Chapter Text
It was a rough, vast land, mostly composed of dirt and rocks. Beyond the horizon above, the sky transitioned to a deep, blue tint as the clouds began to gather. Eventually, the wind picked up with fierce intensity, producing a sound that varied from a faint whisper to a deafening noise. It was raining heavily, with thunder rumbling throughout the area. Then, a droplet of water fell from the sky and plopped onto the soil surface, and more and more followed. While drops of rain continued to fall, they formed mixtures of water and mud, making the ground sticky and forming pools of water. Then something else mixed in, fresh blood slowly dripped and overflowed into the puddles.
The male Mobian sobbed, squirming from the hold of a metallic hand on his neck. There were fresh cuts that scarred his pale face, with his dull red fur filled with grime, and his clothes were torn and ragged.
‘Please!’ He pleaded.
Their grip on his neck tightened, and he squirmed and coughed, clearly losing air to intake.
‘Please…’ He repeated.
The other stayed unmoving, though their metallic arm converted into a blaster, and they placed it at his forehead,
“You have committed treachery to the leader.” Then—
BANG!
The male Mobian flew from a greater distance than he had before. His limping body remained on the ground, and blood seeped out of his body, smearing the ground with his fluids.
The other had their arm reverted with a soft whirr, trying to adjust back. After a bit, they shifted their head to look at the lifeless body. They were processing.
Though their staring was disturbed as their communicator beeped, and a child-like, feminine voice spoke.
“Has the threat been dismantled?” The girl spoke from the speaker
“The threat has been successfully neutralized.”
“Good, then I have another task for you that was given by our leader.”
They tilted their head, “Proceed.”
˚꩜｡
“Sonic?”
A knock
“Sonic.”
Again, a knock was repeated, but it was more constant.
“Sonic!”
He could hear the door swing open, then a sharp flick of a light switch, which lightened up the room.
Sonic groaned from it. He squeezed his eyes more as he shifted from left to right, knowing the room was radiating.
After a while, he soon heard footsteps approaching in his direction, and a frustrated huff followed.
Sonic parted his eyes in half and shifted his gaze to a two-tailed yellow fox beside him.
Tails was glaring at him, furrowing his eyebrows and frowning. He looked annoyed that he didn't hear him at all or that he hadn’t woken up on his own.
Then, without warning, Tails grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.
“Wake up!”
Sonic blinked at him just a couple of times. Still feeling drowsy, he only hummed in response.
Tails pulled himself back, creating a little bit of distance, “I already made breakfast, come on and eat.” He went back towards the door and left the room.
Sonic glanced at where Tails was and finally forced himself to stand up. He rubbed one of his eyelids as he walked to the dining room. When he twisted the knob and opened it, he saw an enthusiastic fox preparing the table with precision and patience.
He smiled at the sight, looking at him now made him reminisce about the time when he was still a little fox who would follow him everywhere, saying he admired his ‘confidence and boldness’ and would look up to him. Their bond grew from that point on. What began as a friendship based on mutual respect transformed into something familial. Strengthened by believing in each other and staying side-by-side despite the hardships they both went through.
He allowed Tails to stay at his house then. He gave him a room that would be comfortable for him to sleep in, and would get up early to make him breakfast. Now, it's vice versa. Sonic would actually tear up right at the moment, thinking about how Tails grew from that little fox to becoming someone who’d be his most cherished person in the whole world.
He bolted towards Tails and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. He giggled as he did so.
Tails chuckled, “Never stopping the sudden affection, are you Sonic?”
“Yup.” He replied, popping the p.
At last, they both took their seats. Sonic widely grinned at the delicious food on the table and grabbed his spoon, scooped up the pancake, and started munching.
He was always grateful to Tails, but whenever he cooked up meals, that gratitude deepened more than ever.
They both stayed quietly eating for a brief time until Sonic looked at him and broke the silence, “Did you get anything about him? Any leads or whatnot?” he tipped his head slightly, raising one of his eyebrows.
Tails perked up, he gulped his food and replied, “No, nothing at all. I tried following his patterns and flew with Tornado to scan electromagnetic signatures from the Badniks that would lead them to him, then to me, yet I saw none of them at all. Well, those who are switched on, for that matter. It only led me to his bases where all of his robots are deactivated, but no Eggman in sight. It seems like he left all of his gadgets behind, so tracking him would be harder.”
