Embedded Files
Sirens wailed, the engine of the prison ship roared deafeningly and metallic boots stomped so hard they almost managed to clang even against the grassy ground of the village. Panicked Mobians screamed in terror as Trooper Badniks converged on a single home.
One Trooper barked at a scared huddle of villagers, “Stay back, citizens, or face immediate imprisonment and conversion!”
A particularly nasty looking Trooper- though, of course, with their horrifying visages and burly physiques, they were all particularly nasty looking- violently kicked down the door of the house, “There is no use in hiding, citizen. We know where you live!” The mechanical bully marched into the house and emerged moments later with a prisoner, grasping her roughly by the wrists, “Associating with Sonic the Hedgehog is a criminal offence. Amy Rose, you are under arrest!”
Amy tried not to wince but there was no denying it- the Trooper’s grip on her much smaller wrists was hurting her. All the same, she knew her plan was working and had to play up to it now. “I don’t care what you say about Sonic!” Amy announced, “We’re in love!”
“Doctor Robotnik has no interest in such matters!” the cold, synthesised voice of the Trooper responded, “But you will make a fine prisoner to draw out the most wanted criminal on Mobius.”
Amy struggled as she was dragged onto the prison ship but it was mostly for show. She’d wanted this. This was going to get her to meet Sonic and, more importantly, it was hopefully going to remove a big red target from her village- namely herself. All the same, her heart pounded in her chest. Her plan had worked. Now what would happen?
***
The Freedom Fighters looked up at the holographic face of the Kintobor Computer. Porker had done a wonderful job of installing the computer in a new housing largely indistinguishable from the original model. It had taken weeks to procure the parts, scavenging them here and there from various Robotnik supply lines and bases, but the end result was undeniable. It hadn’t taken long for the system to be up and running at full efficiency. This latest emergency report was proof of that much.
“It’s a small village near the edge of the Chemical Plant Zone,” Kintobor explained, “They’re mostly a quiet people who keep themselves to themselves. All except for one, that is.”
An image of a pink hedgehog flashed up on screen. Chirps nudged Sonic, “She’s pretty cute, don’t you think?”
Sonic furrowed his brow at Chirps, “Would you shut up?”
Kintobor continued unabated, “This is Amy Rose. My information indicates she’s also known by the alias of April May, an identity she’s been forced to adopt to move somewhat freely throughout her village so as not to draw too much unwanted, violent attention from the Troopers posted there. She’s already made herself an enemy of Doctor Robotnik and it seems she’s decided April May isn’t fit for purpose as her latest plan has been to draw a lot of attention to herself. By, um… I’m terribly sorry, Sonic, this is awfully awkward… by letting everyone who’ll listen know that she’s Sonic’s girlfriend.”
Sonic’s eyes almost popped out of his head, “She’s been doing what?!”
Chirps chuckled, “There you go, she’s done half the work for you!”
Sally raised a hand, “Chirps, please. This girl’s obviously got a bit of a brain about her. She’s clever enough to realise that if she’s on Robotnik’s list of enemies, her presence poses a danger to everyone around her. She’s probably hoping she can draw the attention solely to herself by making a noise. I’m sure she’s not really interested in Sonic.”
Sonic did a double-take, “And what’s that supposed to mean?!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, do you like her? That’s pretty sweet of you, Sonic,” Sally smirked.
Sonic raised a finger but stopped himself, “Can we please get back to the briefing?”
“Well,” Kintobor pressed on, “Princess Sally is seemingly right. This morning, miss Rose got herself captured by Trooper Badniks and taken away to Doctor Robotnik’s base of operations in the Metropolis Zone, Citadel Robotnik.”
Sonic folded his arms, “So, to recap: Amy got herself into this, but she’s going to expect us to get her out,” he shot a sarcastic look at Sally, “Women!”
