Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonic was a fighter for as long as he could remember.

It’s the one thing he remembers about his mother, her laughing as she picked him up, calling him her little fighter, how much like his father he was. His father then took Sonic from her, the two marching about while Sonic giggled on his shoulders.

Sonic didn’t remember much about them besides that. 

Sonic tried to keep up that energy, standing his ground and carrying his weight.

He didn’t want to trouble his uncle so he’d make his own dinner, he didn’t want to interrupt his uncle so he entertained himself.

Sonic didn’t like being a fighter. His uncle hadn’t wanted him to be one either, really, as the fading bruise on his cheek showed. 

But someone had to be. Sucks it had to be a then seven year old kid but, hey, it all worked out.
“I can fight, Sal, c’mon!” Sonic argued, standing up. “I told you, I tore through those things like they were nothing! If we work together-”
“If we work together, we might all get killed,” Sally snapped back. She stamped her foot as she said that, like it added emphasis to her words. “We stay here and we stay together until someone comes to get us.”
“You mean until those robots come and get us, like your parents?” Sonic snapped right back. Sally’s face went red at that and Sonic felt kind of bad, kind of. "Sally, if we stay here, we're… we're… we're sitting geese!"

"Sitting ducks?” Sally says, crossing her arms.
“Yes!” Sonic exclaimed, gesturing out to her. “We’ll be sitting ducks! Antoine can barely lift a weapon and Rotor didn’t even talk until today. I can fight! Just let me-”
“Then stay here and fight if they do show up, if,” Sally said. “You don’t have to leave.”
“I can’t just stay here and do nothing,” Sonic hissed out. “Just because you all wanna die here, hiding in a pit, doesn’t mean I can. There’s people out there I can help and I’m gonna.”
“Then do it,” Sally glared.
“Fine!” Sonic said.
“Fine!” Sally said back. At that, Sonic wheeled and stormed out, nearly knocking over the two eavesdroppers at the door. 

He snatched up his backpack, hastily dumping it onto the grass before climbing back up the log.
Sally later told him that she almost called him back. He told her he was glad she didn’t and she agreed.

So Sally wasn’t always right.

Sonic may have been a fighter but, when given the choice, he’d rather explore any day of the week.

And so it was that Sonic suddenly found himself alone in a world that pretty much was trying to kill him.

He’d find a flower and nearly get jumped by what he’d come to call a SWATbot, since they were a lot like the SWAT teams in his uncle’s crime shows. He’d break his current speed record and run face first into a weird bouncepad that sent him running the opposite way, nearly into a lake. He helped a group of people escape SWATbots, pointing them in the direction of Knothole, only to find them robotized the next day.

Robotized. Sally could have probably thought of a better way to say it. Not that Sonic needed a better way to say it. He could say it just fine. 

Sonic didn't know how it worked but what happened was that someone got thrown or dragged into some weird metal tube and got spat out as a machine.

When Sonic had found the bunny girl, she'd just been shoved into the tube and Sonic had moved before he could think; curling into a ball and ramming into the metal tube.

His quills had cut through the tube like a hot knife through butter and Sonic had dragged the half robotized girl back to Knothole. 

Sonic didn't find or save a lot of people in the same halfway state as the bunny girl. 

Sonic hoped she was okay. He couldn't imagine part of his body getting turned into robot bits.

He hoped she was alright with his…

Could he call them his friends? Sally was his friend, even if he was kind of annoyed with her right now. Maybe Rotor? Rotor's alright, he doesn't even talk a lot! Sonic liked being quiet sometimes too. 

Not Antoine though. Antoine's annoying.

Sonic didn't go back to Knothole, even as he pointed people towards Knothole, mostly other kids like him.

It seemed kids were harder to grab or something because there were a lot of kids who had managed to escape.

But it seemed little critters were pretty easy to nab.

Sonic kept finding SWATbots and other robots with little animals in them. Sonic couldn’t help but wonder if it was the same with the robotizer, if he tried to cut through the robot bits, he’d find the flesh person inside.

He was too scared of being wrong to find out. 

Honestly, a lot of this stuff scared him. People turning into robots, animals used as batteries for robots, wildlife and the places Sonic knew and was coming to know turning to cold metal beneath Sonic’s feet. 

What kind of person   would be willing to do this, to take all of this nature, all these lives, and make them so… bleak?

Well, Sonic had his guesses. See, his uncle had been, well, working on something a concerning amount like the robotizer but the way Uncle Chuck described it didn't make it sound as scary as this. 

