Caught Red-Handed

Through Amy's unyielding, constant melodic snoring and electronic sleep talk, Sonic remained awake in order to take care of the ill Tails. "Tails, it'll be okay," Sonic assured him. "Your medicine's working! Sure, we missed a dose or two here and there while on the escape pod, but now that we're on solid land we can get back on track for a while."

"Just because you forgot doesn't mean I did," Tails wheezed. "I still took it whenever you slipped up on reminding me."

"Hmm… is that so…?"

"Of course," Tails replied, looking defeated. "I'm getting worried, Sonic. This is really bad for a cold…"

"So? We've made it out of worse," Sonic replied. "Who escaped the Robotnik Empire from right under Robotnik's nose? Destroyed an intergalactic threat in the form of a giant mass of plants?"

"You…" Tails sighed, averting his eyes. His tails drooped.

"You did just as much as me," Sonic reassured Tails. He placed a hand on his best friend's shoulder. He watched Tails regain a little bit of hope. "Probably more. I would be long gone today if it weren't for you." Sonic snickered through a big smile. Tails smiled back, weakly. "My point is, if we did all that together, we can do anything. You looked after me while I was out, (many times), and I'll look after you until you're well." Tails smiled, before he coughed again.

"Yeah," Tails rasped. "I'm sure I'll be fine." Sonic noticed that under the blankets on Tails' bed, the Tails Electric's screen was emitting a dim light.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" Sonic asked.

"Oh, I'm just coding," Tails replied. "Finally putting the AI chip we got from that first Metal Sonic to good use."

"What are you making?" Sonic asked, his eyes glimmering with great interest.

"Erm… it's a secret," Tails chuckled.

"Well, I'm sure you'll have time to work on it tomorrow, bro," Sonic encouraged Tails. "Right now, you should get some rest. It'll help beat that little germ."

"Okay. Goodnight, Sonic."

"See ya tomorrow, Tails."

Roughly half an hour later, Sonic was still tossing and turning and spinning in his own bed. It must have been two in the morning. If Sonic wanted to get some sleep, he had to tire himself out a little. So he opened the sliding glass door, and ran down the building from the hotel balcony. Eventually, he set foot on the city streets and rushed out into the forest, in hopes he could run himself into sleepiness. The flames were still alive as he entered the burning woods.

That reminded Sonic of something he had been trying to avoid thinking about. Lord Robotnik was gone, dead. Flame Crafts were autonomous robots, not needing a pilot. But they did require some sort of command to kickstart operation. Sonic knew this from firsthand experience with them. So if it wasn't possible for Robotnik to be sending out all those robots, who could have been behind that attack the day before?

The prophecy Knuckles talked about was certainly in the back of Sonic's mind. Sonic was meant to face off against a power-hungry mad scientist in space. Robotnik certainly fit the bill. So… could he have been back? No. Impossible. Sonic watched him get completely devoured by Verdure Vista. He wasn't coming back.

And Sonic didn't know how to feel about it.

Sonic stopped near the same shore that he and the others crash landed on in the first place. He was ready to enjoy a relaxing moment at the beach, stargazing until he fell asleep. But before he could even reach the shore, he ducked into the foliage at the sound of voices. He looked on as a squad of Knuckles Clan echidnas stood by the wreckage of the escape pod. The flames cast a harsh light onto the figures. That's how Sonic could see Knuckles the Echidna himself amongst the squad. Sonic didn't say a word, all the expertise from stealth missions for the empire coming back to him. He suspended all trust for Knuckles, and didn't say a word. Yet his ears were highly attentive to what the squad was saying.

"This is what they came in on?" One of the other squad members asked.

"Yes," Knuckles replied. "All three of them."

"So we should dispose of it," another squad member deduced. The entire squad nodded in unison. "We can't have them escaping. This pod is a little roughed up, but it looks like it would function." Sonic knew something was amiss, but the echidnas didn't look like they were in a hurry to act on anything yet. He decided to wait for more information.

"Nope, no escape for those three. Especially not Sonic," another echidna stated. "Clearly he's not the hero we thought him to be for all these millenia."

