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Contrary to what it may seem, Sonic likes to spend time at the beach.
He enjoys the peacefulness, the warmth, and the sound of the waves. He has fun watching his friends play in the waves and build sand castles. He likes going for laps on the sand, because the gritty substance provided resistance to every step and made the run more challenging. And he loves a good game of beach volleyball.
He doesn’t need to be in the water to enjoy the beach. He’s perfectly happy to stay on shore when the others go for a swim or catch a wave on their surfboards. Besides, someone needs to watch their belongings. He’s content to be that person.
It starts as just a normal day at the beach. There is a nice breeze and a few clouds in the sky. Sonic lounges on a towel underneath an umbrella, relaxed arms crossed under his head. He hears Tails, Knuckles, and Amy in the distance, yelling something about sand sculptures and sabotages. The beach is relatively uncrowded, but there are other people wandering up and down the coast, most steering clear of his friends and their shenanigans. He doesn’t blame them, even though he finds it amusing. Everyone is well-aware that Amy can summon her hammer at any moment.
He realizes that something’s amiss when he spots a dark figure approaching him.
Sonic immediately sits up. Shadow never visits the beach—something about the sand getting into his shoes and causing malfunctions. So if he’s here, something’s wrong.
“Well, well, well,” Sonic announces when Shadow gets within earshot. “Look who’s come to pay us a visit.”
The ebony hedgehog rolls his eyes. “I’m not here for you,” he replies bluntly. “I’m assessing threats.”
Sonic raises a brow. “What, those guys?” He jabs a finger towards his friends. “Pretty sure they’re only threatening the sand.”
“Rouge has detected strange energy readings near here,” Shadow explains, though he sounds reluctant, like he’s only sharing because he has to. “Have you seen Eggman?”
“Here? Nah. Pretty sure we’d notice the guy if he’s wandering around on the beach. He’s not exactly subtle.”
Shadow’s gaze tracks down the beach, pausing momentarily on each passerby. “Keep an eye out,” the hedgehog warns. “He may be preparing for an attack.”
He doesn’t wait for Sonic to reply before continuing down the beach. “Thanks!” Sonic calls after him with a wave he knows the other hedgehog won’t see. Then he stands and starts surveying the ocean.
The chances of Eggman sneaking up on them are low, but he doesn’t want to take any chances. He keeps watch for several minutes, looking for anomalies.
When he doesn’t see anything, Sonic sits down with a huff. He can’t monitor the beach for long without growing bored. His friends are blissfully unaware of the potential threat as they continue to play in the sand. Their sculptures are progressing nicely, despite their constant sabotages. They’ve settled into some kind of truce to work on their own pieces and not try to mess up the others.
Sonic should tell them about the threat. They deserve to know so that they’re not caught off guard if Eggman decides to attack. But he can’t bring himself to interrupt their fun. He’s already worried; he doesn’t need them to constantly look over their shoulders while they’re sand-sculpting.
He really should’ve told them.
The attack comes suddenly and swiftly. The waves ripple and the ground trembles lightly as dozens, if not hundreds, of crab bots skitter out of the ocean, followed by Eggman in his giant humanoid mech with a glass bubble surrounding the cockpit. The crab bots disperse with surprising speed and attack anything that moves. Screams split the air as innocent civilians are ambushed.
Sonic leaps into action. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his friends do the same. Amy already has her hammer in her hands, and Tails has taken to the air. Knuckles plunges headfirst into the mass of bots, fists flying.
Sonic races towards the edges, where the bots are terrorizing the other beachgoers. He easily spindashes between the bots, easily destroying them with one hit. Sand and mechanical parts go flying at the impact. The bots continue advancing, but they can’t get past his one-man front.
This feels too easy. The bots are endless, but they’re easy to beat. Sonic risks pausing and glances across the fray to where his friends are. Tails is flying people to safety while Knuckles and Amy smash everything that dares come within arm’s reach. A black and orange streak dashes towards them from farther away. No doubt Shadow had heard or seen the fighting and decided to help.
Sonic’s attention stayed away from the battle for only a second, but it was enough. Before he can blink, the hand on Eggman’s mech suddenly shoots out of the body, connected by a long cable, and slams into the hedgehog. Metal fingers wrap tightly around his body and Eggman cackles in glee.
Sonic only has time to exchange a surprised glance with Tails when the hand suddenly retracts towards the mech. Eggman retreats back into the ocean.
Dragging Sonic with him.
The reality of the situation slams into Sonic before he even touches the water. He desperately tries to bust free from the mech’s hand, but it’s surprisingly strong. He shouts furiously and draws the attention of his friends.
Then he’s underwater.
Eggman drags him farther and farther from shore, still laughing at Sonic’s expense. The hedgehog clamps his jaw shut and slams his fist into the mech’s hand. This is really really not good—he needs to get free now, or he’ll be too far from the surface to even have a chance at swimming back. Amy had tried teaching him how to swim, just in case, and he’d attempted to follow her instruction; but the water freaked him out, even in a controlled setting. He only learned how to get to the surface and stay afloat. If Eggman drags him too far down, he won’t have the technique or breath hold to make it to the surface.
Suddenly Eggman stops and turns to face Sonic. He brings the hedgehog right next to the cockpit. “Finally! After all these years, you’re at my mercy!”
Sonic can’t reply for obvious reasons, but he sends his best glare at the human. His chest aches with the need for air. He hasn’t stopped trying to squirm free, even though it never gets easier. He’s very much trapped and without control.
