Chapter 7: Gateway Getaway Failures, Restarting From Scratch.

2059 Robotnik Enterprises Time Research Lab Gateway Room.

Sonic: Alright lets–

WHACK!! Sonic gets smacked upside the head by a large mechanical tentacle! He sprung back to his feet after.

Sonic: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!

Sonya: What happened?!

Sonic: I'm looking at a tentacle the size of a Buick!

Sonya: Wait. A tentacle?

Sonic was indeed looking at a large mechanical tentacle. It looked like a cross between the tentacles that Doc Oc used in Marvel comics as well as the ones he built in Insomniac's Spider-Man PS4, but REALLY messed up!

Sonic: It looks like one of those mechanical tentacles Eggman was using to help him build and maintain his robots, but REALLY messed up!

Sonya: Just watch out for them, there might be more.

Sonic: Believe me, whatever is trying to kill me at ANY time, there is ALWAYS more! I need to get to the Hydroponic Jungle!

Sonic zips back through the room where his regen pod was, but he was stopped in his tracks by ANOTHER tentacle blocking his way!

Sonic: These tentacles keep showing up!

Sonya: Well, that's interesting…

Sonic: You know, I'm glad you have some sort of scientific detachment, but I gotta ask the million Ring question. Why are there Time Gateway repair parts IN A JUNGLE???

Sonya: Just trust me, okay?

Sonic: "Trust me" says the voice in my head. You know, this is how serial killers get started…

He sighs then takes a look at the tentacle before he Homing Attacks the claw end, causing it to slip away.

Sonic: Huh. Welp, that'll.be handy.

Sonic zips through a room with a shock floor, having to jump across several lights before he stops at the end, trying to pry the door open.

Sonya: Oh, before I forget, when you get the parts? Keep them seperate. Otherwise you'll have to deal with energy feedback.

Sonic: And what kind of feedback are we talking about here?

Sonya: The explosive kind.

Sonic: Oh FANTASTIC.

He said sarcastically, but kept moving, having to make several turns due to tentacles blocking his way but their claws were not in sight.

Sonic: By the way?

Sonya: Hm?

Sonic: Thanks.

Sonya: … For what?

Sonic: You know. For bringing me back from the dead. Now I know how Shadow felt. And Captain America. And Spider-Man. And Jean Grey. And Colossus. And–

Sonya: Just don't die again and we'll call it even.

Sonic chuckles a bit to himself as he comes to an empty hallway… But then Quantum Causality kicked in, turning it from a nice, easy hallway to one with turrets and a door that required a pass key!

Sonic: SKY! What just happened?! What is THAT?!

Sonya: What are you talking about?

Sonic: I had a nice, easy, smooth hallway in front of me, AND IT JUST TURNED INTO A FUCKING OBSTACLE COURSE!!

Sonya: Huh. Welcome to my world. Literally. You're seeing Quantum Causality in action.

Sonic: Weird… So can you help me from the present?

Sonya: Which present? You're in MY present. You mean your PAST present? Or my present FUTURE?

Sonic: … This is payback for me not listening to you, isn't it?

Sonya: Mhm.

Sonic: I'd say you're petty, but I deserve it.

Sonya: Oho ye– wait what?

Sonic: You heard me.

Sonya: … Well shock, now I feel bad…

Sonic: Don't feel bad.

Sonic managed to keep the conversation while simultaneously dodging turret fire. The turrets were not making this easy but he fixed that real quick by smashing into them. Nice to know that they're still piss easy to break in the future! After a bit more running around, he finds the pass key, then uses it to open the door to the Hydroponic Jungle.

Sonic: Okay, I'm almost there. What now?

Sonya: Alright, there are three adjacent rooms in the jungle. There's an energy regulator in each one. Take the part that looks like an atomic battery.

Sonic skids to a stop.

Sonic: ATOMIC?!

Sonya: It'll be fine. As long as you remember the batteries are fragile, and if they touch each other…

Sonic: I'm screwed.

Sonya: Not right away, but yeah.

Sonic: Okay, got it.

Sonic zips into the first room, finding the regulator protected by lasers!

Sonic: So how do I get the lasers offline?

Sonya: You can grab the part safely once you disable the three terminals surrounding it.

Sonic: Okay, why are these things always in 3's?

Sonya: I have no idea.

Sonic: That's just gonna bug me now for the rest of the day.

