-Chapter 74-

Monsters and Victims


Knothole

At Freedom HQ, everyone was still in shock at what happened. The Emeralds had regained their usual luster, then had promptly vanished. Metamorphia was in the medical bay, and was just laying on a cot, whimpering in fear and pain. In the main room, the group was discussing the situation.

"Sonic…" Mina let out. "I've never seen him like that."

"Neither have we," Rotor admitted. "But... from what we've heard, this has happened before."

"I remember Eggman saying Sonic was the one who gave him the cybernetic arm," Tails recalled. "I thought he was bluffing, but now…"

"You knew about this and never said anything, or made precautions?!" Knuckles demanded. "Damn it, you guys, keeping secrets like that could get us all killed!"

"It's personal, Knuckles!" Amy snapped. "How would you like it if your dirty laundry got aired to everyone who happened to be listening?!"

"I don't turn into a psychotic shadowy rage monster!" Knuckles countered.

"As much as I wish to discuss this matter further, we still have our shapeshifting Badnik and our captive princess to deal with," Antoine cut in.

"Dark Sonic was right about one thing," Shortfuse added. "Metamorphia knows where Knothole is. And if we let her go, there's no guarantee she won't spill it to Eggman."

"Maybe…" Bunnie mused. "Or maybe not. She's scared witless right now. I mean, she hasn't left that cot and I know for a fact those handcuffs we have her in can't do squat to hold her."

"So it looks like we're safe." Johnny hoped.

"That still leaves Sally," Porker said. "She's still in Robotropolis."

"I'm doing what I can to make us Warp Rings, but it's a very time consuming process," Tails explained. "It'll be a couple hours before I have enough for another trip."

"Even then, Sonic's the one with the best chance of-" Mina began.

"We are not letting him out of that cell," Knuckles cut in harshly. "You saw what he almost did to Kat and Metamorphia. He's too dangerous."

"He's also the only one who can get to Sally fast enough!" Amy objected. "The Chaos Emeralds turned him into that thing, Knuckles, and they're gone!"

"You don't get it, Amy!" Knuckles snapped. "For Dark Chaos energy to do that, someone has to be filled with nothing but darkness! Sonic is unstable, dangerous, and a threat to all of us!"

"He's our friend, and he's hurting!" Amy shot back.

"Enough!" Bunnie cut in. "We're wasting time arguing about this!" She took a breath. "Tails, why don't you focus on the Warp Rings? Once you have at least two, we let Sonic out long enough to get Sally back. Then we'll discuss what to do with him."

"Right," Tails departed at that.

"I'll go keep an eye on the Lake," Porker decided. "We still need to heal the Badnik. No one deserves that."

Everyone dispersed to go about their tasks.


Twelve hours later…

Porker headed into the medical bay, holding a freshly summoned Power Ring. Metamorphia was shaking, the cracks all across her face.

"I'm gonna heal you," he told her. "Don't do anything stupid once I do."

He held the ring over her, projecting the power within. Bit by bit, Metamorphia's condition cleared up. She stopped shivering, but didn't move from the cot.

"Monster…" she let out. "He's a monster. Dr. Robotnik never told me I'd be dealing with a demon…"

Porker winced at that. "Just rest."

She remained in place as he left, the pig turning to Shortfuse, who was on guard duty.

"She tried anything?" he asked.

"Hasn't even moved," Shortfuse replied. "Sonic really put the fear of Aurora into her."

Porker sighed, shaking his head.

"Never thought I'd see the day where I felt sorry for a Badnik."

-X-

Sonic was seated in his cell, having barely moved for the past twelve hours. The door opened, and he turned to see Kat coming in. She had bandages around her stomach and all the way up her arms, as well as some leftover chili dogs on a tray.

"I figured you were probably hungry," she told him.

She slid the tray into the cell. Sonic took one slowly.

"Why did you come here?" he asked.

"To check on you. Make sure you were okay."

"You almost died because of me, Kat."

"Another reason I came, to ensure you weren't still... you know."

Sonic sighed. "I remember all that happened. I was just trying to get loose, break your grip. I didn't know I'd grown claws."

