Chapter Text
"Sonic, help!" Tails screamed, the badniks sinking their titanium claws into his skin as they dragged him away. The hedgehog ran as fast as he could to save his younger brother, but no matter how far he pushed himself, the horrid machines were always one step ahead.
Amy darted to his side. "Don't worry, I've got this," she said, gripping her hammer and rushing into the action. She succeeded in taking down a small handful, but the rest closed in like a horde of starving ants, disarming her and swallowing her whole.
Again, Sonic ran to save his friends, but it was like wading through water. He couldn't run.
Knuckles punched the robots, causing their frames to cave in, loose electronic insides clattering to the ground. A slightly larger one swooped in, holding Amy's hammer in its claw, and swung it into the side of his head. Sonic could do little but watch as his unconscious body fell to the floor with a loud, lifeless thud.
Rouge snuck in, expertly maneuvering her way to the nearest computer, speedily typing commands to disable the machines, but they inevitably caught her by the wings and held her in place.
The disappointed, anguished cries of every citizen he'd failed only got louder, piercing the hedgehog's ears, and his heart.
He couldn't save them.
He couldn't save anybody.
What kind of a hero was he, standing unmoving like a statue, simply watching his friends' final moments.
It was only a matter of time before the world realized he was never cut out to be its hero.
The badniks drained their captives of their energy, carelessly dropping the remains of everything Sonic cherished onto the cold, steel floor. His nemesis's laughter echoed through his head as the world slowly faded to black…
Sonic jolted upright in bed. His body was engulfed in sweat, his heart pounding violently. Gripping his comforter blanket tightly to ground himself, the hedgehog took a few deep breaths.
"It was just a dream," he whispered to himself. Just a dream.
Slowly, he got out of bed, his entire body shaking from the adrenaline rush. He needed to clear his mind of what it just conjured, and he knew exactly what would help.
A nice, long run.