Sonic sighs as he plays laser tag, disabling each of the consoles for the first room, then he grabs the battery. Then he zips out of the room, hopping across the, admittedly stunningly beautiful jungle to reach the next room, repeats the processes there, grabs the battery then he zips out. As he did this, the jungle started to lose its beauty.

Sonic: … Damn.

Sonya: What?

Sonic: Later!

Sonic zips into the last room, finding that due to low power, its security was disabled, and as such he grabs the last battery, but nearly has them make contact!

Sonic: WHOA! Almost forgot about Sky's warning about making sure they don't touch… That was close. Sky! I got all three! I'm good to go!

Sonya: Then do it! Head back to the Gateway room!

Sonic: On my way!

Sonic zips out of the room, and as he did, he looks at the nos dead and lifeless jungle…

Sonic: Huh. Those batteries must have been important. This jungle's starting to look like Sandopolis!

Sonya: Couldn't be helped. The parts are rare, we need them more than we do the Hydro Jungle.

Sonic: Still looked beautiful…

Sonya: Oh yeah, it was a marvel of how sometimes science and nature can work hand in hand.

Sonic smiles, dashing through the jungle and making it back to the area with the now destroyed turrets… Then four tentacles show up!

Sonic: Oh, DAMMIT! Sky, the suicide squid's back–

SMASH! The tentacles shatter the bridge and cause the door to malfunction!

Sonic: … And it just annihilated my only way out– Wait, maybe not, it looks like another path opened, down in the sewers.

Sonya: I hope you're being careful with the batteries.

As if to curse Sonic, the batteries make contact with one another, and thus the energy build up begins. SHIIIIIIIIT!

Sonic: Uh oh. Um… Sky? Remember how you told me to make sure the batteries don't touch each other? Well, let's just say, just for the sake of argument, that didn't work out. Just how big of a bang are we talking here?

Sonya: It'll crater Metropolis. Why are you ask– wait. Don't tell me…!

Sonic was already hopping through the sewers at high speed!

Sonic: Is there ANY way to reverse it?!

Sonya: NOT FOR YOU THERE ISN'T! GET TO THE GATEWAY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!!

Sonic was freaking out at the idea of the future, and potentially, the past becoming nuclear wastelands, so he wasted no time in the sewers but unfortunately was blocked by tentacles!

Sonic: Damn, more tentacles! If I can't get past them in time… (Thinking) Whew. Smells like a sewer in here. Better keep moving.

He cleared the tentacles out. As if reading his mind, speakers turned on and a all too familiar feminine voice spoke.

???: My my. A blast from the past. Such an active little hedgehog. Brings back so many memories… You aren't supposed to be here, you know.

Sonic skids to a stop just before he exits the sewers.

Sonic: That voice– That VOICE…! It sounds like… Nah, it couldn't be.

???: The security systems told me you were here. And you've been very naughty. But just keep running, Hedgehog. I'll be right with you, so we can relive old times.

Sonic: Must be the speakers distorting it. By the way, who puts speakers in the sewers anyways? What's up with THAT?!

Sonya: Less talking, more preventing a nuclear meltdown!!

Sonic: Sorry!

Sonic dashes out of the sewers and up a shaft, landing back in the regen pod room. He zips right into the Gateway room after, setting the batteries down.

Sonic: I'm here! Now what?

Sonya: Throw the batteries through, one at a time. Tossing them through the energy stream should reverse the energy build up, but if you toss them in all at once, it'll trigger the–

Sonic: OKAY, I get it!

Sonic throws the first battery through the gateway.

Sonic: Any idea why Eggman's tentacles keep coming out of nowhere?

Sonya: He might still be alive. He could be caught between dimensions and is trying to get out.

Sonic: Or drag us in!

Sonic throws the second battery, then follows up with the third one.

2023 Robotnik Enterprises Time Research Lab Gateway Room.

Sonya caught the first two batteries in spite of the fact that Ivo's tentacles were trying to attack her. She soon caught the last one, and placed them all in their needed spots. She lands on her feet and dusts her hands off as the tentacles disappear. They'll be back. She was sure of it.

Sonic: Have you got the new batteries in place?

Sonya: Yep. Just need to activate the breakers.

Sonic: Good plan.

The sounds of nearly 150 guards loading their rifles and taking aim at Sonya filled the room as her ears twitched.

Sonya: … Without getting shot.

Sonic: Ooh, better plan.