"I know. I was still conscious. I saw how you reacted when you saw me." Kat reached into her pocket, pulling out a packet of wipes and a new pair of gloves. "Here. These might help."

Sonic took them, cleaning his fingers and changing the gloves.

"You were right," he admitted. "All of you were right. I need help. I should've listened to you. By Aurora, I should've listened…"

Kat didn't say a word. Instead, she reached through the bars to try and comfort him. That was when Knuckles came in with the others. The second he saw Kat with Sonic, he flipped.

"Kat, what do you think you're doing?!" he demanded.

"Trying to comfort my friend," Kat replied. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Are you forgetting you almost died last night because of him?!" Knuckles roared.

Sonic winced at that. Seeing this, Kat was set off.

"He didn't mean it!" she shouted. "He didn't mean any of it! You honestly think he wanted any of last night to happen?! NO!"

"I really didn't…" Sonic said quietly. "I swear on my Uncle Chuck's name…"

"SEE?!" Kat shrieked. "Knuckles, you of all people know Sonic would never purposely hurt me! And if he really did mean what he did, do you honestly think this cell could hold him?! For crying out loud, it's a wooden cage!"

"She's right about that," Sonic admitted, "I could've busted the door down at any time. I stayed here out of principle to keep Knuckles from blowing his stack. Besides… I deserve it."

Knuckles found himself sputtering to come up with a response.

"We can discuss guilt later," Amy cut in. "For now, we need you to help us with Metamorphia, then get Sally back."

"But don't think for a second you're getting off scot-free," Knuckles warned.

"Didn't think I was," Sonic replied.

Amy opened the cell, and Sonic got up, walking out. Knuckles' eyes never left him as the entire group walked out of the prison.

-X-

They headed to the medical bay. The second Metamorphia saw Sonic, she screamed. She flew out of the cot, toppling it as she was handcuffed to it.

"Not you!" she shrieked. "Please, leave me alone! I'm begging you!"

"Relax, I'm not gonna kill you," Sonic told her. "As long as you do something for me."

"Whatever you want!" Metamorphia exclaimed.

"You're gonna leave Knothole, and never tell Eggman where it is," Sonic said calmly. "If he or his Badniks ever show up here, I'll know it was you. I will look for you. I will find you. And you'll see just how scary I can really be. Are we clear?"

Metamorphia just began violently nodding, stamming affirmations.

"I'm glad we understand each other." Sonic went over, unlocking Metamorphia's cuffs before throwing a Warp Ring to Robotropolis. "Now beat it."

Metamorphia dove for it, running as fast as she could before Sonic snapped the ring shut.

"That's one problem taken care of," he said. "Now to get Sally back."


Robotropolis

Snively was still in the middle of his frantic search for Eggatha's infosphere. Eggatha was sitting on the ground by Robotnik's throne, tinkering with the dented head of Metal.

"It's too bad the sapphire shattered," she mused. "It was really powerful."

At that moment, Metamorphia came running in, scared out of her wits.

"Don't tell me," Robotnik sighed. "Sonic is still alive."

Metamorphia just babbled and sputtered, pantomiming what happened.

"Well, spit it out!" Robotnik snapped.

"Oh, I love charades!" Eggatha squeed, setting down Metal's head and facing Metamorphia. "Mission... failed... Sonic... angry... became…" Her face fell. "Shadow monster?"

That got Robotnik's attention and his prosthetic arm shaking.

"Now she's just muttering something about rings and cats, and a... virus?" Eggatha shook her head. "No, wait. Corruption." She then turned to Robotnik. "Uncle, do you know what she's talking about?"

"All too well…" Robotnik admitted. "Sonic turned into this shadow monster once before, during the South Island incident. Long story short, that's how I lost my left arm."

Eggatha went pale. "What? I-I thought that was from the ROCC explosion."

"No," Robotnik sighed. "I roboticized Sonic's uncle right in front of him. The Chaos Emeralds reacted to his grief and rage, and turned him into that thing. He crushed my hand, and would have killed me if his old nanny Longclaw hadn't stopped him."

"That's why you didn't roboticize anyone…" Eggatha realized.

