Metropolis Mayhem Act 2
Sonic was no stranger to chases. In fact, it was one of his favourite moments during a mission. He loved it when SWAT bots detected and attempted to apprehend him. After all, they hadn't a hope of catching the Blue Blur, given he could run several blocks away before they could say 'Priority-One-Hedgehog!' True, sometimes, these chases had led to him taking a few laser burns to his back, but those had been lucky shots; very lucky.
And today, Robotnik must have been very, very lucky indeed.
Sonic peeled out of Metropolis, taking Manic and Sonia with him. As the wind whistled through his fur and quills, the blue Hedgehog prayed to Gaia that his challenge had worked.
"Sonic!" cried Sonia.
Sonic glanced back, and sure enough, there was Robotnik chasing after them in his flying, egg-shaped pod. And with surprising speed too! The laser cannon on the pod's belly was glowing, ready to fire.
Thinking quickly, as he always did, Sonic darted left. The laser blast blew a large crater in the ground, sending rock, mud and grass flying everywhere.
"Whoa! Big blast!" Manic cried. "Don't stop, bro!"
"Like I was ever planning to!" Sonic retorted. He knew he had to lead Robotnik somewhere where collateral damage would be minimal. His brain flicked rapidly through South Island's various locations. He also side-stepped quickly to his left to avoid another shot from Robotnik.
'Sunset Plain!' Sonic decided. 'Enjoy this chase while you can, Buttnik! 'Cause soon, I'm gonna turn it around!'
As they entered Green Hill once again, Sonic leapt up and ran along the cliff face next to them. A laser shot blasted chequered rubble into the air, just behind them. Sonic wavered up and down the wall. Then, he ascended to the top of the cliff. Sonic leapt over the top. He caught the landing, and ran on. The hero turned his feet to a route out of Green Hill. Robotnik followed.
Manic and Sonia just couldn't stop marvelling at their brother's speed. They had heard many stories about Sonic's velocity. And they had seen how fast he could go just hours earlier. But nothing compared to actually sharing in the running experience. They've described it to me as like being on a launched roller coaster: with the wind rushing through your fur and hair, your heart pumping in a frantic rate, and an intense rush of adrenaline.
Sonic continued to zig-zag left and right to dodge being atomised. Despite Robotnik using Sonic's quill to track his movements, the boost courtesy of the Ring gave Sonic just that little extra boost to swerve clear of each blast. However, it was still very close; close enough to somewhat singe the Hedgehogs' fur and clothes. Sonia, unsurprisingly, took issue with this.
"Can't you go any faster?!" she yelled over the rush of wind.
"I'm going as fast as I can!" Sonic protested. "No one's ever caught up to me before!"
He ducked another shot. It hit a nearby palm tree. Its trunk was blown apart. Coconuts fell like large grenades. Sonic had an idea. He leapt into the air. He, Manic and Sonia kicked coconuts at Robotnik's pod. They impacted on the canopy of Robotnik's pod and burst open. Milk spilled all over Robotnik's field of vision.
"Lost visual contact!" Robotnik snarled, pulling back on the throttle to slow down.
Seizing their opportunity, the Hedgehogs acted.
Releasing Manic and Sonia, Sonic curled up. He shot at the Pod like a cannonball.
Manic picked up several bits of loose earth, and flung them at Robotnik.
Sonia reached out with her mind to where the remains of the SWAT bots she had crushed earlier lay. In seconds, they were flying through the air towards Robotnik in a great cloud of debris.
The attacks all struck the Robo-Pod at the same time. It buckled and dented primarily from the barrage of earth and metal. For a moment, it looked as though the Hedgehogs had won. But then, Robotnik course-corrected his Pod. Green and pink lightning sparked along it. The Hedgehogs stared in trepidation.
"My turn!" sneered Robotnik. Next moment, the same pieces of earth and metal Manic and Sonia had used were lifted into the air by streams of green and pink energy. But Robotnik went one step further. The pieces of earth and metal merged into what were essentially improvised maces.
"Leg it, bro!" Manic yelped. Sonic already had. The Blue Blur was going back to his original idea of luring Robotnik to an open desert. At least there, Robotnik had fewer things to throw at them.
The first mace attack flew towards them, metal gleaming. Sonia and Manic looked round and saw it coming toward them at high speed. They glanced briefly at each other and nodded.
Neither sibling could yet explain how they knew what to do with these strange powers. But now was not the time for questioning it.
Both siblings extended a hand each. Next moment, the mace was sent flying back at Robotnik.
"Return to sender!" Manic called.
Robotnik grinned. "I'm afraid this sending is non-returnable!" The mace went soaring for the Hedgehogs again. This time, two more accompanied it.
