Note to Readers: HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!! THREE MONTHS LATE, FOUR MONTHS TOTAL?!!! I sure am fired.

Anywhoo, I decided to start working faster about a week close to two months, so I wouldn’t be lynched by crazy drug crazed people hooked on this, or so I’m told.

My boss is gonna kill me. Or one of them, anyway. I swear to any random deity that this will never happen again. Sketchy will be my main priority from now on. Even school will be on the back burner. Oh wait . . . . that’s already true. *coughs*

The weird page break thing is in effect once again, though more frequent. Adapt or go mad.

Not quite as long as the last one, but still lengthy.

Special Thanks to The Midgar Demon, Adam Fox, The Tears of a Mad Man, DC Baller, MC Griffin, and Vincent Valentine for their inspiration and help.

Sonic: Sketchy

Concept by MC Griffin

Story written by Sean Catlett (and, as always, huge helps of leaps and bounds by MC Griffin)

Thursday

Robotnik stared down at his once-creation, silently and horrified.

Snively, surprised beyond belief, tried to ignore this and continue talking.

“We caught him, sir. You should be happy.”

Silence.

“Come on, sir. I’ve seen you dance around the room at less joyous occasions than this. You’re perfectly capable celebrating . . . .”

“No. I can’t.”

“Sir, why not?”

“I can’t bear to see him like this . . . . . .”

**********

ZzzzzZzzzzzzz Zzz zZ zzzzzZWhat the fuck?

Oh, I get it. I remember now. That’s right.

I appear to be caught. And the reason I can’t think very well is becausezzzzz

Because I’m being fixed. I’m in the Maintenance Corridor. Zzzzzz. Here is where all the ‘bots go when they get in an accident that they lived from.

Even though I’m organic, I need maintenance. My organs need tweaking now and then.

I would look down at myself, but I already know what I’m going to find.

So I look up instead. And in my dreary state, I seemed to have forgotten that the ceiling was reflective; I still saw everything.

Nothing is attached to me anymore. Not my arms, not my legs, not my head. The machine works your entire mechanized body, inside and out. Thousands of wires and tubes went inside and out of my face, supplying blood. I didn‘t need to see my legs to know that they were on a cold table somewhere in the room. I could still feel them . . . . .zzzzzzzZZZzzz

Right now a soldering ‘bot is tending the corner of my ear that I didn’t notice was torn off. I can see my torso lying in the corner, being worked on. I can see my bones through the holes where the limbs would be attached. I’m getting a complete overhaul. Must’ve been the tackling in the Star Light Zone . . . .

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!

Ouch!

The way my head looks, is like one of those pictures of a member of a tribe, or a lynching, where a head is set on a stake. Save for the wires and the tubes, I look like I should be dead. I would, I could, I want.

Zz.

If I had vocal cords I would laugh. If I had fingers I would flip off the doctor that is staring at me. If I had an arm I’d shove it up his ass with my other arm.

If I could cry, I would.

Could. Should. Want?

Fuck that.

And he’s still watching. Even though the theater’s too dark for me to see clearly, I can feel that fucking raccoon watching the screen and laughing and enjoying his little night of glory.

I can move my eyes only and I could look away from the ceiling at any time, but I’m liking the image I see. Because I can’t recognize myself. For this moment I can pretend that I’m dead and someone else. I can grin wildly at the image of that faker and know that it isn’t me.

I like the smile I’m seeing.

And it’s about here I notice that I’m in pain. I pass out, and it all goes black.

Finally . . . . .

**********

Sonic spread out across the entire room like that made the Doctor want to vomit, but it was the only way he could get the broken bones and such fixed. You can’t get through the plastic skin without a serrated saw, or acid. And both wouldn’t help.

The joints are removable and repair can go through the length of the limb.

“I’m sick.”

“Sir?”

“Call me when they’re done.”

**********

I was walking down the forth corridor, being escorted by that fake bitch Shadow.

I catch a look from her, and in my mind I scream “FUCK YOU!” at her. She pulls a grin and keeps walking beside me.

Then I lower my head when I hear the Doctors voice come from one of the speakers.

“I can’t try anymore, Sonic . . . . .”

I know where I’m going. The doctor is such a fucking melodramatic.

“I’m done with you. I’ve had it. This is . . . . . . . unforgivable.”

I shoot a mental fuck you at the Doc’s speakers as well. I start walking faster, ahead of Shadow, since I know I’m going to my old room.

One last visit. What an over-actor.

“Enjoy your last days. Soon, there’ll be no more pain.”

Wait.

Huh? What does he mean by . . . . .

Oh.

Oh fuck.

Behind me, Shadow starts giggling.

**********

Nack woke up.

Nack got dressed.

Nack punched the mirror on the wall.

“Fuck!” Nack yelled fuck.

He was in the doghouse still, from yesterday. Most of the hookers were gone and he’d lost half of his business, and the only thing he’s got from it is blue balls.

Nack was starting to wonder if this was a mistake.

“No. This‘ll be worth it.”

The thought that one sleeps with . . . .

Nack didn’t “fuckin need Rouge anyway.”

He didn’t need anyone except himself.

**********

I wish you were dead.

With you here, I still exist.

With you here, I can’t move on.

You’re here and you’re staring at me, making me uncomfortable, making me squirm and loving every minute of it because you know I can’t do shit. This is entertainment to you and all you do is keep going. And I fucking try to hate you . . . .

But all I do is end up hating myself.

**********

I’m in my room and the voice tells me to kill myself, and I ask it why.

It goes silent, so I resume admiring my room. In my head, it echoes.

“This is my room,” I say, my conditioned response echoing inside, moving to my head. I look around at everything that is mine, at everything that defines myself as myself.

My bed.

My gloves, worn with dist.

My mirror, a mirror version of me that affirms that what I want people to see is what I am seeing. Ya’ know, why do I even have a mirror?

Why do I have any of this?

I haven’t worn the gloves in ages, I haven’t slept in weeks, and I don’t even WANT to look at myself anymore.

Anymore. Wow, I used to be such a little bastard. I used to have this stuff around and I actually LIKED it. Boy. Possessions defined me, in more ways that I ever knew. Fuck all this.

Why?

‘Kill yourself’ echoes over and over in my head. Repetition. Can’t have that.

The dust is so thick on the walls, and I know it’s intentional. The cleaning ‘bots haven’t been by since I left.

Robotnik.

“This is my room,” and ‘Kill yourself’ battle for space in my head. The everlasting defining of me, because why else would I want to keep going? Even if I choose to end it I’m still giving myself a label.

No way out of anything anymore. We’re all slaves to everything and we can’t even fucking do shit about it. So, go ahead and define the hell out of me. Well, do it again, it’s already been done before. Repetition is another prison no one escapes.

Like that would help you.

“This is my room,” I say again. And I walk past the mirror to the bed where I pick up my gloves.

**********

“Snively,” the Doc’s voice came on.

He, who was trying to get some sleep, pounded the button and yelled a sleepy “WHAT?!” into the receiver.

“Get into your suit and bring down Silver and Mecha to the Scrap Brain Zone. We’re beefing up security for the new . . . . specimens.” There was something wrong with the Doctor’s voice.

“Sir? You ok?” Snively said, now very concerned.

“Yeah, fine,” and then he hung up.

**********

The only living thing up in heaven was crying, and small teardrops were hitting a very worn photograph of the first creature ever produced that had exceeded expectations in such a big way.

The picture was titled “perfection” and no matter what else happened it would still keep it.

The pen scrawled title was just a little blurred, and it was only by the tears of its creator.

**********

History 101. Sit down and shut up.

I came into this world with a purpose. Just a small being with little questioning of orders. It’s no wonder it’s taken me this long to rebel.

So, I leave. And after liberating some animals of their freedom, mentally and some physically, if you could call it that, I’m back here. Caught again.

What to do next.

Hmmmm.

Well, first, what I know.

The purpose I was built for, was, I think, a stupid one. Robotnik, the ever-greedy fuck that he is, wants more land, I suppose. Or, he wants one piece of land in particular.

Angel Island, and so far, I can discern that these “Chaotix” are a lively bunch, otherwise there wouldn’t be this much of muscle.

Me, I would have put up a good fight. Me, the doctor needed. Now, me is useless.

Fucking bitch. It felt good to be needed. And now I’m not.

So, he wants to conquer the floating island, but before that, it was just a pride thing with his people.

Then, he met him . . . . . . .

The red guy.

Oh fuck.

Who this guy is, or what, I don’t know. But . . . . . . . he gives the doctor inspiration; me, probably others like Manic and Ashura, and the plot to conquer Angel Island . . . .

Now that I think about it, it must be more than just land that he’s after. There’s something . . . . . specific that he wants. Something on the island itself.

In my room, I stretched my hands within the warm leather of my gloves. My bare tipped fingers touched the broken mirror in front of me, and when I brought it back away, there was a bloodstain on it.

Beautiful.

It started to run down into the cracks of the glass and seeped inward. Looking back, thousands of broken me stared intently.

I felt good. Despite being spread apart like yesterdays hooker a half an hour prior, I felt good. Physically. Despite pressure in my chest, I was in top notch.

Robotnik is also very obsessed with me, it seems, since he’s made those metal versions of me.

Six hedgehogs, probably more. Eggman told me once that he made me after a pet he had when he was a kid. Charles was his name.

“I accidentally ran him over on his second birthday with my bike. Poor thing didn‘t even see it coming . . . . . . . .”

My door opened, and Shadow poked her grinning like an idiot head in. She makes a ‘come hither’ motion with her finger.

Tease.

**********

“Lot’s of time, and nobody to fuck. What, is Rouge on the rag or something?”

“I don’t know. How does this look?”

“A little to the left. It’s crooked.”

‘Argg……..’

“Shut the fuck up, bitch!”

The door opened. Manic and Ashura frozen in place.

“Oh, uh, hey Nack. Hope you don’t mind that we’re borrowing your pliers . . . .

“What . . . . holy shit . . . .what the FUCK DID YOU GUYS DO?!”

“Neat, huh?”

**********

They call me Sonic, because I make that sound when I run fast. I’m regular height, blue colored because I’m made of plastic. I have an eating disorder, but I’m not that fat. I speculate that I am going to die pretty soon because of the many tubes that will be inserted into me.

“This is your home,” Silver I said, indicating around him, neon beams pulsing.

It’s best not to think about it. I’ll try. Not to. I was damn sure uncomfortable, but I tried to hide it as I was escorted to the Scrap Brain Zone to be Robotosized. Two pairs of Buzzbombers weren’t needed, because I couldn’t have outrun Shadow if I tried.

I saw no point in telling either of my two escorts shit, because in a few moments it wasn’t going to matter anyway.

I said nothing, just walked with them, head down. Awkward little steps.

Déjà vu. It’s what I deserve.

Snively in Silver babbled on.

“The red, guy, he touches metal and everything shuts down, which is why we had to string him up with rope. He‘s a manifestation of evil, it seems, and it provides the Doctor with inspiration from time to time.”

Shadow, holding my arms behind my back and forcing me forward, with a Silver version of me talking with Snively’s voice. What a fucking way to go.

“You may as well be dead, rodent.”

“Fuck off . . .” I whispered all too loudly.

Shadow’s hand jams into my side and suddenly I don’t feel too well anymore. I tried to twist around to give her a contemptuous look, only to be hit in the head. Stars fly. Fuck this bitch is strong.

Down the corridor the walls move, ever rejecting me like a replacement limb. A badly broken one that was healed and broken again.

“When the process stops, the tubes will be so far in you thatmpsdfffgLSDJAAqlaerya][][][][][….”

I stopped listening.

Along the walls we pass several computer screens, and NICOLE is flashing me a message.

I squint and try to see.

“Oh.”

I HATE YOU

I0010101001001010101011101000101010101010101010101001010101010101010101010010101010101

1010101010101001010101010100010101111111111111111111111111111111110110101010101001010

101010101010011001010101HATE01010101010101010101010101001010111010111110101010011010

0010010100010100101010101010101010000101111101001YOU01010110101010010101010101010101

Likewise, bitch.

Holding a grudge for standing her up. Fine. Whatever.

“I admire you . . .” I hear behind me.

What?

I looked. Shadow, that cunt, was grinning at me, and then she nods. Confirming.