Sally frowned back, “I’m going to let that one slide. Sonic, suffice to say this is obviously a trap designed to draw you out. Robotnik won’t be aware Amy is only pretending to be your girlfriend so he’ll be using her as bait. Unfortunately, we also have to assume that, as a result, he’ll be prepared for you with his most dangerous machines. As a result, ironically, the one best suited to rescue Amy will be you, the very one the trap is intended to catch.”
“It pays to have super powers, I suppose,” Sonic remarked.
“You’re going to have to go light on this one, Sonic. We can’t risk taking a whole entourage into the heart of Robotnik’s operations and risking the entire team being captured. If something goes wrong, we need people here to launch a rescue operation.”
“Fine. For a mission like this, I’ll bring my favourite rabbit,” he smiled at Bunnie.
Bunnie gave a sweet smile, “Ooh, sugah-hog, Ah’m so excited to get to meet yer li’l girlfriend!”
Sonic seethed, “Oh, I’m sorry, did you presume something there, Bunnie? Come on, Lightfoot, let’s get gone.”
Sonic and Johnny walked into the next room over where the Star Post was housed. Bunnie looked at Sally, “Ah know Ah probably made things more dangerous for sugah-hog there, but y’all have to agree that was totally worth it.”
Sonic started running round the Star Post, “Alright, Johnny, hold up a sec while I get the Star Post charged up.”
Johnny sighed and clutched his staff, “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to using these things for travelling between Zones.”
“Tough. Jump for it!” Sonic grabbed the surprised Johnny and pulled him up into the portal of stars. The two disappeared in a flash.
A weird warbling beep sounded from the Kintobor Computer. Sally looked up at the hologram, “Something wrong, Kintobor?”
Kintobor calibrated for a moment, “It seemed as if Sonic and Johnny had been sent off course. I just double-checked, they’re definitely on the right path now. Weird. It’s like they blipped out of phase with time for a moment.”
Flicky raised an eyebrow, “And that’s the technical term, is it? ‘Blipped’?”
Porker grabbed a pen and started making notes on a pocket notebook, “I’ll look into tightening the Star Post monitor program when Sonic and Johnny get back.”
Antoine shuddered, “I hope zey return sooner rather zan later…”
***
The Star Post shot Sonic and Johnny out in the Metropolis Zone.
Sonic was grumpy. He’d been riled up already by Sally and a conversation with Johnny between jumps hadn’t helped, “I don’t want to talk about it, Lightfoot.”
Johnny tried to protest, “I just think maybe you should—”
“Maybe nothing. Now can we just pretend that entire embarrassing debacle never happened?”
“Sure, Sonic. Let’s just focus on rescuing Amy.”
“Right.” He paused to take in their surroundings, “I’m really not sure about the positioning of this Star Post, you know. It feels too unbelievable that Robotnik hasn’t discovered it. I mean, a rooftop right outside his big Citadel?”
“Are you concerned he might use it to trace our location?”
Sonic thought for a moment, “No, if he was going to do that, he’d have already done it. So if Robotnik does know where this Star Post is, he obviously can’t use them. The only alternative is he somehow doesn’t know where it is. Which is fine too. Ah, whatever, we’re wasting time. Come on.”
Sonic hopped along the rooftops closer to the Citadel Robotnik central building. Johnny wasn’t too far behind, though he was acutely aware he wasn’t as fast as Sonic. Sometimes a reminder that he’d lost his sprint championship to Sonic kept Johnny humble.
The two slunk through the darkness and reached the outer wall of the central building. Sonic pondered the huge structure, bearing as it did the likeness of his greatest enemy, “Here it is. Large as life and twice as ugly. Stand back, I’ll get us through the wall in a second with a Spin Dash.”
“Shouldn’t we have some kind of plan rather than just barging in?”
“Nah,” Sonic shook his head, “We’ll be in an out before Robotnik knows what hit him.” He charged up a Spin Dash and fired it off at the wall, smashing a hole through large enough for Johnny to climb through.
Inside, the two friends found themselves in a cold, sterile, metallic hallway. There were no signs of life- organic or mechanical- anywhere. Sonic smiled, “You know what, Johnny-boy, this is gonna be even easier than I thought!”