Sonic sidestepped left and right to avoid the maces as they impacted, one after the other. Dirt and metal flew everywhere. Some dirt splattered the three. Flying metal grazed them in places.
As Sonic avoided the third one, Robotnik fired his laser at the spot where Sonic was stepping to.
Next moment, the ground beneath Sonic's feet exploded. He, Manic and Sonia were thrown up into the air. Taking advantage of their momentary vulnerability, Robotnik sent a fourth mace their way.
As Manic's world turned over and over, he spotted the incoming mace. In a panic, he threw out his hand and waved it frantically about. The mace diverted in mid-air. It crashed into a nearby plateau.
Sonic had lost count of how many times he'd thanked Longclaw and Rotor for giving him his friction-proof sneakers for his 12th birthday. This durability not only prevented them from wearing out - no matter how fast he ran - but it also meant they could withstand severe punishment. And that included a near-hit from Robotnik's laser. He wouldn't have to watch his speed.
Angling his body, Sonic propelled himself back towards the ground. Somersaulting, his sneakers touched down gracefully. Sonic quickly zipped left and right to catch his brother and sister. Then, he took off again.
"Nice landing, bro!" Manic praised.
"Easy when you know how!" Sonic replied smugly.
By now, they were heading out of Green Hill. They were now entering a wide-open area nestled between high hills and the coast.
Sunset Plain is so named for its beautiful view of the sunset. No matter where South Island moves in the Mid-Mobian Ocean, it always faces westward. It's mostly covered in grass and other assorted shrubbery.
Sonic continued to serpentine. Laser blasts and earth-metal maces flew after them. The latter were quickly retrieved by Robotnik to throw again.
Now that the fight was in a wide-open area, it was time for Sonic to turn things around.
"You sibs ready to fight?" he inquired.
"Ready to juice and reduce!" Manic answered.
"What he said," Sonia added.
"Alright!" Sonic exclaimed, as he stopped to let them down. "But for the record, Manic; that's my line."
With that, Sonic shot towards the oncoming Robo-Pod in a Spin Dash. Halfway towards the fast scientist, however, he instinctively veered to his right. Sure enough, Robotnik suddenly appeared in front. He had tried to avoid Sonic like last time. Only this time, it failed.
Sonic slammed into the Robo-Pod. The Pod was knocked back. Robotnik was caught off-guard by Sonic's strike. This allowed Manic and Sonia the chance to reach out with their minds. Manic managed to seize of the earth maces and pull it away from Robotnik. Sonia separated the metal from it.
Robotnik shook his head to clear it. He prepared to counterattack against Sonic. Unfortunately for him, his Pod was suddenly rattled again. Something had hit him hard! This was followed almost immediately by the sound of scraping metal.
He didn't have to look far to find out what it had been. Manic had punched the Pod hard with the mound of earth that encased his fists. Sonia was brandishing a sword crafted from the metal she'd taken.
"Impressive, Hedgehogs," Robotnik complimented. "Quite an accomplishment, I must say! That Ring has done you good! But it shall afford you naught in the end!"
"You wanna test that theory, Robotnik?" Sonic dared, his legs bent in preparation for running.
"Always," answered Robotnik. He pressed a button on his control console. Two mechanical arms extended from the ship's underbelly; giant, armoured limbs with powerful, crushing hands.
"And I'm afraid the odds are in my favour!"
South Island Metropolis
A Balkiry shot towards Longclaw. It intended to skewer her with its beak. Instead, the Badnik got its wing sheared off by the Owl's talons. It plummeted to earth. Longclaw narrowly missed being shot by a SWAT bot from below. However, some of her feathers were scorched. In retaliation, Longclaw swooped towards it, her beak extended. Unfortunately, her aim was a tad off. The SWAT bot grabbed her leg. Another pounced on her, pinning her down.
"Unhand her at once, you walking scrapheaps!" Rotor yelled. He charged into the SWAT bot pinning Longclaw down. The 'bot released Longclaw at once. It attempted to shoot at Rotor with its laser as they grappled together on the ground. Slamming one knee into its neck, Rotor grabbed the arm with the laser. He tore it right off. The 'bot tried to jab at Rotor with its other arm. He caught the fist and crushed it. The Walrus then grabbed the 'bot's head. He ripped it free with ease.
"More spare parts," he muttered contemptuously.
Antoine stood back-to-back with Morain Blackthorn. They deflected laser shots with their swords. A SWAT bot came charging at them, firing rapidly as it came. Antoine's breath quickened significantly as he tried to keep himself calm. As soon as the 'bot was close enough, he thrust out. His blade penetrated the 'bot's armoured chassis. Morain followed with a decapitation strike.
"Good move, D'Cooletté!" she complimented.
"Merci!"