I turned away, suddenly very, very confused.

**********

Robotnik looked around the Scrap Brain Zone, and managed a smiled, patting an inactive Mecha Sonic next to him, pretending that Snively was inside listening.

“Look at it all . . . . . . my life’s work . . . . . and soon, it will all be worth it.”

The subjects captured from the day before were all standing in a straight line going far back, in front of a large steel door. The front squirrel in line was shivering, with slightly charred fur from the war hours before.

**********

Patrolling the contours of the line of animals, looking for anything to move out, were Buzzbombers, combat full but not licensed to kill. There was some trouble in getting the subjects, as some survivors wanted out still. They just didn’t want to give up anymore. Fuck that. Fight. Fly.

Now they were unconscious at the back. They had at least bought themselves some futile time. Oh well.

All along the line were different animals, either beat up and sulking or standing up straight and smiling. Some blind faith ones tried to make conversation with those who were uninjured, but receive nothing but cold stares and silent tears in return.

Sally stood near the center of the line, unmoving, trying to see far ahead of her to the front. The tall man in the coat looked almost like a large dot to her, not very intimidating at all. But she was more interested in the being that stood next to him . . . . . .

“Sonic . . . .”

“That’s not him.”

Sally whipped around to the voice behind to her to see . . . . . . . she wasn’t sure.

Some guy………….the color black.

“You shouldn’t get your hopes up,” the color said. Sally tried to blink. “You’ll be disappointed.”

“What?”

“Just listen to me!” He was upset. “Don’t . . . . . . . . . . .do anything. You’ll be ok then. Everything will be fine in heaven . . . . . . . .”

And then he was gone.

Sally looked back in the distance, and tried to make out Sonic’s form.

Did something just happen?

Off in the distance, Sonic wasn’t moving. He looked . . . . . . . something was wrong. Around her, a Buzzbomber passed, going in the opposite direction. Opportunity knocks.

She stepped out of line, and took off running.

**********

“We’re just waiting for you. As soon as we get there, we can start.”

I could just imagine his sickening little grin, pushing its way past the circuits and the steel and into my face.

But all I can do is look at the ground because Shadow is one strong bitch. Holding my head down and forcing me to walk, I can feel her sickening grin too, that apparently admires me or some shit.

Ahead is where I am going to die.

Ahead is where I’ll meet all of the people I tried to save, and failed.

Well, not all.

Tails……………..wherever you are……………please be all right. You are the sign that I’m not a total fuck up.

I’m getting confused again.

Back on track.

In a few seconds, I will be dead.

Back on track!

Fine.

In a few moments, I would have died.

Better.

I wonder what the Doctor is going to decide, that I go first, to let all of the animals that I inspired to escape, and see me fail in front of them . . . . . . . . . .

No. Bad idea. Martyr. Chaos. Rebellion. Fuck all that, of course.

Instead, I have to watch all I helped die before me. May as well be death, anyway . . . . . . . . . .

‘You haven’t gotten it yet, have you?’

Huh?

That admiring bitch hit me in the back of the head, and I shuffled forward once again. The voice didn‘t come back.

And we all entered the Scrap Brain Zone from the hallway, the buzzing of electricity almost deafening. Ahead of me, I could see the line of animals standing in front of the infernal machine at the center. My three friends were on a slightly elevated platform going down on an escalator from the hallway. Down to the ground below the electricity arced.

There was some commotion down below, like an animal had tried to escape and was being subdued. I could see the Doctor’s shaded appearance below, arms crossed and laughing. Behind me and Shadow, Snively had started panting.

I squinted forward. Within the steel environment of the Scrap Brain Zone, the voice of a single animal was yelling as a Mecha version of me held her steady, arms wrapped around her from behind.

Familiarity.

“Got her, sir,” Silver’s voice said.

The escalator ended and we were at the bottom floor. Shadow pushed me forward. We headed towards the machine and the line. I thought dimly of trying to make a break for it, to escape…………

Then, I looked and saw her smiling face.

Kicking and screaming, fighting.

Switch.

I rolled and kicked Shadow in the face with both of my feet. I spin dashed forward and got up running. My hands clenched in fists, my legs hitting the floor, I went.

“Sal!”

Robotnik’s head came up to look at me. Too late I realized that this was a bad-fucking idea.

I felt Shadow wrap her arms around my waist, and down I went. My head hit the cold, metal floor face forward.

Fuck! Only two seconds and already I’m brought down?!

I looked up, seeing Robotnik turned at me, looking from me to Sally and back to me again. I could feel his grin.

And I knew what was next. And already I was screaming No and Please and Don’t. Already I was bargaining. Worst, I already knew it wasn’t going to get me anywhere.

“Her first,” he said, slow motion.

Shadow brought me to my feet, bending my arms back, to the brink of dislocation.

Nothing. Though nothing compared to the pain of seeing her dragged to the front of the line. By ME! Oh God, I’M the one dragging her, I’M the one holding me back, I’M the one laughing behind me!

Somebody help me! Save me from myself, save her from me!

Anyone!

But it’s useless. Mirrors, everywhere I look.

She’s shoved in. The door closes.

And just when I think it can’t get any worse……….I’m pushed forward.

Pushed.

I’m pushed by myself to the observation window.

Déjà vu is what I deserve. After all, I used to enjoy this.

“You used to enjoy this, Sonic,” Silver me says, laughing hysterically. I tried to pull away from the window, and in response my face was slammed against the glass, hard. More laughter.

I couldn’t look away.

I’m sorry.

I had to watch.

Had.

To

wa _____ tch

Tubes inserted, her ears and neck. And even though the glass was soundproof, I heard her scream in pain.

Goddamnit…………I can’t do anything right, can I? Fuck what I want. I don’t even care about myself anymore. I just want others to be happy. FUCK MY OWN HAPPINESS!

I don’t deserve it. What I deserve is more of that déjà vu I keep experiencing, more of that payback shit, the karma thing.

Sally looked at me. She wasn’t smiling anymore. Nor will she ever again.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the monitor window inside set to something . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NO!

I struggled more, only to be more forcefully held to the glass pane.

She’s a project subject. A PS. Not a Buzzbomber, not some stupid fuckin assassin drone. A new project of that bastard. A special project.

Sally . . . . she was going to be made into a killing machine. Like me. LIKE ME! She was going to be born as me! That sadistic fuck!! How can he be so cruel?!!!

I was still bargaining with the Doctor on the other side of the glass, who just looked at me with a sullen expression. He held of his finger and moved it back and forth in a ‘tsk tsk’ motion. Me inside had his arms crossed and he was leaning against the wall.

Finally, I realized it was useless. I stopped bargaining. I stopped trying. Stopped everything.

Instead . . . . . . . time for the loathing.

“Fuck you . . . . . .” I whispered, face against the pane, eyes fixed on Sally’s crying form. My hand came up to the glass, and I did all I could to comfort her, as if comfort was never so far away.

“Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you, FUCK YOU! FUCK ALL OF YOU!” Useless. . . . . . useless . . . . . . . useless . . . . . . . unless . . . . . . .

And the Doctor pulled the switch . . . . . . .

Her body twitched . . . . . . . .

The light left her eyes . . . . . . . . .

It’s what I deserve.

The wires came into her. Invading. Then the metal. Familiar metal. Spiked, blue, cobalt, gloved steel. No more was she recognizable. No more was she anyone I ever knew. A small energy arc came down over her head . . . . . . . .

Then . . . . . . .

.

.

.

.

She was gone . . . . . . . . . . .

Dot, dot do . . . . . . . . . .. … … … … … .. . . . .

**********

Black. Dark. Nothing.

Everything went away with her. Everything is gone.

Everything except me. I’m still here.

Wherever HERE is.

Then in the pitch black he came walking up to me. He spoke.

“Figure it out yet?”

“No…….”

“Listen, then: YOU___________ NEED_________ IDEAS

For what?

TO KILL HIM. The Wiseman. THAT’S WHat you want, don’t you?

“I think so. I want something, anything GOOD TO HAPPEN.”

‘Then you need TO think.’

“Ok……..how do I get ideas?”

“Simple . . . . . you find them. That’s the hard part. Then you put them together and you fly. Easy enough after that.”

Who are YOU?”

The black stepped forward. It was a mirror.

‘The better question IS, WHO ______________ ARE __y ______ o ___ u ______________?’’

‘Like I know anymore. This is all so confusing.’

I nodded. The mirror stood still.

“How do I find them” The ideas I MEAN

He smiled. I shivered, because it seemed so much like the red one’s smile.

Or . . . . . . .

Suddenly, that grin turned into a red, flowing blood waterfall. Laughter filled the empty space of my mind, and then turned to screams. It was my OWN BLOOD POURING OUT OF MY FACE! OH GOD! Make ___________ it _______________ . _________ Stop…………….. ____________ F _______ __ u ___________________ c ___________________________________ k

****!****

Hello.

My name is Bunnie. I am a prostitute.

Or rather, was. Now, I may as well be dead.

It’s all Manic and Ashura’s fucking fault, getting Nack so riled up about how the Doctor feels about progress over there. Now, most of us are here and waiting to die.

I would make a run for it, but no. Maybe if I beg him I can win my way back . . . . . . .

I’m second in line, though. I’m just behind Sasha, a blond fox about five foot seven and ninety two pounds. She has a flat chest but an ass that won’t quit. Her voice is what gets her the money. It’s soft and sultry and makes men want to fuck the living daylights out of her throat.

I mean, that’s why she’s lasted this long. I already know from experience that she ain’t THAT good, but she sure sounds like it.

Sasha stands in front of me and cries. She knows what’s coming, just like everyone behind me probably does. Save for the pen animals, which are too stupid to know anything, we all know what awaits us.

“Calm down, shug,” I try to comfort her. She’s embarrassing me in front of the Doctor, who’s not ten feet away from me. He’s talking to a new creation of his, one of the ones who look like Manic or Ashura. Not surprising. He’s a loser.

I turn to pat Sasha on the back, when my hand touches nothing but air.

I shut my eyes.

“Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit………….”

I hear her scream behind me, taken down by a Buzzbomber, and cast aside. She had no chance now. Now, she was useless as she was carried away by patrol ‘bots.

I’m first in line. I’m staring at the Doctor, hoping he’ll recognize me, how many times he’s had me, been inside of me, fucked me, and hoping that he’ll show some compassion. If I can’t reason with him I’ll just blackmail him.

Get me out of here.

But no.

He’s just talking to his friggen creation, precious being that isn’t even real.

He probably thinks that those toys are more living than his . . . . . . . . Other toys. Shit. I’ve been so stupid . . . . . .

It’s all hopeless, isn’t it?

“Sonic!!”

I look behind me to see a pen animal, who was running up to Robotnik and his creation, to be tackled to the floor by two patrol ‘bots. Her head hit the floor and she was obviously dazed.

The Doctor lifted his right hand and brought up his communicator.

And what happened next was like watching a bomb exploding in front of a school full of children. Or watching someone finger themselves with scissors.

The metal Manic came to life and awkwardly rocketed towards the fleeing animal. The two patrol ‘bots stepped aside and went back to the line. Over my shoulder I watched the small squirrel look at the metal creation with absolute horrible realization.

He grabbed her before she could pull away. She thrashed and screamed, but she was held firm. She was brought up to the Doctor. I somehow knew that son of a bitch was grinning beneath that damn collar of his.

The metal guy assured Dr. Robotnik that he had her held, in a voice I have heard somewhere before. Someone who may have come into the casino on more than one occasion.

Then I noticed, on an escalator coming down to this level, a fight had ensued, between two more different colored Manics, with a third silver Ashura in the back.

This is all so confusing . . . . .

Blue was brought up by black and red with silver following slowly. Metal walked inside the room with the Doctor and the pen animal.

“Her first,” the fucker said.

What an asshole.

Holy shit! The blue guy must be the runaway I heard about, the one who killed Scratch and Grounder, and blew up the Chemical Plant Zone. He’s caught, and from the looks of it, his little insurrection failed.

His face was slammed against the observation widow, and I couldn’t see him anymore, only the grinning teeth of black and her hand being pressed against something. I heard him begging for the Doctor to stop.

