Chapter Text
It was safe to say that Sonic was a little freaked out waking up on a leather couch.
One minute, he’d been sprawled comfortably across a sturdy tree branch, arms folded behind his head as the breeze rustled through the leaves above him. The next, he was jolted awake to the unfamiliar sensation of soft cushions beneath his back and a blindingly white ceiling looming far overhead. Sonic sucked in a sharp breath and bolted upright, blue quills bristling as his eyes darted around the room.
“…Okay,” he muttered. “This is new.”
The room was huge. The couch he’d woken up on could’ve easily fit three more people, and directly across from it sat four brightly colored beanbag chairs, casually arranged as if someone had been expecting company. Two more couches lined the walls to his left and right. Straight ahead, mounted on the far wall, was an absolutely massive flat-screen TV. Sonic squinted at it. That thing had to be at least a hundred inches.
“What is this place?” Sonic questioned himself as his brows pulled together, “And how did I get here?
As he hopped down onto the cool tiled floor, something clattered beside his foot.
“Huh?” Sonic muttered as he looked down to find a remote control, likely for the oversized TV.
He picked it up, turned it over in his hands with a curious hum, then set it back on the couch before continuing his exploration.
Circling the seating area, Sonic spotted a short row of stools lined up at a kitchen peninsula and walked past them into the kitchen. Everything gleamed—spotless counters, polished appliances, not a speck of dust in sight.
“This kitchen is so clean, it might as well be new,” Sonic comments, “I wonder if there’s any food?”
When he opened the refrigerator, he blinked in surprise. It was fully stocked: ingredients, drinks, and neatly arranged premade meals that looked ready to be tossed into a microwave.
“Whoever lives here has excellent taste,” Sonic said under his breath.
A fruit basket sat between the fridge and the stove, and Sonic didn’t hesitate to snag an apple. He took a bite as he glanced into the cabinet above, only to pause when he spotted rows of over-the-counter medicine and a neatly packed first aid kit. Sonic made note of it as he closed the cabinet and moved on, apple still in hand.
After investigating the kitchen, Sonic went down the hallway to the right, where several doors awaited him. The first opened easily enough, revealing a clean bathroom—shower-tub in the back, sink and toilet to the right, fresh towels hanging neatly on the left. Nothing suspicious there. The next door, however, didn’t budge. Neither did the one across from it. Sonic tried a few more, frowning when he realized they were all locked, each bearing what looked like nameplates.
“Okay, so no exit and a bunch of locked doors. That’s not ominous at all.” He said in disbelief.
With no luck there, Sonic headed back to the kitchen, tossed his apple core into the trash, and returned to the living room. He flopped back onto the couch he’d woken up on, stretching out as he reached for the remote control again.
Curiosity sparked in his eyes.
“Well,” Sonic said, thumb hovering over a button, “guess there’s only TV.”
He pressed it.
A sudden flash of light filled the room, and Sonic barely had time to yelp before throwing an arm over his eyes.
Sonic heard a thud hit the floor nearby and turned toward the sound, blinking rapidly as he tried to clear the lingering spots from his vision. As the brightness faded, his quills slowly settled—and then immediately shot back up in surprise.
“…No way.”
There, right in front of him, was a smaller, rounder version of himself, pushing up off the floor as if nothing had happened. The light blue hedgehog dusted himself off, looking around with wide, curious eyes.
Sonic grinned, standing up, putting his hands on his hips. “Hey there, Mini-Me!”
Classic Sonic looked up at him and broke into an equally bright smile, hopping on his feet and giving an enthusiastic wave.
“How’ve you been?” Sonic asked casually.
Classic responded with a confident thumbs up, then glanced around the unfamiliar room again. His expression shifted to curiosity, and he pointed around them before looking back at Sonic, silently asking the obvious question.
Sonic scratched the back of his head. “Yeah… about that. I’ve got no clue where we are either.” He tilted his head. “But do you know how you got here?”
Classic paused, then started miming—running in place with exaggerated arm swings before suddenly dropping his hands downward, as if the ground had vanished beneath him.
Sonic blinked. “So… you were running, and then you fell?”
Classic nodded, pointing to the ground and making a small “poof” gesture with his hands.
“The ground just disappeared from under you?!” Sonic’s tone jumped from curious to surprised.
Another nod.
Sonic crouched slightly, concern slipping into his voice. “You okay? How far did you fall?” He reached toward Classic, ready to check him over, but the smaller hedgehog quickly waved him off and gave another reassuring thumbs up.
Sonic smirked. “Heh. Tough as ever, huh?”
Classic puffed his chest slightly, clearly pleased, before turning and heading toward the hallway. Sonic followed as the smaller hedgehog gestured toward the row of doors.
“Yeah, already tried those,” Sonic said. “All locked except the first one on the left. Bathroom.”
Classic gave him a skeptical look and tested it anyway. The door opened easily, confirming Sonic’s claim. After a quick peek inside, Classic nodded to himself and shut it again.