Sonic didn't think it was Uncle Chuck behind this, he dared not think it , but his uncle has been working with someone. Sonic never saw him, not up close or anything, but he heard him and he sounded big and scary.

That was who Sonic thought was doing this, had torn so many lives apart for seemingly no reason. It fit, in his little seven years old brain, and he must've been a pretty damn smart seven years old because he was right.

He met the man again after following a trail of motobugs, ladybug like robots that usually had critters in them, cracking them open like eggs to free the animals inside.
He’d just clawed one of them open, the metal snagging on his worn gloves as the flicky wiggled its way out before flying away, when a voice boomed, followed by the roar of engines.
“So! You’re the one causing the setback, hm?” the man Sonic had and would call Eggman sneered, startling Sonic away from the motobug. The egg-shaped man leaned forward on his pod like carrier, assessing Sonic like one would an infestation of ants. “Huh. I expected you to be… bigger.”
Sonic huffed and puffed out his chest, a little insulted. He didn’t bother talking. He didn’t trust the vibes of this guy to bother speaking. 

“Not a talker, huh?” Eggman chortled. “That works! I’d rather you scream.”

A giant wrecking ball dropped from the bottom of the tyrant’s pod.
“You should be honored, you little rat!” Eggman boasted, leaning forward. “It’s not often I take the time to squish my pests myself!”
Sonic snorted and bent down, tightening the layers of duct tape on his shoes, stretching his legs. He swallowed around a lump in his throat.

This was the guy who ruined the entire kingdom. He probably wasn’t gonna be any kind of pushover. But if Sonic can beat him… maybe…?
A naive thought but Sonic didn’t know that yet. 

He stood back up, Eggman seeming amused enough to allow Sonic to stretch.
“All ready to go to heaven, little rat?” Eggman asked in a mockingly sweet tone. His grin was much, much crueler. “Then let’s get started!”
Don’t get Sonic wrong. Eggman is a formidable opponent. As intelligent as he is cruel, the plans the tyrant can make are diabolical and nearly unstoppable at times. 

But this was Eggman’s first time meeting Sonic and he was not prepared for the little blue pintsized pinball. 

Sonic outsmarted and outspeeded the egg-shaped tyrant, sending both him and his carrier back sputtering back to the transformed Acorn Castle. Sonic would have chased after him if not for the sudden surge of SWATbots and Motobugs forcing Sonic to retreat. 

Sonic was fast and smart but he was also a single seven year old. There was no way he could take that many, especially after just fighting the leader. 

He didn’t seem to recognize Sonic, not that they talked much. That’s good. Right? Sonic’s not sure. It’s not like Eggman recognizing Sonic would do anything, would it?  

Sonic tried to catch his breath from his hidden perch at the top of a tree and looked towards Mobotropolis and the Acorn Castle.

There was something being constructed at the top of the castle, something Sonic now noticed had a strange resemblance to the egg shaped man's face.

That was not the last time Sonic faced Eggman face to face. It didn't happen often, the man preferred to have machines do his dirty work, but Sonic figured the guy didn't really have anything better to do. 

Giant saws, giant hammers, giant lasers. He kept picking weapons Sonic could break! Shame.

But that day was also Sonic's first trip into the Special Zone and his encounter with a series of gemstones.

He had climbed down from the tree after the SWATbots had retired from their search and brushed the tree bark off his knees when he saw it, just a glint, in the corner of his vision.

Sonic turned towards the pinprick of light, a swirling kaleidoscope of colors.

It was mesmerizing. Sonic's feet moved without thought, he reached out, not thinking.

The tips of his fingers touched the light and the whole world seeme shifted, changed.

He was in a different place altogether, a place without order and reason, nothing except the feeling of power flowing through and over him. 

It was a part of Sonic and, yet, so different, you couldn’t possibly mistake it for him. 

He felt like he was both floating and running. Running towards… what?
The fog only cleared when the cold chill of a polished gemstone shocked him into awareness.

When Sonic opened his eyes, he was not in the same place he’d touched that light and he was holding a… Chaos Emerald.

Sonic had heard of Chaos Emeralds only in fairy tale bedtime stories but he somehow knew, in his gut, this was a Chaos Emerald.
Sonic stared at it, mesmerized by it. The sound of gears churning nearby startled the young ‘hog out of his revelry, leading Sonic to tuck the miracle gem into his backpack before dashing off.

There were places Eggman hadn’t reached yet. Note the yet. 

Sonic found himself becoming something of an errand boy for the towns yet untouched, watching as they tried to fight and sent their children to Knothole. 