Huh, that's weird…
"That doesn’t make any sense. He is one hell of a maniac about his creations. I doubt he would ever leave behind anything, especially if he changed bases. Again.”
A pause.
Slumping, Sonic felt lost. He stared at his food for a moment before turning his attention back to Tails.
“It has been a month since he hasn’t done anything, hasn’t he? He usually tries beating us every day.” He leaned back on his chair, fiddling with his spoon.
“It was pretty unexpected. There were no signs of anything unusual the last time we saw Eggman. We fought him, won, and he did his catchphrase.”
Sonic chuckled at that.
“Well, I’ll let the others know about this new info. It’s strange, but nothing we can do about that, bud.”
Though Sonic still felt uneasy. Even after saying that, he couldn't shake off the odd feeling that clung to him around it.
Should he actually do something?
He’ll think it over.
After finishing the last bit of his pancake, he stood up, pulled on his all-time favorite red shoes, and headed to the door. He turned back to Tails one last time.
“I’m going to do my morning run, I’ll see you sometime soon! Also, I don’t wanna disturb you when you're working. You’re working on something, right?”
“Yeah, I am, though I’m already used to your presence, Sonic.”
Sonic hummed thoughtfully for a moment before a smirk spread across his face as he leaned his shoulder against the threshold.
“Whoa, are you trying to say I'm always unbearable to be with?”
Tails widened his eyes with surprise, “W-What? No? I meant–”
Sonic started laughing at his reaction, hilarious, he thought.
“I was just joking, bro.”
Sonic then opened the front door, trying to hold in his laughter (Tails still looked peeved from his joke).
“I’ll be right back. Ya want anything?”
Tails placed his thumb and index finger on his chin. “Maybe try to find scraps on your way, I might need pieces for future use.”
“On it!”
He dashed away immediately after shutting the door. Almost instantly, a flash of blue light burst through the environment. It was seen all around Green Hills then, and the people who saw it could tell who that was straight away.
ִֶָ. 𓂃 ִִֶֶָָ.
Sonic ran every part of Green Hills he could find. He went through the loop-de-loops, going to the top of one of the highlands, then spin-dashing into another, or just ran in circles all over the area. The morning wind passed over him every time he went running. He would close his eyes and take a deep breath just to feel the serenity of going around these lush, tropical hills he called home. He felt connected to it, like they were one and the same. And of course, Green Hills is especially great when his friends and other mobians are around to have company with. He would wave whenever he saw them, strike up a conversation, laugh together, or play around with one another.
All of them are great people–okay, maybe not all, but still.
He decided to take a break and go to a chili dog stand he saw nearby and get chili dogs. He sat down while conversing with the vendor about his day. The guy was a funny, charismatic person. Sonic knew he would get a lot of sales if he kept that up.
Once he was done, Sonic wanted to stop by Angel Island to see Knuckles. There was something he needed to discuss with him about a particular person who was nagging his waking hours.
-
When he was there, he saw Knuckles guarding the Master Emerald as always. He was staying still and looking serious. Sonic will always be impressed by how he can stay cooped up in one setting.
I guess that's what you’ll get for being a guardian. It’s his duty.
“Hey, Knux!”
He caught sight of him and glanced his way, a grin spreading across his face. “Sonic!” Knuckles offered a fist bump, which Sonic gladly accepted.
Sonic then began to talk about the new information he got from his brother. Knuckles remained silent, listening carefully.
When Sonic finished, he waited, then Knuckles finally spoke.
“Impossible…did Eggman leave to become a new man or what?”
“Now that's impossible.”
“I know that.”
“Anyway— any idea what we should do about this?”
Knuckles hummed, “Nothing else but to investigate further. If Eggman has been gone for a month, it clearly means he is scheming something big. We could ask the detective agency for help with this.”
Sonic thought over what he said. Eggman’s absence did mean something big, and the more help they had, the easier it was to find out the truth.
“Huh, right. We do need the help we can get. Pretty sure they’ll agree since it looks like they don't have cases that are too big. Do we investigate today? Let's go find one of his bases.”
Knuckles suddenly turned rigid, rubbing the back of his head, “Uh, I have plans.”
“Plans? What plans?”
“None of your business.”
He was so suspicious, but Sonic decided not to push further.
“Whatever you say, let's do it tomorrow. I'll just go ask them today.”
Knuckles nodded his head, and they both said their farewells.
