Before we begin this chapter, I wanted to thank those who spotted my inconsistent gendering of Shadow in the previous chapter. I have since gone back and updated it. Shadow is a woman in this fanfic and is referred to as she/her. Apologies in advance the next time I mess this up.
Onward!
Chapter 42: Super Prison Bros
This time, the military wasn't going to take any chances.
"Don't ya think this is a lil' overkill?" Sonic asked as he peered down at his multiple arm cuffs.
"What, and let you escape like last time? Ha!" The soldier sitting opposite from him peered out the window of the military helicopter, currently over the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. "Soon you'll be behind bars for good."
"But I didn't do anything!" Sonic protested. "I can honestly say you got the wrong guy."
"Oh yeah? Who else could've single handedly aided Dr. Eggman in escaping from prison while taking down every single soldier in his way? Do you think my men and women are lying when they provided their own accounts of seeing your treasonous acts?"
"No, you don't understa—" Sonic was interrupted as a soldier sitting next to him aggressively pressed his taser against Sonic's hip. The blue hedgehog screamed as electricity was sent down his spine and through his quills.
"Save it for your attorney." The soldier peered through the window once more, ignoring the smell of burnt fur. "We're almost there. Men, get into position."
"Sir, yessir!" They all shot up, with the two on either side of the alien hedgehog grabbing him by the arms, forcing him up just as the helicopter was making its descent.
Not far behind was a second helicopter where a similar squadron of military personnel were transporting Sonic's orange-furred accomplice.
"But you've gotta believe me!" Tails protested, trying to gesture with his arm only to be thwarted by the chains binding them. The soldiers even took the time to lock his namesakes down to prevent the kitsune from causing shenanigans with his twin appendages. "Sonic didn't break Eggman out of jail!"
"I make it a habit not to argue with suspected terrorists," said the soldier sitting across from Tails.
"Am I not innocent until proven guilty?" Tails asked. "Isn't that what's in the Constitution?"
"I'm not sure the Constitution even applies to your kind," the soldier replied with a grin. "In any case, it's an open and shut case. Sure you'll get your trial, but you're as good as convicted already. You're gonna be a tired ol' geezer by the time you're free."
"And Eggman?" Tails furrowed his brow. "Eggman is plotting his next scheme while Sonic, the only one who can stop him, is detained. If we're not let out soon, Eggman will wreak havoc on this world!"
"The United States military is the strongest in the world! Ain't no crackpot scientist gonna take down an entire state-of-the-art military." He grinned once more.
"The military has been ineffective at capturing Eggman thus far," Tails argued. "In fact, if not for Sonic, he wouldn't have been apprehended in the first place!"
"Quiet, furball!" He shook his head. "Besmirching the US military like that…it's blasphemy! Next thing you know you'll be spouting satanic attacks against our Lord and savior."
The orange fox knew when it was time to shut his mouth, and not wanting to test his limits further, he sat back in silence as the helicopter made a safe landing on the second helipad.
"Move!" The soldiers positioned on Tails' sides forced him up, marching him out of the helicopter. Through the whooshing sound of the helicopter blades, the young fox could hear the ocean waves crashing over the rocky coast of this small, isolated island.
"Sonic!" Tails called as he was led toward the prison facility. He was soon walking alongside the blue hedgehog.
"Hey lil' bro, long time no see!" Sonic gave his little brother a wink, as his hands were currently too tied down for him to do his signature thumbs up.
"I've gotta say," Tails replied as he peered back at the locks on his namesakes. "They went a little overboard with the cuffs."
"All I know is that if they had a movie playin' last time, I probably wouldn't have jumped out."
Their banter ceased upon entering the building, getting led down a long hallway into an old shower facility.
"Step inside," ordered the commanding soldier.
"Treating us to a bath? Thanks, but we don't need one," Sonic replied.
"I said…step…inside."
"Okay, okay, geez…"
"Now turn around so we can remove your clothes."
"In front of my brother?!" Sonic complained with a smirk. "Can't we at least get a little privacy?"
A squad of soldiers trained their machine guns on the two brothers.