Morain pounced towards a SWAT bot, her sword raised for an overhand strike. Antoine covered her six. When a Balkiry swooped towards Morain's back, Antoine lifted his right leg. He kicked out, striking the Balkiry squarely on the beak. The Coyote winced as vibrations shot up his leg. In truth, he'd expected his leg to break. But it did not. Nevertheless, he still winced.
"Oooohhhhh, I'm going to be feeling zat in ze morning."
"You can walk it off, D'Cooletté," Morain advised, rather dismissively.
Bunnie drew back her robotic fist, her feet evenly spaced. As a SWAT bot bore down on her, the cyborg Doe threw a mid-punch at it. The impact sent the 'bot staggering back into its fellows. Two more 'bots opened fire on Bunnie. She activated a shield on her robotic forearm. The shots ricocheted off in various directions. Some hit other 'bots through careful angling. Once Bunnie tired of deflecting shots, she activated her arm cannon and returned fire. One bot lost its head. The other got a large hole blown through its chassis.
The ground trembled. Behemoths stomped towards Bunnie. Bunnie knew what to do. She bent her legs and charged forward. The Doe ran at the nearest Behemoth. She bounded into the air. Her left foot came out. It slammed into the Behemoth's head, which buckled inward. The 'bot toppled over with a crash. A second Behemoth shook its claw out towards Bunnie. She bounded upwards again. She soared through the air. Both feet slammed down on the Behemoth's head. She then fired on it for good measure, and then bounded off before it exploded.
Sally, Errol and Hurit were engaging Sleet and Dingo. The Princess, sword master and protégée were essentially pin-balling between the two bounty hunters.
Sleet parried an overhand strike from Errol with his extendable bar. Sally aimed a roundhouse kick at the Wolf. He twisted his body sideways to dodge. Sleet made to grab Errol's sword and twist that to disarm. But the Fox deftly dropped his sword, bent double and then slipped away. This left Sleet open to a knife hand cut from Hurit. It hit him across the muzzle. The Wolf staggered. But he rallied quickly enough to block a thrust from Hurit's rapier.
Dingo attempted a belly-flop to flatten Sally. The Princess ducked out of the way. She followed up with an elbow strike to Dingo's back at a specific point. Pain shot through the muscular Canid. He sprang with a snarl and threw a punch. Errol deflected it, and then kneed the bounty hunter in the stomach. Dingo coughed once or twice. But he rebounded and sent out a kick. It caught Hurit in the back. Though her shell absorbed most of the impact, she was sent flying forwards onto her face. Sleet pounced on the Turtle and seized her around the neck.
"I advise you surrender," he warned, "or we'll see if that long neck of hers is as durable as her shell!"
Hurit struggled against his half-nelson. "Let… go of me!" she gasped.
Errol raised his sword warningly. "I don't make deals with bounty hunters!"
"And you'll just kill her anyway the moment we surrender," added Sally. "That's so often how it is with creeps like you!"
She elbowed Dingo hard in the solar plexus as she spoke. The orange Canid had tried to grab her from behind.
Sleet pretended to pout. "Oh, you wound me, Princess. Do I really look like someone who would lie about this?"
"Your behaviour has hardly done you some favours," Sally noted coldly.
Sleet shrugged. "Ah well; guess this Wolf's about to make Turtle so-AAAAAHHHHH!"
Hurit had just bitten down hard on Sleet's upper arm. The jaws of a Softshell Turtle can produce a bite hard enough to rip through flesh and bone. From what she's told me, Hurit prefers not to lose this bite when fighting, because of the aftertaste that ripping into robots can leave in it. So she was clearly desperate enough to employ that bite now. And it was lucky for Sleet that Hurit hadn't given her full biting power, and that the Wolf was wearing armour. Otherwise, he'd likely have lost an arm. As it was, the bite was strong enough to cut deep. Hurit wriggled free from Sleet's grasp, spitting blood from her mouth.
"Urgh, gross!" she spluttered, wiping her chin. "How do vampires like this stuff?"
Sleet was livid. "Now you've done it!" he snarled, his eyes popping.
"No one hurts my partner without answering to me!" agreed Dingo, who had just got up again.
Sally, Errol and Hurit stood back-to-back, ready.
"Would an offer of surrender suffice as an answer?" Sally quipped, a hint of mockery in her voice.
Sunset Plains
Manic made a pillar of earth shoot up from the ground. It hit the underside of the Robo-Pod. The craft was sent shooting upward. Robotnik was jarred in his seat, but remained focussed. Channelling energy from Manic's quill, he raised one of the Pod's arms. It slammed a fist down onto the pillar. The subsequent seismic force shook Manic off his feet. Sonic, too, stumbled from the tremors. Robotnik used this opening to fire at Sonic again. But a piece of metal flew in to catch the blast. Sonic was able to catch himself and run clear.