Then . . . I heard him give up. I am uncomfortable as hell. He shouldn’t be doing this. He should fight back. But no, he gave up.

I lowered my eyes. I can’t watch this anymore, I thought to myself. This is too much.

A string of profanity came, but I still looked away. Then I heard the electricity being turned on. My hair stood on end, both from fear and from static.

I allowed myself a quick glance. Black’s face emitted reflections from inside, being lit up with electricity. She was grinning, white upon black upon white. It gave me chills. Her hand was still pressing his head against something. If he didn’t close his eyes then he may have been blinded.

Goddamn.

My thoughts, oddly enough, went back to Rouge and the casino. I realize now how great it was to live there. I may have complained about the hours and the lack of freedom, but it was fun sneaking away to gamble. It was fun fucking with all the people who fell asleep early.

Now it’ll never be that good again. I was at the peak and I didn’t even realize it, didn’t even enjoy the view.

The door opened in front of me. I stared at the Doctor with goggles on. He stared back.

No words. There wasn’t a need for any.

I opened my mouth to speak, but only a choked sob escaped. I can’t do it.

The two patrol ‘bots, tall and silent, suddenly appeared next to me and pushed me inside the room. The Doctor gingerly eased me in.

I was crying. I still didn’t look to my right, to see blue’s face pressed up against the glass, watching me, because I already knew he was there.

Willingly, I got up on the table. My arms and my legs were immediately strapped down. The Doctor turned away from me, up against the far wall. Now, a new ‘bot stood with him. I closed my eyes.

This is the end.

“Computer . . . . . Begin startup.”

This is the end . . . . . . .

**********

The island awoke with the normal theatrics and stage performances. The long awaited re opening had finally arrived, and this time, it looked as though the park would stay that way.

Because of the added defenses, it had to be shut down for the time being. But once again the source of revenue was resurrected.

And the dread-locked leader couldn’t have been happier.

The crowd raised their heads expectantly, ready for an introduction to some wacky island carnival fun……..

“There. Shut up now.”

**********

The waiting room seemed so empty. Despite strewn about clothes and unfinished preparations from yesterday, it was still as if nobody who ever existed used this place.

It seemed to everyone left behind that the Doctor didn’t even need the Casino Nights Zone anymore. The entire point of it was to be a special vacation spot for himself, specially equipped with all the comforts of what he would call “a perfect world.” And if a major part of it was taken away, then it no longer was what he would call.

Needless to say, it was a shock to most everyone.

Except for Rouge.

She was sitting down on the couch, fully clothed, watching Sera and Amy playing in the far corner. They weren’t arguing for the moment, thankfully. It was in moments of tranquility like this that gave Rouge time to think.

For one, she knew that this day would sooner or later come, and that she must be prepared for it. Still, though, it was a daunting task that lie ahead. Especially now, since she had a child to look after. Two if you counted the illegitimate pink ball of quills known as Amy.

Profits were going to turn. The casino would no longer be as good as it used to be. It was depressing to think that only after you fall do you realize that you were at the top. And that it’ll never be that good again.

Rouge leaned forward and sighed, gripping her head in frustration. All of this, she knew, had something to do with the Floating Island, but she did not spend enough of her investigation looking for what she was supposed to and instead only concentrated on . . . . . . .

In fact, it wasn’t until the last minute that she actually began looking for the Chaos Emeralds. And even though she found all of them, she had still failed.

**********

My chest . . . . . . So tight. So fucking tight.

Before I knew what was happening I was already reacting. My motions were so fluid it was like I had planned it without planning it . . . . . . if that makes any sense. Doesn’t surprise me if it doesn’t.

I returned from the red darkness to find that another subject had been brought in, the newest model of me wheeled out to the Spring Yard Zone or wherever.

She’s gone.

She’s gone.

Sally’s gone. It’s really past and present tense this time. I’ll never see her again. I’ll never get the opportunity to get myself to care about her more. Too bad. I done fucked up again.

All I could think about was how I lost her, how I let her die.

Then I realized that they brought in another subject. I still couldn’t move.

This is supposed to be in past tense, by the way, not because I’m doing it or think I am, but that I already did it and I’m just backtracking. Yeah, shut up.

The bunny, an obvious prostitute from the Doctor’s meat factory, was next. She was crying too as me got up awkwardly from the table. Me looked and me and me smiled at me while me still kept my head against the glass. Somewhere in the line of subjects my “followers” felt so disillusioned that I bet they were reduced to tears at some point.

I’m not a God. If I were, I’d kill everyone in the room. Well, you know. Out of mercy.

Yeah.

I never told them I was better than they are. Just that I wanted it all to stop. I still do.

Of course, at the time the Robotosizer was turned on, all I could think about was how much of a failure I was and how much I hated myself and myself and myself and myself and myself and myself and my creator.

By the time I figured out what the fuck the black guy was talking about she was already strapped to the table, the arc being lowered. I still had time.

Ideas.

FUCKING IDEAS!!!

I must have yelled that aloud or something, because everything became so utterly clear and crystal that it might as well have been a transparent sapphire sitting in my lap. A GREAT load off my shoulders.

If the red one can give Robotnik inspiration, the black one is MY inspiration. Opposing forces, one in the same, opposite ends of a ring.

He was going to help me.

He did.

Shadow was thrown back by the force of the observation window exploding. The arcs being lowered over the prostitute’s head went wild, shooting around the room. In complete and utter surprise, Robotnik ducked to the floor and brought Mecha down with him a little too late. One of the wild beams caught him in his face just before he went down.

I heard Snively scream. Don’t have to worry about him anymore.

I jumped in through the window and ignored the glass puncturing my feet. If I failed again I would be fixed again most likely. It’s almost like a math formula, never wrong if applied correctly.

The arc was swing wildly around the room, hitting various computer equipment. The Doctor and me were somewhere on the floor, ducking in cover. If any stray beams hit them the results would not be pleasant.

Not hesitating, I ignored the fact that a new version of me with Sally inside was somewhere close.

She’s gone. Accept it.

On the table, she whimpered, eyes closed. I was too late.

The prostitute was already halfway Robotosized. Her arm and everything below her waist was gone in a sheet of metal. And she was still alive.

Though, she’d have to find a new line of work.

My feet punctured with glass, my head swimming, I cradled this girl in my arms, and I bolted out of the room. Her back seemed so cold……

Outside. On the ground now, arcs all around me again, Shadow on the floor dazed, Snively still screaming, the girl in my arms so very much in a state of confusion and pain.

What now? My halfway, half assed, my partway redemption. Good enough, I guess.

I’m at a loss for what I do next. It seems I’m just making this all up as I go. Confused, I stand still, waiting, wasting time, lessening my chances of survival. The arcs sizzling around me, the prostitute moaning in my arms, my time running out.

So, I do the only thing I can do.

So, I do the thing I’m built for . . . . . .

I run.

It seemed it was all I did anymore, bla bla bla bla bla.

Thinking for the first time about what to do, I run straight for a goal finally, past the line of animals cheering me on. This was the last happy moment they would ever get. Too bad.

Diving through arc after arc, dodging patrols and lines of Buzzbombers and patrol ‘bots, I was running straight for the entrance back to the Labarynth Zone.

Behind me, I don’t know what happened. It was in the past.

I’ve left it all behind now . . . . .

**********

Water rushed in on all sides and the alarms were blaring at full volume. At any point in time those fucking Chompers would be on me, probably doubled or tripled in number. Yes, that’s right, I’m here again.

But the bastard doesn’t care about power anymore. He has a line of subjects waiting for him to put him back over the top, which normally I would think he would use for labor, but . . . .

He’s building an army.

Somewhere, he has all the energy he’ll ever need. Somewhere, he has ideas.

I know what they are now, though I somewhat don’t understand their existence. They obviously generate a huge amount of energy, all confined within such a small space that it’s dense as hell. In fact, they should weigh more than a small moon if I’m correct. Them grouped together should cause a black hole.

Their existence is a contradiction.

They are called Chaos Emeralds.

“Ideas.”

**********

By the time she woke up I had already decided what to do with her.

Strangely, even though we were both being pursued by ‘bots, with the water level dangerously rising and us moments away from being caught, I found myself in awe of her.

She was halfway Robotosized, her entire bottom half, with her left arm now metal. This meant that the many different circulatory tubes were still inserted, and a power supply trying to be drawn. The pain must have been so fucking unbearable for her, every inch of her still alive, yet half of it as cold and dead as metal.

And she had her eyes open and locked on me.

Instead of explaining anything to her, I just asked, “What’s your name?”

After her wide-eyed glared was fixed on me for about two minutes, she answered. I cringed.

Then I told her that I was leaving her. Even though my voice was barely above a whisper, the water still didn’t drown me out.

We were hiding in this compartment thing I knew about, wedged directly under a flowing water tunnel, near the Emerald Hill Zone. They wouldn’t find us for another . . . . . four minutes. If lucky. And my time was running out.

“You can get out down there,” I pointed down, making a gesture towards the exit, a flow for water. The way I came in.

“Keep swimming or you’ll sink.” My eyes never left her metal legs. But I was careful not to catch my own reflection.

When she didn’t answer, only then did I look into those giant, hate filled eyes of hers and realize that something was wrong. That maybe the process went on a little too long, and her mind had already broke. Or was just now breaking.

And only now did I remember that when I carried her that her back was cold because the arc had been placed along her spine. The brain hijacking was halfway complete.

Man, the look that she gave me.

She looked like she wanted to kill me.

She looked the way a guard animal looks in a prison movie that’s been starved to death and poked with a stick. I could see in her eyes that she wanted to rip my heart. I kinda wished Ray were right here with me with his magic bomb gun pointed at her.

Instead of playing it cool, I said in a rushed tone, “Check if Tails is ok, will ya?” And before she could react, I grabbed her by the cold metal of her feet and tossed her off the platform. Even after she hit the water that hate filled gaze never left me.

But back to the plan . . . . .

**********

Back to the stars, back to the scars, back to the giant red fucker staring at me and making me scream. That’s right. You heard it first. I’m taking control back.

And the first phase is to bring it down . . . . .

In my clearer, more confident state of mind, I notice the Star Light Zone in a greater, clearer detail. As everything was really shrouded in black, I still couldn’t see everything, but I got the general gist of it. Any more and I probably would have gone insane . . . . . . . well, more so.

This place was cavernous, and between the sound of the soles of my shoes hitting on the steel ground, the water dripping somewhere in infinity, the small points of light coming from all directions, the strange steel beams everywhere, the gears turning of which I can barely see, and the giant red creature hanging in the center of it all, the only thing I could see so clearly, it looked I stepped into a hole in reality. The tunnel led here, this strange nightmare world where I didn’t even recognize myself.

Fucked up, huh?

I walked to the center of the room where this fucking bastard still swung over me, staring my down with those eyes of his.

Don’t freak out.

That smile of his.

Don’t freak out.

And those were the only things I could really understand and comprehend. The rest of him was lost in a sea of uncertainty and blurred confusion.

I lost it. Too bad too, because I was so sure I could keep myself together, but no. If I was made out of a blue and white suite my seams would have come apart and I’d end up in a heap of body tissue and plastic. I screamed so loud and for so long that it gave away my position, and they swarmed on me.

At that point I was too scared to even think straight. I just knew that there was a bunch of blood everywhere, a bunch of spare animal parts and a bunch of twisted metal. And knew that he was watching, his gaze somehow following me even though he appeared dead, the rope tight around his neck and his limbs or whatever hanging limply.

This inspiration for me, watching as I killed more of his seeds. Through it all, he seemed in control, he was behind every move I made, because he is the template for me. I’m his fucking offspring, and I’m Eggman’s son. It’s a shit situation, and all I could do was scream and twist some heads off of some attackers, hardly a dent at all.

It was Darwinism now. Survival of the fittest. If that creature had a mouth I’d be sure he’d be smiling, just like the Cheshire cat from Through The Looking Glass. It all seems apart of one author’s acid trip.

Makes me wish for sobriety and car crashes all of a sudden.

No matter. If I look at it another way, I’m not really killing anyone; I’m setting them free.

Free from the prison that is life. Free from the life that is enslavement.

When it was over, I was so soaked in blood that it covered my entire body and my original color gone. Much around me was bathed as well, infinity with a new paint job. It reflected off of metal and was like a mirror. Shit.

