as a result of his inventions, they were considering buying their own land and property somewhere, with its own airfield and hangar that could house the Tornado. "Still can't believe they scheduled both of our appearances so close to each other," Sonic said with an amused shake of the head as he opened the front door and entered.

"Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't have minded being invited maybe a few weeks later than you were," Tails agreed, following behind the hedgehog. He then continued with a shrug, "I guess this was really the best they could do."

"Yeah…regardless, though, the important thing is we both presented ourselves as well as we could. You know, it's funny, I never could have imagined that you'd be quite the speaker just a year ago," Sonic said with a big smile, one that he was glad to put on again. "Really, you did well."

"Heh, thanks," Tails replied, unconsciously rubbing the back of his head in the process, "you weren't bad yourself. I think everything you said will help answer many of the questions people have about us. About you."

Sonic's smile waned somewhat at first, but he quickly brought the ends of his mouth back up again. "Hopefully. Anyway, let's have dinner, huh?"

Tails' ears perked up at the suggestion. "Sure! It's been hours since I last ate anything. We're supposed to cook for the others today anyway."

"True. Let's go!" They were both about to head into the kitchen when Tails abruptly stopped, wincing audibly. A surprised Sonic turned around to see the fox standing there, looking down at his left leg, apparently in pain. "Hey," Sonic said softly as he approached the kit with a look of concern, "you okay?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah. Sorry. It's just my foot acting up a bit, that's all. I guess I walked a little too much today." The fox had been having occasional bouts of pain in his feet in the past few months, having broken them in a risky act of heroism that nearly killed him over a year ago. They had fortunately been decreasing steadily since he left physical therapy. "Don't worry, I'm alright."

Sonic continued to look a bit glum, however. "Man, you'd think you'd have healed up completely already after everything you had to go through, and after so long."

"Well, it was a pretty bad fall. I wouldn't worry though," Tails said with a dismissive wave, "these things take time, but my leg will be okay eventually. And even if it won't, well, since I don't have any obvious scars…I might as well have a not-so-obvious one, huh?" He stopped to chuckle a bit, and then continued, "besides, my flying's faster than ever, so I'm not exactly slowed down. Not to mention that, in the end, it's still totally worth it." He gazed back at Sonic with his own confident, reassuring smile.

Finally, Sonic seemed placated, and in truth, he was happy that Tails could be so optimistic about it. If it had been his own legs…"I believe ya, bud. I guess you have some good points too. So, uh, let's go cook?"

"Okay!" They began moving again, though Tails was now walking with a slight limp which he would need to get rid of by resting. It was admittedly a bit annoying, and he could understand why it would bother Sonic, considering what the hedgehog's main physical ability was. Nonetheless, Tails knew where he stood. It's just a small price to pay.

Soon after they'd finished making dinner, Sonic and Tails had just sat themselves down in the living room when the front door opened to reveal Alan Doherty quickly walking inside. "Hey, guys," he said as he took off his suit and hanged it up, doing it faster than usual, "nice job presenting yourselves today. You've cooked already?"

"Hey," Sonic greeted, "thanks, and yeah, it's all on the table. We just put 'em, there, in fact."

"Good, then let's eat right away," Alan responded hurriedly as he took off his tie, before putting it aside and practically striding towards the dining room, "come on, we need to talk. And don't worry about the ladies, they'll come back later."

"What's the rush?" Tails asked with a raised eyebrow, then made a possible guess, "did you find something out at work today?"

"Great observation. In fact, I have. Let's have dinner first and not waste time. And besides, I'm hungry."

Sonic and Tails exchanged looks before following the man to the dining table, feeling equal parts suspense and excitement over what Alan's discovery could be.

Minutes later, they were enjoying Tails' carbonara spaghetti, doing so in silence until Sonic decided that he couldn't wait. "Hey, uh, so, what is it?" he inquired before putting another juicy bundle of pasta into his mouth.

"You won't believe this, but I think…" Alan set his fork down before revealing the big news he had, "…I think we found Robotnik."

The mobian duo, both of whom were halfway chewing their spaghetti, immediately ceased all movement. Sonic damn near looked like he was going to spit it out, but fortunately managed to control himself in time. "We're listening," he said, his demeanor now totally serious. Mentioning the mad scientist's name was one of the few ways to make him like that.

"Okay, first off, you know Mazuri?" Alan first asked.

"The East African country? Yeah, sure, I've been looking at it recently," Sonic answered, "I heard the reports of the guerilla groups there being better armed in the past few months or something. Either way, last I checked…didn't sound too good."

"Quite an understatement," Doherty commented while shaking his head, "they have heavy military equipment of both Western and Russian origin, like armored vehicles and even attack helicopters…only in small numbers of course, but still the sort of things you wouldn't see these guys having in a million years." He took in another forkful before adding, "and a few hours ago, I think we found out how they've been getting them."

By this point Sonic had also paused his dinner. "Hmm…I'd like to say it's Robotnik, but…I'm guessing it's not that simple?"

"That's why I said I think we found him. Anyway, basically it's like this: earlier today, the Mazurian military managed to storm a rebel camp, against all odds, and made a huge-ass discovery that'll be all over the news tomorrow. They found a secret factory or workshop of some sort, way more advanced than anything else in their country, maybe even the whole continent…" Alan looked down at his food, which, although he enjoyed, seemed to also be making him impatient. "You know, let's finish up quick. I'll let you see for yourselves."

They took only another minute to finish dinner, and after hastily dumping the dishes into the sink, Alan asked the two to come over to his laptop. He then turned it on, opened several images and let Sonic and Tails study them intently.

"So what do you think?"