Robotnik turned his gaze to Sonia. She was somersaulting through the air towards him. Her heel came down onto the nose of the Pod. There was a loud THUNK! The Pod dipped forward. Robotnik's chin nearly hit the control yoke as he lurched forward.
"That's for Lady Windermere," Sonia hissed.
"And this is for Mobius!" Sonic added, as he shot in with a Spin Dash. But he was caught by one of the Pod's massive hands. The Pod span in a circle and threw Sonic at Sonia. The two siblings were sent skidding backwards. Sonic narrowly missed being skewered on Sonia's sword.
"Hey, watch it!" cried Sonia. "This is my favourite dress!"
"Well, sorry that Buttnik just threw me at you, Princess!" Sonic retorted.
Manic drew his drumsticks. Charging them with green energy, he sent them spinning at Robotnik. He followed this up with a hard stomp of his foot. Energy surged through the ground. Robotnik batted away the drumsticks. But the seismic burst caught him from below. Sonia quickly followed this up with a charging thrust. Her sword pierced the side of Robotnik's Pod. Sonic finished with another Spin Dash.
The Pod flew backwards. Robotnik dug the hands into the ground to slow him down. Deep grooves were left cut into the soil.
"You know, Hedgehogs," grunted Robotnik, as he righted the Pod, "I'm actually glad you have some hang over your powers. It just makes this whole thing so much more amusing!" His grin widened. "Though I notice, Sonic, that thus far, you haven't used your lightning ability yet."
Manic and Sonia glanced at their brother. That was true. Why was Sonic not utilising his lightning?
Sonic tensed at this. Trust Robotnik to bring this subject up now! But he didn't need his lightning to win this fight! He and his siblings had this in the bag.
"You sure about that, bro?" inquired Manic.
Sonic ignored this question. He shot at Robotnik again with a Spin-Dash. The scientist caught the blue Hedgehog in one giant hand.
"Is it me, or is the Fastest Thing Alive no longer so fast?" Robotnik taunted.
Sonia leapt at Robotnik, her sword prepped for a thrust. Robotnik raised the Pod's free hand. Next moment, Sonia froze in mid-air. Her sword was wrenched from her grasp, and she fell to the ground.
Manic stepped up to unleash another surge of energy through the earth. But Robotnik beat him to it. The green Hedgehog was thrown up into the air. He landed in a heap on the ground.
"Oh, come now, 'your Highnesses,'" taunted Robotnik. "Three young Hedgehogs against one old man! This is pathetic!"
"Yeah, that you think you can win against all three of us!" Sonic grunted, struggling against the crushing grip of the Pod's mechanical hand. He'd always been tough, but Sonic was sure that if the hand gripped any tighter, his bones would snap!
"Ho, ho, ho, I don't think that I can, rodent," Robotnik sneered. "I know I can! But fret not. After all, I'll be reuniting you with your parents and your beloved uncle. So why resist?"
At these words, Sonic, Manic and Sonia felt their stomachs twist into knots. Sonic felt a familiar dread that he hadn't felt since their last trip to Robotropolis come bubbling to the surface again. And a familiar memory came up too.
"Uncle Chuck…"
"Sonny-boy… I'm sorry… this is all my fault…"
"Why so solemn, Sir Charles? After all, you're serving a new, much better leader now: me!"
"ARGH!"
"Uncle Chuck, no!"
Manic and Sonia heard and saw the memory too: the sterile, lifeless-looking room; the pitiless, evil sneer on Robotnik's face; the Roboticizer flashing to life… the light blue, middle-aged Hedgehog crying out in pain as he was Roboticized… worse of all, Manic and Sonia felt the horror and fear that Sonic had felt that day, and still felt now.
Sonia was again reminded forcibly of how Lady Windermere had shared that same fate. Manic worried whether Ferrell had also been stricken with such enslavement.
All this accentuated the worst fear of all: that their actual parents had been Roboticized too!
Sonic didn't give in to fear so easily - being a hero and all - but Manic and Sonia's fear, in addition to his own, was so great that even he was overwhelmed for a few moments.
"Ah, the sweet sight of fear," Robotnik leered. "It never gets old…"
These words snapped Sonic back to his senses. He pushed the fear away, and re-focussed. "It's gonna take more than words to trip up these Hedgehogs, Buttnik!"
Robotnik's leer grew wider. "Then, perhaps harming your friends will make a good ankle-sweep for you."
And with that, Robotnik blasted off in what was unmistakeably the direction of Metropolis.
"Hey, get back here, you coward!" Sonic shouted after him. Quickly zipping around to grab Manic and Sonia, the Blue Blur took off after Robotnik.