He hoped Sally wasn’t mad; he was telling people about Knothole. It’s supposed to be a safe place, right? Why not tell people to go there to be safe?
Sonic was admittedly a little too scared to ask her. And maybe a little angry too. 

She was still hiding in Knothole. She’s the princess, isn’t she? Shouldn’t she be doing… Sonic’s not sure, princess things?

It wasn’t entirely fair of Sonic to think that, to be fair, something he’d recognize when he was a fair bit older and honestly not much wiser.

But it was what kept Sonic away from Knothole for so long, even though he missed those he saw as his friends. 

There was so much to do, people to fight for, robots to fight against, Chaos Emeralds to find, Eggmans to chase. 

Sonic had figured if he could keep the man distracted, something Sonic was developing quite a talent for, he could give other people time to… well, either run or fight, really. Something. Not die?

Sonic wasn't sure who was chasing who, Eggman trailing Sonic along with trapped Flickies in Motobugs, Sonic destroying his robots and chasing after the tyrant.

It felt like trying to clean his room, in a weird way.

Everytime Sonic smacked back some of Eggman’s forces, more popped up! 

Sonic kicked aside a Motobug head, rubbing his face. It didn’t make the sting of his cut hurt less, it just smeared the blood over his face.
Sonic frowned but decided to leave it be.

He hurried over the hill to the nearby town, people standing in the streets. It made sense, Sonic wasn’t exactly quiet when he fought these guys. 

“I need to speak to whoever’s in charge,” Sonic said, wasting no time for anything else. “You are all in grave danger.”
“I’ll say…” one citizen muttered, not that Sonic really heard.
“I’m Mayor Dimms,” a cat man said, stepping up. “What is the situation?”
“Eggman, the man who took over Mobotropolis and several other cities, is coming,” Sonic said. “You need to evacuate or everyone here could be robotized or worse!”
The people gasped.
“That was only the first wave,” Sonic went on. “More will come and, if you’re here, they’ll take you.”
“Where do you recommend we go?” Mayor Dimms said.
“Either to a town nearby that you think can protect you or to Knothole,” Sonic said. Most people had at least heard of Knothole by now. “If you wanna go to Knothole, I can give you directions.”
“You can’t possibly be listening to him!” a fox woman suddenly spoke up. “He’s, he’s one of them freaks! For all we know, he could be lying!”
“Now, Amanda, you just stop right there. You’re in no position to talk,” the mayor said sternly and the woman flushed, cowing under the social stare of disappointment. The mayor turned back to Sonic. “Thank you for the offer but we’ll be heading to one of our neighbors.”
Sonic nodded and turned to head out.

He frowned as he noted the way people seemed to lean away from him. Was the blood smeared on his face so bad?

Sonic winced at the sound tape made when stretched, pausing. After the annoyance had faded, he carefully resumed wrapping the tape around his shoes. 

They weren’t holding together so well anymore. Uncle Chuck had made them for his intense speed but Sonic’s speed had increased since then and he did it a hell lot more, the shoes just couldn’t take it. 

But the alternative was normal shoes, which just burnt, so tape it was. He wondered what kind of solution Sal and Nicole would have to something like this?
Sal was smart, she probably would-
Sonic forcibly shook his head. Focus, Sonic! We got things to do! 

With an untrimmed claw, Sonic cut the tape. He shoved the shoe onto his foot, making a face at how his peets were squished. 

Well, it’d have to do.

Sonic grabbed the tape and put it back into his backpack. He paused as his hand brushed against a gemstone, pulling it out.

Six. Sonic had found six emeralds. Now, Sonic remembers hearing stories about seven of these, so where is it?
Did it not want to be found? Maybe it was a loner. Sonic got that. He was a loner too.

He put the emerald back into his backpack and slung it over his shoulders.

Speaking of loners, he had work to do. 

He’d seen some people get dragged into one of Eggman’s factories, a rare occurrence. Oftentimes, it was someone who had personal history with the Doc, old ex-friends and co-workers who the man thought had slighted him in some way. 

Sonic was currently on the southern side of the Acorn Kingdom, on an island known only as the South Island. It was where Eggman did most of his building.

And most of his kidnapping.

Sonic stretched his legs, no point in pulling a muscle while saving someone’s sorry ass, and then he was off, running towards and into the factory.

Sonic’s still not sure how the average person or robot is supposed to navigate this but maybe Eggman has some elevator he can use to just magically get through it.

Yeah, he probably does.

Sonic dashed through the hordes of robots, ponds of stuff Sonic’s not sure is water, occasionally halting to look for the people he saw get taken. 