“Don’t worry,” Eggman continues. “I won’t kill you…yet. That wouldn’t be fun. But this is an easy way to make you obey!” He’s still euphoric at capturing Sonic.
Honestly, the hedgehog had made it too easy. He’d let down his guard and it cost him.
It won’t happen again. If he can get out of this alive.
Lacking any other options, Sonic’s hand digs around in his quills. He doesn’t enjoy taking his quills out, but in a situation like this, he doesn’t exactly have a choice. He snags a semi-loose quill and yanks it free. Before Eggman can react, he slams the pointed end into the mech’s metal hand.
His chaos energy shoots into the mech at the point of contact. It causes the mech to malfunction and the hand opens, releasing him. Sonic manages a small victorious smirk as Eggman shrieks in fury and annoyance. With his mech twitching and almost uncontrollable, he has no choice but to retreat. Sonic watches him swim away, out into the dark blue ocean and leaving him alone.
Okay then. Battle won. Now he just has to—
Oh yeah. He needs to breathe.
Sonic almost yells in panic as he remembers that he’s far underwater and his lungs already scream for air. He drops his quill—the power will be useless in a few days—and reaches upwards. He desperately tries to remember Amy’s teachings. How is he supposed to move his arms and legs? What’s the best way to rise quickly?
He can’t breathe.
Panic consumes him and all his swimming lessons are suddenly gone from his mind. He reacts on instinct and thrashes for all he’s worth. Bubbles stream past him and it takes him a long moment to realize they’re from him. He’s losing air.
But the surface is just so far away…
It’s almost pretty. He can see the sun glittering on the waves. They look like sparkles in this otherwise dark place.
Sonic’s limbs grow heavy. He can barely move his arm, let alone swim upwards. His vision grows dark and more air escapes his body.
His lungs demand air. He instinctively coughs, but it only results in salty sea water streaming into his body. He’s suddenly on fire. It burns, it’s too much, the pain only grows as he automatically coughs again when the water triggers his gag reflex—
The surface is dark. Or was that the bottom? He doesn’t know.
The last thing he feels is the sand rising to meet him as he drops to the ocean floor.
Sharp pain shoots through his chest. His lungs spasm and water floods free. Fresh, sweet air replaces the liquid.
Sonic’s dimly aware of his surroundings. He didn’t think death would feel like this—his whole body is in pain, especially his lungs and throat, which burn horrendously. He can’t catch his breath and his whole body shakes like a leaf.
He’s exhausted. As his coughs lessen, replaced with wheezing breaths, Sonic has to fight for consciousness. He doesn’t have the energy to lift his head, much less open his eyes. Compared to the cold ocean floor where he was sure that he’d die, now he’s warm and weightless. He doesn’t want to move and risk breaking the tentative peace he’s found himself in.
But…how?
He knows he should be dead. He drowned. He remembers that much. But the longer he breathes, he realizes that he’s very much not dead and is somehow back on the surface.
His mind is too foggy to figure it out. He lets himself go.
When Sonic wakes for the second time, his head is much clearer. And he feels much better.
His eyes open to the roof of Tails’s house. He’s wrapped in several blankets and a heater blows hot air on him. His throat still burns and swallowing is a nightmare. There’s a faint wheeze to his breath.
But he’s alive.
Sonic turns his head to the side. His gaze immediately lands on the small figure slumped over his desk, and the other two farther down the house, looking equally as exhausted but awake.
Amy notices him first. She shoots to her feet with a cry, which startles Tails awake. And suddenly Sonic is surrounded by his three friends, their questions and exclamations overlapping and overwhelming. Sonic blinks owlishly at the onslaught. He’s not sure who to address first.
“Guys, stop,” Tails suddenly commands. Amy and Knuckles immediately fall silent. “One at a time.”
Sonic decides to take the brief quiet as his chance to speak. “I’m fine,” he tries, but it comes out extremely hoarse.
“No you’re not,” Tails shoots back. If Sonic didn’t know him as well as he does, he wouldn’t have detected the fear in his little brother’s voice. “You drowned, Sonic. When Knuckles pulled you out, you were—your heart—”
He suddenly goes very still and quiet. Sonic’s eyes widen as he picks up what Tails didn’t say.
He’d really been dead. His heart had stopped.
“But you’re awake now, and that’s what matters,” Amy quickly adds.
“Eggman will pay for that,” Knuckles growls. Sonic can see the worry behind the anger. “That was a low blow, even for him.”
Sonic decides to hold his tongue and save his throat from the pain of speaking. He nods instead. He’s already tried again despite the short time he’s been awake.
“The doctors said you just need rest,” Tails adds in a timid voice. “So seriously, Sonic, no running for a few days.”
Running is the last thing on his mind right now. It probably will be after he recovers more, but at the moment, he understands. He still feels like crap, even if it’s better than the beach.
Amy must’ve seen the fatigue in his expression. She gently ushers the others back. “Let him sleep, guys.” She meets Sonic’s eye. “We’re staying until you’re recovered.”
Sonic smiles faintly. He couldn’t ask for better protectors.
Tails hesitates even as Amy and Knuckles return to their seats. Sonic nods slightly towards his brother, who wilts in relief and crawls onto the couch next to him. Sonic shifts back slightly to make more room, settling comfortably on his side with Tails in front of him.
They rest for the night, comforted by each other’s presence.