South Island Metropolis
Sally flew through the air and smashed through the window of a nearby house. The Princess shook her head to clear it. Several glass shards fell out of her hair. A few had cut into her skin. Yet, somehow, they didn't feel very deep, and the Chipmunk-Squirrel hybrid didn't feel any pain.
I have a feeling that will come later Sally thought.
The residents of the house, a family of Flies, approached to help Sally to her feet. But before anything could be said, the door burst open, and Dingo barged in.
"There's just a morsel of my fury!" he snarled, as the Flies backed away in terror. "Either you yield now, or you get the main course!"
"I'm not hungry!" replied Sally coldly.
"And neither am I!" yelled Rotor, as he grabbed Dingo unexpectedly around the neck from behind. The huge bounty hunter staggered back. He scrambled at the Walrus' strong arms. Taking advantage of this distraction, Sally darted forward to throw a few punches into Dingo's solar plexus and liver. Hopefully, this would disable the Canid before Rotor strangled him.
Dingo doubled over from Sally's blows. With his face brought down to a more accessible level, Sally clapped the bounty hunter hard on both temples. Unconsciousness was immediate. Dingo collapsed to the ground.
"And stay down!" Rotor growled.
Sleet was snapping fiercely at Hurit. He was clearly determined to get back at her for the bite. But Hurit was ducking and sidestepping his lunges. She then riposted with her rapier, aiming for Sleet's gut. At the same time, Errol slashed out with his own sword at Sleet's back.
Sleet twisted his body to the side to avoid the rapier. He caught Errol's sword arm with his wrist. The Wolf threw a back kick at Hurit and a punch at Errol's solar plexus with his free arm. Neither attack truly found their mark. Hurit caught the sabaton-clad foot. Errol copied Sleet's twist-dodge.
All this left Sleet open to attack. Morain was quick to exploit. She darted in and struck the Wolf hard over the head with her elbow. The Wolf hit the ground, dazed.
"And let that be a lesson to you!" Morain hissed.
Sally and Rotor came up, dragging Dingo behind them with some effort.
"Let's get something to tie these guys up," Sally suggested. "And quickly, before someone or something comes to their rescue."
"Don't jinx it, Sally," Rotor warned. "Why not just let Errol and Morain here finish them off?"
Sally scowled. "We don't allow that, Rotor."
"And besides," Errol added, "there's no honour on striking down a defenceless foe. Anyway, they're just bounty hunters on hire. It's not like they're Robotnik or anything."
Rotor looked away. "Like that makes them much better," he muttered.
Sally spoke into her com-link. "Antoine, Bunnie, come in. What's your status?"
'We've just taken out the last of the Badniks, Sally-girl,' Bunnie replied.
'Grimer ees… proving… quite ze resilient one 'ere,' Antoine noted. Sally heard the sound of a sword cleaving metal, followed by Grimer's falsetto snarl.
'Die, filthy animals! None shall stand before the mighty Robotnik!'
"Just hang on, guys; we'll be there as soon as we can," assured Sally. "Longclaw, how are things skyward?"
A Balkiry crashed to the ground a few feet away, making Sally start. Longclaw perched on top of it, smiling.
"You tell me, erm, Sally," she replied.
Sally rolled her eyes. Sometimes, she forgot where Sonic got his wit from.
"Please don't do that again, Longclaw," Errol requested, panting slightly. "You almost scared the pelts off us!"
Longclaw's smile faded a little. "Sorry… I forgot how… vigilant you are… Errol," she mumbled.
"Aunt Sally! Aunt Sally!"
Everyone looked up. Tails was flying backwards towards them. He was firing his laser gun rapidly. Sally was about to reprimand Tails for again joining the fray despite being told otherwise, but such scolding died in her throat when she and the others saw who was zooming towards them.
"Robotnik!" she cried. "Get down!"
They all hit the dirt as Robotnik whizzed over their heads. Their pelts rustled rapidly from the Pod's velocity. They looked up to see the Pod turn in a long arc to face them again.
"Hello again, Freedom Fighters," he greeted. "Tell me; how serious are your injuries? I hope they're not too bad. Otherwise, I'll have less pain to inflict!"
"Hey, Eggman!" Sonic raced in to join his friends, Manic and Sonia in tow. "Do you know it's rude to run away from a fight before I've properly kicked your fat keister?"
"I fancied a change of pace," Robotnik leered. "And to improve the odds in my favour!"
And, channelling green energy, he felt tremors throughout the whole town. Buildings already damaged began to crack. One or two even collapsed completely. Several civilians promptly ran outside in terror. They then ducked behind rumble to avoid being seen by Robotnik.
"Hey, leave them out of this!" Sonic demanded. He charged with a Spin Dash, which Robotnik evaded "Your fight's with the Hedgehogs, Buttnik!"
"Yeah, they've done nothing to you!" Manic added vehemently, throwing his drumsticks.