-
Sonic stretched his arms high over his head, his quills rustling from the breeze of Seaside City, which swept past him. For a moment, he let himself take in his environment before turning back his attention to the task at hand. He made his way up toward the front door of the Chaotix Detective Agency office.
He reached out for the knob, fingers almost in contact with it—
When he saw another hand on the knob.
Sonic paused, surprised as another claimed it before he could. He lifted his gaze and found himself face-to-face with a purple chameleon. For a few seconds, they simply stared at each other for a while.
Sonic blinked once, “Wow. I did not see you there, Espio.”
He snickered, “That’s usually the point.”
He stepped aside, gesturing to him to come in. When he did, the door clicked softly as it closed behind them. Then, Espio glanced back over his shoulder.
“Vector, Sonic is here.”
Vector froze, then stared at him. A wide grin was plastered on his face as he walked over. Sonic returned the smile.
Lively as always.
“Yo Sonic!”
“Hey Vector!”
They hugged for a bit, afterwards Sonic took up the sight of the office. Newspapers were scattered across the floor, and plastic cans and markers were littered everywhere. In the center of the room lay a pinboard, crowded with photos and newspaper cutouts, all connected by a red string in a tangled web. Sonic smiled at the sight. They are still working hard as ever.
Then he spotted a familiar bee in the corner who was carefully folding a paper crown. Sonic waved at him.
“Oh, hey Sonic!”
“What’s up, Charmy.”
A moment later, Sonic grabbed a nearby chair and sat down, and looked at all of them.
“Alright, Detectives. I need some help.”
“Always happy to help a fellow friend! Whaddya need, Sonic?” Vector replied, radiating.
“You guys realize that Eggman has been gone for a month now, right? And that’s pretty weird, don’t you think?”
They all nodded, signaling him to continue. Sonic relayed what he had learned from Tails, then shared what he discussed back on Angel Island with Knuckles. The detectives listened closely, especially Espio, whose expression stayed serious the entire time.
Sonic clapped his hands together, “That’s everything you need to know.”
“Of course we’ll help!”
“Agreed.”
“Yes! Yes!”
The chorus of agreements made Sonic smile. He felt grateful, so he thanked all of them. After saying his goodbyes, he headed outside, the door behind him shut. He looked up to the sky and let out a breath of fresh air.
There was one more place he wanted to visit.
-
He ran until he saw a small familiar bakery come into view. Its soft pink exterior stood out, flourishing with carefully arranged fresh roses in shades of red, white, and pink. A pristine sweet smell drifted towards him, mixed with the scent of baked bread. It felt welcoming and safe.
Sonic stepped closer to the entrance and twisted the doorknob, and the moment it opened, a small bell chimed above him. He glanced towards the counter to see a pink hedgehog quietly wiping the tables, completely absorbed in her work.
“Hi, Ames!”
Amy perked up and smiled at him, “Sonic!” She walked over to him and hugged him tight. Sonic felt suffocated but still reciprocated the hug anyway.
“Here for your regular or you want to whip up something different?” She let go, pushed herself back, and placed a hand on her hip.
“I’ll go with the regular and take this out this time.”
“Sure.”
Amy went back to the counter and grabbed a plastic bag and a tong. She opened the display case and got out fluffy breads and cinnamon rolls and placed them in the bag. She hummed a sweet tune.
Sonic studied her for a moment, “You must be glad that you have time for the bakery since Eggman hasn’t been active, huh?” He crossed his arms.
Amy looked at him, and a small smile formed on her face, “Who wouldn’t? I feel free, don't you?”
He let out a huff. He did feel free, but..
“It still feels wrong, though.”
“I can see that, it has been…what? A month since we last saw him? He might be thinking longer this time.” She let out a deep breath, “Regardless, I think we should take this as an opportunity for a break, to feel at peace, or enjoy our hobbies with no distractions. Especially, since there’s a chance we might not get another one till years later.”
Amy then placed the plastic bag filled with bread in a brown paper bag and raised it.
“Here!”
Sonic grabbed it and gave money in exchange, “I guess so.”
Amy huffed, “Oh, come on, sure, Eggman might come back at unexpected times, but let's think positively about this! Anyway, we always win at the end of the day,” She placed a hand on his shoulder.
Sonic nodded with a confident smile, “That guy never stood a chance…see you, Ames.”
“Bye, Sonic! Don’t forget we planned a picnic with everyone this Saturday!” She said cheerfully.