One by one, he tried the other doors. Each one refused to budge.
With a small huff, Classic stepped back, curled into a tight ball, and launched himself forward in a spin dash straight at the farthest door.
THUD.
The impact echoed down the hallway—but the door didn’t so much as rattle.
Classic uncurled, shook it off, and tried again. Harder this time.
THUD.
Still nothing.
Sonic raised a brow. “Okay, now I gotta try.”
He stepped forward, revved into a spin dash of his own, and slammed into another door. Then he followed up with a homing attack for good measure.
Same result.
Solid. Unmoving. Unbreakable.
Classic went down the line, trying each door with increasing determination, while Sonic mirrored him on the opposite side. Attack after attack, hit after hit—but the outcome never changed.
Eventually, both hedgehogs slowed… then stopped… then finally gave up.
They trudged back into the main room, breathing a little heavier than usual.
“Okay,” Sonic said between breaths, rubbing the back of his neck. “So… at least we know we can’t escape.”
Classic flopped dramatically into one of the beanbag chairs, sinking into it with a soft fwump.
“Hang tight,” Sonic added, heading toward the kitchen. “I’ll grab us something to eat.”
A few minutes later, he returned, each hand holding a freshly warmed chili dog. The smell alone was enough to make Classic perk up instantly, eyes lighting with excitement.
Sonic dropped back onto the couch and handed one over. “Found these in the fridge. Figured they’d hit the spot.”
Classic eagerly accepted it, giving an approving nod before digging in.
They finished eating, and then another blinding flash of light exploded through the room. The two quickly covered their eyes. “Aw, come on!” Modern yells.
“Woah!”
THUD!
Both Modern and Classic snapped their eyes open at the sound, turning in unison toward the source. As the brightness faded, a third figure came into view—another blue hedgehog, sprawled on the floor and slowly pushing himself up.
“Aw—ow… what just happened?” he groaned, rubbing the back of his head. He looked up—and froze. “…Woah.”
“Hi,” Modern said, giving a casual wave. Classic waved from his beanbag.
The newcomer, IDW, blinked, then pointed between them. “I’ve seen a younger me before,” he said, motioning toward Classic, “but never a me who looks exactly like me.”
“Yeah, same here,” Modern replied, standing up from the couch.
For a moment, the two older hedgehogs just stood staring at each other, circling slightly, eyes full of curiosity. Same height. Same build. It felt like looking into a mirror.
Classic observes IDW getting a familiar feeling he got when meeting Modern the first time.
Classic lets out a sharp whistle to get their attention. Both heads snapped toward him. Classic gestured between them, then made a few quick signs.
“Yeah… timeline shenanigans would make sense,” IDW agrees, folding his arms.
“Agreed,” Modern nodded.
IDW glanced around the room, taking in the layout, the furniture, and the massive TV.
“Oh, by the way,” Modern gestures towards the hallway, “we already tried the hallway. Only the bathroom door opens. The rest won’t budge, even when we spin dashed them.”
Classic chimed in with a few quick hand signs, miming eating and pointing toward the kitchen.
“Food too, huh?” IDW said with a small grin.
He headed off to the kitchen without another word.
Modern, who has sat back down on the couch
A minute later, he returned with a chili dog in hand, taking a seat beside Modern on the couch, who had already flopped back down. Classic remained in his beanbag.
IDW took a bite, then glanced between them. “So… any idea who brought us here?”
Modern and Classic both shook their heads.
“Nope,” Modern said. “But Mini-Me—” he jerked a thumb toward Classic “—said he was running before he got here. Ground just disappeared from under him and—”
“Wait!” IDW sat up straighter. “That happened to me, too.”
Modern paused. “Seriously?”
“Yeah,” IDW nodded. “One second I’m running Green Hills, next I’m falling,” He tapped the couch. “Could be a connection.”
“Good guess,” Modern said, leaning back, “but I was napping on a tree branch before I got here. No falling, no disappearing ground. Just… instant change of scenery. So I’m not sure how connected that is.”
IDW frowned slightly, thinking it over as he finished off the last bite of his chili dog. “Huh… so not the same trigger for everyone.”
Classic tilted his head, clearly processing the difference.
The room fell into a brief, thoughtful silence. And then another blinding flash of light burst across the room. All three Sonics flinched at once, throwing their arms over their eyes.
“Okay, seriously?!” Modern groaned.
“Ahhhhh—!”
This time, Modern was ready.
He moved the instant the yell echoed through the room, arms outstretched—and caught the next arrival mid-drop with a solid oof. The impact pushed him back a step, but he held steady.
As the light faded from his eyes, Modern blinked—and did a double take.
“…Whoa.”
He had expected another version of himself at this point. What he hadn’t expected was… this.
The hedgehog in his arms was taller—noticeably taller—with royal blue fur that even covered his arms, wrapped in sports tape, and a messier quill style that gave him a rougher, more rugged look. Even the way he carried himself felt different.