"The aristocrats did 'nothing' as well," Robotnik countered simply. "They were simply… collateral damage. Such is the way of the world…"
At this, Sonia, hissing in fury, picked up several things of metal and proceeded to fling them at Robotnik. But even as she raised her arm to point at Robotnik, all of a sudden, the fuchsia Hedgehog's body became several times heavier. Sweat began to trickle down her forehead. Her knees buckled.
"Sonia!" Sonic and Manic cried. Both hurried towards her. Unfortunately, at that moment, Manic too was stricken by a rapid drop in his metabolism. He collapsed over Sonia, dazed and confused.
"Manic!" Sonic exclaimed. He didn't understand. How was this happening? He still felt as fine as a tuned guitar!
"Looks like your dear siblings have decided to take a rest," Robotnik sneered. Behind that mockery, however, was intrigue. So, amplification courtesy of the Ring was only temporary, like when one has an energy drink. Well, he was sure he'd find a way around that.
"Guys, get up!" Sonic begged.
"I… I can't," Sonia gasped.
"Oh, my head," Manic groaned, clutching his skull. "It's like my quills are piercing my brain…"
Sonic winced as a similar, but less intense, sensation shot through his own head. Unfortunately, this distraction, brief as it was, was just what Robotnik needed.
"Sonic, look out!" Sally warned. Tails flew towards his big brother, but too late! Robotnik took aim with his Pod's laser cannon. He fired. And this time, Sonic had nothing to defend himself with!
Sonic grabbed Manic and Sonia and tried to leap clear. But the laser struck him in the middle of his back.
Sonic was blown off his feet and sent skidding and rolling with his siblings down the road. Smoke furled up from his back, along with a faint smell of burned fur.
"Ouch…" he groaned.
"SONIC!" Sally screamed.
"Observational evidence indicates that you're beaten, rodent," Robotnik chided as he advanced on the Hedgehogs.
A laser shot struck the side of the Pod. It lurched slightly to the side.
"Observation evidence shows that you are lacking in situational awareness!" Tails retorted, his pistol still smoking.
"Tails, run!" Sally urged.
"Yes, Tails, this is no place for a little boy!" Robotnik taunted, turning his Pod's cannon on Tails. The Fox quickly flew out of harm's way. But he wouldn't have been able to escape Robotnik's cannon.
Fortunately for him, Robotnik was caught off-guard when Errol and Morain jumped up onto the Pod, their swords raised. They stabbed down hard on the wings, hoping to sever them. Robotnik quickly manipulated the Pod's controls to shake them off. Unsurprisingly, Errol and Morain held fast to their swords. Hurit was latched to the bottom with her clawed hands and feet, stabbing with her rapier.
Rotor snatched up a SWAT bot's fallen rifle. He and Tails started taking pot shots at Robotnik, ensuring they didn't hit their allies. The Fox was merely trying to cripple Robotnik's engines. But the Walrus was determined to kill the evil scientist if he had to!
Longclaw employed a similar tactic. She swooped low over Robotnik at regular intervals, swiping with her talons. Robotnik received quite a few scratched to his bald scalp.
Sally waited for the right moment. She then jumped at the Pod as it passed close to her. As luck would have it, she landed near Robotnik. Preoccupied with avoiding swoops and laser shots, trying to throw off his three unwanted passengers and programming something into his Pod's controls, Robotnik was astounded to see Sally almost face-to-face with him.
"Hello, Robotnik," the Princess greeted dryly. She then slugged him hard in the face, cracking his glasses. "Now surrender!"
But at this, Robotnik lost what little patience he had left.
"ENOUGH!" he roared. He stabbed at a button on his dashboard. Next moment, a burst of electricity was released in all directions. Sally, Rotor, Errol, Morain and Hurit were blasted away. Tails and Longclaw only narrowly escaped being hit. That said, Tails was zapped by a single bolt of lightning. His tails suddenly went numb and he fell. Longclaw caught him.
"You meddlesome animals have been thorns in my side for far too long!" Robotnik snarled, his eyes glowing completely red behind his cracked pince-nez. "Such a shame, really. You have such potential and you waste it on fruitless efforts like this! No wonder Mobotropolis was so easy to conquer…"
"Leave them alone, Eggman!" called a familiar voice.
Everyone looked round. Sonic had struggled to his feet. His back was still smoking. Manic and Sonia were still down. But it was clear none of them were out just yet.
"This is between you… and us, like I said!" Sonic declared, with some difficulty as he clutched at his back. "Especially me!"
Robotnik smirked satisfactorily. "And why exactly is that, Hedgehog?" He surreptitiously activated a signal that broadcasted Sonic's words throughout the town.