"I'm no fool, I learn from my mistakes," Robotnik told her before getting down to business. "Go and fetch the princess. Get her cleaned up and made presentable. We need to show Sonic she's alive and unharmed, or I don't think he'll stop at an arm this time."

Eggatha gulped at the prospect. "Yes, of course."

-X-

Outside, Sonic had appeared on the outskirts of Robotropolis and was on the warpath to Citadel Robotnik. His face was a stony, emotionless mask, and when he spoke, it was with the sort of perfectly calm voice only achievable by those in the icy plains on the far side of berserk rage. Oddly enough, no Badniks got in his way. He had a clear path to the citadel, save for a few that were unlucky enough to not get out of his way in time. He threw the door open, making a beeline for the throne room. Robotnik was seated on his throne, Eggatha hiding behind a handcuffed, but cleaned and presentable, Sally.

"You know what I'm here for, Eggman," he said, his voice deadly calm.

"My goodness, I've never seen you so wound up before," Robotnik mused. "Be careful, Sonic. Too much stress will give you a heart attack." At that, he shrugged. "Oh, what am I saying? Please continue. Never mind what I say."

"Let's get something straight here, Robotnik," Sonic hissed. "I'm beyond angry. I'm beyond furious. As of right now, the rules are gone. No jokes. No punches pulled. Nobody threatens my loved ones and friends and gets away with it. Nobody."

Sally's eyes went wide at this declaration. "Sonic…"

"I can see that," Robotnik replied, keeping his voice level. "Well, as you can see, your princess is unharmed."

"And how do I know that isn't Metamorphia again?" Sonic asked. "Or another one of your transforming Badniks?"

"Well for one, Metamorphia turned into a mouse and scurried off the second she saw you on the monitors," Robotnik listed off. "Two, she's the only one Grimer created. And three…" He tossed a familiar looking handheld console at Sonic. "Ask your little friend there."

"So that's where Nicole's been." Sonic mused before powering her on. Nicole shimmered into existence, looking around nervously.

"She's a tough AI to hack," Robotnik confessed. "Couldn't even make a dent in her programming. Dr. Ellidy certainly knew what he was doing."

Sonic was half-paying attention, turning to Nicole before pointing at Sally.

"Scan her," he ordered her. "I wanna be absolutely sure that's the real Sally before I take you two back home."

Nicole turned to Sally, her eyes glazing over. "She is malnourished and lacking Vitamin D, but that is Sally."

"One more thing," Robotnik cut in. "How do I know you won't harm me or Agatha once I hand her over?"

Sonic snarled. "The more pressing question is how will you stay alive if you don't?"

They stared silently at one another for several seconds before Eggatha cracked.

"Sonic, please calm down!" She unlocked Sally's cuffs, pushing her over to him. "Sally's fine, see? Just take her and go home! You're scaring me!"

Sonic embraced Sally in relief as Eggatha turned to Robotnik.

"Uncle, I'm sorry, but look at Sonic!" she justified. "He's not joking or showboating... it's not him! There's no telling what he might do to get the princess back!"

"I understand, Agatha," Robotnik assured. "I am well aware of the turbulent situation."

He turned back to Sonic. "Now then, Sonic, you have what you came for. I suggest you get out of my city, and take a few days off to relax and remember which one of us is supposed to be the villain here."

"Right…" Sonic agreed.

He scooped up Snively, then turned to glance at Eggatha's lab, where Snively was watching everything from the doorway.

"Hey, Snively!" he called. "Thanks for the infosphere! It'll be a real game changer in the days to come!"

He winked at Eggatha before darting away. Snively was frozen, Robotnik's eye twitched, and Eggatha ducked behind the throne.

"Sir, you honestly believe what Sonic said?" Snively managed as Robotnik slowly turned to him. "I like him even less than you do! I have no reason to help him with anything!"

"Agatha, please tell me what was on that Info sphere again," Robotnik requested, his voice even and emotionless.

"Tempo, all my Badnik plans, and even my upgrade list for Metal." Eggatha listed off.

"Uncle, you can't possibly buy Sonic's words!" Snively pleaded.

"It's no secret that you've been jealous of Agatha since the day she first came here, Snively," Robotnik said matter-of-factly. "And it's perfectly in character for you to, say, give Sonic her info sphere in an attempt to make her look bad."

