- Chapter 42 -

Roses and Honey

Robotropolis

Robotnik and his forces had managed to retreat back to Robotropolis. Snively and Grimer looked on with apprehension as the doctor, still incensed, ranted and raved over his latest defeat.

"Sonic, Sonic, Sonic!" he screamed. "Everywhere I turn he's there! Those stupid red shoes, that hideous hairdo, that holier-than-thou 'let's do it to it' attitude!"

"Uncle, I think you should-" Snively began.

"He follows me, you know," Robotnik cut him off. "I'm his pet project! Drive Dr. Robotnik around the bend! Makes every day a fresh bout of torture!"

He grabbed a workbench, spilling glass and tools all over the place, and chucked it at the wall

"Dr. Robotnik, please calm down!" Grimer begged. "Remember your blood pressure!"

"You don't understand," Robotnik snarled. "I can't get rid of the hedgehog. He's haunting me, Grimer!"

After a minute, his rage passed, and he collapsed in his chair, removing his shades and rubbing his eyes. "This… has got to end."

Snively let out a sigh now that things had calmed down.

"Uncle," He let out, "perhaps you need some time away from the lab, and away from... you know."

Robotnik let out a long sigh. "Maybe you're right."

"Let us put you somewhere so you can clear your head and not be a danger to yourself, alright?" Grimer requested, getting a nod from Robotnik.

Snively ushered him out of his chair and out of the lab.

"Come along Uncle. A few nights in isolation and you'll be back to normal. Grimer, see to this mess."

"On it."

Grimer got to work as the two Robotniks left.

Knothole

Amy stood in the training yard, her new hammer at the ready. Shortfuse chucked large rocks at her. She smashed each one with all her strength. Random targets popped up, and she smashed each one. When it was over, she was smiling and wiping her brow.

"Well, it seems the Piko Piko Hammer lives up to the stories," she noted.

"Just remember, Amy," Sally said. "A weapon doesn't make the person. It's the other way around."

"Right," Amy nodded, adjusting her blouse and skirt. "Although, I'm starting to think I'm in the wrong outfit for this kind of fighting. It's cute and all, but not very maneuverable."

"You need functional and fashionable outfits, see Honey the Cat at Station Square," Sonic offered. "She makes all my clothes custom."

Amy perked. "You know Honey the Cat?! I'm a huge fan!"

"Of course I do," Sonic confirmed. "When I first got my speed, my clothes kept catching fire and I usually ended up just running around in my sneakers. So my uncle called up Honey and she made me some specialized friction-proof clothes."

"You're lucky you didn't get yourself arrested for indecent exposure," Sally recalled.

"Eh, Donut Lord was on duty and he helped me out," Sonic explained. "But anyway, I'm about to go and get myself a new batch of clothes. You're welcome to tag along."

"Sure!" Amy grinned.

"Right, let's get going then."

Sonic pulled out his bag of Warp Rings, opening a portal that he hopped through with Amy in tow.

Station Square

The two hedgehogs landed on the sidewalk of Main Street. Amy went wide-eyed as she looked around.

"Whoa…" she let out.

"Welcome to Station Square," Sonic reported. "The biggest human city in the United Federation."

"I've never seen so many humans!" Amy exclaimed.

"Eh, you get used to it," Sonic said. "C'mon. Honey's place is this way."

The pair headed into the shopping district, soon coming across a large building. It had a sun logo with the words "HC: Honey Clothing" written inside of it. On billboards near the building, a cute Mobian fish with purple skin was modeling one of the company's outfits with a wink and a smile.

"Deena…" Amy sighed. "Oh, she's so beautiful. I hope I look half as good as her when we're done."

They entered the building, where they were greeted by the sight of none other than Honey the Cat, a female Mobian cat with orange-yellow fur, a peach muzzle, and long jet-black hair that she kept in two voluminous ponytails. She also had two triangular perked ears with peach inner ears, a small black nose, large orange eyes, thin arms and legs, and a slim two-tone tail. For her attire, she wore a red headband and elaborate white laced cloth-like hair barrettes around her ponytails, along with a red dress, black straps on the cuffs, a pair of white wings on the back, and white laces on the lower rim. Her dress also had black outlines around the waist, and a black area on her front skirt with white fasteners. Finally, she wore white gloves with red backs and laced cuffs, black arm wrappers around her wrists and black and red boots. She was doing measurements on her latest outfit when she saw Sonic enter alongside Amy, and smiled.

"Sonic!" she greeted, standing up and practically pumping his arm off its shoulder with a handshake. "Welcome back! How's my number one customer doing?"

"Great, Honey," Sonic replied. "And c'mon, you say that to most of your shoppers.

"Maybe so, but none of them give me the same challenge you do," Honey admitted. "And from the looks of your current garb, you're in serious need of a wardrobe change. So talk to me, sweetie. What do you want this go around?"

"Pockets," Sonic answered simply. "Lots of pockets."

"You got it!"

Honey grabbed Sonic's hand, disappearing with him.