The newcomer opened his eyes, clearly surprised by the not-so-painful landing. Then he realized he was being held.
He looked up.
Met a familiar pair of emerald green eyes.
“Woah!” he yelped, quickly hopping out of Modern’s arms and landing on his feet.
Now that he was standing, the height difference was impossible to ignore.
“Hi,” IDW said with a smirk. “Sonic, right?”
“Yeah,” the taller hedgehog replied, brushing himself off. “That’s my name.”
“Well, I’m Sonic,” IDW gestured to himself. “This is Sonic,” he pointed to Modern, then to Classic, “and that’s Sonic.”
Classic and Modern both waved.
“…Wow,” the taller Sonic, Boom, said, crossing his arms as he looked between them. “First time I’ve met mes from other dimensions.”
“Yeah, we get it,” Modern said. “We’ve never met more than one either.”
Classic nodded in agreement.
“Really? You’ve—” Boom suddenly stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening as something clicked. “Wait. There can’t be more than one of the same person in the same dimension—that can cause a catastrophic anomaly!”
He whipped his head around, scanning the room.
“How did we get here? We have to get out before things start breaking!”
The other Sonics barely had time to react before Boom bolted toward the hallway, immediately trying the doors. One after another—locked. He tried forcing them open.
Nothing.
“Uh, hey…” Modern called, catching his attention. “We already tried that. Those doors won’t budge.”
Boom turned, determination flaring. “Then who says we need a door?”
In a blue blur, he dashed to the nearest wall and slammed into it.
THUD.
Classic’s eyes lit up. That was something they hadn’t tried.
Without hesitation, he curled into a ball and joined Boom, slamming into the wall beside him.
THUD! THUD!
IDW and Modern exchanged a look. Tempting as it was… they held back.
“Hey,” IDW called out, raising a hand. “I don’t think an anomaly’s going to happen here.”
“Yeah,” Modern added. “We’ve been here a while. Pretty sure we’d notice reality breaking apart by now.”
Boom paused mid-charge, glancing back at them.
“…Yeah,” he admitted after a second. “By now we’d probably be glitching or something.”
He sighed, shoulders dropping slightly. “Sorry for freaking out. Still not thrilled about being trapped, though.”
Classic slowed to a stop, uncurling and nodding in agreement.
“Hey,” Modern said, gesturing toward the kitchen, “there’s chili dogs in the fridge. Might help you relax.”
Boom’s ears perked instantly. “Good idea. I was actually on my way to get one before… all this.”
He headed to the kitchen while the others drifted back to their seats. Classic reclaimed his beanbag, IDW and Modern took the main couch, and a moment later, Boom returned, chili dog in hand, taking a seat on the couch along the left wall.
“So,” IDW said, leaning back, “what were you doing before you got here?”
“I was heading to Meh Burger to grab a chili dog when I got flashed by some light and was sent falling,” Boom replied between bites. “Guess it worked out anyway.”
“Meh Burger?” IDW raised a brow. “Not exactly a confidence-inspiring name.”
Boom shrugged. “Only restaurant in town. You learn to compromise.”
As the conversation drifted, Classic leaned over and tapped Modern’s leg.
“Yeah? What is it, Mini-Me?” Modern asked.
Classic pointed at Boom, mimed eating, then made a quick gesture—flash.
Modern blinked once… twice… then his eyes widened.
“…You’re right.”
“Hm?” IDW turned toward him.
“The last few times we ate chili dogs,” Modern explained, “the room flashed right after.”
IDW straightened. “Seriously? So another Sonic shows up when Boom finishes his?”
“I don’t think so,” Boom said casually.
Everyone turned to him.
“Why not?” IDW asked.
Boom shrugged, holding up his empty hands. “Because I already finished it. No flash. No new Sonic.”
“…Huh,” Modern hummed. “Guess that theory’s out.”
Classic slumped back into his beanbag with a small, disappointed huff.
“Well,” Boom said, standing up and stretching, “if we’re stuck here, we might as well use that giant TV.”
He moved over and plopped down next to Modern and IDW on the main couch. The others shrugged.
“I don’t see why not,” Modern agreed.
Boom looked around. “Anyone see a remote?”
“Right here,” Modern said, picking it up from the armrest and handing it over.
“Thanks.”
Boom took it and pressed a button.
Nothing.
“…Huh.”
He frowned and tilted it slightly, about to press another button—
WHUMP.
“Oof!”
Something suddenly dropped straight into his lap.
“Huh?!” a voice exclaimed.
Everyone froze. Slowly, Boom looked down. Perched in his lap… was yet another Sonic. All four Sonics stared at the new arrival.
“…Okay,” Modern said slowly, “…that’s new.”
The first thing that crossed everyone’s mind about the newest arrival was simple:
Fluffy.
The hedgehog perched in Boom’s lap had noticeably softer, fuller quills, blue-furred arms like Boom’s, and a build that placed him somewhere between Classic and the taller Sonics. He blinked up at them for exactly half a second—
—and then he was gone.
