A/N: Here's Left 4 Dead (not the game this time)! This one's unique because it takes place in the SatAM universe! More notes at the end!

Without further ado, let's move on to the reviews and what matters most: the prompt!


4 Reviews

Super duper waffles

Sure, go right ahead!

1. I would say Canada was the closest to declaring war on Eggman, since he has invaded their airspace multiple times during his hunt for the Chaos Emeralds.

2. Eggman didn't distribute the Solar Balls anywhere else besides the western United States, since those were the areas that were hardest hit by the eclipse. Some areas in the world got a sustained partial solar eclipse, while others didn't experience it at all. It even affected footage of the eclipse, so they couldn't see it for what it really was, since the Phantom Ruby's influence was so strong. Many countries deemed Eggman's actions as reckless and unacceptable by tampering with the laws of nature itself, although they didn't know it was artificial at the time.

3. Besides the President of the United States, the Thorndykes have welcomed the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Australia, and Japan, as well as several other countries. Many of these meetings are in relation to Chuck, Nelson, and Starship Soft.

MrGoodWriter96

I like that idea! Maybe I can fit it into Day 31 as an epilogue?

Guest

Yeah, I can see why a lot of fans prefer Helen over Chris, but I wanted to prove that Chris can be written into a good character, so that having him with Helen can be even more rewarding.

danielman21

You know, I could actually see a ton of potential to make a whole story based on the universe this prompt is in!

CreativeKitty975

Same here, I think this was my favorite prompt so far!


Day Fourteen: Left for Dead
Prompt: Blackmail


Chris had not planned on being pulled into another universe's war.

Nor did he plan on getting himself captured by an alien warlord bent on destroying the first friends he had ever made.

Yet this was the reality he found himself in now.

When the SWATbots finished strapping him to a gurney, they wheeled him into the command center of none other than Doctor Robotnik, who was overseeing preparations of his next scheme. Chris wasn't quite sure what he was up to, but he had overheard his accomplice and nephew Snively mention something about carpet bombing the Great Forest, something that scared him deeply.

Chris had only been on Mobius for two weeks and he just had to go and get himself captured, all because he accidentally wandered too far away from Knothole Village. He had no idea that there had been a mining unit near the edge of the forest that had detected him. It was flanked by several SWATbots, all of which quickly hauled him into a transport and shipped him off to Robotropolis. He couldn't call for help because his friends were too far away, and he was sure even Sonic had no idea he was gone.

Robotnik turned his seat to face Chris, and the boy immediately started sweating. He couldn't move because the straps holding his arms and legs in place were too restrictive.

"So…" Robotnik said in a voice that dripped with pure evil. "A little Flicky tells me you come from another universe."

Chris was about to speak when Robotnik held up a finger to silence him.

"And you claim to know everything about us. So tell me… How, exactly… is that possible?"

"I-I…" Chris tried to find his voice, but it was very hard for him to do that when he was staring up into the face of the man that Sonic and Sally told him was actively trying to enslave the entire planet under his control. "You… w-wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Robotnik smiled smugly. "Try me."

"Um…" How could he put it in words that would make sense to someone like Robotnik? "Y-You and Sonic a-are actually video game characters… a-and you also have TV shows and comics too."

Robotnik took a moment for him to digest this information. "I see… and yet, they all seem to revolve around the hedgehog. What do those delusional humans know about our little war…?"

"Wait…" Chris said in realization. "You already know?"

"Of course I knew!" Robotnik exclaimed, and Chris flinched at his tone of voice as the rotund scientist started to pace the room. "How else do you think you got here? All you've known for the past two weeks is my SWATbots pulled you through a portal designed by my dear nephew Snively as part of my plan to extend my reach across multiple parallel universes. But lo and behold, it seems that you humans already knew about us. Although… some of the details seem to be a bit… skewed."

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"To start with… it seems the hedgehog has a different set of friends, although I do recognize Miles Prower among them. And you humans have ruined my illustrious form! There is no way I would ever stoop as low as building a theme park, even if it has my name and face branded all over it."

Even though Chris had already seen the SatAM show, Robotnik was so much scarier in person than he was on TV.

"But you're pulling me off track, dear boy," he said in a voice that made Chris shudder. "My ambitious project seemed to all but confirm a multiverse theory I had for a while. My hypothesis was that entities that are considered fictional in this world can be real in another universe, and vice versa. So in case you haven't already noticed, and of course you wouldn't since your intellect naturally pales compared to mine… I already knew that I existed as a video game character in your world. And so I had to investigate a bit further without arousing the suspicions of the general public." He suppressed a snicker. "You see, it wasn't hard for me to infiltrate your mansion and spy on you from within."

"H-How did–"

"How did I do that?" Robotnik asked, and he took a step closer to Chris. "You should have taken a closer look at your butler Mr. Tanaka. I switched him out with an Auto-Automation, and you were none the wiser."