-X-

Amy looked around the store, looking at the outfits and checking things out while Honey worked on Sonic. After several minutes, the pair returned, Sonic in a new outfit. He was wearing a blue hoodie with light blue lightning designs running down the arms. It had a large, dark blue pocket on the center of it, the word "BOOM" written in the same color as the lightning design. He was wearing light brown cargo pants with large pockets along the sides, along with his signature sneakers.

"I know how you prefer simpler clothes, so I figured this combo would fit your aesthetic," Honey explained. "And the hoodie has become quite a favorite around here. Part of my 'Sonic Boom' line, apparel based off of everyone's favorite supersonic hero."

"You named one of your designs after me, eh?" Sonic mused. "I'm flattered."

"I know what the people want," Honey told him. "It's how I got this far."

With that, she turned to Amy. "Now, what can I do for you?"

"My name's Amy Rose," Amy explained. "I recently joined the Freedom Fighters, and I'd like some more... practical attire. Functional and fashionable."

Honey looked her up and down, taking in her clothes.

"I must admit, your clothing does leave much to be desired," she noted. "Quite a clash of colors. With your fur color, I'd go for a red."

She snapped her fingers. "Of course!"

She grabbed Amy, pulling her away.

-X-

Sonic was left casually sitting around while Honey worked her magic. Some time later, the girls returned. Amy looked completely different. Her quills had been combed down so they looked more like a bob, and she was wearing a red dress with white trim and no sleeves, as well as a pair of red boots with a white stripe down the middle, her red headband remaining.

"This is my Dream-Casters line," Honey explained. "Simple, yet elegant, fashionable, yet maneuverable. Perfect for the active girl."

"I love it," Amy said with a smile. "Thanks, Honey."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Honey assured. "Always happy to help. I'll just pull the money from the Sonic Budget. I'm certain Chuck won't mind, considering it's for a good cause. How is the old coot anyway? It's been awhile since I've seen him."

Sonic flinched before sighing. "He's… seen better days."

He proceeded to explain Uncle Chuck's roboticization. By the end, Honey was wide-eyed.

"Oh, Aurora…" she gasped. "I'm so sorry, Sonic. If I'd known-"

"It's okay," Sonic assured. "You couldn't have."

Honey pulled Sonic into a comforting hug. "Forget the money."

"You sure?" Sonic asked.

Honey nodded. "Yeah. Just this once, it's on the house. Consider it a small donation to the cause." She gave him a small squeeze. "I know you'll save him, I have faith in you."

"Thanks," Sonic returned the hug before standing up. "Well, you'll probably be hearing from me again in a few months."

"I'll be waiting, and I'll be sure to keep your pockets request in mind," Honey said with a smile. "And remember: if you don't look sweet, you're not wearing Honey!"

-X-

Sonic and Amy departed at that. After a minute, Sonic handed a Warp Ring to Amy.

"Go on back to Knothole," he told her. "I'll be back later."

"Everything alright?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Sonic assured. "Just gonna go see some friends in town."

"Well… okay,"

"I'm fine, I promise,"

Amy nodded, then she opened a portal and hopped through.

-X-

Sonic made his way to an elaborate mansion on the outskirts of Station Square. He rang the doorbell, and before long, a Yurasian (2) man in a black suit and glasses opened the door. He smiled at the sight of the blue blur.

"Ah, Sonic," he greeted. "Here to see Master Chris?"

"I am, Tanaka," Sonic confirmed. "Is he in?"

"He and Master Keith are in their lab," Tanaka replied. "Right this way."

Tanaka led Sonic to a building in the backyard, knocking on the door.

"Kinda busy with something at the moment!" a young boy's voice called from within.

"Sonic is here to see you two," Tanaka replied calmly.

"Sonic?!"

The door was quickly opened by a twelve year old boy with spiky reddish brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a red and yellow t-shirt with jeans and sneakers, a lab coat over it all and some safety goggles on his eyes. This was Chris Thorndyke, one of Sonic's human friends in the city.

"Hey, Chris," Sonic greeted. "Sorry I haven't been around lately. Things have been pretty busy for me."

"No problem," Chris assured. "Come on in. Keith and I are working on something pretty cool."

Suddenly, there was an explosion.

"Well… we were working on something pretty cool," Chris amended.

"I'm okay!" Another boy's voice called from inside.

They went inside to see a boy around Chris' age rubbing smoke off his face. He had black hair and brown eyes, and was wearing a green t-shirt and jeans, as well as safety goggles and a lab coat. He also had a pair of eyeglasses on under his goggles. This was Keith Kent, Chris' cousin on his mother's side.

"Power output was too high on the gloves," he explained. "It overloaded and blew the internal circuits."

"We're gonna have to work on that," Chris mused. "Maybe install a few dampeners?"

"Probably. But will it still have the desired effect?"

Sonic chuckled. "You two never change."

"Oh, hey Sonic," Keith noted. "Good to see you."

He gestured to what was on their workbench, a pair of mechanical gloves with gray backs and black palms. Across the fingers ran a line of yellow circuitry.

"You're just in time to check out our latest gadget. The Electric Touch."