No luck. 

Sonic finally came to a stop in a large empty room. There was one way in or out, with no signs of continuation in the base.

Sonic turned this way and that. 

Where were the hostages?
“Well, well, welcome, rodent!” Eggman’s voice suddenly came as the door slammed shut, warning symbols lighting up on the wall and floor. “Welcome to your doom!”
It’s a trap. 

It’s a trap!

Strange laser balls appeared over Sonic’s head, the hedgehog having to duck and dodge to avoid them. The ground beneath him trembled as parts of it rose up and sunk down, nearly crushing Sonic.

Sometimes Sonic saw Eggman’s laughing face in the pillars but that could have just been the panic.

Sonic yanked his arm out of the way of a raising pillar, biting his lip to keep from yelping. 

Just keep moving, Sonic, or you’ll be crushed, keep moving, don’t stop moving, don’t stop, run, run, run!
Eggman’s face appeared on a pillar and Sonic moved before he could think, slamming razor sharp quills into the pillar. 

Eggman yelped in shock and surprise, his face vanishing from the pillar.
“Don’t do that!” Eggman yelled. “Why won’t you just die?!”
With bravery Sonic didn’t really feel, he stuck his tongue out at the roof.

“You insolent little brat…” Eggman growled. “I’ll crush you!”
Sonic jolted to avoid more rising pillars, jumping up to avoid them.

He suppressed a scream when his back hit one of those electric balls that were being fired as well, claws digging into the steel floor. 

Teary eyed, he beelined for another pillar with Eggman’s face, ramming himself into it. 

Eggman yelled out in surprise as the pillar fell in half, crashing to the floor and holding down one of the pillars.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” Eggman screamed as the ground beneath Sonic’s feet rose up. Sonic fell on his back, using his legs to keep the steel pillar from crushing Sonic. “Die! Just die already, you insolent pest, just die, die, die!”
An electric ball hit Sonic’s leg and Sonic did scream this time, the contact leaving a burn that Sonic just knew was gonna hurt like a son of a bitch later. 

Sonic closed his eyes as the pressure increased, his legs wobbling. This was it?! This is how he’d die?!

Sonic can’t die here! He’s got places to go, things to see! What about all the people he has to help, please, someone, this can’t be how it ends!

In response, Sonic’s backpack glowed and vibrated, floating up and out from under Sonic’s back. 

They floated out of the backpack and spun in the air before rocketing off, cutting a hole through Eggman’s base right above Sonic.

Sonic stared up the hole, the sun warming his face. He blinked, feeling something heavy fall on his eyes but seeing nothing on them.
Around him, Eggman was going on and on, shouting about failing systems and engine overdrives.
Sonic, however, ignored him, shaking the daze and panic off of him before hopping and climbing up the hole. 

As he made it out, he heard what sounded like explosions. Whatever the Chaos Emeralds did, it was their business.

Eggman’s base went up in fire and smoke, Sonic watching the polluted smoke fly into the air.
He felt… exhausted.

Sonic stumbled into an evacuated house, not caring who or what was where. He just needed to sit down, his leg hurt so much.

He flopped onto the strangers’ abandoned couch, letting out a sigh.

Sonic looked at his leg and made a face, poking the burn. Pain shot through his entire leg and Sonic let out a full body hiss and shuddered in response.

It wasn’t bleeding, at least, Sonic tried to console himself. Man, this was really gonna slow him down for a hot minute, huh?
Sonic chewed on his lip before brightening up. 

He yanked his backpack off his back, a lot lighter without the emeralds now, and pulled out some napkins and tape. 

Sonic bit down on the tape as he pressed a couple layers of napkins to the oozing burn, eyes momentarily shutting from the pain.

After it had subsided, he removed the tape from his mouth, wrapping the tape around the napkins. 

He winced as he did so, it hurt, it hurt so bad, but he had to keep his legs at the very least in working condition! 

With shaking hands, he finished wrapping the tape, tears budding in his eyes. Sonic rubbed the droplets out of his eyes, dropping the tape within his bag. 

…He missed Uncle Chuck. He missed Sal.

Sonic startled up, eyes flying open as something slammed on a door within the house, breaking the strange silence that had settled over Sonic.

With a wince, Sonic stood to his feet, hobbling towards the sound.
“Lemme out!” a voice wailed from the locked closet door Sonic found, the door shaking with the force of the slams. “Please, please, lemme out!”
Sonic hesitates before yanking out a quill, undoing the lock.
The door swings open and Sonic gasps, taking a step back.