"Okay, okay…message received, I guess…" The two Mobians spun around to face their captors. Two of them tugged at their sneakers and gloves until they were removed. A third soldier brought out a large hose. Giving them no warning, the soldier started spraying the blue hedgehog with a thick white foam.
"Ow, my eye!" Sonic complained. "What even is this stuff?"
"It seems like a delousing agent," Tails replied, "but the need is archaic by modern standards, both in our world and on Earth. Seems they think we're some wild animals or somethi—" Tails was interrupted as his face was doused with the foam. "Owwww, my throat! It burns!"
Sonic and Tails were provided no relief, and their cries were left unanswered by the soldiers. They simply ordered them to turn around so they could cover their backsides as well. Once they were finished, the soldiers sprayed them with a heavy fire hose, nearly causing them to fall back. Finally, they were dried with towels, but the soldiers were hardly thorough at all, leaving Sonic and Tails' fur nearly as drenched as it was when they were getting doused.
The brothers were then led to a separate room, where they were handed pairs of orange jumpsuits. They were too large and baggy for Sonic, but Tails encountered an even more inconvenient problem, one that stumped the soldier who was pulling the pants up the orange kitsune's legs: there was no spot for Tails' namesakes. Thankfully a resourceful guard found a solution; pulling out his Swiss army knife, the soldier made two holes for his tails, barely allowing the fluffy appendages to fit through, but this makeshift solution did the trick nevertheless.
"And this is why I don't like wearing pants," Tails complained.
Still wet from the shower made worse by their new outfits, the prisoners were led to an elevator that descended downward until they reached a floor with transparent glass walls, allowing those on the inside to see the depths of the ocean all around them. The flickering lights painted a path that Sonic, Tails, and the soldiers followed, all the way to a large, single jail cell made of iron bars at the end. There was but one bed, a sink, a toilet, and a large wall with various scribbled notes which, to the untrained eye, appeared to be nonsense, the ravings of a madman formerly imprisoned here.
Sonic and Tails' cuffs were removed shortly after they were led inside the cell. Locked inside, the soldiers left them alone, returning to the elevator.
"What lousy accommodations," Sonic commented as he peered around. "Couldn't even give us the decency of having our own beds. Guess we'll need to share, huh?"
"Our sleeping situation is the last of my worries, Sonic," Tails replied. "I'm worried about what's happening above…" Sonic and Tails peered through the glass, up toward the surface of the water where the sun reflected a glistening glow.
"We have folks on the inside who can help sort this out," Sonic replied as he placed a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Besides, if the government really wanted to harm us, they would've sent us to Area 99 or somethin'." Sonic yawned and stretched his arms. "Say, I'm tired after that fight with Shadow. I think Imma hit the hay."
Tails seemingly ignored Sonic's announcement, instead still staring out into the watery void beyond.
"If it'll make ya feel better, then check this out." Tails shifted his attention to his big brother, who approached the door of the open cell and wrapped his gloveless hand around it. "This feels ancient, and the soldiers were nice enough to remove our cuffs. I could break us out anytime with a spindash."
"That seems like such a massive oversight," Tails replied. "It makes me think they want us to try escaping…or maybe they're so confident we'd have nowhere to go that keeping us here would be sufficient."
"Look how well that worked out for Eggman," Sonic replied as he crawled into bed.
"Yes, but would the military really think that Eggman would come rescue you? I mean, they think we saved him, so I guess it's possible…"
"No offense, lil' bro," Sonic replied with a smirk, his head propped up with the bed's only pillow, "but you're worrying 'bout this too much. Let's at least rest a while to recover our strength. What do you say?" The blue hedgehog scooted to the side of the bed and patted the open spot reserved for the orange fox.
"Well, I guess you're right…" Tails crawled into bed, sharing the pillow with Sonic and pulling the comforter over the two of them. The thin sheet wasn't adequate, so the resourceful kitsune used his own namesakes to provide extra warmth for both Sonic and himself.
And with that, the two brothers fell asleep, knowing that, while the situation remained grim at the present, the fact they had each other ultimately meant that everything would be all right.
Christopher Thorndyke, the son of one of the wealthiest families on the face of the Earth, and the kidnap target of the evil Dr. Eggman, was no more. In place of the kid formerly known as Chris was now the lifeless metallic robot which resembled the young boy; it had a brown, spiky helmet serving to emulate his hair, and his torso and legs were in similar color to his former clothing. The robot maintained a stern, unmoving stair, unable to blink, a permanent scowl etched across his artificial face, no will of his own.
