Chapter 4: Pieces of the Present
(Chris's POV)
"Chris, did you visit the Master Emerald at all today?" Knuckles asked, his eyes narrowing.
Doesn't he guard the Master Emerald? Shouldn't he know who comes and goes throughout the
day?
Shaking my head, I answered, I can't let him think I was involved with this. Not if I'm going to
stay in the clear.
"No, I just woke up about an hour ago. I've barely even eaten lunch. If you don't believe me, you
can ask Sonic, or anyone else for that matter. They'll all say the same."
Knuckles eyed me suspiciously, like a detective finding a new piece of crucial evidence. Is he
buying it?
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Why are you asking? Shouldn't you know this already?"
Knuckles seemed uncomfortable. His eyes darted toward the window, quickly flicking back to
me. What's going on with him?
"Well, earlier today, I saw somebody that looked a lot like you. We talked for a bit, but he
seemed in a hurry to leave. Before I could ask him anything else, he took off. So I'm going to
ask you one more time: have you seen the Master Emerald at all today?"
"No. I have not."
His gaze lingered on me, sharp and probing, like knives pointed at my chest. I could feel the
weight of it. Finally, he nodded.
"Okay, if you're sure."
A long silence followed, the air thick with unsaid words. Neither of us moved. We were both lost
in thought. What now? Do we wait for him to come back? Or do we flush him out ourselves?
"Was there anything... off about him?" I blurted out suddenly.
"Huh?"
"The boy you saw, was there anything strange about him?"
Knuckles scratched his chin, thinking. "Well, now that you mention it, he did seem a little...
creepy."
Creepy? How?
"How so?"
"He had this... feeling about him. It's hard to explain, but when I first noticed him, I felt anxious.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. That's not something that usually happens. That's
why I wanted to make sure it wasn't you."
I nodded slowly, letting my gaze wander to the wall. Someone who looked a lot like me, had a
creepy aura, and knew their way around? They knew about Knuckles. But they also seemed to
know too much about me—my interactions with Sonic and the others... And they knew about the
Master Emerald. Who could fit that description?
Without another word, Knuckles left, leaving me alone with my thoughts. None of the kids in this
town look like me. Not even close.
I rubbed my chin, deep in thought. Could it be someone from school? No, Knuckles would
definitely recognize them. Maybe they're a visitor? But how would they know all this?
The possibilities narrowed quickly. Then, my phone buzzed in my pocket, snapping me out of
my thoughts. I pulled it out and flipped it open. The message on the screen made my blood run
cold.
No. This can't be real.
I could barely breathe, my hands shaking as I read the two words that shattered everything:
He's back.
(Chris's POV)
I ran out of the house as fast as I could, my legs moving on pure instinct. People crowded the
streets, and I dodged them as best I could. At one point, I nearly got hit by a car. Lucky they
weren't going too fast.
"Sorry!" I shouted, but I didn't stop running. I pushed through busy streets, darting down
alleyways, and finally made my way toward the desert. I ran for what felt like forever, but I didn't
stop. Not until I reached an empty patch of land.
I skidded to a halt, looking around to make sure I was alone.
With a swift motion, I grabbed my cell phone and dialed a number. The line buzzed twice before
it went silent.
"Calling area: 6. 4.7. 12. 18. 1. Come in."
There was a moment of static, followed by a woman's voice on the other end.
"Area: .18.1. Roger, who is this?"
"This is agent Silver Bullet. Over."
There was a pause, some shuffling noises on the other end, and then...
"Roger that. Please wait while I transfer your call."
A few minutes passed, and then the voice I was waiting for came through the speaker. "Hey!
Chris, buddy! What do I owe the pleasure for this little chat?"
"Is it true?!" I asked urgently, my voice cracking. I didn't even bother with a greeting.
There was silence on the other end, and then I repeated, "I said, is it true?! ... Rodney?!"
Sigh. That was all I needed to hear. I knew the answer, but I still waited for Rodney to speak.
"Yeah. It's true."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I could hear nothing. No birds, no wind, not even the
buzzing of insects. My entire world seemed to collapse in on itself.
I let my head hang in defeat, feeling my body tremble from both exhaustion and anger.
"It's my fault," I muttered, my voice shaky. "He's only alive because I didn't have the guts to kill
him. And because of me, he's going to destroy my world... and try to take over Sonic's, just like
the others."
My hands clenched into fists, white-knuckled with rage. My jaw locked as I scowled. "It's all my
fault."
"Chris, it's nobody's fa—"
"It's all my damn fault!" I shouted, cutting him off. "I didn't have the nerve to kill him... I'm too
weak."
"Chris, it's. Not. Your." Rodney tried to comfort me.
I didn't want to hear it anymore. I ended the call with a sharp click, bringing the phone up to
throw it in a fit of rage. But before I could, I stopped myself. I was so tired. Exhausted. I felt my
knees buckle beneath me.
I collapsed onto the ground, my head spinning. It was around five in the afternoon—judging by
the city noises and the position of the sun.
Letting out a sigh, I muttered, "I guess I should head back."
I started to rise, but the ground beneath me began to shake. It wasn't just a little tremor—it felt
like something big was happening. The shaking grew more intense, and I found myself
stumbling. My legs couldn't hold me steady.
"W-What's going on?!" I shouted, but no one could hear me. The tremors only grew stronger.
I couldn't keep my balance, and before I knew it, I was thrown to the ground, face-first. The
sand shifted beneath me, pulling me in. I was sinking.
"HELP!" I screamed, but it was no use. Who would hear me out here in the desert?
I stopped struggling, letting myself sink deeper. This is it. The end. I'm going to die out here.
Alone.
I felt the sand rise over my head, and my vision started to fade. Then, suddenly, I felt a powerful
gust of wind blast over me. What the—?
The wind blew the sand off my face. I opened my eyes to see a large ship not even thirty yards
away.
A familiar, mechanical voice echoed through the air. "My, who do we have here? A little bird who
flew too far from home."
I looked up weakly, and my heart sank. There, in front of me, stood none other than Dr.
Eggman, a round figure with a bushy mustache. Beside him were two robots, but I knew exactly
who they were.
"Eggman..." I croaked, the sand still in my mouth.
Eggman studied me for a moment, as if scheming his next move.
"Doctor, are you just going to leave the boy here?" Boccoe asked.
"You can't do that! He's just a kid!" Doccoe added.
"Quiet! You two buffoons!" Eggman shouted. Then, he turned to the robots, eyes narrowed.
"Well, don't just stand there. Take him to the ship!"
Boccoe and Doccoe sprang into action. "Thank you, Doctor!" they cheered in various ways as
they lifted me. I tried to resist, but I was too weak.
I couldn't even summon the strength to fight back. I gave in and let them drag me to the ship.
The last thing I muttered, just before everything went black, was a single name.
"Sonic..."
And then, everything faded to nothing.
End of Chapter