"The name's a work in progress," Chris admitted.

"Clearly," Sonic deadpanned.

"With these, the user can summon balls of energy," Keith explained. "Once we figure out the power issue, anyway."

"Yeah," Sonic nodded. "Judging from the bang I heard, anyone who tries to use them right now might as well start calling themselves 'Stumpy.'"

The boys laughed at that.

"True," Chris chuckled. "By the way, we were hoping to ask you something."

"I'm listening," Sonic replied.

The boys took off their safety goggles, facing Sonic.

"We want to join the Freedom Fighters," they said in unison.

Sonic was thrown for a loop. He hadn't been expecting that. "Really?"

"Yeah," Keith confirmed. "Grandpa told us what happened to Dr. Kintobor when the ROCC blew up. And about what happened to your uncle. We wanna help you."

"We know we're not as smart as Grandpa, our Aunt Laura," Chris added. "But we wanna help."

"You're selling yourselves short," Sonic told them. "But... do you know what you're asking? It's dangerous."

"We know that, and we don't care," Chris replied.

"You're barely older than us, and Tails is even younger, and you guys risk your lives every day," Keith included. "So why should we do any less?"

"Okay, fair point," Sonic conceded with a nod.

"Even if we can't help in the field, surely there's a way we can lend our minds," Chris insisted.

"Alright," Sonic decided. "I'll talk to Sal about it."

Knothole

Sonic brought the two kids to Knothole to discuss their requests. Sally was quite on board.

"Of course they can join!" she exclaimed. "We could always use more scientists, especially big names like the Thorndykes and the Kents. Charles Thorndyke helped in the ROCC project, and Laura Kent's made the most leaps and bounds in Power Ring research since Nate Morgan."

"We'll do what we can to help with that," Chris assured, looking at Shorty. "And with finding a way to crack Shorty's Badnik armor."

"Megatal, correct?" Chris asked. "Cracking it will be tough, but we'll figure something out."

"I've been able to damage it using Power Rings and the Chaos Emeralds," Sonic told them. "But we'd all rather do it in a way that won't hurt Shorty (1)."

"We'll keep that in mind," Keith replied.

"However it goes, thanks for trying," Shortfuse said.

"We'll get you two set up with a lab here in Knothole," Sally told them. "Tails will supply you with warp rings. However, you should still continue attending school. I don't want the Freedom Fighters to be responsible for a drop in your education."

"That won't be a problem," Chris promised.

"Besides, both of us are mostly in school so we can interact with other kids our age," Keith added. "Technically, we're both at college level studies."

Sonic smirked mischievously. "Speaking of which, Chris, you ever get to asking Helen out?"

Chris turned beet-red in embarrassment and anger. "Sonic!"

Sally elbowed Sonic in the side as he laughed.

"What?" he asked.

Sally just rolled her eyes.

"C'mon," Tails stood up. "I'll show you around."

He led Keith and Chris off on a tour, Sonic watching.

"That wasn't cool, Sonic," Sally admonished. "You know how shy Chris is."

"I was just having some fun with him," Sonic defended.

"Still…"

"Hey, he knows I'm not being mean," Sonic insisted.

-X-

As Tails led them through the village, Chris was still a little irked.

"C'mon, Chris," Keith said. "You know Sonic was just goofing with you."

"I know, I know," Chris sighed. "But every time we meet up, it's always the same. I go over to Helen, try to ask her out on a date, and I end up tongue-tied and making a clown of myself. I can build a supercomputer out of a lunchbox and a coat hanger, but I can't talk to one girl!"

"Hey, hey. It's alright," Keith soothed. "Maybe helping the Freedom Fighters will help you gain some confidence."

"Yeah…" Chris nodded. "Probably."

Keith put an arm around him. "It'll be alright, cuz. Trust me."

Author's Note:

(1): Something taken from Sonic the Comic. Using organic batteries for Badniks also served as a defense mechanism; more often than not, Sonic had to hold back against Badniks so he wouldn't hurt the critters trapped inside.

(2): Mobian Asia.

Another one down, and two more Freedom Fighters in the bargain.

Honey the Cat was a character planned but scrapped for the arcade game Sonic the Fighters, but restored in the 2012 rerelease for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Her company and demeanor is taken from the Archie depiction.

Keith Kent is the property of Writing Avenger 2016, used with his permission. I tweaked his backstory a bit to fit him in. Here, he's Chris' cousin, the son of his uncle Sam Speed. Sam and his mother, the Laura Kent Sally mentions, were in a relationship and had Keith out of wedlock, hence why Keith uses his mother's last name.

Next chapter, Robotnik begins his next diabolical scheme.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Honey - Christine Marie Cabanos (Silica from Sword Art Online, Sailor Saturn from Sailor Moon, Marie Rose from Dead or Alive)

* Chris - Antony Del Rio (Pit and Dark Pit from Kid Icarus, Chico from Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Silas from Fire Emblem Fates)

* Keith - Bryce Papenbrook (Kirito from Sword Art Online, Rin Okumura from Blue Exorcist, Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan)

Please R&R. Until next time!