Sonic froze mid-step and slowly drifted his gaze back to Amy with a certain someone flashing in his mind.
"Everyone,” he said carefully, “as in Shadow included?”
She looked surprised, and a realization hit her, it seems. “Uh…maybe not everyone.”
Sonic laughed, “Yeah, I’ll see you there.”
He stepped outside, now he debated whether he should go to Tails to see what he had been doing or wander off to have a stroll around again.
Or—he could go for a race with Shadow. It had been a while since the last time he had seen him. Rouge mentioned he was on a mission from G.U.N that was taking days to complete, and Sonic couldn't help but wonder if it was finally over.
Better to find out than keep guessing.
With that thought, he sprinted, heading straight away for the place that he knew most likely to find that hedgehog.
ִֶָ. 𓂃 ִִֶֶָָ.
No, no, no..
Everything was going fine…Why did that have to change?
He would head to the lavender field to find Shadow and race with him. If Shadow wasn’t there, he would return home where Tails was, eat dinner, and sleep. Next, he would follow his usual routine, then join the others to investigate that Egghead, and he would once again feel ecstatic knowing that Baldy won’t destroy his mood for the rest of the day and more.
Now that was a big understatement.
Sonic knew there were days when it was chaotic, there were days when something wasn’t in his usual routine. For example, he would be in space for one or travel into different dimensions, and yeah, sure, investigating Eggman wasn't normal, but getting himself kidnapped?! Really?!
Sonic knew it was too good to be true. There was always this lingering concern that never went away since the day he knew Eggman wasn't coming to try and best him. He knew the peace never lasts forever, and this is it. This is what happened.
He couldn’t see or speak, fabric covered his entire face. His body felt paralyzed, his limbs numb and weak with chains constraining him, more so with his limbs feeling unnaturally frail. Was this a drug? Or from a magic ability? If so, this would be even harder to get out.
He then felt a presence in the room. Staring at him, analyzing him. They didn’t even say a word, and Sonic was getting annoyed. He was about to try to speak up when the other beat him to it.
At least they did something rather than continue whatever staring contest they've been doing.
“Sonic The Hedgehog, The blue blur, speed demon, the hero.”
What the…
Is that a voice modulator?
Though the voice and tone somehow still felt familiar to him. Then, where did they meet or how?
“You must have many questions, but I’m afraid I’m not here to answer any of those. I'm here to make a bargain with you.”
He didn’t know what to think of that. He doubted they would even let him choose no. It's either yes or yes.
Damn it, he really needs to think. He has to form a pla–
“ARGH!”
Electricity went through his system.
“You’re not listening to me, are you, Sonic? Stay focused on what I’m saying. I’ll make this short. I want you to get every Chaos Emerald and bring them to me. Easy, right?”
Sonic muffled, the fabric on his mouth refusing him to coherently speak. He squirmed from left to right.
“Doing that doesn't help you. Unless you are trying to annoy me? Don’t even try to do that.”
Sonic scoffed at that, feeling annoyed. Though he knew they were right. Doing that doesn't cause a solution to his problem, but it would most likely make it worse. He needs to strategize. He needs to be patient.
“Again, I want you to get all of the chaos emeralds. Don’t try going out of your way to have communication with your friends. It just needs to be you.” They scoffed, “Though, I do doubt you could do this job with rationality. Knowing you, you would probably fail so easily with your sentimental feelings.”
Sonic felt dumbfounded. If they think he was bound to failure, then why would they even–?
“Are you asking why? You are needed, that's all.”
…
“Nonetheless, you still need someone else to help you. Only this time, he is far better when getting this job done and will not let you act out accordingly, unlike your friends.”
Wait what? Who?
Suddenly, he heard a hatch open, and Sonic crashed on a cold floor. He groaned, wincing from the impact. Then he realized the chains that bound him were gone, leaving the fabric that covered his mouth and eyes. He untied both of them and raised his head higher. His vision was still hazy, but he could tell the glow of countless screens. Everything around him seems to be all technology. He could hear the hiss of wires, the clicks of buttons, and the rapid typing of a keyboard. In the center, he noticed a figure. Sonic squinted his eyes, trying to discern who that was.
When his eyesight finally became better, he widened his eyes at the sight of someone familiar, someone whom he truly despised.
“Eggman…”
He turned his back, scowling deeply, “Rodent…”
This day was going to be on his top ten list of the worst days ever.
.
Maybe make it to the top five.