I was bathed in the shit, theirs and my own, because you can never dodge a bullet every time. I looked so red that it reminded me of why I was screaming so much.

This was too much, too fucking much for me. I felt like my head was gonna cave in from all the pressure, so I looked for my only way out . . . . .

Without hesitation, I picked up a broken ‘bot’s handgun and pressed the button on the side, and pressed it’s cold, shivering tip to my temple.

A way out.

Free myself.

In the reflection of the red sliding metal I looked remarkable like a melded Shadow and fucker guy. Never more did I want to die.

I want freedom as well. This was my ticket. The exit sign was blaring and pointing in this direction, and my finger tightened ever more on the trigger.

What do you do when bla bla bla bla bla?

You fuck yourself over.

And that’s when I shot the red fucker in the head.

**********

Hooboy.

Nack, Ashura, and Manic stared nervously at Rouge, sitting across the room on the opposite couch with Sera, glowering at all three of them. No one had spoken for over ten minutes. The tension was thicker than peanut butter mixed with cement.

Needless to say, she was pissed. The carpet below the fireplace mantle was ruined, and things seemed worse than ever for business. Only three or four whores, for one, and now the place got the reputation as a death trap.

Nack figured than in a week or so it would be as strong a place as ever, since this was the only real “entertainment” in all of the Casino Nights Zone, but then he wondered if he would actually live that long. The feeling of being a useless pawn in Robotnik’s master plan seemed more real than ever now, and Rouge didn‘t seem to be helping the situation any, despite her past.

His eyes fell to Sera, who glared back at him contemptuously. He spat at her.

“Fuck you, Nack,” she said, grinning and batting her eyes.

“Enough.” Rouge came in. Suddenly the room, and it seemed the entire Casino for that matter was silent, because she was in “agent” mode now. “We’re going to stop all this shit, NOW. Soon, we’re going to need to be the best we can be, because Robotnik is doing favors for us.”

Nack did a double take. “And just WHEN did you talk to the Doc?”

“Com call yesterday. He says he’s very unhappy with everything that’s been going on down here, and that if any of us ever manages to fuck up in front of him, he’ll cut us loose.”

It all seemed like a nightmare to Nack, and suddenly his head felt weak and tired. Manic and Ashura just leaned back and listened, as Rouge was eyeing mostly them.

“In a few hours, we are going to be picked up by a new creation of his, and I want all of you to just shut up and nod your heads to whatever I tell you to do.” Sera smiled and stuck her tongue out at them, but then was smacked across the face by her mother. It was so loud that the other three in the room jumped with surprise.

“What did I fucking tell you?!” Rouge demanded, baring fangs and growling. Sera rubbed her face and said nothing. Tears were starting to well up in her eyes, and in no time they would probably be falling down her stone cold face.

Daddy’s little girl.

After it calmed down a little, Ashura finally spoke up.

“What’s . . . . . . going on?” Very unsure of himself.

Rouge paused, then, “We’re leaving.”

Shock rippled around the room and only the audible dripping of Antoine’s blood in the corner was heard. He seemed the only one who wasn’t shocked, because he didn’t say a word, didn’t move, and didn’t blink as silence ruled once again. All he did was hang from the mantle, a monument to Manic and Ashura, their names carved into his chest.

But he didn’t complain, and he never would again.

**********

I didn’t stop firing until I ran out of bullets, and even after that I didn’t look to see if I finished the job. I wouldn’t have anyway, since a new group of ‘bots were ready to take me down, though I had already met them.

Shadow still grinned at me from a distance. With her were Silver, Mecha, and . . . . . . her.

Robotnik’s voice suddenly came on the PA system.

“I hope you enjoy the latest in the series. This one was much easier to make than the last two, since I’m using actual subjects this time.”

“And I care why?”

There was a pause, then a groan. “Fine. Play it tough then. If you wont cooperate then I’m not going easy on you. You know, I COULD send them in one at a time . . .”

“Fuck you.”

“Alright then. Let’s just see how you do at fighting someone you used to love . . . .”

In the distance, I could see on the newest version a small nameplate. In blue letters it read “Metala.”

Fucking brilliant, you son of a bitch.

“This’ll be SO much fun.” I heard that little bastard Snively taunt far away from me, Silver and Mecha taking a fighting stance. Shadow smiled, whispering something to Metala, who nodded.

Snively’s goons attacked first, taking a dead run at me and coming from straight on. I brought one of my feet back and my left fist up, stretching my glove with my fingers.

And everything went slower again, though they still seemed to be moving at normal speeds, despite my ability to notice things at a quicker rate. I waited, ready for most anything, as Silver and Metal reached within arms reach . . . .

Mecha, who suddenly pulled ahead, swung his fist outward at me, aimed right for between my eyes. I fell backward out of it’s rang, landing on my back and hands, still trying to keep track of the two. Silver eluded my sight until I noticed him straight above me, holding a twin pair of guns, firing at me.

To my left I rolled out of the path of the bullets, and kept rolling as the projectiles rained behind me, making resounding chinks or sound effects in succession. I kept rolling until I came across a ‘bot, a Patrol ‘bot, who according to my luck always carries two different weapons. I rolled of the top of them, grabbing the dangerous things your mother is supposed to warn you about, and I pressed the fit mechanism.

On my back and still now, I fired straight at Silver, then moved immediately after the volley was sent after him, dodging yet another trail of his bullets.

About here is where I heard a roar. Not my usual, psychotic head roar, but the roar of engines. I had no time to concentrate on it, however, as Mecha ahead of me had his arms outstretched, pointing . . . .

Following instincts, I dove to the left, barely being missed by a giant fucking plasma bursts that the little rat had fired. Debris and flame lanced out everywhere but causing no damage to either the structure of the Death Egg, nor to me. Sure, it was a little hot, but I was ok. I stood to my feet . . .

And suddenly I was knocked back about twenty feet by a lancing blow across my chest, and I felt pain. Something cut me, and I heard the roar of engines all around me.

I got up again, and right away I saw the glint of Silver coming at me, hovering, dents in his armor. My brain screamed right away that this was a distraction, so instead of standing there or running away, I ran towards him, letting momentum and friction carry me. I went into a spin dash.

I came up with nothing. That little shit had moved, and when I was back uncurled and on my feet I realized that I barely missed being fried by an electrical current that Mecha had fired in my place. Electricity lanced out in all directions, but not touching the walls or floor, instead searching for an organic target. And now it seemed that Mecha couldn’t stop its process.

Ignoring the cuts on my chest and my questioning brain, I ran forward, my gun blazing, and I scored a few hits before his electricity outburst stopped and he turned towards me.

Not slowing down but speeding up, the roar of engines suddenly closer to me, I jumped up and put my foot to Mecha’s shoulder, and catapulted myself straight up, executing a back flip and outstretching my hand.

And holy shit, I was actually right. My hand caught the shoulder of Metala’s right side. She had been rocketing right for me, and those claws of hers were fucking sharp enough to cut into my plastic armor.

And she was so fucking fast that she was moving the same speed as me.

Into the air we were flying, and she was trying to claw her other hand at me but couldn’t reach because of her bulk. She then opted to fly as jerky as possibly, trying to buck me off. Holding tight with one arm as this hole in reality spun around me, I managed to bring the gun up to point to the back of her head. I thumbed the control setting on the gun to automatic.

But . . . . I didn’t pull the trigger.

Instead, I let go and rolled into a ball, hoping I would crash into a spiked structure or some fucking shit.

**********

Inside Pseudo Sonic, controlling the other two ‘bots, Snively was at the same time enjoying the ride, and wishing that his head would stop hurting.

It was really hard to concentrate on controlling two highly responsive ‘bots in coordinating a successful attack on one who moved faster than you, especially when one has to be careful of hitting comrades.

Watching his view screen inside, the only way he could keep track of Metala and Sonic was to lock on and trust the computer, as any ocular observation would prove to be futile.

Snively positioned Silver on the ground and locked on with a missile, ready to fire at any moment. Ignoring the sweat he felt running down his back, he also positioned Mecha just outside the exploding radius, ready for a plasma blast if necessary.

One thing he didn’t have to worry about was the entire zone collapsing. The steel was reinforced three times, and would take more than a couple of energy blasts to shake it loose.

Against his better judgment, Snively smiled inside his suit.

And he waited for the little rodent to fall.

**********

The citizens of “Little Planet” in the Hill Top Zone watched from the shore as the fire was finally put out, and they let out a cheer, as this was the most excitement they’d ever had in their pointless little lives.

**********

The room had gone silent again, but this time nobody said anything for about fifteen minutes. It was a quieted disbelief this time, more than just usual discomfort.

Nack didn’t speak just because he was dwelling on the fact that the Doctor had contacted her and not him. Had he not been loyal? Had he not been ready to make sacrifices? Had he not sucked up enough?

Must not have. Rouge was still his number one agent in the Doctor’s eyes, it seemed, and Nack couldn’t have been more pissed off.

“Assholes,” he whispered all too loudly, getting sudden stares from everyone living in the room.

**********

“FUCKING DIE!!” I heard Snively yell from across eternity in his suit when Silver fired bullets at me from a distance. I dodged them easily.

Recap: the fight had been going on for about three minutes, and I wasn’t doing too badly, besides a plasma burn in my leg and the scratch marks on my chest, I was unscathed. And I think I was wearing down Mecha a little bit, who had some dents in his armor in vital areas.

You see, it seems that Snively can only control one version of me efficiently at a time, and I used this to milk it for what it’s worth. I could dodge Metala well enough to keep Silver and Mecha fighting for their lives with me.

Of course, Shadow hadn’t attacked yet.

Back to me, crouched on one knee and suddenly behind Silver after dodging Metala for the last uncountable time, and I point my newly acquired guns straight behind me and held down the triggers.

I was reward by one or two sounds of metal being hit, but the rest missed. I broke into an immediate run towards a metal beam. I bounded off of it and into the air upside down, guns pointed and searching for Mecha who when I last saw was positioned there.

I found him easily, only now moving because Snively had Silver safe, and raised his arms to fire something right when I had both guns pointed at him and I was firing without stopping.

But, as you probably guessed, I was hit from behind by something very familiar and very painful. It wasn’t metal, oh no, nothing so cold or deep blue as that, but something even colder and blacker, with slight shades of red.

Shadow hit me so hard that I dropped my guns and flew straight down to floor, and hit with a sickening impact. I heard and felt my shoulder crack and shatter against the impact.

What the fuck?! She seemed so much stronger, so agile and so muscular, like she was on steroids or some shit.

Wrenching myself off the floor and growling, I immediately knew that it was all over, because I had lost the upper hand and I was now at their mercy.

Right when, and I mean IMMEDIATELY when I got everything in focus, I saw Shadow’s fist inches from my face, and all I had time to do was recognize it before I was flying backwards, trailing blood.

I took another hit when Mecha elbowed me in the chest, knocking me straight to the ground. A barrage of kicks came from all directions as I was converged upon on all sides.

Hopeless, yet again. Silver joined the fray and landed a kick in the small of my back, and it hurt so much that I screamed out loud. Soon Shadow and Silver came next to me, grabbing my head and slamming their knees into it, trying desperately to break my ribs as if their lives depending on any bone of mine breaking. They were determined, it seemed to break through my hard plastic exterior and see what made me tick. Either that or they just wanted to beat the shit out of me. Either way, it didn’t matter really. Now it was MY blood splattered everywhere, a lot more than I thought would be. Though all of this didn’t really become emotional hurt until Metal came up and started, aiming for my groin.

And somewhere in that theater I knew that little shit was laughing at me, enjoying this, even though I still couldn’t see him through all the black. Someone had turned the house lights down when this movie started and I could hear his popcorn-munching ass giggling in the dark.

I don’t know how long they beat me, but I just know that at some point I was on the floor again and it looked like was gushing out blood. It fell in a waterfall out in front of me, across the floor. Although it could have been my fucked up head dreaming all this shit, I still think it was real. So much blood, more blood than I had, and it was hard to believe that it only came from beating and no smashed arteries or tubes.