Chris was left speechless. Robotnik had been in his home for who knows how long and he had no idea! His heart was beating faster and faster, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead.

"You… what…?!"

"Oh, but that's not all. I realized I may or may not have made a critical error. It wasn't Mr. Tanaka who accessed your bedroom on a regular basis to view your Sonic the Hedgehog collection," Robotnik said with a shudder. "No, that honor went to your maid Ella. She cleaned your room regularly, and I could have easily replaced her with an Automation too… but I had better ideas. Tanaka was mine to control. And so I had him investigate every square inch of your collection and immediately report back to me. And that was three weeks before I stepped in and pulled you here."

"B-B-But… Wh-Why me…?" Chris asked, and Robotnik grinned, clearly enjoying Chris' fear.

"I'm glad you asked," Robotnik said. "And it's quite simple, really. Because you happened to be the first human I saw who had a connection to the hedgehog on your world. And when I saw that you had watched a TV show that unfolds remarkably similar to the world you find yourself in now… Well, I couldn't just leave that opportunity to rot, could I?"

Chris had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"Seeing as that's the case, I think you know where this is going," Robotnik said, patting Chris' head, and the gesture made Chris sick to his stomach. "You know I was going to do this sooner, but you got lucky when the sickening hedgehog got to you before my SWATbots could bring you into Robotropolis. But two weeks later, you're back in Robotropolis where you belong. You won't be so lucky this time. I have unfinished business to attend to, and I'm not about to let it be interrupted again."

Robotnik activated a screen, which showed different camera angles outside the massive polluted city, as well as a map of the continent they were on.

"So allow me to get straight to the point. You, Christopher Thorndyke, are going to tell me exactly where Knothole Village is located. And I wouldn't dodge this one if I were you. I know you've been there before."

Chris was scared for his life. If he squealed and told Robotnik, then he would destroy the village and the entire Great Forest, and Sally and the other Freedom Fighters would never forgive him. However, if he followed his gut and refused to tell Robotnik, then he was sure unspeakable things would happen to him, and he already knew how terrifying the Roboticizer was.

"I… I'm not gonna tell you!" Chris defiantly told him.

"Hm… I thought you might say that," Robotnik said as he sat back down in his chair.

Chris did not like the way he said that, and the two SWATbots behind Chris stepped toward him.

"A-Are you gonna roboticize me…?" Chris asked, his voice trembling and his heart pounding like a jackhammer.

"Yes… but not yet. I have a more… effective tool."

"B-But I heard Snively say he was gonna carpet bomb the Great Forest anyway, so why do you need me?!" Chris panicked.

Robotnik chuckled darkly. "For the sake of a good interrogation, let's just say… you were hearing things. Now, let's get back on topic. Tell me where Knothole Village is–"

"I already said no!" Chris shouted. "And Sonic probably knows I'm here, so he's gonna find me and kick your–"

"Helen."

That shut Chris up immediately, and his heart practically stopped. His face went pale. Robotnik shouldn't have known about Helen. That wasn't right at all. And yet…

"I see that got your attention, Christopher. Now, if you don't want me to reveal your so-called 'crush' with Helen… I suggest you loosen your lips and tell me. You have five… seconds… to tell me where it is."

"I–"

"Four."

Chris swallowed back his fear, but it came cascading right back.

"And for the record, you said Sonic 'probably' knows you're here, which means you're not entirely sure of what you believe in. Now speak up. Three."

"It's… It's…"

Robotnik paused, putting a hand to his ear in glee.

"Go on…?"

"It's… none of your business!"

Robotnik growled, before turning directly on Chris. "Quit wasting my time and stop forcing my hand!"

But before he could rant on any further, his communication device went off. He raised his wrist and activated it.

"Sir, Mr. Tanaka's data has successfully been uploaded to the central computer," Snively spoke in his nasally monotone voice.

As soon as Robotnik heard this, he chuckled softly before bursting into full-on laughter.

"You know what this means, dear boy," Robotnik said through his uncontrollable grin. "I don't need Helen. No one needs to know about her. No, I have something far more lethal."

He walked over to the console and pressed a few buttons, before clearing his throat and starting a recording.

"Good afternoon, citizens of South Island," he spoke clearly. "What I am about to broadcast is a glimpse into another world, a world where its citizens know all about you and the war we fight. I think you will find it quite fascinating."

Pressing two more buttons, he ended the recording and started another one. Chris was shocked when he saw what was playing on the other screen.

"Wh-What have you done?!"

"You, Christopher, are seeing the world through Tanaka's eyes," Robotnik declared. "In other words, he recorded everything that ever happened in the three weeks he was on Earth! And now I'm playing it for all of South Island to see! And you know what's ironic? You could have prevented this, easily, if only you had told me the location of Knothole."

"M-My grandpa said that loose lips sink ships!" Chris said.

"Yes, and this is a ship that needs to be sunk," Robotnik firmly told him.