"Wow…definitely looks familiar," Sonic said unsettlingly, the images of the shiny but darkly lit chambers and half-finished machinery bringing back memories of Robotnik's bases on Mobius. "I mean, Eggman ain't exactly an interior decorator. He always keeps the same design in his lairs."

"So you're absolutely sure it belongs to him?"

"Yeah," Tails confirmed, "I already recognize the room's surface paneling and magnetic cranes. It's really similar to what we once saw in his Mobian bases. My guess is this is another one of those large packages Robotik jettisoned from the flying fortress into the ocean before it blew up that day."

"But they didn't find Robotnik himself?" Sonic asked.

"Nope. They did, though, manage to capture a few of the rebels guarding that place alive. After some, uh, gentle persuasion, they were spilling their guts. Turns out that Robotnik has a second place like that in Mazuri, where he could possibly be hiding in."

This was certainly groundbreaking news for the duo, but Sonic still had a few uncertainties. "Wait, so how do you know he really is there?"

"We don't," Doherty admitted straight away, "that's why the CIA's flying drones and satellites to survey the area as we speak, among other techniques, to see if it fits with the information we've been given. No idea how long it'll take, could be anywhere between a week and a year. And some are worried that by the time we have confirmation, Robotnik, if he even is there, may have relocated to somewhere else again."

In the brief silence that followed, Sonic was able to pick up the hint Alan was selling to him. "You know, I have a feeling I know the reason you're telling us this," he said with a hint of a smirk, and then turned to Tails, "you doing anything else this week, bud?"

"Not really, I'm kinda free at the moment," the fox replied, before also making a determined smile and putting his fist against his palm, "and besides, it's kinda been a while since our last adventure together."

Sonic's smirk only grew bigger. "True."

"And come on, it's Robotnik. If he really is there, I'm not letting you have all the fun."

The hedgehog laughed heartily at this. "You know I wouldn't leave you out on something like this, Tails."

Alan looked like he was going to smile too, though he kept his composure. "Not bad, both of you," he remarked, "so when do you think you'll be ready?"

"Tomorrow morning, maybe?" Tails suggested while looking at Sonic, who nodded. "So I guess we'll go there in the Tornado again. I need to fly her more often too."

"It'd sure beat the old tin cans the UN fly me in," the hedgehog observed, and there was laughter again. He really missed being in, or rather on, the Tornado, as he commonly stood on its wing as it flew. The UN had refused to let him to do the same trick on their cargo planes, so he had to sit inside their aged, dusty and cramped interiors every time he was with them. Granted, he wouldn't be able to do that either with their own plane on such a long-distance flight, but he was sure the rear seat would still be more comfortable than that.

"Well, that went quicker than I expected," Doherty said in relief, "I'll be telling my bosses about this, and I'll inform you on any other intel they give that you need to know soon. Until then, go get some rest."

"Sure thing. I'm just glad we may be able to finally bring him in. It's so hard to believe…anyway, catch ya later. Let's go, bud."

They both turned to go upstairs when Alan called them again. "Hey, just a second," he said, now sounding less business-like.

"Yeah?" the duo asked and whirled around simultaneously.

"How are you both doing? Let's start with you, Sonic."

The simple question somehow caught them off-guard. "Well, fine, I guess," Sonic answered, "I know sometimes it looks like a lot to do, and well, I guess it is. I mean, I know things aren't magically going to be okay again across the world after I catch Robotnik. But at least it'd still be an accomplishment ten years in the making." As he concluded, he put on the most relieved and least cocky smile he'd had since ever. This, he thought, was nothing to smirk about.

"You, Tails?"

"Pretty good," the fox said, waving his tails about behind him, "I feel really satisfied. I don't know what else I could ask for, other than…ways to make the world better, maybe."

"Maybe you could do that for your leg first," Alan offered deadpan, pointing at Tails' left foot, "how is it?"

"Heh, not a bad idea," Tails replied with a chuckle before lifting and shaking the limb gently. Fortunately the pain had gone away already. "It's okay, though. No worries, it won't hinder me."

"Alright, that's good to hear," a content Alan said as he got up from his chair, "and, of course, thank you for doing this. You don't have to, you know."

"Dude? It's Robotnik," Sonic pointed out, sounding a bit amused at the remark, "of course we have to do it. Oh yeah, and you're welcome."

The two were about to head up to their room again when Sonic realized something about what Alan had said earlier, which stopped him. "Hey, uh, Tails, you go on up first."

"Uh, okay."

After Tails ascended the stairs and was out of view, Sonic turned back to Alan. "Hey, uh, my turn to ask something," he said quietly, "that 'gentle persuasion' thing you mentioned…it wasn't very gentle, was it?"

Alan was taken aback by the hedgehog's solemn expression and tone, but quickly realized he shouldn't be surprised – Sonic had seen and experienced enough to know how people used euphemisms. "No, I suppose not," he admitted with a sigh, "and before you ask, no, we did not tell them to do that."

Sonic just stood there silently, not exactly frozen, but clearly troubled about how he and Tails were going to act on information obtained in a less-than-friendly manner. Was it ethical to do so, even if it was leading them to Robotnik?

A minute later, Sonic settled on his answer. "Don't worry, we'll still go," he said, albeit now appearing less enthusiastic about it, "if only so that that interrogation wasn't for nothing."

Author's Note: Props if you were able to figure out which show Sonic appeared on! It's real, though I don't think making real world people appear in fics is allowed here, so I've kept the show's identity anonymous. As a hint, it airs on CNN on Sundays at 10am Pacific Standard Time and 1pm Eastern Standard Time, and the host is Indian-American. Review please!