"More or less," Sonic shrugged. "You may have been drawn here by Chaos Energy… but it's my responsibility to protect this Island… from the likes of you and your rusty, worthless 'bots. I accept that I failed at that." He took a deep breath. "Regardless, I'm going to kick your rotund keister off this Island, whatever it takes."
Robotnik laughed. "Heroic words, Sonic. How fitting, then, that they'll be your last."
Manic and Sonia staggered to their feet, emboldened by their brother's words.
"Not so fast, Buttnik!" cried Manic. "If you want to kill Sonic, you'll have to kill both of us as well!"
"That's right!" agreed Sonia. Her face creased for a moment as she thought of Lady Windermere. But as she glanced at Sonic and Manic, the prospect of dying didn't scare her as much as she thought.
"If I must die today, then I'm glad that I got to know… my brothers!" she declared boldly.
Robotnik, laughing mockingly, simply aimed his cannon and fired.
But even as galvanized energy shot at the three Hedgehogs, and their friends and the observing civilians all cried out in despair, there was a sudden blinding flash of multi-coloured light that engulfed the Triplets.
I honestly wish I had been there to witness this incredible moment at that moment in time. Of course, I've been told about it by eyewitnesses, and I have also actually seen the moment itself through a… certain gift I have. What gift is this? You'll learn about it in a later story.
In any case, you know there's nothing like actually seeing it in person. And for Sonic's friends, it was one of the most awesome moments of their lives; up to that point, anyway.
Sonic, Manic and Sonia stood bold and tall, holding hands. Their eyes glowed neon blue, green and pink, as did their quills; though flashes of each other's colours were there too. Lightning crackled across their whole bodies. A virtual storm was gathering around them.
Everyone stared in amazement. Sleet and Dingo, who had just regained consciousness, were completely awestruck. Grimer, having hurried to re-join his master while being pursued by Antoine and Bunnie, did a double-take when he arrived on the scene. Even Robotnik was stunned.
While as astounded as everyone else was, Longclaw was also beaming with pride.
"You might want to stand back, everyone," she advised. "This could get messy."
The Freedom Fighters, civilians and Robotnik's followers hastened to obey.
Sonic, Manic and Sonia felt more powerful than ever before. Each could feel what the other two were, almost as if they were all sharing one body. Yet, it felt almost enlightening. In that moment, Sonic had no shame about his lightning powers anymore. Manic knew he could do anything as long as he was with his siblings. Sonia saw past the other two's… less than civilised habits, and accepted them as her brothers.
"I believe you have something that belongs to us!" said Sonic boldly. They knew where Robotnik was getting their power from.
As one, the three Hedgehogs extended their arms, and reached out with their minds to the quills they now knew Robotnik was using.
Next moment, blue, green and pink energy came streaming out of the quills and towards the Triplets. Robotnik was caught off-guard. The Pod's power levels were dropping rapidly. He pressed buttons frantically to whatever the Hedgehogs were doing, but it was no good. Soon, the capsules containing the quills cracked. The quills themselves no longer glowed.
"This is our power," Sonic proclaimed. "I'm not going to hide any of my powers anymore. Now, we are going to use it to protect our friends!"
"Our family!" put in Manic.
"And our home!" finished Sonia.
Robotnik shook his head, snapping out of his stupor. So, the Hedgehogs were tapping into their full power, without any kind of amp? This should prove an interesting study.
Robotnik slid his goggles down over his glasses. He pressed a button, and hatches opened all over the Pod, revealing several missiles. Each missile activated a laser designator. The designators moved along the ground until they found and rested on the three Hedgehogs. None of them attempted to move out of harm's way.
"Show me what you've got, Hedgehogs," Robotnik dared.
That was all Sonic, Manic and Sonia needed to hear. Still holding hands, they crouched in a sprint-ready position - their hands resting on the grounds, arms straight, dominant legs bent up to the torsos and their heads facing the ground.
As Robotnik primed his missiles ready to fire, the Triplets raised their heads. Their collective gaze fixed squarely on Robotnik.
In that moment, the rest of the world fell away. To the combatants, it was just them: Sonic, Manic and Sonia with their melded minds; and Robotnik with his monomaniacal obsession with these three fascinating creatures.
Robotnik stabbed the fire button. The missiles launched, streaming towards the three Hedgehogs.
Sonic, Manic and Sonia took off, as if sound of the missiles launching was the firing of a starting pistol.
They ran as one towards Robotnik. They dodged one of the missiles as one. They jumped over other missiles. They sent some ricocheting off in various directions (making sure no one else was hit). They blocked one missile by raising a mound of earth. Two more were crushed into a pulp.
Sonic, Manic and Sonia dodged to their right. They leapt at the wall of a nearby house. They then angled themselves towards Robotnik and sprang towards him like bullets.
