EXT. CITY ROOFTOPS - NIGHT
Late at night Sonic is back on the streets of Starlight. Over his monologue he is moving across the city with no clear sense of direction. He jumps through alleys and fire escapes, leaps across rooftops, swings across traffic lights and flag poles.
SONIC (V.O.)
There's no way any of this is
happening. First it's my birthday.
Than a mythical gem talks to me and
come face to face with the Doctor
himself. Now apparently everyone's
mad at me for my impulsive actions.
Finally my girlfriend broke up with
me. Why does it matter anyway? Why
do I even go out with Sally? Oh I
don't know, maybe because she's the
only girl who puts up with me other
than my sister? None of this should
be happening. So what do I do now?
Do I just go home and say "Hey mom
and dad, I know you're about to
kill me but this is who I am and
what I've done." I hate everything
about the world for being like
this. I wish I was never born a
mutant. But, If I didn't have my
powers, so many people would've
been hurt if I wasn't who I am. Who
I was born to be. But then why is
Robotnik so concerned with being
evil? Why does he want to be the ad
scientist who conquers the world so
bad? Why is he like this? Why am I
like this? Why the hell is the
world like this? People should be
preventing world domination instead
of pretending it isn't happening.
How come more mutants aren't trying
to fight? They all have their own
powers. Why do so many adults say
that I'm just a kid who's choices
don't matter? I've been made to go
against the world and every grown
up thinks they're better than me.
It's all just a twist of fate.
Sonic lands on the corner of a rooftop and perches there. He stands and looks out to the city just as his monologue ends. He slides and runs down safely to a shorter building in front of an alleyway. Just before he drops down a manhole cover rumbles. The cover is slid to the side as two men come from underground.
HENCHMAN #1
I hate this job.
HENCHMAN #2
I didn't know we signed up for
being in the sewers.
HENCHMAN #1
Hey, whatever gets us paid.
Protecting the boss' lair is
important to his plan.
HENCHMAN #2
You'd think he wouldn't make it so
that the hideout is only accessible
through this dump.
HENCHMAN #1
Lets get out of here before someone
sees.
SONIC (V.O.)
More convince? Looks like some of
Eggman's flunkies he's hired to do
his dirty work for him.
The two men leave into the city street. Sonic drops down and enters the manhole.
INT. SEWER SYSTEM - CONTINUOUS
SONIC (V.O.)
Well now I know where the Eggman is
hiding. If I wanna find him I don't
really have a choice.
Sonic walks across the pipes using them as balance beams to avoid the water.
SONIC
If there's one thing this hedgehog
isn't good at it's swimming.
He walks through the tunnels and makes it to a more open area where several tunnels connect. Sonic poses on a railing.
SONIC (CONT'D)
How am I ever supposed to find Doc
in this dump?
He flips off the railing onto other pipes making his way to the bottom.
SONIC (CONT'D)
It seems the Chaos Emerald is
piping up again. Pun partially
intended.
He jumps off into another tunnel.
SONIC (CONT'D)
It seems it wants me to go this
way. Man, I am so going to need a
shower after this. What time even
is it? Don't I have school
tomorrow? What are all the kids
going to think? "Oh yeah I also had
to crawl through the sewers because
that's where Eggman put his base
apparently."
Sonic finds a narrow space in a wall. Instead of walking through the tunnel he pulls himself up and starts crawling through. He makes it to the other side and drops down. He finds a camp setup with several other of Robotnik's henchmen standing guard.
SONIC (V.O.)
Well at least now I know I'm
getting close. There has to be away
around these guys to get in.
Sonic sticks to the shadows and sees a metal trapdoor in the middle of the room. The goons are heard bantering in the background.
SONIC (V.O.) (CONT'D)
Bingo. Do how do I get around these
guys without getting myself killed?
He grabs an empty glass bottle from a pile and chucks it across the room. The glass shatters and the flunkies run to investigate. Sonic jumps out and slips down the trapdoor.
SONIC
Man, who knew Eggman hired the
worst cronies ever?
INT. FACTORY BASE - CONTINUOUS
Sonic pops out from the ceiling into a storage area with large wooden crates. He jumps onto a box a climbs to the ceiling using the machinery. He pops off a grate and crawls into a ventilation duct.