In a blur of motion, the fluffy blue hedgehog zipped around the room, his voice firing off just as fast as his feet.
“O! M! G! I know what this is! I can recognize my handsome blue face anywhere! Let me guess—multiverse thing, right?! You’re all other mes! Wow, you’re so tall! What’s with all the sports tape!? You two could be twins with how similar you both look! I like your shoes! You’re small! Why are your eyes solid black!? This is so cool! This room is huge! It has beanbag chairs! The TV is so big! Found the bathroom! Why won’t these doors open!? CHILI DOGS!!! Yummy! Oh! I’ll take an apple too—Maddie says I should eat something healthy with my chili dogs! So where are you guys from!? And—”
“Woah—slow down, little guy,” IDW cut in, holding up a hand.
The fluffy hedgehog skidded to a halt mid-step, stopping exactly in front of them.
“Okay,” Modern said, ticking points off on his fingers. “First: yeah, we’re all Sonic. Second: we don’t know why the doors are locked. Third: chili dogs are the best. Fourth: we don’t know why we’re here or who brought us.” He paused, then added, “And… who’s Maddie?”
The fluffy Sonic nodded rapidly, absorbing all of it.
“Maddie’s my mom,” he said simply.
Classic tilted his head at that, curious. Modern, however, gave a small, understanding nod.
“Got it.”
Boom leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on his knees. “Do you remember what you were doing before you got here, little dude?”
“Uh, yeah!” Movie replied. “I was enjoying the view of Green Hills from my favorite spot, and then—bam! Bright light, and now I’m here.”
IDW glanced sideways at Boom. “That’s pretty similar to what happened to Tall Sonic here.”
Boom raised an eyebrow at the nickname but didn’t comment.
Classic, meanwhile, had quietly plucked the remote from Boom’s hand while everyone else was distracted. He examined it for a second, then pressed a button.
“AAAA—!”
THUD!
Every head snapped toward the sound.
Near the center of the room, a new Sonic lay face-first on the floor, having just made a very ungraceful landing.
There was a brief pause.
Then the newcomer groaned and pushed himself up slightly.
“Ohh…” the new Sonic groaned, clutching his face as he pushed himself up onto his knees.
At a glance, he looked similar to Modern and IDW—but something about him was softer-looking, almost rubbery. His proportions stretched just a little more than they should, like he could snap into motion at any second.
As he stood, he took one look at the group—
—and immediately buried his face in his hands.
“No. Not again. I thought I was done with this stuff.”
“Rude,” Boom said flatly, arms crossed. “Takes one look at us and instantly is distraught.”
The newcomer jolted, quickly throwing his hands up in defense. “Oh—no, no, it’s not you guys! It’s me. I just got done dealing with alternate versions of my friends, so I figured I messed something up again—and now I’m seeing alternate versions of me.”
Modern gave a small, sympathetic nod. “Yeah… dimension stuff can get confusing.”
The new Sonic relaxed a bit, offering a sheepish smile. “Name’s Sonic. Well—guess that doesn’t help much here.”
“Join the club,” IDW said with a smirk.
“So… what were you doing before you got here?” Movie asked, leaning forward with curiosity practically sparkling in his eyes.
“I’d just woken up,” the newcomer, Prime, explained. “And was getting out of my hammock to grab something to eat. Jumped down… and instead of grass, I just kept falling. Next thing I know—” he gestured to the floor “—face plant.”
“Well,” IDW said, gesturing toward the kitchen, “good news. There are chili dogs in the fridge.”
Prime’s ears perked up instantly.
“Follow me,” IDW added. “I’ll show you—and catch you up on what we know.”
As the two headed off toward the kitchen, Modern turned toward Classic, holding up the remote.
“Hey, which button did you press?”
Classic pointed to the isolated red button at the top.
Modern frowned slightly and glanced at Boom.
“I pressed that same one,” Boom said with a shrug. “Figured it was the power button.”
“Yeah… me too,” Modern muttered. “And when I pressed it, Mini-Me showed up. Then you two pressed it, and more Sonics.”
Movie’s eyes lit up.
“Oh! Oh! So if we press it again, another Sonic shows up?” he said, immediately snatching the remote before anyone could object.
“Wait—” Modern started.
Click.
They all waited.
A second passed.
Then two.
Then five.
…Nothing.
Movie blinked. “…Huh. Well, I’m out of ideas.”
Right then, IDW and Prime returned from the kitchen, Prime happily munching on a chili dog.
“I think there is no pattern,” IDW said as he walked back into the room.
Everyone turned toward him.
“What do you mean?” Modern asked.
“I mean,” IDW continued, “It could just be a coincidence. Whoever—or whatever—brought us here could just be bringing us here at randomized times.”
Before anyone could question that further, a glowing, purple, portal-like circle suddenly tore open in midair.
“—Whoa!” Modern started.