A security camera swivelled round to point at Sonic and announced in a tinny, robotic voice, “Security breach in Sector 14/B. Automatic defences activated.”
Before Sonic could even react, the camera shot a pink mist at the heroes. Within seconds, it solidified around them into a pink spherical prison.
As Trooper Badniks loomed over the ball, Sonic glanced at Johnny, “I told you we should’ve had a plan.”
***
In Grimer’s laboratory, the slimy scientist sneered as a pair of Troopers placed the pink sphere on a pedestal next to a locked cage holding an equally pink prisoner- Amy Rose.
“Well, well, this has been a good day!” Grimer announced, “Amy Rose, Johnny Lightfoot and- of course- Sonic the Hedgehog are all my prisoners. Doctor Robotnik will be pleased!”
Sonic punched futilely at the inside of the prison sphere. It was no use, it wasn’t budging.
Amy peered through the bars of her cage, “My dear, sweet Sonic came to rescue me! He’s never failed yet!”
Grimer pretended to be touched, “Such loyalty! However, my dear, I’m afraid your boyfriend won’t be rescuing anyone ever again!”
“Listen up, you green goon,” Sonic clenched his fists, “She is not my girlfriend! I’ve never met her before in my life! I don’t even like her!”
Grimer rolled his eyes, “And, of course, since she means nothing to you, I may as well let her go free. Come now, hedgehog, you don’t really expect me to fall for that, do you?”
Sonic looked at his feet incredulous, “Unbelievable. I can’t win, can I?”
Johnny tutted, “Any chance we can have this conversation after we escape?”
With a slam, the door to the lab burst open and in came the snarling figure of Doctor Robotnik, “Nobody will be doing any escaping today, rabbit!”
Sonic didn’t blink, “Hey, Robotnik, you’re looking well. Keeping your appetite up, I see. You’ve got to stop taking those ugly pills though.”
Robotnik bore down on the trapped Sonic, “You will learn to respect me, you blue pincushion. In mere minutes, you will all be converted into one of my new Super Badniks, special models I’ve reserved just for your group of furry Freedom Fighters! And you’ll be delighted to know that the Super Badnik process is irreversible- you’ll never be able to change back!”
Robotnik cackled as a pair of Troopers took Amy from her cage and forcibly placed her in a Badnik casing. The shell looked just like a mechanical version of Amy, with laser blasters mounted on the wrist. In the air just above the torso of the Badnik was a metallic headpiece, resembling Amy’s own head but with a horrible scowl and sharpened spikes. Amy gasped as she was locked into place and the headpiece slowly began to lower, wires dangling from it.
Sonic moved into action, ramming against the inside of the sphere, “Alright, Johnny, I think that may be our cue to move. Push- we have to topple this pedestal!”
The two friends rhythmically pushed back and forth. As the bubble-like prison fell to the floor, Johnny found himself asking, “Okay, we’re on the floor, but now what?”
Rolling the ball forward by running inside it, Sonic looked at the Troopers, a grin broadening on his face, “Ever played ten pin bowling, Johnny?”
“You can’t be serious.”
Sonic slammed the sphere into the Troopers, sending them crashing to the floor in pieces, “Steeeeeeerike! Yeehaw!”
As the ball span around the lab, smashing up equipment left and right, Johnny queasily spoke up, “Sonic, I think I’m going to be ill…”
“For goodness’ sake!” Robotnik roared, “Somebody GET THEM!”
A lone Trooper brandished his weapon, “I’ll stop them, mighty Robotnik!”
Grimer protested, “No! Don’t shoot, you idiot!”
But it was too late. With a mighty blast, the Trooper shot the prison sphere, which shattered in a spectacular explosion. Sonic couldn’t help but express how impressed he was, “Wow, cool!” Johnny, meanwhile, was less impressed and let out a yelp. Sonic looked down at his friend on the floor, “You okay, dude?”