"No, I swear I didn't!" Snively shouted. "Please!"

Robotnik just grabbed Snively by his throat. "Agatha, take Metal's head and go to your room. I need to have a talk with your brother."

Eggatha scurried out of the room at that. Even from her room, she could hear the sounds of Snively receiving a serious pummeling, his yelps and shouts ringing through the citadel.


Knothole

Once Sonic and Sally came through the Warp Ring, Knuckles took Sally right out of Sonic's arms, much to the princess' surprise. Sonic didn't say a word of protest or utter a sound, merely remaining where he was and waiting.

"We need to get you to medical now," Knuckles told Sally before turning to Sonic. "And you…" He jabbed Sonic in the chest. "Back to your cage."

"Now wait just a second!" Sally objected.

"No, no," Sonic assured, letting out a forlorn sigh. "It's okay. I was planning on heading back there anyway."

He went to the cell at that. Sally turned to Knuckles.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Why are you locking Sonic up?"

"Because he went Dark," Knuckles confessed, causing Sally to go wide-eyed. "He nearly killed this Badnik that took your place, and Kat when she tried to stop him."

Sally put a hand to her mouth in horror, unable to believe what she was hearing. Kat took that moment to walk past, carrying a box of stuff from the lab. Her mummified arms and torso made Sally feel sick.

"He's losing it, Sally," Knuckles insisted. "He's becoming a monster."

A loud smack echoed through Freedom HQ. Kat stopped, seeing Sally on her feet, and Knuckles rubbing a now red cheek.

"Don't ever call Sonic that again, Knuckles!" Sally yelled.

"Well, that's what he is!" Knuckles snapped. "He attacked indiscriminately, and he nearly killed two people yesterday! If that doesn't make him a monster, I don't know what does!"

"Monster?!" Kat shrieked, dropping the box. "Sonic is our friend! He's hurting, now more than ever!"

"Kat, stay out of this!" Knuckles told her. "This is between me and-"

"No!" Kat snapped. "I'm not staying out of this! You have no right to talk about Sonic like that!"

"He almost killed you!" Knuckles reminded her.

"And you saw how he reacted when he saw me!" Kat shot back. "He immediately healed me!"

"Sonic has had the weight of the world on his shoulders for months," Sally informed him. "He lost his Uncle Chuck to the Roboticizer, failed to save Kat's family and hometown from the Death Egg. Weaker souls have been driven to suicide by what he's been through, but obviously you don't care!"

"Right now, what he needs is the support of his friends, not to be treated like some vicious animal!" Kat added.

"We can't trust him!" Knuckles insisted. "He's too dangerous!"

"And now you're starting to sound like Locke!" Kat screamed. "So stuck on your one track mind you can't see the truth!"

That ended Knuckles' argument in an instant.

"Here's the deal, Knuckles," Sally said, calm but cold. "When you've been through everything Sonic's suffered over the past year, then you have the right to talk crap about him and call him a monster. Until then, keep your damn mouth shut."

She then began falturing and Kat grabbed her, picking her up.

"Let's get you to medical," she told her.

They departed at that, leaving Knuckles alone to think. He looked at his hand in disgust, before collapsing into a chair in remorse.

"Aurora, they're right…" he managed. "Seven years alone on Angel Island, and I still became my father…"

-X-

In his cell, Sonic was sitting against the wall, just looking out the window. He heard the door to the prison open and saw Knuckles walk in.

"Hey, Knux," he greeted. "If you're here to make sure I don't escape, I won't."

"No," Knuckles replied, sitting down. "I just want to talk."

"What's there to say? I screwed up."

"How about 'I'm sorry'?"

Sonic sighed. "No amount of I'm sorrys are going to fix what I-"

"No." Knuckles clarified. "I'm sorry."

Sonic blinked, turning to face Knuckles as the echidna continued.

"Sally and Kat had a talk with me… Well, more like they screamed at me and put things into perspective. They made me realize I didn't listen to your side."

He pulled up a stool, sitting down just outside the cell. "But I'm willing to listen now."