A blue blur shot out of it at high speed and halted right before it could slam into the wall. Everyone scattered just in time, narrowly avoiding getting bowled over. The portal vanished. Silence filled the room. Slowly, all eyes turned toward the newest arrival.
Although there’s not much difference with this new hedgehog, they did give off a more dynamic and quiet vibe. The new hedgehog stared at them for a while, taking everything in.
“Hello, new Sonic!” Movie chirped, popping up from his seat. “We are all Sonic. Nice to meet you! First things first—we don’t know why we’re here, we’re all trapped, and there’s chili dogs in the fridge.”
The newcomer blinked once.
Then a small smirk tugged at his mouth.
“Heh. Thanks for the update.”
Without another word, he stepped past them and headed straight for the kitchen.
Modern let out a quiet breath and leaned back into the couch, IDW and Boom settling in beside him. Classic reclaimed his beanbag, while Movie plopped into the one next to him, still practically buzzing with energy. Across the room, Prime sat down on the couch along the left wall, and a moment later, the new hedgehog, X, returned with a chili dog and joined him.
Boom snorted a bit before leaning forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m assuming you were running before you got here?”
X gave a short nod, taking a bite.
Prime glanced around at all of them, still processing the ever-growing number of identical faces. “So… what are we actually going to do to get out of here?”
Boom leaned back, gesturing vaguely toward the hallway. “Not much we can do. Doors don’t open, walls don’t break.”
“Trust me,” Modern added, “we tried.”
For a moment, the room fell into a lull—everyone quietly eating, thinking, or just taking in the absurdity of it all.
Then a faint shimmer appeared in the air.
“…Uh,” IDW said, sitting up slightly. “That’s new.”
The shimmer quickly formed into small, glowing, blue bubbles. Soft light rippling across their surface like water.
Prime, who was closest, instinctively stood and held out his hands.
The bubbles drifted down toward him.
Then, as they fizzled apart into tiny sparks of light, something dropped into Prime’s hands.
A small, young, pastel blue hedgehog.
“…Oh,” Prime said, blinking down at the figure as he adjusted his hold of the child.
The little hedgehog let out a soft oof from the landing, then looked around with wide eyes.
Every Sonic in the room froze.
Movie’s eyes sparkled. “Okay, things just got cuter.”
Prime gently set the child down.
The pastel-blue hedgehog adjusted himself, blinking behind wide, black-rimmed round glasses. He had soft bangs, a red T-shirt with a large yellow “N” on the front, and a pair of red Converse that looked just a bit too big for his small frame.
“Where am I?” he asked, voice quiet as he looked around at the room, at all the Sonics staring back at him.
“Uh…” Movie rubbed the back of his neck. “We don’t know.”
The child hesitated, then asked, “Then… who are you?”
That earned a collective pause.
Boom raised an eyebrow. “Um… we’re all Sonics here. I’d think it’s obvious.”
The boy shrank back slightly. “B-But… I’m not Sonic.”
Movie blinked. “Of course you are. You’re a blue hedgehog. Just like us.”
“My dad’s blue too,” the boy replied, fidgeting with his sleeve, “but he’s not Sonic.”
That… stopped everyone.
Prime crouched down a little to be at eye level, his tone gentler. “Hey, that’s okay. What’s your name?”
“I’m… Nicky,” he said shyly.
Modern stepped forward, kneeling beside him with a reassuring smile. “Nice to meet you, Nicky.” He held out his hand.
After a small pause, Nicky reached out and shook it.
“Yeah, nice having you here, Nicky,” IDW added with a friendly nod.
Boom crossed his arms, glancing between the others. “Still weird you were brought here if you’re not a Sonic.”
Classic nodded in agreement—then noticed Nicky staring at him.
“…Um,” Nicky said, pointing, “you look like the Sonic I’ve seen in the newspapers at home.”
Classic tilted his head, curious.
X, leaning back against the couch, spoke up, voice calm but firm. “We should focus on getting him home.”
“Yeah,” Movie agreed quickly. “Feels kinda wrong dragging him into a Sonic problem.”
Modern nodded. “How about we get you something to eat while you wait?”
Before Nicky could even answer, Movie popped up. “I can help him!”
He grabbed Nicky’s hand—gently, but with enthusiasm—and started leading him toward the kitchen.
“H-Hey—!” Nicky stumbled slightly, trying to keep up as they disappeared around the corner.
The room settled again for a brief moment.
Then—
Flash.
A small burst of light flickered again, and another hedgehog appeared near X.
The new Sonic’s proportions were rounder, almost chibi-like, and he stood at about the same height as Classic.
“Hey,” X greeted simply.
The newcomer blinked at the group, wide-eyed. After a second, he lifted a hand and gave a small wave in return.
Classic immediately perked up and trotted over, raising his hand high.
The new hedgehog tilted his head… then smiled and met it with a clean high-five.
“Guess he’s a silent one too,” Boom observed, arms crossed.
