Six: Rebirth

"What...what happened?" Amy said weakly as she and the rest of the gang sat up from their trance. Sonar was long gone now so his connections to their minds were cut.

"That bastard of a lizard had us all under his command for a bit," Shadow answered gruffly as he stood up. "If Nova and Silver hadn't reacted...who knows what would've happened."

"What did happen back there?" Nova asked Silver. "Why were we the only ones who snapped out of his mind control?" It has only been a few months since his release by Eggman and he was still not used to his powers and himself.

"We're connected with our minds more than anyone else because of our abilities," The white hedgehog answered, being the most experienced of the two. "That's probably the reason why we broke free of his grasp."

"Well, if Sonar ever tries to do the same thing," Amy started. "We know that Silver and Oniichan will be able to get around it!" She gave her brother a hug. "But enough of that. Sonar didn't just leave because he felt like it!"

"True," Spark agreed. "Eggman must've called him up. He and Kazu might have had some complications with their weapon. We need to find where they're keeping Sonic and fast."

It was a pretty obvious point that Spark had told them, but everyone agreed with the Comet porcupine.

"What happened?" Sonar asked as he walked into the room where the mad scientist and the Black Chaos were.

"The lasers seem to be having an affect on Sonic," Kazu explained as he pointed at the blue hedgehog who was now on his knees. He was breathing heavily and was silently cursing under his breath. His spiky, blue quills were now drooping next to his arms.

"They must have a side effect on Sonic," Sonar explained.

"More like taking his energy," Eggman mumbled. "Speaking of Sonic, what happened to his friends?"

"They're half burnt and in acid as we speak." Sonar answered with a grin.

Sonic's eyes widened. What? He...he couldn't have have killed them! They're too strong...I know them too well!

"He did kill them, Sonic," The dark sinister voice inside his head spoke. "And his voice screams out that he enjoyed their slow and painful death,"

"That bastard," Sonic said between his teeth. The blue hedgehog was now trembling, he couldn't withstand his anger any longer.

"Just let me out, Sonic," The voice urged. "Only you can let me out right now. If you do, you'll be able to destroy that lizard for what he did with your hidden power."

It was tempting, but Sonic didn't know if he could trust this voice or not. He tried ignoring it, but it was difficult since it was right inside his head.

"I think Sonic should follow them now," Sonar said with another grin. He approached a lever on the control panel and wrapped one his gloved hands around it.

"You bastard!" Sonic yelled as he managed to stand up. His anger was uncontrollable. If it wasn't for the lasers that held him, he would have attacked, but all he could do was yell insults. "You couldn't have killed my friends! They're too strong, even against the likes of you!"

Sonar let out a laugh. "They were weak, just like you, Sonic. Face it."

The blue hedgehog clenched his fists tightly. His green eyes seemed tired because of the energy drain, but he still had rage to fuel him up.

"Just do it, Sonic. Just one attack and he'll be dead. Prove to him that you can defeat him!"

"No," Sonic insisted. He was angry, but that wasn't going to stop him from thinking before acting. Sonar believed that the answer was for the previous statement that he had given the emerald eyed hedgehog.

The green lizard grasped the lever tightly and then pulled down, sending a huge, light blue, almost white, power beam at Sonic. Eggman then turned a knob to twenty-five percent, making the beam of light grow in size.

Sonic let out a yell in pain as he fell onto his knees. He continued to do so until Sonar lifted the lever up.

"I dare you to say that again," Sonar warned.

"Sonar," Kazu said in a bored tone. "can't you just kill him with a full blast?"

"Torturing is better. Now, Sonic, say that again."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sonic asked. He was running out of breath and out of time. He had to find a way out.

"Let me out, Sonic! With me on your side, you'll be unstoppable!"

"No!" Sonic yelled as he grabbed his head in attempt to pull that voice out. Sonar once again pulled the lever and Eggman raised the power level to fifty percent. Sonic was screaming in pain, not just because of the beam that was hitting him, but also because whatever was inside of him was getting stronger everytime Eggman increased the beam.

"Did you hear that?" Blaze asked the rest of the crew.

"What was it, Blaze?" Silver asked.

The lavendar cat turned around, ears perked. "It sounded like Sonic screaming in pain."

"They're killing him!" Amy cried in horror.

"Follow me," Blaze ran towards the direction of the scream.

Sonic collapsed after the seventy-five percent power beam. He was exhausted and in pain. The voice on the other hand, seemed to be growing stronger.

"This is your last chance, Sonic. Either you let me out so you can kill that son-of-a-bastard or I'll rip myself out. It's your choice."

Sonic clenched his fists tightly, trying to get up, only to fall back.

"Who the hell are you?" Sonic said, his voice out of breath.

The voice let out an evil, spine-chilling laugh. Sonic knew then and there that it could not be trusted.

"Well, Sonic," Sonar spoke. "It was nice meeting you, but now it's time to go our separate ways...and you probably know which way you're going."

Sonic's tired, green eyes widened as he managed to kneel. He couldn't die. Not yet. He watched as Sonar clenched the lever again and Eggman turning the knob to raise the power to full blast.

Sonar smirked. He wanted to place more salt in the blue hedgehog's wound. "You were just like your father."

Sonic's ears perked. Father?

Then, just seconds before the green lizard pulled the lever towards Sonic's doom, an explosion at the door caused Sonar to pause. Amy, followed by Blaze and the rest came in, ready to fight.

"Guys!" Sonic called out. He couldn't believe that all of them were alive!

"Let him go," Shadow said as calmly as he could but Kazu only laughed.

"Not when we're just seconds from finishing them off, I'm afraid."

"Eggbots! Attack!" Eggman yelled. About twenty robots came in in just seconds to distract the heroes. The doctor then turned back to Sonic who was deep in thought about what Sonar had said. "What are you waiting for, Sonar?" Attack him!"

Sonar nodded and, without hesitation, pulled down the lever. Sonic could only watch as the beam was shot towards him for the final time. His friends froze in horror as they saw their beloved hedgehog friend get hit.

"Sonic, no!" Amy screamed in horror.

"At last!" Sonic could hear the voice inside of him say with an evil laugh. "I have enough power to break free from the cage of your body!"

Sonic opened his eyes forgetting about the pain being inflicted on him. "W-What?" He studdered. His emerald green eyes suddenly flashed to a crimson red. His sapphire blue fur kept on switching to a midnight blue and back. He felt something taking over.

"Your frustration...that powerful beam hitting you...it's painful for you but it fuels me with the power I need to break free from this prison! I can finally come out!"

"Sonic!" Amy cried as she ran towards him but stopped when the light surrounding the blue hedgehog suddenly deepened it's color until it was a dark purple.

The explosion of the purple light destroyed the machine that held Sonic prisoner and it sent his enemies and his friends crashing towards the wall. Sonic slowly descended on the ground, his midnight blue fur and pupil-less eyes gleaming due to the purple aura around him. It was the side of the hedgehog that Amy was hoping never to see again.