"Alright," Sonic nodded. "For starters, I didn't even know I had claws. I was just trying to break free of Kat's grip, and had no idea I was cutting her up. Even in that form, I have enough self-awareness to control who I attack and who I shouldn't."

Knuckles glanced in the corner of the cell, where the torn gloves and wadded up wipes were still sitting. "Alright then. Kat did say you would never intentionally hurt her. And given your history, I'm inclined to believe it."

"Or any of you, for that matter," Sonic tacked on. "Even when my lightning turns black, it's because I want to protect my friends and family. I care about you all so much that the thought of anything bad happening to you... really ticks me off, to say the least."

"I get that, trust me," Knuckles assured. "I mean, look how I act when Kat's in trouble. However, people like us, we really need to be careful of our emotions. If we let ourselves become too caught up in negative thoughts or feelings, we tap into the dark side of the Chaos Force. That's what the black lightning is."

"I've noticed," Sonic confessed. "What happened last night is the wake-up call I needed. First thing I'm gonna do once I get outta here is look for a shrink. 'Cause I can't keep going on like this."

"No, you can't," Knuckles agreed. "And until you start getting help, I don't feel comfortable around you. I know you need support right now, but I can't provide that. I'm going back to Angel Island for a while, and I'm taking Kat with me."

"I get it," Sonic told him. "If our positions were reserved, I'd do the same."

"For the record, it's nothing personal, and I hope you get the help you need." Knuckles stood up, sighing a bit. "I'm sorry about everything you're going through, I really am."

"Me too, Knux," Sonic agreed as the echidna walked out. "Me too."

-X-

Later, Sonic had been released from his cell and was looking over a phone book, phone in hand. Off to the side, Knuckles was explaining his case to Kat and the others.

"I talked with Sonic and we worked things out," he explained. "You were right, Kat. I was so laser focused on what he did I never even took his feelings into account." He sighed. "But I still think we should give him space for now. For his sake, if nothing else."

"That's fair," Kat agreed. "Let him focus on himself. Besides, me hanging around would probably just make the situation worse."

She went over, picking up the box of lab supplies. "First things first. Chris and Keith's request."

"Let them know what's going on, too." Sally told her.

Kat nodded. "I will."

She gave Sonic one last look, then headed out for the train station.


Station Square

At the Thorndyke Mansion, Chris and Keith were having lunch with their parents, the Thorndykes and the Kents having elected to stick together for a few more days. Ella was serving out the food when the doorbell rang.

"Now who could that be?" Nelson pondered.

There was another ring, then a snap, and the bell cut off halfway. Tanaka went to the door, opening it to see Kat pulling her hand away from the now-crushed doorbell.

"Sorry, sorry." She bowed in apology, muttering to herself in Chun-ese. "Way to go idiot. You just broke a very rich man's doorbell."

"It's no trouble, Kathryn," Tanaka assured. "Accidents happen."

He then leaned in, speaking Chun-ese himself. "He was looking for an excuse to replace the bell anyhow."

Kat blinked before shrugging, hoisting up the box. "I brought the stuff Keith and Chris wanted from their lab. Can I come in?"

"Yes, of course." Tanaka led her inside. She entered the dining room, giving everyone a wave.

"Hi, everyone." she greeted, setting the box down. "I brought the stuff the boys asked for."

"Ah, I remember you," Sam recalled. "That girl that jumped on Kodos' back."

Kat blushed, rubbing the back of her head, which revealed both her bandaged torso, and her arms.

"Yeah, that was me."

Keith's eyes locked onto the bandages, feeling a sense of dread wash over him. Chris also took note, growing concerned..

"Kat, you didn't have all those bandages when we left Robotropolis," Chris noted. "What happened while we were gone?"

"That… is a long story." she admitted.

Tanaka pulled a chair out for her and she sat down, explaining everything that had happened. She even explained Dark Chaos Energy and Sally's second rescue, topping it off with Knuckles' decision to leave Knothole for a while.

"So…" Keith began, "the Sally we rescued from Robotropolis was a fake?"

"And when Sonic found out... he turned into a freaky shadow monster?" Chris added.

"Yep, that's basically what happened," Kat confirmed. "He calls it Dark Super Sonic."