Robotnik barely had time to register what was happening before three glowing balls hit the side of the Pod with tremendous force. Robotnik lurched in his seat.
The Triplets bounded off another house and struck again. One of the engines was damaged.
As Sonic hit the ground, he flung Manic and Sonia forward. Manic made mounds of earth strike the Pod twice from below. Robotnik's bald head was smacked against the canopy both times. It became three, as Sonia slammed the Pod down on the ground.
Robotnik tried frantically to process what had just been done. But before even his incredible brain could do so, Sonic struck the Pod a third time. Then, a fourth time. Next came another seismic hit; followed by a slight implosion.
Joining hands again, Sonic, Manic and Sonia launched themselves at the Pod and began bouncing between it and the buildings over and over again, getting faster and faster as they went. Sonic always struck with his Spin Dash. Manic jabbed with his drumsticks. Sonia used either his fists or feet, which seemed to inflict the most damage.
By the time, they finally stopped, alarms were now blaring inside the cockpit. Robotnik was dazzled and disoriented from the rapid attacks and the alarms.
"Hey, Eggman!" called Sonic, Manic and Sonia in unison. "Hope you like your eggs fried and extra crispy!"
And as one, they unleashed a blast of blue, green and pink lightning at Robotnik. Robotnik was half-blinded by the glow that enveloped him. But he knew his Pod wouldn't last much longer. Fortunately for him - and unfortunately for our heroes - he knew exactly where the eject button was.
Robotnik stabbed the button. The canopy blew off. His seat shot upwards and away. At that exact moment, the Pod exploded. And Robotnik didn't fully escape the blast's radius.
As the smoke cleared and the dust settled, everyone stared at wonder. They could hardly believe what the three Hedgehogs had done.
Manic and Sonia could hardly believe it either. They especially couldn't believe how exhausted they were. As if the fatigue that had struck them before the final fight against Robotnik had been bad enough…
Both siblings collapsed to the ground on either side of Sonic.
"You alright, sibs?" asked Sonic, concernedly.
"Oh, we're so gonna need a good long rest after this," Manic gasped. Sonia nodded before she fainted. "How are you still standing?"
In truth, Sonic felt drained as well, though not as much as his brother and sister. "Eh, you get used to such adrenalines rushes. You'll learn with time, bro. But you guys were amazing out there. Daresay: you were as cool as I am."
Manic smiled, before he too passed out.
Sonic turned back to the fading smoke. There was one last thing to take care of.
Robotnik emerged slowly from the dust. Alas, he was still alive, but his skin and suit were soot-blackened and smoking. As he sat up, shaking his head to clear it, Sonic stepped forward, grinning.
"You lose," he declared boldly.
Robotnik snarled, baring his yellowing teeth. "This isn't over, blue boy!"
Sonic shook his head, somewhat exasperated, but mostly amused. Would this egghead ever learn?
Sally staggered up to stand next to Sonic. "It is over, Robotnik. Now, surrender, and we'll go easy on you!"
"I won't," Rotor hissed.
Robotnik's snarl turned into a wicked grin. "You think I'm going to surrender to a bunch of terrorists like you? Oh no. I don't go down that easy!"
"We'll see about that, Egghead!" Sonic said. And he launched himself towards Robotnik in a Spin Dash to knock him out. Or at least, that's what he tried to do. But Sonic had barely gone forwards a few metres, before his strength also left him in a flash, and he blacked out.
"Sonic!" the Freedom Fighters cried.
Robotnik saw his chance. Heaving himself to his feet, he activated jets in his boots and lifted off into the air.
"Know this, Freedom Fighters!" he announced, as he lifted off into the air. "I know where your island haven is now! And I will find it again! You haven't seen the last of Ivo Gerald Robotnik! I will triumph!" He spoke into his com-link. "Grimer, call in a full retreat."
'Sire, are you sure you-?' Grimer began uncertainly.
"Don't you dare question my authority!" Robotnik hissed. "Do it!"
'Yes, sire!'
"You're not going anywhere!" cried Longclaw, as she flew after Robotnik.
"You sure you don't want to check on your dear little rodent?" Robotnik taunted. "What if he dies because you weren't there to help him?"
Longclaw looked between him and her comatose foster son on the ground. She groaned in frustration. "Next time, Robotnik, you'll taste the wrath of my talons!" And she swooped back towards the ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, Robotnik saw Sleet and Dingo sneaking away under cover of the Freedom Fighters concern for the Hedgehogs. He'd have some 'bots pick them up. Robotnik spared one last look at the Hedgehogs. He was honestly impressed by how well they'd utilised their powers against him. They'd make fine additions to his robot army.
Still, that didn't change the fast he'd just been utterly humiliated by them…
"I hate those Hedgehogs!" Robotnik spat venomously, as he began his long flight back to Robotropolis.