No, the boy that was formerly known as Chris was now gone, replaced by the obedient, robotic version of him which served only one purpose: tending to the needs of his evil master.
"Metal Chris! Get me a Hot Pocket!"
The commanding sound of Eggman's voice awoke Chris from sleep mode. Acting on command, with no free will of its own, he approached the kitchen of the Egg Carrier, pulling out a Hot Pocket from the freezer, removing it from its plastic wrapper, and placing the snack in the microwave, heating it up until it was properly warmed. Finally, Chris poured a tall glass of iced Baja Blast, a favorite of Eggman's, before returning to the living quarters of the evil genius himself.
Chris placed the plate and beverage off to the side of Eggman's desk as he was meticulously focused on his computer screen, one gloved hand on his mouth while the other rested on his keyboard. Taking a sip of his Baja Blast, the doctor proceeded to take a bite out of his Hot Pocket. His face quickly contorted.
"Owww, oww, hot, hot, hot!" He chugged the entire cup of soda to cool down his mouth. "Chris! You baka! You put my Hot Pocket in the microwave for too long! I order you to cool it down in the freezer and return it to me when it is at optimal temperature."
Without a response, Chris took the plate and returned to the kitchen.
"Not only was Chris a dumbass in life, but his stupidity carried over to his robot form as well…" Chuckling at the thought, Eggman returned to his game, the sound of his mouse and keyboard clicking filling the room.
The door to Eggman's room opened again, revealing Shadow.
"Doctor…" The ebony hedgehog peered around Eggman's arm. "What is this thing you're doing?"
"Why this?" Eggman replied. "Why this is a videogame. It's a fun little break from worldwide conquest. You can do and be anything you want in a videogame!"
"…so you're…chopping down a tree?" Shadow pressed her gloved finger against Eggman's monitor.
"Why yes!" Eggman replied. "Have you ever seen me perform any sort of manual labor in real life?"
"We literally just met," Shadow replied. "Besides, I didn't come here to watch you play on your computer."
"Very well, just let me deposit my wood at the bank and put some pure essence on the Grand Exchange…" With a few more clicks, Eggman logged out of Runescape before centering his full attention on the ebony hedgehog. "So? Did you eliminate Sonic just as I asked?"
"Not quite," Shadow replied.
"Not quite?" Eggman questioned as he yanked the Hot Pocket from the plate carried back into his room by Metal Chris. "Explain yourself. You had one simple task!"
"Don't get me wrong, Doctor," Shadow replied. "I agree the task is quite simple. Had I not left when the military arrived, I would've been able to finish him off rather easily, but after fetching Chris for you, I discovered Sonic and his fox friend turned themselves in."
"The military turned against Sonic? Why, that's perfect! Now we can continue collecting the Chaos Emeralds without further interruption." Eggman returned to his computer to visit a news website. He nearly squealed in excitement as he read various headlines that made it clear the military thought he was assisted by Sonic instead of the ebony hedgehog when escaping from Prison Island.
"Oh, the irony! It's delicious…Wooahhooohoohooo!" The bellowing laughter of the evil genius ricocheted off the walls of the evil doctor's bedroom. "This world is going to pay for not only the crimes against my grandfather, but also the crimes committed against me, the one they should be bowing to at this very moment!" Eggman twisted his chair around once more, refocusing his efforts on the ebony hedgehog. "Pull up your wristwatch communicator."
"Yes sir," Shadow replied as she raised her arm, a gold wrap around her wrist with a large, square-shaped display screen.
"Be sure to use the app I recently installed that will allow you to pinpoint the locations of the missing Chaos Emeralds." Shadow's current location already had two pins, one for the yellow Chaos Emerald and one for the green gem currently in the ebony hedgehog's possession.
"Here you go, Doctor," Shadow said as she pulled the gems from her leather vest pocket, which were snatched up by the evil doctor without so much as a thank you.
"Two down, and only five to go!" Eggman exclaimed.
