Part 1
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Wind blew across a field of flowers, breaking the silence. Tails stared at Knuckles before speaking. "You promise you won't kill anyone?"
Knuckles nodded. "I won't kill anyone while we're out there. Not today anyway."
Sonic shrugged. "I guess I can live with that. Tails, Knuckles has a plan to rescue Amy. But we need your help."
"I trust Knuckles to keep a promise. As for Sonic." Tails turned to Sonic. "I know you did a lot of bad things, but you rescued me. So you can't be that bad."
Sonic's face changed, like a load had been lifted off his shoulders. Knuckles nodded. "All right. Here's the plan. Sonic's gonna distract the guards by breaking into the police headquarters, while you mess with the security system. That's when I go in and rescue Amy. Then we shut off the electricity. I just need a second to open the door to Amy's cell. An emp should do the trick."
Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Yeah about that. How do you plan to get an emp?"
"Yeah. I'm still working on that. You have any ideas?" Knuckles said.
Sonic thought for a moment. Then his eyes lit and he snickered. "You know. I just might." He looked at Knuckles a little embarrassed. "Though I might need you to bail me out."
"If this works. I think Amy and I can get you out of there no problem. We just need Tails to help us escape out the door." Knuckles turned to Tails. "Can you handle that."
Tails looked uncertain. "Maybe. I'll let you know when I'm ready. But this is a pretty big risk."
Sonic closed his eyes. "Sometimes that's just what it takes."
"All right." Tails nodded. "I'll do what I can."
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Part 2
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A pink hedgehog sat in a room lined with metal walls. The only exception was a glass wall with a door locked with an electric panel. Several people in lab coats. Every so often one would point some sort of laser at her and write something down. She'd been in here for 8 months, with no one to talk to. Her hair was a mess, her clothes were covered in filth, and she hadn't been able to take a bath the entire time. She was caged like an animal. She was even given a food and water bowl like some sort of pet. She could feel her sanity slipping away every day, but all she could do with sit. She'd tried escaping, but it never worked. At first she always looked out the glass wall, hoping something would change, that someone would come. But they never did. She just sat on the floor of an empty room, staring a metal wall.
She knew it'd just be a matter of time before she started hallucinating. And today seemed to be that day, because she could've sworn she heard Knuckles. But she knew that couldn't be right. He couldn't break in here, and he was probably dead by now anyway.
"Hey Amy! Are you listening to me!?" Knuckles voice rang through her ears again. But she knew it wasn't real.
"Oh hello Knuckles." Any sighed. "I supppose you've come to rescue me." She laughed, what a joke. That Knuckles would be here. Next thing you know, Sonic would show up.
Knuckles yelled at her. "Hey! Look at me will you!?" Knuckles voice rose further as Amy sat there. "Do I have to drag your sorry butt out of there! Come on!"
Amy felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see a red echidna in front of her. He Was this real? She gaped for a few seconds before her wrist was pulled over his shoulder. Knuckles grumbled. "Come on! Even Sonic's more useful than you right now!"
Nope, definitely hallucinating. There was no way Sonic was helping her escape. "Yeah. Ok. Sure."
Knuckles voice changed. "Hey Amy. Are you all right? You seem...off."
"Just waiting to wake up I." May thought for a moment. "I guess I'll try and enjoy this dream while it lasts." She shrugged, getting off Knuckles.
Knuckles raised an eyebrow, then waved. "Whatever. Just follow me."
"Ok, where are we going?"
"To save Sonic." Knuckles started walking.
Amy shook her head before following. "Sure. Why not?" As she caught both she and Knuckles started running. "So what's the plan?"
"We save Sonic and get out! And don't kill anyone!"
"Right. You want to kill everyone and I'll have to hold you ba...hold up." Any stopped. "What did you say?"
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Part 3
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Dr. Robotnick gawked at Sonic for a few seconds before sputtering. "Hey! That's my coffee!" He grabbed the mug out of the air, where Sonic had been. "Smart-Alec hedgehog always trying to annoy me..." He grumbled putting the mug on a table. "What a minute."
Robotnick looked at Sonic who waved at him. "What's up Doc?" The blue hedgehog grinned.
Dr. Robotnick's eyes went wide as he scrambled in his coat. He grabbed black square device with a speaker on the front. He spoke into it as he clicked a button on the top. "Specimen 343 is in the lab! I repeat, 343 is the lab! All security got down here now!" He looked back up at Sonic to see him holding the device in his hands.
Sonic laughed. "Well, I didn't realize soap was so great for talking."
Robotnick looked at his hand, which contained a bar of Sonic brand soap. He sighed, resolving himself to whatever fate was coming. "Why are you here 343?"
Sonic shrugged, a goofy smirk forming on his face. "Can't an old friend stop by to say hello?"
James glared at him. "What are you playing at traitor?" He drew a plastic cylinder from his belt and clicked the top. A blue glow started up, blinking on the cylinder's top.
"Oh, you know. Running around, breaking little kids out of prison." Sonic glared at Robotnick. "You mind explaining why an innocent kid was locked up with terrorists?"
James looked at Sonic raising an eyebrow. "You're kidding right? We can't let experiments like him walk around in public."
Dr. Robotnick nodded. "We don't know what he's fully capable of; he's a danger to society. What if someone got hurt?"
"I wouldn't have a problem with keeping him off the streets. Except you locked him in with some of the worst criminals imaginable." Sonic clenched his fists. "What if they killed him!?"
Robotnick sighed. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
"Yeah! The needs of the many. Except he's not really a danger is he? No super strength, or speed, or anything like that. Maybe he can sort of fly and is smart. But that's it! Does that sound like a danger to you!?"
James shook his head. "Someone with that kind of intelligence is too dangerous to be walking around in the open."
"That's what I thought…" The blue hedgehog punched through the table. "You locked him up because you're scared! Of a kid, a little kid! You and everyone else want to just lock up everyone you've experimented on, because it makes you feel comfortable! That's not a need, it's a want!"
Robotnick winced, a pang go guilt running down his neck. He couldn't even bring himself to say anything.
James sighed looking at Sonic. "Fine. I guess we could've let the kid loose, but you're not going anywhere." He threw the cylinder at Sonic.
Sonic's eyes went wide as it flew toward him, blinking blue light. He dashed away, sending a small shockwave and hitting the cylinder. Electricity shot out from it in all directions knocking everyone to the ground. Sonic tried to get up, but his systems weren't working. His core had lost all its charge.
"Now you see what happens to traitors." James got up smiling. He wobbled, but kept his balance. "Now it's time to shut you down for good." He limped toward Sonic, ready to switch him off, when an alarm rang.
James covered his ears yelling. "Argh! What is that!?"
Sonic snickered. "Looks like Knuckles' plan worked.
"What are you-" He turned back to see a red echidna and pink hedgehog. His eyes went wide in terror. "No."
Knuckles cracked his knuckles. "I may have promised not to kill anyone. But I didn't say anything about beating people up."