"There's no need for you to worry. Warlord Pachacamac has plans for him," Knuckles interjected. "Sonic seemed awfully familiar with those robots, even knowing their names. It's almost like he's working for the mad scientist who created them. Likely the same mad scientist of legend that he's destined to protect us from. He cannot be trusted without being controlled. Also, I don't like his attitude."

"Who told you to speak, tour guide?" One echidna asked. "We knew that already."

"Erm… sorry…" Knuckles apologized, realizing that he had gotten carried away. Suddenly, the one that looked like the leader shot his arm forward. He picked the pod up, and tossed it far into the ocean. There went Sonic and the others' most obvious form of escape.

"Consider this mission over," the leader said. "Knuckles, return to Echidnaopolis. Lure Sonic into the Master Emerald altar, and Warlord Pachacamac will take it from there."

"Got it!" Knuckles exclaimed. He ran forward, right past Sonic. Just as Sonic thought he was safe, Knuckles turned around to face him. "Ohhhh--- umm… I mean, o' golden one! What are you doing so far from the city? Come now! Your friends are waiting for you this way." Knuckles smiled. Sonic heard the other echidnas scattering for a hiding spot. He crossed his arms defiantly. Knuckles' smile fell.

"Give it up, knucklehead," Sonic grumbled. "I heard your plan. I'm not working for anyone, and certainly not any kind of mad scientist."

"Huh… well, usually I'm not one to go against Pachacamac's orders," Knuckles groaned. "But I guess I can give you the benefit of the doubt." Knuckles weighed his options in his head. Either he potentially scared off the Knuckles Clan's one hope of keeping the Master Emerald, or he risked another fleet of Flame Crafts coming in. For a second, he was leaning towards risking another attack. But that's when all his thoughts stopped for a split second, making way for a high-pitched ringing in his ears. Sonic heard a faint frequency carried across in the wind. Judging by Knuckles' reaction, it must have been very painful for echidnas. Sonic was unaffected, but he heard the other nearby echidnas grunt in pain.

Back in Echidnaopolis, Tails opened his eyes, disturbed by the loud frequency. He wobbled over to the open glass door, and stared at the city below from the balcony. The streets were littered with echidnas looking confused and strained. Tails squinted, not knowing what to make of it. Until in the distance, he noticed a bright green glow floating up into the sky. It was coming from just above the Master Emerald's pyramid altar. Tails looked through a telescope he had made some time ago and zoomed in on the green glow. Just as he feared, it was definitely the Master Emerald. Flying it across the sky, was a bat girl with a strawberry-colored dress and hat. "Oh no… not her again…" Tails groaned. He remembered this bat girl from when he and Sonic escaped the Robotnik Empire. "How'd she even find this island? And where is she going?"

Tails looked all around and eventually spotted an egg-shaped pod in the night sky. He lowered the telescope, and his eyes widened in fear. The Rob-O-Matic. "Oh no, she's working with… Robotnik?" Tails asked.

Soon, the frequency stopped. Knuckles stood upright from his pained stance, and swung at Sonic. Sonic dodged out of the way. "Grr! I knew it. You really were after the Master Emerald!" Knuckles shouted, his knife-sharp knuckles almost grazing Sonic's face. "This was all a ploy to distract us, wasn't it? You are a disgrace to the prophecy!"

"And here I was trying to be nice, playing along with your little prophecy," Sonic replied, bouncing off of Knuckles in spinball form and pushing him over. Knuckles got right up and stared at Sonic with great fury. "I don't follow anyone's rules, not Robotnik's or yours." Sonic blasted off towards the city to get Tails and Amy out of there. Knuckles, knowing he couldn't just run after Sonic, burrowed into the ground.

Sonic was rolling with the punches of Angel Forest as he ran through quickly with little prior knowledge of the terrain. There were so many twists and turns thrown at him around every corner that he had failed to memorize his first time through. After a good run through the forest, and an unpleasant splash in the pond, he finally reached Echidnaopolis.

As soon as he entered the city, something red burrowed up from the ground and struck him hard. Sonic went flying backwards a little. As he looked up, he saw Knuckles standing there. Now backed by an entire squad of echidna special units.

"What?!" Sonic asked. "How'd you get here before me?!"

"I know my way around this place," Knuckles growled.