Again, I sort of blacked out. When I comprehended everything again was on my feet, both arms and both legs being held by Silver and Mecha, and Mecha and Shadow, and Metala and Mecha, so on and bla bla bla, each taking swings at me, sometimes getting creative and firing bullets and slashing claws and arcing electricity.

No doubt about it, I was getting fucked up.

Soon, I think, very soon it stopped, and I was left in a crumple on the floor and they all stepped away, wary but confident. No matter how much I tried to spit the blood out of my mouth, it always seemed to be full.

Doing the quickest of surveys, I noticed that my shoulder was fucked up from the landing awhile back. The plastic spider webbed around and pulsed with circulation.

That’s when I heard my creator, the big guy, the Eggman, Robotnik, call from the PA system and say the probable final orders he would ever give in front of me, in a choked forced voice full of aguish.

“Kill him.”

Shit.

**********

A piece of structure crumbled around me some more. I sit here and I’m contemplating my life and what I’ve done so far, and I realize that all of this could have been prevented if I had learned the concept of sacrifice. Somehow, I could have done better if I’d bend over and took it.

Now, all I am is nothing, a melted piece of plastic covered in blood and guts and tubes. Him staring up at me and him staring at me from across the floor. The roof gone and the stars already winking out, I can feel it all slip away . . . . . I can feel the world ending . . . . .

No.

I’m not done yet.

**********

All that you and I both need to know is that I escaped. That’s all I can allow myself to remember, because the truth is so frightening to me that I can’t even think about it without wanting to split my own head in two. If I can’t handle it then you sure as fuck can’t either.

The important this is that I was swimming through the Labarynth Zone with Shadow close behind me. I remember vaguely of kicking her in the face . . .

No. Focus; focus on the moment, the future. The past is only useless trivia.

I knew what I was going to next, and then soon afterwards. This bitch was goin down, forever, and never again would she be able to admire me.

There is NO FUCKING WAY she could have figured out everything in this place in such a short time that she’s been activated. She won’t know about what’s up ahead.

I smiled and kept kicking, ignoring the pain and the lack of oxygen. Soon, it’ll all be clear. Soon, I’ll be free of this fucking cunt and I’ll be able to take on Silver and Mecha and even Metala with no trouble at all.

It’ll be better.

Hell, it’ll be glorious.

I forced myself to kick faster and in no time I reached my destination, the pump that re-circulated the entire compound’s water and filtered it for redistribution. It was so powerful it could suck a medicine ball through a straw. Perfect, in other words, because if I can fake her out and push her in there’s no way she’ll ever come back out. Living.

Course, this was all backwards theory. It could all be blown to hell if I got sucked in with her.

I hope you’re enjoying all of this drama, you scroungy little fuck.

Twisting my body and ignoring my internal clock of air tick down, I tucked myself into an enclave filter just below the event horizon of the giant suction tube. And I waited for about two seconds, allowing this little tramp to catch up, before I opened the filter jacket and slipped inside the ducts.

The computer information didn’t lie. There wasn’t much room to maneuver in here, which was perfect enough for me. I was relying on my element of luck and surprise to win, as always. I started swimming back upwards, and squinted my eyes against the small bits of debris I let loose. The vents housed numerous bends and twists and eventually fueled back out to the top or back down to the circulation fans.

My clock ticked down.

20.

These vents were perfect for my plan, if only she would hurry up and fall into it. She sure was taking her and my sweet-ass time. The music in my head was steadily rising, becoming more urgent. I needed an air bubble, and fast.

19.

Something, ANYTHING, gimme a fuckin sign that she ain’t coming. I’ve been under for two minutes; she’d either die or kill me.

18.

Maybe she went back, maybe she needed air too, or maybe she ran out of air and her corpse floated and expelled, leaving me finally.

17.

I’m cold. And tired, so tired.

Come on, bitch, hurry up.

16.

If she doesn’t show up in ten more seconds I’m sticking my head out to look for her.

15.

My head went immediately around the corner of the vent, and her foot kicked me in my face.

14.

That tricky little dike! She knew all along! And then I was kicking and blowing out air because she had my head in her hands and she was kissing me.

13.

12.

11.

When we parted, she gave me a head butt to the nose. Then a kick to my groin. More of my air went out.

10.

9.

The music started getting faster and more urgent. Because we had both stopped kicking up we floated with the current in the tiny ducts and strangely didn’t get caught. Soon, if I kept her occupied enough I would kill her dead.

God I’m a retard.

8.

Dredging up strength, I forced myself to stop flailing, and I grabbed her face with both of my hands, thumbs in here eyes, and I slammed her head against the wall behind her as hard as I could.

7.

And lucky me, the wall turned out to be a sharp corner of a duct, and now she was dazed.

My turn, you fucking whore.

6.

This time, I kicked HER in the crotch, and made HER lose air. Our numbers were about the same now, as the odds were evened. As she moaned in pain and bubbles escaped her mouth I gave her a knock to her teeth, just then realizing how dangerously close we came to the suction tube.

5.

Faster now. Groaning, because I was having so much fun kicking the shit out of her like she did to me, I grabbed her head again, and kissed her, before putting my feet to her chest and kicking off. As I turned away I saw her flailing back at me but being overwhelmed by the enormous suction.

4.

Not looking back but somehow knowing she (3) was dead because there’s no way she could have survived that, I swam (2) upward, out of the vent, and by the time (1) came around I had found an air bubble. Just before I opened my mouth in a silent scream and died, just when the music in my head was most dramatic and at its high point, I gasped in air. The rush gave me a headache.

That was fun.

**********

Amy pressed her ear to the door, straining, trying to hear the conversation within. She was so bored that she resorted to actually playing some of the slot games, but normally stayed away from them because they smelled funny. Like the beds.

Amy was, of course, listening to Rouge and Nack and Sera and Manic and Ashura talking. She knew that it had something to do with everyone disappearing, but also it had to do with the fire yesterday. But what Amy didn’t plan on was the issue of possible departure. Of the conversation, she could pick up “leaving” and “out” and “here” and none of them sounded very good to her.

She didn’t want to leave. It was fun here, and one day she would find her true love, just like the fortuneteller said.

Amy smiled, losing her concentration in her daydream, and fell into the dressing room when the door opened.

**********

It was so green there. I can never forget it.

It’s been two years since I’ve met him, and everyday I wish I hadn’t did what I had done. I wished I hadn’t tried to kill him.

When at first he freed me from that horrible fate that I was almost destined to experience, I still hated him. In fact, I wanted to blow him up with about a pound of explosives and then piss on the ashes, but for now, let’s just say I wasn’t too fond of him.

Oh, but it was so green there, in the Emerald Hill Zone, more so than I imagined or drew up from conversations of others. Even though I came out of the water sputtering and cursing and hate filled, I still managed to fully glimpse the beauty of all that lay before me enough for me to remember it now, years later.

There was a surprising amount of palm trees around, as it seemed a more tropical than forested area. Groaning and clutching myself, drinking in everything I could, I stood on the shore of a river, next to a village of sorts, and constant milling about of pen animals destined to die like me.

Long story short.

Coconuts understood my situation better ten minutes later, after I “convinced him” and said he would talk to the Doctor about getting me back to normal, but only if I helped him capture the runaway.

“Sonic.”

I shivered. The metal was so cold against me. I could actually FEEL my veins connected to the tubes below me, and beneath all the metal I could feel my skin itching, and I knew than any scratching wouldn’t help. It was eerie and I was becoming not only more and more irritated and edgy as the seconds passed, but more and more angry as well.

Soon, so soon, the images came, quick and unrelenting. The most efficient ways for me to kill that little rodent, calculation with mathematics I never knew of, and physics I never cared about. I never knew much about Robotosization, but if I hadn’t been pulled out of the process soon enough . . . . .

Just another reason to hate the fucker. Sonic, I mean.

Oh, yeah, and something else. The villagers. They . . . . . . . oh man.

I was almost God with them. Because of the way I looked, they revered me in the best way possible. Before Sonic came back, I more than king, possibly a deity. The way my new wooden throne shone in the sunlight, it was almost blinding for me to experience it all, and yet I could not look away or shy. Sitting next to Coconuts, overlooking the entire village of sorts, sipping milk and staring blankly ahead even though my name was called out in worship, never once did the thoughts enter my head that I would soon die.

This was divine presence, I thought, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I had no fucking clue what divine presence was. All I did was sip coconut milk and make fun of the fox freak that stood up front, clad in fur-parters and looking so uncomfortable.

I couldn’t have been blinder if my eyes were ripped out of my sockets.

So, now, reflecting years later on what happened in the next few hours, I say now I’m sorry to him, to Sonic, because I never saw him again after that day, a Thursday I think it was. But somehow, he will always be with me. I consider him more than apart of myself.

So much more.

Sonic, I’m sorry.

**********

I was still bleeding when I got out of the water, and the sun shone high enough in the sky that it didn’t blind me right away, but it felt so great to see that sun again, even if it did look fake.

Eh, fuck off.

I kept low to the shoreline. The village, I remembered, was only yards away, and I could hear the hustle and bustle over the rushing water. Again, always ignoring pain, I pushed myself into the mud as far as I could go. Two citizens came down for water. Amazing that they’d still drink from here.

Something was happening above, and the attitude I witnessed yesterday had changed, though judging by various conversations I could pick up, they . . . . .

“They have sent us compensation for the heathens! They still love us.”

“Yes. But what about the non believers themselves?”

“The ones the Demigods didn’t carry off we have stored away in the pit. They won’t survive much longer.”

“Good. This means they will be desperate. They will want to survive.”

“They will pay for destroying our beloved grounds.”

“Indeed.”

Then they left. And goddamn, did I feel worse.

Enough is enough, for fuck’s sake. I got up out of the mud, the red trickling down my right side and over the mud, and I walked forward.

At first, nobody seemed to take any notice of the walking mud-thing with a bleeding shoulder, but soon came gasps and accusations that evil had arrived. This hurt my feelings a little at first, but it got better when I remembered that these one’s were idiots. Or assholes.

I remembered my dead comrades, and my fists tightened around my gloves and my toes scrunched up in my shoes. Mud squished around me, and I kept my eyes glaring at the throne, the highest point in the middle of the village.

I could feel the wooden monkey’s gaze the moment I stepped from the river. Coconuts hated me probably more than any of the Doc’s other sentient creations, and wouldn’t hesitate to make me suffer as much as possible. In fact, right about now he should be alerting his partner by radio.

Coconuts already knew I was here, because he was sending out some mindless drones to head me off. They all carried . . . . . . coconuts. Real ones, I mean. From the trees.

When I got closer, I realized that he couldn’t radio to Scorpious because he had no clothing on. A radio would look suspicious and out of place. If he wanted to keep his image, that is.

Also, I felt my fists tighten to white knuckles and red scars when I saw Tails up front . . . . . . . clad .

No. No, I didn’t see that happening.

“Well, well, well,” He said, his voice booming sarcasm. And the rest was drowned out because the splitting of my face was so loud.

**********

My chest was still tight when I switched to automatic again. When the blindsiding animal with the wooden board hit me in the face, it became so easy to this all again.

Coconuts had trained them well. They attacked in pairs, throwing the coconuts at me at intervals and running away again. The small fire explosions were hot beyond what I thought they would be, and caked the mud that covered me, soon coming to cauterize the wound in my shoulder.

I broke my fingers again trying to thin them out. That’s ok, though. Just as long as they were on the ground and not my problem anymore. But damn, these fuckers were fearless. The more military version of Scratch’s totalitarianism. War to religion. Ancient Sparta to Ancient Greece. Oh how I miss the old bunch.

The women stayed on the throne area, mostly, and I was grateful that they weren‘t down here helping, not because I thought I would hesitate, but because I knew I wouldn’t. Tails, of course, was shielding her face from me, not able to look at me losing. Bunnie still looked like she was hungry for my heart in her mouth.

At first all I could see was different angry faces being splattered and hit by my broken blue fist, their tongues swirling around and their eyes rolling in the back of their heads. Bombs were still being thrown even though there was some engaging in close combat. It was becoming a lot more disorganized.

Coconuts had taken off. That little shit.

I let out a roar, and picked up my pace. When I saw a little bastard coming up to me with a bomb clutched in his hands, I grabbed him, turned him away from me, and didn’t let go. And so it went like this for about twenty more seconds, me grabbing footholds wherever I could. When I got a clear path to the throne I ran for it.