Chris could see his past unfolding before him in real time, and even though he wasn't afraid of having his picture taken, he could see his past, and he could see himself in the recording. Even worse, though, was that he found himself heavily cringing.

"I-I'll tell you! Just turn it off!"

"After you tell me!" Robotnik said. "At this rate, I may not even need to roboticize you."

"Hold that thought, Chris!" came a new voice from the air vent above them. Immediately after, the vent came crashing to the floor and Sonic landed in the room.

"The hedgehog…!" Robotnik seethed through gritted teeth.

"We havin' a movie night here, Ro-butt-nik? Where's the popcorn?" Sonic said when he glanced around the room and got a feel for his surroundings.

Robotnik chuckled. "I call this movie… A Day in the Life of Christopher Thorndyke. You see, this recording is only seeing the light of day because he refused to tell me where Knothole is."

"Sorry, tubby, but you're gonna need a premium subscription for this one!" Sonic taunted as he raced toward the gurney that Chris was strapped to. A few kicks later, the SWATbots were reduced to scrap metal.

Letting out a growl, Robotnik activated his wrist communicator. "Get the hedgehog!" he barked.

"Oh, it's not just the hedgehog who's here today!" Sonic said as he got to work unstrapping Chris. "You really thought I was gonna get my buddy out of here without the coolest team on Mobius?"

"But they're not here in this room, are they?" Robotnik sneered as a metallic slam sounded from the entrance of the command center. Sonic could now see a metal door blocking the way.

Now that Chris was free, Sonic pulled a Power Ring out of his backpack and held it tight, feeling a surge of power running through his entire body. Then he spun his entire body like a buzzsaw and cut through the door, Then he returned to the command center right as several more SWATbots were approaching.

"Hang tight, kid, we're gonna juice!" Sonic told Chris. Picking him up, he tore off through the door and down the hall. Behind him, the other Freedom Fighters were holding off the rest of the robots.

"Sonic! Did you find Chris?" Sally asked him over his wrist communicator.

"Sure did, Sal!" Sonic said with a grin.

"Get him back to Knothole ASAP, we're on our way out," Sally told him.

"Way ahead of you!"


"Sonic…?"

Sonic looked over at Chris from where he was leaning against a tree now that they were back in Knothole Village. They had met up with the rest of the Freedom Fighters, and Tails, who had been especially worried about Chris, was very happy to see him back safe and unharmed.

"I'm… really sorry…"

"For what?" Sonic said. "Not giving the ol' Buttnik what he wants? You did the right thing, Chris. You can't control what he does next, but thanks to you, Knothole is still tucked away from his sensors."

"So what happened exactly?" Sally asked as she approached the two. "Is this related to why Robotnik seems to be playing footage from your life, Chris?"

Chris slowly nodded, his gaze averted. He still felt shame even though he knew he did the right thing deep down.

"He blackmailed me," Chris said. "He said he had a more effective weapon than roboticizing, and… He told me he replaced my butler with a robot that looked exactly like him, and I didn't even know. And now that I think about it… I don't know what happened to the real one!"

"It's going to be okay," Sally told him. "I asked Rotor to download a copy of the footage from the Automation, and we're going to study it to see if we can find any clues of his whereabouts."

"P-Please don't do that, i-it's just that… um, it's kinda personal…"

"We're not going to look at those parts," Sally said with a smile that was meant to reassure him. "We're just going to look at the very beginning and the very end of the footage. I promise we're not going to look at anything you don't want us to look at."

"Yeah, your life is your life, dude," Sonic said with a nod. "But you never told us, why'd you wander off like that earlier?"

"I heard a noise earlier and I thought it was Antoine coming back from a patrol, but I was wrong," Chris said, holding one arm with the other hand.

"Got a bit jumpy, huh?" Sonic asked, and Chris nodded. "Still, it's not a good idea to wander off like that. You know what kind of danger's out there."

"I know…" Chris said.

"We're just glad to see you safe," Sally said. "Bunnie and Tails are almost done making dinner, and you know they always make plenty for everyone."

"Chili dogs?" Sonic perked up. "Please let it be chili dogs!"

Sally chuckled. "Tonight is tuna casserole and soup."

"Aw," Sonic pouted. "Worth a shot."

Chris purposed in himself to stay in the village no matter what going forward, and today had been a reminder of how dangerous it was outside the village, even in the Great Forest.


A/N: That concludes day 14! This seems to be one of the very few stories I've seen that has both Chris and Sally in it. Also, this is my very first time writing with Sally Acorn and SatAM Robotnik, so please let me know your thoughts! Consider this a warmup exercise for another story coming soon... more info on that later!

Shoutout to elprovchico for helping out in this chapter! It was tricky for me to make it truly blackmail rather than just a threat.

Also, there's an easter egg somewhere in this chapter... can you find it?

Tomorrow's theme is "Childhood Trauma!"