Johnny picked his staff and himself off the floor, “I will be as soon as my head stops spinning.”
Amy’s voice pierced the room, “Help! Quickly! Get me out of here!” Sonic and Johnny turned to see the headpiece had been lowered on the Amy Badnik, “I can feel the Badnik program trying to take over my mind!”
Johnny looked over at Sonic, “Sonic, do something, Amy hasn’t got much time left!”
Sonic rubbed his chin, “I mean, we could always pretend we never saw her…”
“Sonic, for crying out loud!”
“Oh come on, Johnny, I was only kidding. ‘Not much time’ is plenty of time when you’re as fast as me.”
With a clattering Spin Attack, Sonic collided with the Super Badnik and sent its parts scattering across the lab, the headpiece toppling pathetically to the floor. Amy gave a cry of relief, “I’m free!”
“Yeah, don’t remind me, you pink pain in my backside… Johnny, if you’d be so kind as to show Amy how we make a getaway.”
“Sure,” Johnny extended an arm to Amy, “Mind if I take your arm, miss Rose?”
“How romantic,” Amy quipped.
Sonic sighed, “Oh for… come on, you two.” He grabbed Amy’s arm and dashed away, leading the three of them in a trail out of the lab, out of Citadel Robotnik and towards the Star Post.
Robotnik was incredulous that nobody was stopping them, “They’re getting away! Somebody stop them! If you worthless cretins value your life, stop them! Somebody…”
“I said”
CLANK
“‘Don’t shoot’”
WHAM
“And I meant”
BDANK
“DON’T SHOOT!”
KRANG
Grimer was relieving his frustrations on the Trooper that had unintentionally freed Sonic and Johnny with a rather meaty spanner to the face.
“Grimer,” Robotnik walked calmly towards his chief scientist, “do my eyes deceive me or are you smashing the last Trooper that could have caught Sonic?”
Grimer suddenly realised what he was doing. He dropped the spanner sheepishly, “I, uh… Er… I got a little carried away.”
Robotnik chuckled, “Carried away?” Suddenly he was an explosive volcano of anger, “CARRIED AWAY?! When I’m finished with you, you moron, you’ll NEED to be carried away!”
Grimer began to protest but the last thing he saw before blacking out was the clenched fist of Doctor Robotnik rocketing towards his face.
***
At Knothole Village, the Freedom Fighters welcomed Amy. It fell to Sally to pass judgement, “Amy’s going to have to join us here in the village, Sonic, there’s no other option. Now that Robotnik thinks she’s your girlfriend, she can’t go home.”
Sonic crossed his arms, his face a thunder cloud, “Unbelievable. This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?”
“Don’t be too mad, Sonic,” Amy said, “I do have my uses. Watch this!” She pulled her crossbow from her belt clip and flipped it open. She watched as Sonic picked up his can of Koala Kola then fired high up into the corner of the room. The crossbow bolt pinged off one wall, then another, rebounded off a computer bank of the Kintobor computer and shot through the can, squirting cola all over Sonic.
Sonic tried his hardest not to be frustrated, “Fine. You can stay. And with skills like that, you can even join our team if you want to.” He dropped the can and walked over to Amy, pointing at her with intent, “But get this straight, Amy Rose. You are not my girlfriend!”
“Sure, Sonic,” Amy smiled sweetly, “If you say so. I’m not your girlfriend.”
Sonic turned to walk away.
A mischievous smirk spread across Amy’s face, “Not yet anyway.”
Sonic stopped in his tracks as his friends all tried not to laugh at him. He could feel a serious headache coming on.
***
Back at Grimer’s lab, the bandaged scientist proudly indicated a readout on a monitor, “Good news, Doctor. The final tests are all positive.”
Robotnik’s eyes widened with glee, “Excellent. Even Sonic will be no match for Operation Metallix!”
A metallic figure shone in the corner of the lab. Robotnik’s deadliest creation was about to be unleashed upon the world.
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