Around me the world was such a blur. It was comforting to run this fast again. Nothing seemed complete. The colors blurred together, like an artist threw paint thinner on the canvas. Even I wasn’t all there anymore, physical as well as mental. And even then everything was slowed down, and I could drink it all in so much better. Tails, only shapes and colors now, was crying. Ravaged innocence. The people behind me were ravaged as well, and it wasn’t their fault. Or maybe it was.

Man.

Tails was already in my arms. The throne was already on fire behind me. Bunnie was already running after me. They all were screaming war cries and murder of the bloodiest kind. It was so loud it gave me a headache.

It was right about here when I decided to change the rules a little bit.

**********

“I suppose I should come clean with you all. The runaway is no longer a problem. One of the lower-downs is dealing with him. He’ll be taken care of long enough to where we can leave with no trouble, although the entry area is secure, just in case. So, he is sending an operative of his to escort us to The Death Egg. I’m sorry for keeping this secret from you all for so long, but it was for your own good. Honest.

“Anyway, when our escort arrives we should leave immediately. I heard he was not the type to fuck around, so pack and play and do whatever now so later you wont have any regrets.”

“This escort got a name, Rouge baby?”

She smiled. “Course, dumb shit. He goes by ‘Shadow.’”

**********

“Get back here and fight us, you fucking coward!!!” Bunnie shouted, standing next to Coconut’s side. Further ahead was Sonic, running away in a cloud of dirt and debris. The conscious and able men were still running afterwards, and the monkey still didn’t call them off.

Coconuts was fully clothed now, dressed in his old uniform that he hadn’t worn in at least ten years. He had his radio now, and he had alerted his partner to come to his position.

“We can’t catch up to him at this speed,” he told Bunnie, staring in the distance, “but I know where he’s going.”

“So call the Doc. Capture his ass!”

He just shook his head.

“We really shouldn’t.” And he just stood there and waited for the other to arrive. Sonic disappeared over the next few hills and was soon out of sight.

But not for long.

**********

I kneeled away from the crouched form in front of me and I retched. I threw up. It was something spontaneous and very sudden, though I knew it was a product of the non-stop fighting.

Then I noticed the blood.

I had just vomited up blood.

What the fuck? I thought that ninny shit head fixed me. I didn’t get that damaged in the fights, and I was never kicked in the stomach.

I was never fixed.

What the fuck did he do to me………?

I turned back and looked down, wiping my face. Tails looked ok.

Well, what could you expect? Exactly. Not much. She’s . . . . . had it rough.

She was on her back, looking up me, clutching her head, moaning in relief. The uncomfortable fur-parters off of her finally, it must have been a relief. I probably shouldn’t have sent her there in the first place. Maybe I had hoped she would find her way out of the opening in the dome, not become some sort of cock-sucking concubine. Somehow, in my head, Tails was ok.

What the fuck was I thinking?

I looked at the glowing Chaos Emeralds above my head, set in stone in the Mystic Cave. There were seven small indentations, all about the same size, fitting each of the Emeralds, though there were only six that were occupied. Seemed that one was missing.

The red, yellow, green, purple, blue and gray light shining each by themselves, each with it’s own brilliance. This is how I can fly, better than Tails can hover. Better than birds. Better than clouds.

Unless he was speaking metaphorical. Again. Fucker.

Tails, on her back on the dirt floor, looked at the cave around her, noticing the colors and the vines on the walls, overflowing and artificial. Then she looked at me, wiped tears from her eyes, and said, “Hi.”

I nodded, and then looked up at the emeralds, as did she. I asked her, “Should I do it?”

Below me, she shrugged, her furry shoulders reaching her ears.

“A watched pot never boils.”

I smiled, because I fucking hated it when she did that.

My hands clasped around the first emerald. The red one.

**********

Looking back I wished I had never taken those ideas in the first place. All it did was cause more confusion, make things a lot more complicated for me. Because of them I exist in not one but two worlds now.

Shit, man, I can barely see my own chest anymore, though that shouldn’t be much of a surprise. My legs . . . . . gone. My left arm . . . . . . gone. Tails, gone. Shadow, gone. Sally, gone.

My mind . . . . . .

Gone.

**********

When I stepped out into the sunlight again, I shielded my eyes. Suddenly the sun seemed so much more hostile than before, and it hurt to leave my eyes open.

I felt . . . . . different. And not in some weird, zen-supernatural sense either, but unpleasant. I was powering up but instead I was just falling down mentally. Like someone took a shit on my face.

Coconuts was already waiting with his hoard. Bunnie was with him, holding his hand. The crowd gathered with symbolistic pitchforks and burning torches.

“You ready to die like a good boy?”

I smiled at him, despite how I really felt. Inside, my stomach was turning inside out. “I’m just getting started.” I was gonna throw up soon. “I’m gonna rip your fucking head off, asshole.” My spit was hot in my mouth. “Just you wait. You’ll wish you never met me, you monkey cock-sucker.” The sun was burning my skin. “Son of a bitch.” Chest . . . . . so tight . . . . . . never should have picked those emeralds up . . .

“Kill.” Coconuts whispered loud enough for the crowd to here. They charged after me.

Those Emeralds, those FUCKING emeralds. I picked them up and . . . . . they sunk into me. Into my goddamn armor. Can you believe that shit?! All six of them, and then nothing happened. NOTHING. Just the feeling of my liver exploding and rotting. Just my organic colon turning blue. That black guy was full of shit. What the hell was wrong with me, thinking I could actually fly.

They were all coming closer, fangs bared, spots of spit and foam dribbling out of their mouth. Craven, they seemed. I was going to be torn in two.

Fuck, I’m so stupid. There’s no hope for me at all. I believed what was a product of my own imagination. I tried and tried only to be worse off than before.

Closer now. I could see the hate behind their eyes, and behind that a shield of fear. Behind me, Tails put up a brave front. She was coming with me, wherever I went. How noble.

Maybe I need that seventh emerald. Maybe not. Maybe shit. Who cares?

The one who reached me first raised his hand to attack.

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKK YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU

I

ran

straight for that

piece of shit Coconuts.

This stupid mother fucker was

only now barely reacting to my mad rush

towards him. He had his arms up to his chest and

his eyes were half closed. The group behind me was left in

a cloud of dust. And then I was holding him by the wrist all of a sudden.

The ground had left my feet. How great it felt, to be this high.

Gasps I heard down below. Screaming I heard next to me.

I looked down to see that Coconuts was not whole

anymore, his legs and right arm gone. His face

looked so full of emotion. It made me smile.

And so I dropped him. Back down below.

Because I was flying.

I didn’t hear him hit.

**********

Bunnie stared in horror at the arm she still held. He had been taken from her so suddenly that she had accidentally ripped his limb off with her metal appendage. Blood still dripped from the point of rippage. The crowd around her was too surprised to notice that she was horrified.

And when she heard his body hit the ground . . . . . . that tore it. Her expression hardened and she brought Coconut’s severed arm in front of her, ripping it in half. Without hesitating she pressed the fit mechanism, and a gun was formed.

10100100001010010DestroyTargetIHATEYOUYOUPIECEOFSHITFUCKINGDIE!!!!11110101010101010F000000000101001U0101001000C10101010K101010Y1010O1111U10101010Left compensate for windERRORERROR!!!!!!01010

The gun fell apart in her hands. All of her metal casing fell of. It was painful to feel all of the inserted tubes disintegrating and pulling out of her skin.

When it was all over, she felt . . . . . . normal. Really, really normal.

**********

This was so great.

Such power.

I was laughing like an idiot, and not caring, it felt so fucking good. Better than any orgasm I ever had. I didn’t want it to end. I’d do anything to keep this……………..

I was laughing. Without me knowing, I had been laughing the entire time. The sound probably boomed straight back down to the ears of all listening. Never have I felt better to be king.

I didn’t stop myself. I didn’t want to. This was all so great . . . .

Then I saw him.

I floated down in front of Robotnik, scuttling in front of me on his eight legs, tail raised in the air. He cocked his large fake head at me and said something that I didn’t hear.

When I didn’t answer, my creator’s expression didn’t changed. It was still in a mocked-surprise. A snapshot taken while he was eating or something. The eyes were absolutely dead. He looked like he was made of rubber.

I only laughed.

He said something else. Eggman’s pincer’s clicked. His claw came down to strike at me.

I hesitated. I waited. The pincer came inches from face before I was under his arachnid form. The pincer hit the ground where I was and dust billowed. Glee.

I rolled into a ball.

I moved myself into the air just to Robotnik’s right hand side, and then I was behind his tail, then in front of his pincers, then under his third left leg. I kept this up, suddenly moving at incredible speeds around him, still rolled in a ball.

Ten more placements and I was in front of him, staring his fucking ass down.

“I HATE YOU!!” I boomed. Those large dead eyes did not move and inch. I couldn’t feel him breath. That expression of surprise remained.

The roar returned. The grass below my feet was cold and drenched in blood. It felt so real. What a genius to make it seem normal when on the surface everything was different.

Robotnik’s face started to fall apart. It pulled away from itself right in front of me as if strings were out of my vision, tugged by slow moving horses. The pieces of the Doctor fell to the not-real grass. They twitched, still alive with electricity. The metal parts of the Doc quivered in the sun and caught fire.

There was one last groan before he died. And it didn’t come from him. It came from the small rabbit that was inside of him.

He was alive again.

**********

Coconuts’ upper half had landed on a slight incline on a hill, so his eyes were pointed above him and upward, diagonally. It would have been uncomfortable if he had any feeling below his neck left.

There was no way out of this, he realized. In more ways than one, he had failed. The hedgehog had found out the secret. He now had the upper hand. What was going to happen next and forever on would be decided by Sonic and Sonic alone. Nothing would change the next few moves.

Oh well, Coconuts thought to himself, grinning slightly. Maybe I can help out a little bit still . . . .

The blinding vision of Sonic came into his view, the only bright and shining object he could still register.

**********

“When’s he coming?” I asked, my euphoria fading away. I wanted answers on when Robotnik was coming to fight. I felt I could take him if I fought soon enough.

I kicked Coconuts where he was ripped in half, and he didn’t react. Only kept grinning.

“He ain’t.”

He was lying.

“I’m not. He’s not coming. When I spoke with him on the radio he said he didn’t want us to capture you. He doesn’t want you anymore.”

I didn’t speak.

“He doesn’t care.”

This shouldn’t matter anything to me, but it does. It’s a father-son dispute. I want him to care but I don’t. Leave me alone but pay attention.

I was breathing hard. Steadily, the power was fading. I wasn’t angry anymore, but I was tired. I suddenly remembered the crowd of Spartans and I whipped my head up to see if they were going to attack . . .

………………………………..What?

They were . . . . fucking?

All of them. It was a sudden orgy.

The moaning became so apparent all of a sudden. I stared at all of this, their faces contorted and eyes on me the entire time. I didn’t get it at first.

Then I realized that it was me. I had something to do with this. Looking around I noticed that everyone was pretty much in the same order as I had left them, and they had started fucking whoever was next to them. Any two men or two women were now homosexual. People standing alone with no partner starting jerking off. Soon, everything was drenched in body fluids.

Coconuts couldn’t see them, but the saw me looking at them. He laughed. “Look at them. They were so happy until you came along. Their existence was simply defined. I gave them not only a reason, but also a purpose to go on living. All you did was make things more complicated.”

“They’re prisoners,” I said.

“We all are. Striving for freedom just means that you’re a prisoner to yourself. A reason to live is not the reason itself. All you’ve done is caused more hurt and suffering by fighting the current. Little is accomplished, because when you finally give up and tire of fighting, you’ll pass your point of resistance again and move on. The stream is unending. You can never stop it.”

Since when did this asshole get so philosophical?

But he’s right. Why the fuck continue this?

I made a big mistake. Now, there’s no turning back. Nothing can mend what I have done. What about Tails? How would she feel?

Coconuts was laughing beneath me. Smug.

My foot came down fast on his head, and the metal around him dissolved. The cut half body of a raccoon stared up at me, screaming in pain. Then it died.

I walked over to the crowd and picked Tails up out of the mess. My aura was fading, and when they all stopped they definitely wouldn’t forget what I had done to all of them.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I said. I carried her in my arms, her face close to mine, her smiling deeply.