Classic smiled and began explaining the situation to the new hedgehog with some gestures and signs. gesturing—pointing to the others, then himself, then miming falling, flashing light, and confusion. The new hedgehog, Friends, watched closely, then nodded in understanding. He tapped his chest, giving a small introduction, and signed back what happened before he got here.
Right on cue, Movie and Nicky came back from the kitchen.
Nicky carefully carried a plate with a slice of pizza, while Movie balanced two chili dogs on his own plate—and had a third in hand, already halfway gone.
“Oh. I guess someone came while we were gone.” Movie realized. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Friends smiles and waves at Movie.
“Um… is he a Sonic too?” Nicky asks.
Modern glanced between Classic and Friends, then nodded and translated for everyone in the room. “The new guy’s also Sonic. Says he was practicing a dance when a bright light hit him, and he ended up here.”
“Welcome to the ‘hit-by-the-light’ club, ” Movie says jokingly, and immediately offers one of his chili dogs. “You want one?”
Friends looked up, eyes bright, and nodded eagerly before taking it.
Classic grabbed his hand and tugged him over, the two settling into neighboring beanbags like they’d known each other forever.
Movie plopped down as well and looked over at Nicky. “Hey, you wanna sit next to me?”
“Um… okay,” Nicky said, sitting carefully in the beanbag beside him, balancing his plate on his knees.
Everyone else returns to their seats. Some taking another trip to the kitchen: Prime and IDW with apples, Boom with a burger and an Orange Soda, X with another chili dog, and Movie now with a glass of water to go with his meal.
As things settled down, X spoke up. “You guys think more are gonna show up?”
A few heads turned.
“I mean,” he continued, gesturing around, “this place is starting to feel a little crowded—even with all the space.”
Boom leaned back, taking a sip of his drink. “Not sure,” he said. “But you probably shouldn’t cue things up like that.”
X frowned. “Huh?”
Before he could ask—
A bright spotlight suddenly snapped on from above, illuminating a previously empty section of the room between the middle and right couches.
Everyone turned.
Sitting right in the center of the light was a beach chair, and lounging in it was a blue hedgehog wearing a pair of sunglasses.
The spotlight vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.
The hedgehog in the beach chair stirred, sitting up and stretching slightly. “Huh? What happened to the sun?” he muttered. But as he slid his sunglasses up onto his head, his expression shifted from relaxed confusion to full-on shock.
He wasn’t on a beach anymore.
He was in a room.
A room full of… him.
“Woah! Where am I, and who are all of you?!” he demanded, jumping to his feet.
“Do you want the long story or the short version?” Boom asked, barely looking up from his drink.
The newcomer, OVA, paused, considering. “…Short version.”
Movie didn’t hesitate. “Okay! So, we’re all Sonic—except for Nicky.” He pointed over.
Nicky gave a small, shy wave from his beanbag.
“We all got brought to this weird, inescapable room. We don’t know why, but there’s food, drinks, and a big TV. We just… haven’t figured anything else out yet.”
OVA blinked. “…That’s the short version?”
“Yup!”
Before anyone else could jump in—
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Three heavy impacts echoed from behind the middle couch.
Every head turned at once. Slowly, cautiously, the group shifted to get a better look. There, in a tangled pile on the floor, were three more hedgehogs.
“Agh—get off me!” snapped a green hedgehog at the bottom of the pile. He shoved upward, revealing a black leather jacket with flame designs licking up the sleeves, red sunglasses, and a smug scowl already forming.
“Ugh…” groaned the one on top of him, rolling off. He wore a red bodysuit trimmed with gold—shoulder pads, belt, and leggings—plus blue gloves with gauntlets and green boots. A helmet with a visor tilted slightly as he pushed himself up.
At the very top, the last blue hedgehog sat up, rubbing his head. “What happened…?” He blinked, then froze as he looked down at the other two hedgehogs he thought he’d never see again.
“…Zonic? You’re alive!?” he blurted, immediately helping the red-suited hedgehog to his feet.
“What?” Zonic shook himself out, then focused. “Oh—Sonic. Where are we?” His gaze swept the room, landing on the growing crowd of identical faces.
The blue hedgehog, Archie, narrowed his eyes at the green one climbing to his feet. “Shouldn’t you be in Zone Jail, Scourge?”
Scourge dusted himself off, glancing down at his outfit—no prison uniform, no Control Collar. Then he smirked up at Archie. “Yeah… but I got out.” He shot a pointed look at Zonic—then he and Archie followed Zonic’s line of sight toward the rest of the room.
“…Oh,” OVA said, gesturing lazily from his beach chair. “They finally noticed us.”
“Welcome to the room we can’t get out of,” Movie greeted cheerfully. “There’s food in the fridge.”
Zonic straightened, composure snapping into place. “I’m Zonic, the Zone Cop. If everyone here is a Sonic, then don’t worry—I should be able to return you to your Zones once we reach No Zone and I retrieve more Warp Rings.”
He patted himself down. Paused. Checked again. “…That’s odd.”
A chuckle cut in.
“Lose something?” Scourge said, holding up a glowing ring in his hand.