"If you don't mind me asking, master," Shadow replied. "Just…what sort of revenge are you plotting against the humans of this world?"
"Why that one is easy!" Eggman replied as he ran a hand across his chin. "Since my grandfather was murdered 50 years ago, the inhabitants of Earth have not only increased their population density but also their technological prowess. Unfortunately for them, however, their advances will not be enough to fend off the might of Dr. Eggman!" The evil doctor laughed once more. "I will be commandeering the Space Colony Ark!"
"What use would you have for a derelict vessel?" Shadow asked.
"For starters," Eggman replied, "the ship is equipped with a planet-busting laser blaster. It'll need some tune-ups, but even if I don't need to utilize it, the simple threat of using it on the various inhabited regions of the world would make the entire United Nations come together and agree to give me anything I want. Of course, just to make things interesting…" The evil doctor peered out his window at the moon rising from the horizon. "I'll make my threat known by destroying a part of the moon! That should be more than enough evidence to convince the leaders of this planet that they must bow to me…or suffer."
"Doctor Gerald Robotnik's Eclipse Cannon had only been described to me in passing once more before," Shadow replied. "Maria told me this cannon was built as a defensive mechanism in the off chance the humans were to stumble upon hostile alien life or get attacked by other nations who didn't wish to see the United States dominate in space."
"Well now that the US all but abandoned this vessel, we shall see to it that a Robotnik takes the helm once again." Eggman furrowed his brow. "You now know your assignments! Shadow…" The evil doctor shifted his focus to the ebony hedgehog. "Use the Chaos Emerald radar app to identify the remaining five Chaos Emeralds. As for you, Metal Chris…" Eggman pointed toward the robot, who was now standing at attention.
"Now, your main task…is to go after Sonic and Tails. They may be imprisoned now, but that doesn't mean they won't be released later. After taking them out while they're most vulnerable, I want you to bring them back to me alive. I want to see the helpless looks on their faces when I roboticize them…"
Metal Chris simply nodded in agreement before making his way out of the bedroom and to the deck of the flying Egg Carrier, where he dove off the airship, activating his jetpack to make a beeline for Prison Island.
"Ah yes…it's finally coming together." Eggman performed one final billowing laugh before returning to chopping down trees to max out his tree cutting skill.
Shadow scoffed as she left the bedroom, approaching the deck where Metal Chris jumped from not long before. "Is this really the descendant of Dr. Gerald Robotnik? Sure he looks similar, but he's far more…sporadic and bordering on the diabolical." She folded her arms as she stared across the horizon, the sun beginning to set in the distance. "But still, Eggman is the key to fulfilling my mission. Maria's wish was for me to seek revenge on the inhabitants of this pitiful planet who made her suffer, and I'll fight to the death to ensure her final wish is fulfilled.
Shadow reached into his quills to pull out a Chaos Emerald, but while searching, she remembered giving her two to Robotnik. Shaking her head, the ebony hedgehog decided to take the scenic route, diving off the ship headfirst as she began her quest for the nearby third gem.
"Hey, has anyone been able to get a hold of Tails?" Helen asked as she set her phone down on her lap.
"Nope," Amy replied. "Calls to the Tornado and the Miles Electric are all going to voicemail. Strange. Tails left hours ago, and Sonic's nowhere to be found either."
"I sure hope they're doing okay," Cream said.
"Chao, chao…" Cheese's face was downcast as they sat on Cream's lap on the sofa in Tails' living room. The party recently finished folding up and putting away all the sleeping bags previously left around the open area. Amy paced back and forth while Helen tried calling again. Knuckles was leaning against a nearby wall.
"Ohh, this is hopeless!" Amy exclaimed before sitting down next to the young rabbit and turning on the television. "Hopefully a lil' TV will keep me distracted."
"This is Scarlet Garcia with breaking news!" The reporter shifted paperwork in her hands before turning her attention back to the camera. "The military has apprehended Sonic the Hedgehog and his friend Miles Prower in connection with Dr. Eggman's escape from Prison Island." The news report transitioned to aerial footage of Sonic and Tails getting led into police helicopters.
"Oh no!" Cream exclaimed. "How could they do that!? Sonic and Tails are innocent!" Bokkun wrapped his arm around her shoulder for emotional support.