“Stop looking at me like that.”

**********

“All preparations for launch are completed, sir. The new subjects contributed nicely, and power is well above anticipated. The systems check will be over some time tomorrow, and we can leave.”

“Excellent.”

“The only thing that remains is what we’re going to do with this place. If you are correct in your assumptions, we’ll never come back here.”

“Visions, not assumptions.”

“Whatever. What do you want to do about the facility?”

Pause.

“I don’t know. I kind of want to keep it running.”

“Sir?”

“It’ll degrade over time, I know. But this was my home, OUR home. I’ve spent too much time on it to self-destruct it. I cannot bear to hear it’s dying explosion.”

“Whatever.”

“I didn’t expect you to understand, but at least do what I ask.”

“Fine.”

“Thank you, Snively.”

Pause.

“Sir, do you really think he’ll die?”

A very long pause.

“No.”

**********

So this is how it’s going to be?

Tails seemed normal now. She wasn’t eyeing me anymore, at least. But of course, this also meant I was back down to normal.

Fucking emeralds. What good are they if they only work once? A waste. I could have taken them all on myself anyway.

I turned back to her, kept on walking through the grassy field at the edge of the Emerald Hill Zone.

“What happened back there?”

She stopped. I did too. For awhile, she didn’t speak. Then,

“It was like . . . . . You looked so bright standing up there. It was . . . . golden. Blinding almost. Though looking at you was not like looking at the sun. I actually didn’t want to stop. It was soothing . . . .”

I looked down at myself. I looked normal as ever.

“How about now? How do you feel?”

Her eyes met mine. She smiled. Her tails straightened.

“You still ain’t that bad.” And she slugged me in the shoulder.

**********

We avoided the village this time.

The Hill Top Zone is a joke, really. All it is is a stretch of land between the Oil Ocean Zone and the Casino Nights Zone. There is only need for one village, because the animals die so quickly. The IQ’s become so low that the brain doesn’t know how to run the body anymore. Sad and pathetic, isn’t it?

A significant thing about the zone is that there is an exit nearby. It is also blocked by flowing lava, and a valve is needed to shut it off. Although, it is under minimum security because of how stupid the residents are.

As for me and Tails, we kept ourselves hidden along the outskirts of the village. The hill to the Casino Nights Zone was visible up ahead, and even though it would have been just as easy for us to walk through the village, we risked getting seen by patrols. The set fire was still smoldering and fire ‘bots flew around searching for pockets of heat.

We were low to the ground, moving quickly around the base of the hill. I don’t think we were spotted.

Sure, I believed Coconuts. He was probably right. Maybe the Doctor didn’t care anymore and he was willing to let me rot or escape in peace. Maybe he has forgotten.

Even so, that doesn’t mean everybody else has, too.

It took us not long to get to the top of the hill, behind the main casino. I heard here is where all of the horny gamblers go. I sure hoped I looked enough like one.

“Smooth your hair out,” I told Tails. She cleaned the mud off of herself.

I had no idea what we were about to meet, but I knew that Manic and Ashura were most likely there. And even though we hadn’t talked in about 3 years, I still had a bad feeling that they would recognize me.

I ran my hands over my quills. I tightened my gloves over my knuckles.

Maybe they won’t notice me.

“Follow my lead.”

Yeah fucking right.

We walked around to the front. Everything seemed strangely sparse. All of the homes on the faraway block had windows shut and doors boarded up. The street was empty, not the usual hustle and bustle I remembered.

Both of us stood at the entrance to the large complex, the lights bouncing off of our eyes. The noises from inside subdued, but present nonetheless. I looked over at Tails and found that she was absolutely mesmerized by it all.

“I’m surprised that anything is a shock to you anymore.”

“Shut up.”

“Now THERE’S the country gal I know.”

She grinned. Before we could both walk in, a man dressed in ridiculous clothing came out.

Nack.

I stiffened. I didn’t know that he was still here. I would have thought that he’d have been Robotosized by now.

Well, if that were true, then I’d have been the one to escort him.

He eyed both of us carefully, me a little longer than her. Then he stepped full out of his establishment. Carefully, he spoke.

“You the guy?”

I only allowed a second’s hesitation before I nodded.

His eyes fell back on Tails, accusingly cold.

“Who’s this?”

Out of the corner of my eye is saw her glance at me, looking for a signal from me, though I knew if I moved an inch in her direction I’d be caught. Instead, I just yelled at her in my head, hoping that the Emeralds gave me telepathy as well.

Catch on, come on. Catch on, catch on, CATCH ON!!!!

“I . . . . . I’m his trainer.” She said with confidence.

Whew.

He still eyed her suspiciously. “The Doc’s doin that now?”

Suddenly, the doors flew open, and I would have jumped had I not been so damn tense. Manic and Ashura walked out, and I gulped.

“Look at this suave mother fucker!!” The green one with all the piercing said. Yet another fucked up mirror for me to look at.

“Manic . . . .,” Nack started, looking like he was going to explode at the two for coming out at all.

“Oh lighten up, waffle fuck. There can’t be more than one person in this place like you. I’ll bet this guy fucks like the best of us. Ain’t that right, homie?” He slugged my arm. I didn’t wince, or answer.

Manic didn’t slow down, not even enough for Ashura to say anything, who still remained silent. “Come inside, man, relax, have a drink with us . . . .”

“I’m sorry, but I cannot,” I answered, playing up my role slightly.

“Come on, Shadow. Live a little, man! We’re leaving in a few anyway. You may as well get in a few games of poker.”

I let a deep, wide grin creep to my face. “Poker, you say?”

Ashura finally reacted, grinning along with Manic. Nack remained dead as stone.

“You up to a round before we leave?”

Nack walked forward. “Hey! We don’t . . .”

“Oh calm down, nibbles. You know that fucking hoe takes forever to get ready. We got plenty of time.”

I nodded. “Let’s get this over with.” I walked forward into the Casino, glancing once behind me to Tails, who followed a few steps behind. Manic walked beside me and Ashura waited until he was right next to my trainer.

“What’s your name, baby?”

Nack was left outside.

**********

“What I’m, sayin is that people give Hunt too much credit in part one. I mean, all he did was hang from some wires and dodge a helicopter. He couldn’t even beat up an old man! Now, in part two, though, mother fucker was carrying two guns, diving, rolling and spinning and shit, he kicked major fuckin ass! How can you deny the awesomeness of that?”

This could go on for hours. I remembered why I hated these two so much. They seemed to be the only ones who actually enjoyed and discussed the movies Robotnik had shown them, rather than trying to forget them. Ashura remained quiet, but was staring at Tails while we played at the green table in the center of the playing room. The few patrons present were watching the game intently.

I was trying to gather as much information as I could.

1) They thought I was Shadow.

2) I was supposed to take them somewhere.

3) Some shit.

That’s all I got.

Oh well, at least I was kicking ass at poker.

“Fuck, man, how do you do it?!” He said with disdain. “I haven’t seen someone play this good in years.”

“Shit, man, he just keeps making them better and better,” Ashura commented, his eyes all over Tails, who kept a downward stare forward at him. She seemed unshakable for the moment.

“Not kidding, man. Machines making machines, man, that’s all it is.”

I didn’t ask him to explain. I just pushed the cards forward.

“Your deal.”

**********

Nack had gone around through the back way, straight for the computer terminal in his room. The one the Doc had used to contact him, although apparently he wasn’t the only one who had one.

The terminal also had a direct link to the computer archives. Special bulletins and such, posted for the ‘bot commanders for assimilation. It would only take him a few seconds to translate the mess from binary.

“Hi!”

Nack almost fell out of his chair in surprise.

“Don’t fucking do that!”

“Sorry,” Amy said, cuddling his arm. “Whatcha doin?”

“Shouldn’t you be with Rouge or somethin?” He said, pushing her away. She came back and clung harder.

“She told me to come tell you something.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. She said that she’d be over here in two hours. Until then, get packing.”

“Wait . . . . . She don’t know that he’s here yet?”

“He?”

“Yeah. He.”

Amy was silent, as if trying to remember something. Then she shrugged. “Ok.”

He stared at her, exasperated. Then he went back to typing.

Inside the archives now, a picture of Tails popped up from his surveillance file.

“Who’s that?”

“I don’t know, but I want to find out.”

He fed her picture into the computer, and waited.

“Nack . . . . .”

“No.”

“Will you marry me?”

“No.”

“Come on!” She pouted. “No one else will!!!”

The search was complete.

“Unregistered. Shit.”

“I love you Nack.”

“Shut the fuck up, will ya?! I’m tryin to work here!”

She pouted so hard her bottom lip almost hit the floor.

Next, he fed Sonic’s picture into the mainframe.

“Oh my God, who’s that?!”

“Huh?”

“That guy!!”

“Oh. He says he’s Shadow, but I’m not sure. I’m gonna find out right now . . .”

“Whoever he is, he’s HOT!!!”

“Calm the fuck down! Shit.”

“Sorry.”

“Sometimes, you scare me, kid . . . .”

“I have something to tell you, Nack . . .”

“You scare me . . .”

“I’m breaking up with you.”

“ . . . . . . . . . . . . Fine by me.”

“I love Shadow, and there’s nothing you can do to keep us apart.”

“Glad for ya. Hope you two are happy . . .”

“We’re gonna have ten kids, and a house on the beach, and . . . .”

The image popped up.

RUNAWAY was in big bold letters.

“FUCK!!!”

“What?” But he was already running out of the room.

**********

Third game in a row. I was so proud.

Manic no longer was in a joking mood. In fact, he was downright angry with me. He was making subtle insults at me while trying his best to concentrate on the hand.

It was my deal.

Flip, flip, flip, flip.

“You deal those cards like a bitch.”

Flip, flip, flip, flip.

“Suicide kings are wild.”

Flip, flip.

I threw a ring from my growing pile, to the center of the table. He did the same, although his pile was diminishing.

It was brilliant. I already paid him back for the money he lent to me, and I was still up on top.

I waited for the exchange.

Instead, he was smiling, his eyes going from Ashura to Tails and back to me.

“So,” he motioned to Tails, now keeping his eyes on me, “You two ever fuck?”

This snapped the other green hedgehog out of his daze. Ashura’s breath caught in his throat. He looked at me for an answer.

I kept my poker face, and my eyes off of Tails. “Why?”

“Making conversation. Come on, tell me. We all brothas here.” Ashura looked pissed.

Hmmm, an awkward situation indeed. Oh, whatever will I say?

“Yeah. We fucked a couple of times. How many cards?”

I heard teeth grinding somewhere in Tails and Ashura’s direction. It could have been either of them. Manic threw down two cards. I exchanged them.

“Really?! Ha! How was it?”

“Not bad. I like it when they lie still like that.” I exchanged four. We threw down more rings.

He didn’t catch the movie reference and just giggled. The grinding got louder.

“How many times.”

I pretended to think, when really I was just hiding my disgusted insides. I hoped he didn’t get TOO detailed in his questions. Hell, I’m not exactly Mr. Gets Around, here.

“’Bout seven.”

“That’s it?”

“Well, shit, I’ve only known her three days.”

Damn. When is he gonna be done?

I pretty much ignored the rest of Manic’s rambling, as I saw Nack come hurriedly out of the door at the far end of the room. I was actually kind of relieved to see him.

That is, until his eyes met mine. For an instant, I saw inside, even though he was across the room, through a crowd of people and flashing lights. He was frantic.

Fuck.

And we were so close.

I just realized then that Ashura had risen from his chair and was staring me down, saying something about showing respect to the lady. I stood in my seat and looked down at my cards.

“I fold.” I threw the cards down on the table.

I got up. I pushed my chair back. I eyed Ashura right in his face.

Nack cleared his throat. “Manic, Ashura, I need to speak with you two.”

Manic was pocketing my money. “’Bout what?” He didn’t take his eyes off of me.

“Come on.” And he left. The others soon followed, both eyeing me angrily.

I waited until they were away before I leaned over to Tails, who slapped me in the face.

**********

“You let the runaway into the casino WILLINGLY?!! You dips hit!!”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Ashura moved the computer screen towards the other people in the room. “Take a look at this . . .”