SONIC
I am not going down there and
getting bit by whatever death traps
are set up. Who knew vents were
this dusty?
Sonic comes out the other side of the vent. A robot production factory is in full view.
SONIC (V.O.)
I could've been doing anything else
right now. Instead I'm about to be
killed in a robot factory because I
wanted to be the hero so bad.
He crawls across the support beams in the ceiling. He stops and hangs upside down from one.
SONIC
I'm probably going to have to trash
this place at some point. But first
I have to crack the Eggman wide
open.
He drops down onto one of the machines.
SONIC (CONT'D)
Robotnik has to be here somewhere.
I just have to find him.
He starts to parkour along the machinery dodging and weaving through all the moving parts.
SONIC (V.O.)
Okay, one, how does he get all the
money to build all this crazy
stuff? Two, how on Mobius does no
one see him in the first place?
Sonic lands and poses on a conveyor belt when he spots his target.
DR. ROBOTNIK
I can't believe I don't have
enough! If everything went as it
should Starlight would be mine and
my supplies wouldn't be diminished.
All because of that rat who
couldn't help but poke his nose in
my business!
Sonic jumps to a chain hanging from the ceiling.
SONIC (V.O.)
I've always wanted to do this.
He swings on it towards the ground and kicks Ivo right in the back.
SONIC
Hey was someone missing me already?
Sonic lands on the ground. Robotnik starts to get up.
DR. ROBOTNIK
You spiny bastard! How did you get
here!?
SONIC
What do you mean Doc? You left the
front door wide open.
Robotnik shouts angrily and charges at Sonic. He jumps and kicks him into the ground using the force to flip over him.
SONIC (CONT'D)
You really gotta try harder Doc.
You're trying to fight the fastest
thing alive you know.
DR. ROBOTNIK
Just hold still and let me finish
you!
Ivo tries to punch him but Sonic easily dodges every attack.
SONIC
No can do Doc. You gotta fit me
fair and square!
Sonic finds an opening an lands several blows on the jaw and torso. Robotnik grabs him and slams him into a piece of machinery. Sonic dodges more punches as the Doctor's fist dents the metal. Sonic lands a kick right to the face and tackles him. Sonic delivers several more punches with his foe on the ground.
SONIC (CONT'D)
I'll make sure you never hurt
anyone again!
Robotnik grabs him by the head and slams him into the floor. He then throws Sonic across the room. Sonic lands in a group of inactive badniks.
DR. ROBOTNIK
A child won't stop my plans.
Sonic is kicked a few times and gets picked up. Seizing his chance he lands more hits. Sonic shouts as he punches as hard as he can. The Doctor drops to one knee. Sonic stands there catching his breath.
DR. ROBOTNIK (CONT'D)
I'll give you this little man, that
one hurt.
He stands and headbutts Sonic. Sonic is than punched hard enough to get sent across the room. Robotnik comes over and tries to get him. Sonic lifts his feet and launches Ivo into a wall.
DR. ROBOTNIK (CONT'D)
I can't believe I'm being beaten by
a boy.
SONIC
I hate it when you say that! I'm
not a kid!
Sonic lands more strong blows and finishes his combo with a powerful uppercut. With Sonic finally winded Ivo gets up and the two go at it again.
SONIC (CONT'D)
I gotta say Doc I'm impressed. Were
you good at boxing when you were my
age?
DR. ROBOTNIK
Shut up you rodent!
SONIC
Actually I'd prefer I you called me
'Blue'.
Sonic shouts as he he gets pulled to the ground. Robotnik raises his fists to charge an attack. Sonic moves to the side just as the Doctor slams the ground. Sonic starts kicking Robotnik in the face and chest. A powerful blow sends him stumbling backwards. Sonic tries to jump away but is grabbed by the leg and thrown. In midair he grabs the chain from earlier and swings back around.
SONIC (CONT'D)
Heads up!
He grabs him by the collar and hurls Ivo onto one of the several moving conveyor belts as he swings up. Sonic also lands on it.
SONIC (CONT'D)
Boy, I wasn't expecting you to be
that heavy.