"Move, move, let me through now," Pachacamac ordered. The echidnas cleared a path as Warlord Pachacamac stepped towards Sonic. Pachacamac stood by Knuckles. "You… you dare bring this devastation to Angel Island? Look what you have done, you traitorous bush-swine!" Pachacamac pointed to the Master Emerald. Or at least, where it had been only minutes prior.

"I didn't do anything," Sonic replied, brushing himself off.

"Lies!" Pachacamac shouted. "Men! Seize Sonic, and find his associates! I want Sonic alive, but the other two can go." Pachacamac turned around, waving Sonic off. This infuriated Sonic. He could feel his eyes crystalize over. "We have days until the Doomsday… and time has run out for these shenanigans and pleasantries!"

"You're not getting your grimy oven mitts on my friends," Sonic hissed, shooting a lightning beam forward. But just as soon as it emerged from his hand, Pachacamac… caught it. Sonic snapped out of his Unhinged state remarkably quickly, and looked on as Pachacamac gripped the lightning in his fist.

"You really thought that would work against me?" Pachacamac heckled, only twitching a little bit from the electrocution. He swung Sonic over his head and slammed him onto the floor with his own energy beam. It dissipated, revealing Pachacamac's hand to be battered and burnt. "I have built my career on controlling Chaos… and I will control you as well!" Suddenly, Tails flew in and roundhouse-kicked Pachacamac from behind! Sonic rose his face from the floor, as all the echidnas started charging them, roaring threats and battle cries.

"C'mon, Sonic… It's time for us to leave!" Tails exclaimed.

"Where's Amy?" Sonic asked, looking all around for any signs of the pink hedgehog as Tails flew him away.

"Um… shoot," Tails muttered. "I forgot her at the hotel."

"Well, we can't just leave her there!" Sonic exclaimed frantically, as Tails dodged in between bullets and lasers alike being fired at them from the echidnas below.

"Already on it!" Tails replied, gritting his teeth. "Heh. It was easier when it was just you and I." Tails was then knocked out of the sky by Knuckles swooping in and punching him. The red echidna must have scaled the nearby building to get up there. Tails caught himself well before he hit the ground, but Sonic was in freefall. Sonic, not knowing what else to do, shot a non-painful type of lightning bolt towards Knuckles. Gripping it tightly, he wrapped it around Knuckles' torso and hung onto the other end of the beam with his hand.

"What are you doing?!" Knuckles shouted, as Sonic dangled around below. "Cut it out!"

"Or what? You're under orders not to kill me, right?" Sonic reminded Knuckles. Knuckles glared at him with all the irritation in the world. Then, Tails soared through and linked his hands together with Sonic's. Sonic made the energy beam dissipate, so Knuckles was left to glide. However, this was no match for Tails' full-fledged flight. Knuckles eventually landed. He watched as Sonic and Tails flew off to their room on the top floor of the hotel.

"Knuckles! What is the meaning of this?" Pachacamac growled, walking behind Knuckles.

"Warlord Pachacamac! I… I am sorry," Knuckles replied, bowing as low as he could.

"You better be! You let those emerald thieves get away," Pachacamac roared. "Pursue them at once! Bring me their heads!"

"But… we can't!" Knuckles argued, flinching in fear. "He is the legendary golden hedgehog, only he can save our island. And…" Knuckles looked away. "The other two were pretty nice as well."

"You will kill them regardless," Pachacamac promised, holding his walking stick up against Knuckles' white checkmark on his chest. "There is no room for sentimentality in the Knuckles Clan. I will tear the emerald powers straight out of the hedgehog's remains if I must. That power combined with your might and the Master Emerald should be enough to prevent the Doomsday."

"What are you saying? MY might?" Knuckles asked, devastated by his master's words.

"Yes. Knuckles, I want YOU to be the savior of Angel Island and all of the echidnas," Pachacamac requested. "You brought the thieves here with your misplaced care, and you allowed them to get away with your frustrating carelessness. If you don't make up for your past blunders, I will see to it that you are banished from Angel Island! Do I make myself clear?"

Knuckles hesitated to say anything. "Yes, Warlord Pachacamac," Knuckles finally mumbled. When he got up from his bow, his head still hung low.

"Good," Pachacamac replied. "Now, go on then! Do not disappoint me." Knuckles instantly ran off towards the hotel. Pachacamac turned his back, and walked away.