Subject: Sonic, Model 01

Make: Hedgehog, Blue

Training: The works

Duties: terminated

Access: terminated

Current Status: RUNAWAY

Capture at all costs

UPDATE: Terminate as necessary

Genetics: Normal Template - Amy model, Manic model, Ashura model

Warning - Experimental Template In effect (see also Shadow model)

“I’m in love with my fucking son?!” Amy yelled.

“Hope you like retarded children, Amy . . . .”

Nack walked over to a small case in the corner. He pulled out a gun, worn from age. He walked over and handed it to Manic.

“You two. Handle it.”

“And just where the fuck are you going?”

“I’m getting Rouge. Hold ’em off until then.”

“Be sure to mention your fuck up, too.”

“Eat my cock . . .”

Nack used the back door to leave, and Amy ran up to him and clung to his leg.

“Take me back, sweetie?”

“No.”

**********

I knew what was coming.

So, I enjoyed my last moments alive. I explored the Casino, walking from game to game, keeping Tails behind me in close sight. The attack could come at any time, and I wanted her dead after me, not before.

I didn’t become interested in any of the slot machines or the blackjack games. In fact, I paid no attention to flashing lights until I entered the children’s area.

It was the only place that was even remotely comforting to me. The few children that were there all stared at me with sullen faces, as if I was the bearer of bad news or something. None of them were playing the games that lined the walls, but were just sitting on the floor, waiting for something that would most likely never come to them.

To my left in a midst of all the games, was a pinball machine.

Excellent.

I walked over to it and inserted a ring.

**********

Manic picked up the other half of the rings on the discarded table.

“Don’t worry. They can’t be far.”

“Leave the girl alive.”

“Fetching for a lost cause, my friend.”

“I like variety, what can I say?”

Manic nodded, and examined the gun some more, frowning.

“Hold on. This gun’s a piece of shit. There’s no base inside. Man, how the hell did Nack make it this far without a gun that works? Shit.”

“Looks like it’s fists all the way, then.”

“ . . . . . No, wait.” Manic picked up a handful of rings and shoved them down the barrel, two by two.

“Wow, I can, like, totally taste the irony, dude.”

“Yeah. Stupid fucker.”

And they were off.

**********

The small blue ball whizzed around a corner, hitting a bumper, being catapulted back upwards. The flipper at the top made it go even higher, only to have itself, knocked back down.

The cycle repeated. Every hard knock into a soft pad awarded meaningless points. This wasn’t the type of game where your name goes into the hall of fame, for all new players to see. All that remains is the highest score, no label, and as soon as the machine is unplugged or turned off, the numbers disappear.

Gone, all because you had to try. Maybe this little blue ball was better staying inside the shaft, motionless, inert, and un-hurting. Then someone had to come along and slip a fucking ring in, and the plunger was pulled back and the pain began.

Stubborn little bastard it is, too. It won’t die. This ball seem terrified of the abyss below the God-like flippers that save its life very time, but in reality I know this ball curses them every time they hit him back up. More pain, more unlabeled points. There is no reward. There is no accomplishment, because when the Gods do finally fuck up, the ball dies until either next round or next player.

When the ball dies, all the player feels is unsatisfied. They could have done better, their little student, their little blue puppet.

Another ring is inserted, and the game goes on.

The points almost reach the point of breach when again it falls into the abyss.

This is so much fun. It’s addictive. Pain is addictive. The thrill of thinking you can win is overpowering to the point of rapture. Nothing else matters when the ball is at its highest, and the player couldn’t be prouder.

Fuck this.

I moved on to the next game.

This one is a top-scrolling 2-D fantasy/adventure game. The goal is to collect as much money as possible while dodging obscure enemies and their projectile weapons.

This hero is also blue.

At the menu screen, I chose to have a companion, a tough looking woman in a yellow vest. I didn’t like her name, so I named her Tails.

I pressed start.

The game opened up in the video game area of a large casino. The blue hero starts out in the corner, and you get to choose where to strategically place your partner. I put Tails behind the door and I waited.

Nothing happened for a while. I contemplated life. Or some shit.

On the screen, the door started to open. Slowly. Ever so slowly. A head peaked out, then an entire body burst into the room and pointed a gun at me.

My partner had run across the room and knocked the gun out of the green one’s hand. They started hand-to-hand combat, of which she was not very well trained in, so I pushed my character across the room to help her.

I never got the chance to attack, as another green generic sprite came into the room and charged. He wasn’t quick enough to land a blow, and I blocked a kick and a left cross.

Shit.

I pressed a combo of buttons to counteract his sudden grapple, and I succeeded in my character kneeing him in the stomach. When he bent over in pain, I pressed the buttons in faster successions, and my character forced him down further with his arms and kneed him again in the face. He went down momentarily, the sound bite being repeated over and over.

I like my character. I’ll call him Sonic.

Sonic seemed like an extension of myself. In fact, I WAS him. I had become totally immersed in this game. Every button I pushed was on reflex.

Tails was pushed back against a far table, bent over, hands behind her back. She was totally helpless until a well-animated attack happened, and the green sprite’s face was slapped with her tails. He backed off.

Sonic picked up the green sprite on the floor and threw him against the wall. It cracked, and the wallpaper tore. The power level went down a bit. Sonic slammed him again. Small, computer generated pieces of paper flew to the green, pixilated carpet.

Combat mode.

The camera rolled downwards. Battle music started.

Left jab. Right punch. Dropkick. Roundhouse.

Damage = 3

RPG mode.

I’m having so much fucking fun.

The way Tails slammed the other green sprite’s head on the counter over and over again was absolutely brilliant. It’s so good to have a partner I can rely on. One I don’t have to step in and save every ten seconds.

She flashed Sonic a thumbs up sign after floating in the air and dropping the sprite. He rolled into the corner.

My green sprite was getting up. He spit out green flakes of blood. Sonic said a random catch phrase imbedded into the game. Then they grappled again.

And through all of this, I forgot about the gun.

The green sprite threw Sonic up against the wall. The other sprite picked up the gun, and in one fluid motion fired at me. At Sonic.

Fuck.

In the place of blood, rings went everywhere. Sonic was thrown back and busted through the wall into the street. It’s funny to me that despite the fact that the villains can bleed profusely, the heroes cannot show a drop of blood, or an ounce of weakness. It would, of course, ruin their image.

So many rings flew everywhere when he hit the pavement of the street. Sonic was stunned, and there was some slowdown due to the number of moving objects around.

He was still on his back, eyes open, and growling. Slowly, he got up and grabbed a handful of rings, slipping them on his fingers, over his gloves.

I didn’t teach him that.

Tails was thrown out next, by both of them. They had traded blows while Sonic was out on the street, and now she looked a little beat up.

The two green sprites came out howling and charging at both of us.

And so it went, how most things go: overly long and anti-climactic. My thumbs got tired of pressing all the buttons, making my puppet move the way I wanted to. Sure, I was still an extension, but I no longer cared much. It was just routine by ten more seconds. Punch, kick, roll, dodge. Do a combo.

But when the sprite hit Sonic in the teeth . . . . I lost it.

Completely.

I pounded my ringed hand into that smarmy fuckin face over and over again. I was on top of him, straddling him, and suddenly the street and the few people that had gathered to watch disappeared. It was just him, and me, in badly generated 2-D graphics. The sounds of his face splitting resounded as if it was in a large cavern, like the Mystic Cave. The light of the red Emerald’s glow was blinding, but I kept pulling back and slamming forward. Even when he stopped moving, I still kept pounded, because that stupid little shit may have been faking it. The plastic armor was tough, but not THAT tough, so I kept pounding. The attack button.

His head caved in.

So I was satisfied that Ashura was dead, and I picked up his old gun lying on the street, and I walked over to Manic, who was slamming Tails’ head against a wall. I placed the rings inside the gun, and I whipped him around and shot him point blank in the face.

The rings tore through his eyes first, the vulnerable part, and the rest bounced off his facial armor. Little bloody dents were left. Remnants of him splattered all over me, and it still wasn’t enough. Looking down at Tails and her battered form, I wanted more.

I slapped the dead Manic across the face, loosening the lodged rings, and I put them back in the gun.

And what did I do next?

Simple.

I marched right over to Nack’s place, the place where I knew he would still be, even after all these years. It was a large establishment on the bluffs overlooking the Hill Top Zone merging with the Oil Ocean. The view was excellent.

I stomped right through the doors, which were still open. I stood silent, waiting for a noise or a sign telling me which room they were in.

“marry you,” I heard faintly. Coming from the door on my left.

Holding the gun in front of me, I kicked open the swinging doors, and there Nack stood, surprised like a deer in headlights, because he knew what was coming. He knew the giant big rig that didn’t have enough time to slow down enough to save his life.

And I pulled the trigger.

And I killed him.

And that little girl that was clinging to him at the time.

And alas, I had no more money to continue this game. My rings had run out.

Strangely, when I stepped away, everything went black.

**********

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

“What?! What about Shadow?”

“Shit, we don’t need that fucka! I say we take our chances looking for the entrance, rather than waiting around here any longer.”

Rouge paused. “This guy and chick, are they really that dangerous?”

“Shit, I ain’t gonna fuck with them! Manic and Ashura got ‘em distracted till we get the fuck outa here.”

Throughout all of this, Sera and Amy remained silent. Listening.

“I hate to say it, but you’re probably right. We have to make contact as soon as possible.”

Nack smiled.

“Does this mean we can fuck again?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

Amy cuddled up to Nack, whimpering slightly.

“Don’t worry Nack, I’ll still marry you.”

Nobody saw it coming. Especially Rouge. When she saw Nack and Amy blown backwards by the blast of Sonic’s gun, she didn’t know what to do. Everything sort of flashed through her eyes.

An image of him popped in her head, and he was saying, “I’m glad you find my pain so goddamn funny.”

Right through her fingers. Again.

Anger swelled up like a tidal wave. Rouge was already reacting before their bodies hit the floor. She screamed like an animal. He would NOT get another shot off.

“I’m glad . . . . . . .

She knew the pressure points, and she hit every one of them on his body. He looked too stunned to fight back. Five hits and his blood was flowing slightly slower through his body.

“ . . . . you find . . . .”

When she kneed him in the teeth he spit out blood. So rewarding that she did it a second time, and then she flung him against the wall. His useless gun flew out of his hands.

“ . . . . . . . my pain . . .”

Again and again she slammed him against the wall, and eventually a large hole appeared. She widened it with his face before dropping him to the floor.

“ . . . . . . . so . . . . .”

Rouge was kicking Sonic in the ribs, and was rewarded with cracking noises upon cracking noises. He didn’t scream in pain, though. He was silent despite grunts of air escaping.

She picked him up and she flung him out the hole in the wall. He fell off of the bluffs below, and Rouge didn’t bother to see where he landed.

The bat-girl turned around to see Sera crying over her dead friend Amy.

**********

Shadow crawled out of the access tube from the Labyrinth Zone, entering the Casino Nights Zone, spitting up blood and water, coughing. In her hands she was holding a gun.

There wasn’t much left of that fucking squirrel, but he had gotten off a few scored shots before she ripped him in half. The blood she was spitting up was mostly his.

And the first thing Shadow noticed about the zone was the large number of people grouped around the dead bodies of two green hedgehogs.

**********

What is the conflict this time? What new source of entertainment commands the audience’s attention?

In this case . . . . . me. My little struggle with myself and my creator. My fight. I’m spelling it out in words that can be written on keys and on the sides of buildings. History books will be written when I’m long dead, whether I failed or succeeded. My memory will be honored or pissed on, but since I’ll be dead, it won’t matter to me.

I sat on the devastated oil rig, broken and bruised, and I realized I had nothing left in me for the day. I was done. Hell, it was almost over anyway. Not much else I can do.

In fact, there’s nothing I can do. I’ve fucked up for the last time.

I’m done.

This is over.

I don’t want this anymore.

Robotnik, you’ve won. I give up.

And I fell asleep with those words on my lips. Before everything went dark I saw Tails fly down to me.

**********

Knuckles looked down at all the people taking in the entertainment, the games, the excitement, the glory, and he smiled.

“Come and get me, you fucking bitch.”

End of Thursday

Comments are appreciated. Duh.