"We now go live to a press conference from the White House," Scarlett concluded before live footage of the President started broadcasting.
"My fellow Americans," President Michael K. began. "Today, I authorized the United States military to initiate a momentous step in ensuring our national security remains on solid ground. With undisputed evidence that Sonic the Hedgehog helped free Dr. Eggman from prison, we apprehended him and his friend Miles Prower, and they are now on Prison Island, where they will be detained pending trial."
"Mr. President," began one of the reporters. "Can you release evidence that Sonic was culpable in Eggman's escape?"
"That information is strictly classified," Michael replied, "but it's evidence that me and my security personnel have independently corroborated. After performing a risk assessment, we determined that, given the unprecedented act of freeing a terrorist from prison, it would be safer for the American people to keep him detained."
Another reporter asked, "What are your plans for going after Dr. Eggman?"
"The Secretary of Defense has been collaborating with Boeing to develop new military technologies commandeered from Eggman upon his original capture that will be used to track him down and take him back into custody," Michael replied.
"Mr. President, but what about…"
The reporter's question was cut short by the commander-in-chief himself. "No more questions. My press secretary will disseminate further declassified information as it becomes available." With a nod, Michael stepped away from the podium, met with a shouting match of questions from the various journalists and reporters hoping to hear more substance.
"Well that's just bunk," Knuckles said. "One second they were willing to work with us to get the drop on Eggman, and now they're accusing Sonic and Tails of aiding him?"
"Something's fishy," Helen replied. "Amy, have you been able to get a hold of Rouge?"
"No, she's still not answering," she replied. "Out of all the times she'd be useful, she's nowhere to be found!" She shook her head. "Do you know if we can at least visit them in jail?"
"I'm afraid not," Helen replied. "Prison Island doesn't take any visitors. It's usually reserved for the worst of the worst, and I can't even begin to imagine how to get an attorney involved."
"All the while Eggman still lurks out there," Knuckles replied as he pulled himself from the wall. "We need a plan."
"Our original course of action was to collect all the Chaos Emeralds," Amy replied, "but the Chaos Emerald detector is with Tails, or was with Tails, and if we encounter Eggman at all, we'd be at a disadvantage without Sonic to help us."
The group pondered to themselves in silence. Cream sniffled as tears still dripped from her face while Amy stared at her boots in thought.
Finally, Helen spoke up.
"…We need to rescue them," she declared.
"I'm down," Knuckles replied as he threw some air punches. "One second, the humans pretend to be on our side, but then they double cross us the next. They're no better than Eggman."
"Hey, that's not all true," Cream clarified. "Helen's human, after all."
Knuckles scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I suppose you're right, but that doesn't make their government any less corrupt."
"Generalizations aside," Amy said. "We can't just waltz in. We'll need a plan, one that won't get us all killed."
"Yeah, and what about transportation?" Knuckles added. "I can only glide for short periods of time. We need to find a way to get to Prison Island safely.
Just as Knuckles concluded his statement, a small rumble came from the garage.
"What was that?" Helen asked as she spun around. The party went to the garage, where they found the large garage door leading to the airstrip opened.
"That's weird," Amy opined, "nobody was here to open it."
"Look!" Cream exclaimed, pointing outside.
The party gasped as they saw the unmanned Tornado biplane flying back to the workshop. They moved out of the way in time for the descending plane to land on the airstrip and make its ultimate stop inside the garage before turning itself off.
"I don't believe it," Knuckles said. "Why would the Tornado fly itself?"
"Tails must've activated the remote auto-pilot function which instructs the plane to fly home after a certain period of inactivity," Helen replied.
"You know what I'm thinking?" Amy asked as she gently elbowed Helen's side. A smirk grew across her face.
"Yes, I know exactly what you're thinking," Helen replied with a smile of her own. She pulled out a spare set of biplane keys from the zipped compartment of her wheelchair.
"Let's do this."
Thanks again for reading! In the next chapter, we'll explore whether Helen and Amy's rescue mission will be a success…and if they're met with unexpected company.
In the meantime, feel free to give this chapter a review! If you're wondering what I'm up to between chapters, feel free to follow me on Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Discord, and my other social medias (listed on my profile).