Zonic’s expression hardened. “Return the Warp Ring, Scourge.”
“No way.” Scourge tossed it lightly, catching it again with a grin. “I’m out of—”
He flicked it.
The ring arced through the air—
—and landed on the floor with a dull clink.
Nothing happened.
Scourge blinked. “…Huh?”
Before he could grab it, Archie stepped in, grabbing Scourge’s arms and pinning them back. “I think you’ve done enough.”
Zonic scooped up the ring, turning it over in his hand with a frown. “It’s intact… but inactive.”
Scourge huffed, struggling once before giving up with a muttered grumble.
“I think this place is preventing the Warp Ring from functioning,” Zonic concluded.
Boom leaned forward. “So… no way to send us back?”
Zonic looked up, scanning the room again, noticing five Sonics he didn’t recognize, “…Not right now.”
A collective groan rippled through the group.
Movie leaned back. “Great. So we’re stuck and cut off from multiverse travel.”
IDW crossed his arms. “Whoever set this up knew what they were doing.”
Classic frowned, glancing between Zonic and the ring, clearly disappointed.
Nicky set his plate down, and his eyes widened as he saw it disappear. He looked around and saw nobody had noticed it.
Another burst of light filled the room.
Every Sonic flinched, arms coming up to shield their eyes.
Modern groaned. “I’m starting to get annoyed with how many times we get flashed.”
After the light cleared and everyone’s vision adjusted, they saw another blue hedgehog standing near the TV. He was already upright, scanning the room with sharp, almost irritated eyes.
The others waited.
“Where is this place?” he asked, his tone cutting through the room.
“Um… we aren’t sure, but—” Nicky began.
“Well then, I wasn’t asking you,” the hedgehog, Fleetway, cut in coldly.
A brief silence followed.
“Woah, chill,” Boom said, eyebrows raised. “None of us know where this is.”
“Yeah,” Movie added quickly, stepping slightly in front of Nicky. “You didn’t have to be rude.”
Across the room, Archie tightened his grip on Scourge, who was already trying to twist out of it again. “Zonic, do you have a Control Collar on you?”
Zonic checked instinctively—then paused. “…No.” He frowned. “That’s… unusual.”
Taking advantage of the distraction, Scourge jerked free and bolted toward the kitchen.
“Hey—!” Archie snapped..
Fleetway crossed his arms, clearly unimpressed. “Who are all of you?”
“We’re all Sonics,” Zonic answered evenly. “And I suggest you sit down and wait.”
Nicky shifted slightly, like he wanted to say something—but the tension in the room kept him quiet.
“But I need answers,” Fleetway snapped. “I’d rather not waste time here when I could be back home.”
“Then you wait,” Archie said firmly, already heading toward the kitchen with Zonic to retrieve Scourge.
Fleetway scowled but said nothing more, dropping onto the couch against the right wall with a frustrated huff.
A minute later, Archie and Zonic returned, Scourge in tow—less cooperative this time, but contained enough. The three of them took seats together, though Scourge leaned back like he owned the place.
Archie looked around at the earlier group. “Alright. You guys got here before us—any idea who brought us here?”
“Actually,” Modern said, “we don’t even know what brought us here.”
Zonic frowned thoughtfully. “Then maybe there’s a pattern in how we arrived.”
“I was just relaxing near the beach,” OVA said, shrugging. “Next thing I know, I open my eyes, and I’m here.”
“There’s also flashes of light,” Movie added, raising a finger. “But not everyone had that.”
“Yeah,” IDW nodded. “Sometimes it’s just—blink, you’re here. Or the ground disappears, and you fall.”
Food Classic signed.
“Yeah, a few times one of us here ate a chili dog someone else appeared.” Modern translates for Classic.
Then three bright spotlights snapped on in the center of the room, silencing the discussion. A split second later, another pile of three hedgehogs crashed down onto the floor in a tangled heap.
The three new arrivals untangled themselves slowly.
They looked… similar. Not identical, but close enough to feel like variations on a theme. The one at the bottom of the pile adjusted a backpack slung over his shoulders. The one who’d landed on top of him wore a necklace shaped like a guitar. And the third, who was at the top of the pile, now stretching upright, had an oddly springy, almost elastic energy to the way he moved.
All three glanced around the room, eyes widening at the sheer number of familiar faces.
“Woah, where—” the one with the backpack, SatAM, started.
“We don’t know. So don’t ask,” Fleetway cut in immediately, tone sharp.
“Hey,” the springy one, Adventures, said, frowning. “It's rude to interrupt. You don’t even know what he was going to ask.”
“I don’t need to,” Fleetway snapped. “I bet it’s the same question everyone else already asks.”
There is a pause, then the hedgehog with a guitar necklace, Underground, spoke up.
“Hey, don’t I know you two?” he said, pointing to Zonic and Archie. “You’re that other me and that sideways, dude, right?”
The sideways comment had the other Sonics curious, but they all chose not to focus on it.