The Doctor shouts in frustration as he tries to hit Sonic. They lock hands and push against each other. Sonic's strength wins as he picks up the Eggman over his head and throws him into another part. He falls to the ground and Sonic jumps off.
DR. ROBOTNIK
I knew I'd have to use this.
The Doctor gets up and pushes a button on a wall and a door closes in front of him. The factory starts to fall apart.
SONIC
You put a self-destruct button just
in case things went wrong? You
really are the worlds greatest mad
scientist!
Sonic retraces his steps and makes a mad dash for the exit. He flips over and slides under falling debris. He makes back to the sewer and climbs to the surface. Sonic pops out in the middle of a random street in Starlight.
SONIC (CONT'D)
Just like a comic villain, he'll
always come back. Now I just have
to get home before anyone notices
I've been gone.
INT. HILL HOUSE - NIGHT
Sonic's parents are sitting on their couch in the dead of the night. The lights are off except for a lamp in the living room.
ALEENA
He's not coming home is he?
JAX
Oh don't say that. Kid has a lot to
deal with.
ALEENA
He wouldn't have done this if you
raised them differently.
JAX
All I've tought our boys to do is
what is objectively right.
ALEENA
All the things you read, all the
music you listened to growing up.
You passed everything onto them.
JAX
Is that meant to be a bad thing?
ALEENA
You radicalized them! You made them
just like you.
JAX
If they didn't like how I raised
them they would've changed. They're
teenagers now. Our kids know what
they want regardless of what we
say.
ALEENA
I hate that we were just like them
at some point. That we hated the
world. That we just wanted to grow
up.
JAX
Sonic is just like you too. He's
taking his first steps to becoming
a man.
ALEENA
And just what are these first
steps? Going out and fighting the
world by himself?
JAX
The world has a lot of bigger
problems that no one wants to deal
with. Punk Rock has told me growing
up that you should be the one to
take responsibility, even when no
one appreciates your efforts.
ALEENA
I want to say so bad that you're
wrong. But I love you for a reason.
I know that whatever Sonic does I
can't tell him to stop, even as his
mother. He'll do what he wants
because he's a teenager. I'm just
so scared.
The scene cuts to Sonic's bedroom. The window is open and Sonic crawls through it just like that morning.
SONIC
Man, I have to at least take a
shower before I hit the hay. What
time is it anyway?
He looks over at the alarm clock on his dresser. The time reads 11:42 PM. He makes a face of horror before grabbing some fresh clothes and a towel. As he leaves he stops in the hallway hearing his parents downstairs. The scene cuts back to them.
ALEENA
He wants to do all these things and
I know that he tries to make the
world the place that it should be.
What if he gets hurt?
JAX
The kid got hurt but he'll be fine.
She tries to hold herself back.
ALEENA
No, you don't get it Jax. What if
he dies out there! He hasn't come
home yet! What if he's lying
bleeding out where no one will find
him. I don't want to live in the
world where I outlive one of our
kids.
JAX
All we need to hope for is that he
did a good enough job so no one has
to worry anymore.
ALEENA
But how many are going to recognize
him? All the kids at school
certainly do. What if the rest of
the world knows how he is? What if
they come after not just him but us
too?
JAX
I don't know what's going to happen
next. All I know is that everything
is going to change now. All I want
is to deal with this when we get to
it.
ALEENA
What do we do know? Should we
confront him? Do we tell him he
should stop?
JAX
And say what? That he can't be the
hero he's always dreamed of? That's
he's a champ who should keep up the
good work?
ALEENA
I just wish our family didn't have
to live in a world like this. It's
late, we should just go to bed
already.
Cut to Sonic back in his bedroom now wearing a nightshirt with slightly damp hair. He spots something in the corner of the room. He walks over to his backpack and takes out a small box from a side pocket. He opens it to find a plain gold ring. Sonic puts it on his finger.
SONIC
Neat. Did Sally give this while I
wasn't looking? Oh yeah, Sally.
He sits back on his bed defeated and hangs his head.
SONIC (CONT'D)
This has somehow been the best and
worst birthday ever.
Jax walks upstairs and opens his door. Sonic is now under the covers pretending to be asleep. Jax smiles.
JAX (V.O.)
There goes my hero.
He closes the door and leaves. The camera fades to black.