Keith removed his glasses to rub his eyes. "I knew he hasn't been himself for a long time. That he was hurting. But this…"

"This is far beyond anything we could have seen coming," Chris pointed out. "Poor Sonic…"

"When did all this start?" Chuck asked.

"From what we've heard, when Eggman roboticized his uncle," Keith replied. "That got the ball rolling."

"What happened with me added fuel to the fire," Kat added. "And everything after that just fanned the flames."

Chuck leaned back at that. "All things considered, it's a wonder Sonic didn't snap sooner."

"Well, this makes our two week Freedom Fighter restriction all the more prevalent," Laura said. "Sonic needs time to focus on saving himself. The less people giving him pity and crowding him, the better."

"Yeah…" Keith agreed.

"Kat, please tell me he's finally getting help for this," Chris pleaded.

"He is," Kat confirmed. "He was looking for therapists when I left."

"Good," said Lindsey. "Professional help is just what the poor boy needs to get back on his feet."

"Agreed," the kids said in unison.

"So will we still see you at school?" Chris asked Kat.

Kat shook her head. "Doubt it. Two weeks of absence, plus this, pretty much means I'll be Angel Island bound for a while."

"Makes sense," Keith admitted.

After a while, Kat stood up.

"See you when I see you," she told them. "And sorry again about the doorbell."

"Don't worry about it," Nelson assured. "An easy fix. And don't be a stranger."

She waved then headed off to catch a train back to Knothole.

"So, that was Kat," Laura mused. "From how you described her, I expected her to be a little more... buff."

"Chaos energy," Keith explained simply. "It's basically boosted her physical capabilities due to extended exposure to the radiation of the Master Emerald."

Laura smiled. "Well, she's a cute one. Are you two, you know…"

Keith blushed. "Mom, no! We're just friends!"

"Is that so?" Chris teased, grinning playfully.

"She is!" Keith snapped.

Everyone just laughed at Keith's expense as he buried his head in his lunch.


Knothole

Kat arrived back at Freedom HQ to see Sonic on the phone.

"Yeah, Sonic the Hedgehog," he confirmed. "Hero of Mobius. Uh-huh. This Friday? Thanks, Dr. Sorders. See you then."

He hung up, turning to the others. "Well, there we have it. Scheduled my first appointment."

"It's for the best, Sonic," Sally told him.

"I know, I know," Sonic assured her before letting out a long sigh. "I'm gonna head to bed. I'm really tired…"

He stood up, yawning before heading for his room. Everyone watched him go, then Knuckles turned to Sally.

"He's gonna be okay," he assured. "He's finally admitted he needs help and now he can finally recover."

"The first step to solving a problem is admitting you have one." Tails noted.

Sally nodded, then Tails handed Knuckles a small handful of warp rings.

"Here," he said. "It's all the ones I've made for now. I'll bring you more once I've made enough for everyone."

"Thanks." Knuckles told him, giving a small smile.

He tossed one, opening a portal and holding out a hand for Kat. *She took it, and they both stepped through, the ring closing behind them.

From his room, Sonic watched them go, then flopped onto his bed, groaning in despair and defeat into his pillow. As he slumped, he felt something wet touch his hand, and looked to see Muttski licking his fingers. Sonic smiled slightly, ruffling the dog's head.

"Thanks, boy," he said. "Sorry I didn't believe you yesterday. You really saved me."

Muttski just rubbed against his leg, showing all was forgiven. With that, Sonic changed into his pajamas, pulling the covers over him as Muttski curled up at his side. With his pet by his side, despite everything that had happened over the past several days, Sonic was able to fall asleep in peace.


Robotropolis

Down in the dungeons, one of the small cells opened up and a beaten and bruised Snively was thrown in. He handed hard, bouncing slightly as he did.

"Consider yourself grounded, Snively," Robotnik told him. "Be lucky I even let you live after this screw up."

Snively just grumbled in indignation and pain as Robotnik slammed the door shut, stalking off.

"I… hate… that hedgehog…" he wheezed.


Author's Note:

Well, that was a roller coaster. Sonic's finally admitted he has a problem and is seeking help.

Next chapter will be a breather, allowing the members of the FF to unwind and relax.

Please R&R. Until next time!