Hunting the Hybrid (Pt. 2: Hedgehog in Sight)

"Could you possibly go any slower?" Racko growled as he looked back at the huffing crocodile. Vector sat beside a running stream, cupping water into his gloved hands and pouring it down his parch throat.

"Sorry, Commander Racko, sir, but I'm not that fast of a runner." the croc explained. The Sharpscale snorted before looking at the moving water, slightly admiring his reflection. Black horns were bent back at a certain point and was in a shape similar to a lightning bolt. His tortoise like face was complimented with two pearly white fangs that shone even in the current and sat on top of a muscular alligator like body and thick lizard like limbs. He slashed at the water with ebony colored claws, frightening some of the fishes while a few were unlucky and were punctured in the side. He roasted the fishes with his own fire breath before eating them in a few quick bites. Having his fill, he sniffed the air and quickly got to all four.

"Get up lackey, just got a new scent on the target ad its fresh. He just." Just to prove his point, a sonic boom was heard in the distant and a blue streak was barely seen through the trees, "He's toying with us I think, I like that. Makes the chase more interesting." Without a second thought he jumped over the stream and dashed through the forest, leaving the croc in a red blur. With a quiet growl he let a hand smack his face, similar to the way when he's about to yell at Charmy for being so annoying, and mumbled a few curse words. A rustling sound of a few bushes shaking caused him to slide his face and turn in the direction of the noise.

"Who's there, show yourself. I promise not to bite." He almost yelled in fright as a yellow and black blur dashed out of the bush and toward him, causing both figures to fall into the stream.

"Charmy, stop, he's bring controlled by the..." Tails started shouting as he, Shadow, Amy, and Rouge stepped out from the bushes ready to fight, but instead was shock at the scene playing in front of them and the conversation the bee and the reptile were having.

"Charmy, why are you out here. There might be some more Sharpscales lurking around here. You might blow my cover." the croc said as he attempted to pull the youngest member of the Chaotix off of him, which was hugging him tightly.

"You weren't controlled by those aliens." Charmy asked, looking up toward the leader's face.

"Of course not Charmy. Believe that little laser of their must have had malfunction of something. I understood that most of the reptiles that are being controlled stared at it for a good ten seconds. I only gave it a three-second one so it doesn't effect me." the croc explained, giving a toothed grin as he succeeded to pull the kid off, "Anyway, we got to hurry, Racko just saw Sonic dashed off in that direction. If he finds him first then who knows what would happen to the planet."

"Yeah, the heat tracker picked up the new trail." Rouge stated as she looked at the screen of the small orb, "We better get going guys, Racko is not that far from him."

(With Sonic)

"Why is all of this happening three days after the incident. Why is everyone after me?" Sonic said to himself as he looked at the setting sun, a small smile growing on his face.

"Because you are quite powerful." the blue hedgehog turned around, an air ball formed in his right hand as he watch a red Sharpscale approach, "Easy, there, I just have a message for you."

"Sonic, don't listen to him." The two beings turned toward the nearby forest as a red and black ball flew out, hitting Racko in the face in sending him a flying a few feet away. Shadow quickly uncurled as the rest of the gang rushed out, "The Sharpscales are only going to use you."

"It is not your place to make decision for myself, hedgehog." the blue one growled as he sent the air ball toward his counterpart, forcing Shadow to jump away as the ground he was standing on early turned into a huge smoking hole from the impact. He was sent flying toward the group as Racko charged into him.

"You insolent pest, how did you...that crafty chameleon, he sat me up." the Sharpscale growled before jumping to the side, a set of explosive shuriken were thrown in front of him. He turned his back toward the forest as he watch Espio revealed himself, "What the..." the alien reptile glanced back as someone picked him up.

"Gotcha sucker." Vector stated with a smirk as he tossed the Sharpscale to the ground, the dirt piling up in front of his face as he skid to a halt, "That's payback for earlier."

"I thought you guys tried to not blow your cover." Amy stated as she pulled out her hammer.

"My cover was blown anyway, but Vector, even I didn't know you weren't under their control." Espio explained.

"You!" Sonic shouted as he stomped up to the chameleon, "Where is it?!" Espio took a step back in surprise at the hedgehog's sudden outburst.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Sonic yelled, "Where is the chip?!" Espio's eyes widened in realization before searching through his glove and pulling out a small computer chip.

"Oh this, you dropped..."

"Yes, yes, I know, just hand it..." Sonic didn't have a chance to finish as Racko charged at the Espio, sending them flying a few feet away. The ninja rolled a few more feet before getting back to his feet, and gasped slightly as he saw the chip vulnerable on the ground. Racko approach, stopping in confusion as he looked down, seeing the little bits of metal sticking to his hands.

"You idiot." Racko didn't have a chance to reply as he was quickly sent flying into a tree. He groggily stood up, only to feel a gloved hand squeeze around his throat and lift him up in the air, back pushed against the tree as he stared in fear at the slitted dark green eyes, "That chip contained everything I needed to know about what I'm supposed to be." Sonic growled as he tightened his grip.

"B...but...Lord Scazer...c...can...help you..." the Sharpscale stated as he struggled for air. Before the hedgehog could respond, the ground shook as several robots marched out of the forest, some dropping out of the sky while others hovered above, each with the familiar Eggman symbol engraved on them.

"Hohoho, I guess I'm not too late to stake my claim am I." Eggman stated as he hovered above the large army, twirling his mustache as he shot a grin at the blue hedgehog.

"Oh great another idiot joined the party." Sonic growled in annoyance.

This day just keeps getting worse and worse.