“My name’s Zonic, I’m technically a Sonic too, but yes, you are correct,” Zonic answered.
Archie looked closer at Underground. “Oh, you’re the Sonic traveling with your siblings to find your mom and fulfill that prophecy thing.”
“Yeah. How were things with that evil Sonic from, um.. Mobius #372?” Underground asks.
Just then, Scourge glared at Underground. “The name is Scourge, and it’s called Moebius!” Scourge growled. Underground’s ears went down a bit. He could tell he might’ve struck a nerve.
There was a pause, then suddenly, poof. A small pile of pillows and folded blankets appeared on the floor near the beanbag area.
Everyone stared at the pile.
“…Okay,” IDW said slowly, “the room is decorating itself.”
X didn’t question it. He immediately grabbed a couple of pillows and a blanket, settling himself comfortably on the floor beside the beanbags like he’d been planning it all along.
Prime followed suit, picking up a blanket and pillow before sitting on the middle couch next to Boom, tossing the blanket over his lap.
OVA stood, casually grabbed a blanket, draped it over his beach chair, and reclined again like this was just an upgrade to his setup.
“…I could get used to this,” he muttered.
The hedgehog with the guitar necklace, Underground, made his way over to the now-open left couch, sitting down as SatAM and Adventures joined him.
Movie leaned over to Nicky, whispering not-so-quietly, “Okay, this place is weird, but at least it’s comfy weird.”
Nicky nodded, picking up a pillow off the floor.
Modern looked around at the growing group—couches filled, beanbags occupied, floor seating claimed.
“…Alright,” he said. “We’ve officially reached ‘everyone make yourselves at home’ territory.”
Boom glanced at the blankets, then at the doors down the hall. “Yeah… except we still can’t leave.”
“I think this is a setup for something,” Prime said, observing the full seats.
Fleetway rolled his eyes but said nothing, arms still crossed.
Classic leaned over to Friends, nudging him and pointing at the sudden pile of blankets, clearly amused.
Friends nodded enthusiastically, pulling some blankets and pillows closer to them.
The TV suddenly flickered to life.
Bright white text filled the massive screen.
“Welcome!”
Everyone froze.
“…Oh, so now it turns on,” Movie complained, throwing his hands up. “Who has the remote?”
There was a small pause, then X leaned over and picked it up from the floor beside Movie’s beanbag.
“…You did, apparently,” X said with a chuckle.
Movie blinked, then laughed awkwardly. “Oh. Yeah. Guess I did.”
The screen shifted.
“I hope you are all comfortable!”
Fleetway immediately shot to his feet, fists clenched. “We are not. Who are you, and why did you bring us here?!” he demanded.
The text didn’t hesitate.
“You are here to watch, mostly.”
A ripple of confusion spread through the room.
“‘Watch’ what?” Archie asked, cautious.
“Each other.”
That only made things worse.
Several Sonics exchanged looks. Others frowned. Zonic just slumped into his seat.
“…Not too different from my job,” he thought.
Before anyone could question further—
“Time for naming.”
A spotlight snapped on right over Modern.
“Modern”
It clicked off just as quickly. Another spotlight shined.
“Classic”
One by one, the lights continued, hopping across the room.
“IDW”
“Boom”
“Movie”
“Prime”
“X”
Each name appeared on the screen as the spotlight landed, then vanished as it moved on.
Nicky shifted slightly, watching. He wasn’t a Sonic. So, he probably wouldn’t—
A spotlight dropped onto him.
“Nicky”
He froze.
The light faded.
Nicky looked down at himself, confusion swirling in his eyes.
…Was he supposed to be here?
The naming continued. Zonic and Scourge kept their own names, as Nicky did.
“Okay,” Underground said, glancing around. “Nice to have names so we’re not all yelling ‘Sonic’ every five seconds.”
The screen changed again.
“You each have a room to share with one other Sonic assigned to you in the hall. They will not open yet. You must watch. Goodbye. See you later.”
The TV went black.
Silence.
“…Wait,” IDW said, looking around. “Watch what?”
“Yeah,” OVA added, sitting up in his beach chair. “You just said ‘watch each other.’ Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”
A pause.
Then Movie snapped his fingers.
“Guys—I think it’s pretty obvious.”
Boom held out his hand. “Yeah. Uh… X? Remote.”
X tossed it over.
Boom caught it, aimed, and pressed the power button again.
This time—
The TV powered on without hesitation.
The screen lit up with a menu.
Rows of different images filled the display—each one featuring a different Sonic. Different styles. Different worlds.
The room went quiet as it sank in.
“Oh…” Modern said slowly.
Boom leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing in realization.
“…Yeah,” he muttered.
Modern crossed his arms. “We have to watch each other.”
Archie nodded once, expression serious. “And I’m guessing…” he said, scanning the options on screen, “…we have to pick who goes first.”
From his seat, Movie leaned forward in his seat, eyes sparkling.
“…Okay,” he said. “This just got really interesting.”