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Disclaimer: I don't own MST3K, whose format I will be using. I do, however, own my character, Nyperold the Meerkat, Sue, and the robots he makes. If you wish to use any of them in your own work, ask me so I can help them stay in character, and credit me. It's the nice thing to do. :) The characters of Sonic, Shadow, Tails, Dr. Eggman, Knuckles, Rouge, and Amy, belong to SEGA. Well, these versions, anyway. All works referenced are the property of their respective owners. MiSTed with permission from Adrani. No money is being made from this work. Enjoy!
Author's Note: This is my second MiST containing such a note, but this is part of a larger continuity involving Nyperold, Sue, the bots, and others. Here is the continuity so far:
(The riffers are sitting around the rec room, keeping themselves entertained while not committing themselves to more long-term forms of entertainment. This proves to be a wise move, as Nyperold returns before long.)
Nyperold: Hey guys! I found one!
Sonic: Way past cool! You guys ready?
All: Yeah!
(They leave the rec room and enter the theater.)
Sonic the Hedgehog and Co. are © Sega
(All the Sega characters grin)
Any other characters © their respective creators
Jyack © 2000 Adrani Kio
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Sonic: Morse code! Way past cool!
Tails: No character has that many dashes without a break, Sonic.
~Timeline: Sometime Before Doomsday~
Box: (plays the Sonic & Knuckles Doomsday Project remix by Giegue)
Sonic: What's that from?
Nyperold: That's a remix of one of the pieces of music on one of the older games you're in. Specifically, Sonic & Knuckles.
Smog covered the darkened city of Robotropolis: not that it mattered, the city always seemed to be in perpetual twilight. Lightening storms
Tiff: ...were constantly losing weight.
frequented the dark cloud-filled skies, polluted with the wasted of a dozen factories.
Inside the main control center, Robotnik was pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. "Those repulsive Freedom Fighters have eluded my grasp again and again, all thanks to that hedgehog. There must by a way to eliminate him."
Eggman: It's making me so frustrated that I hit a key three to the right of where I meant.
Sonic: So, who are these Freedom Fighters that I seem to be associated with?
Nyperold: A group of furries like yourself that always fought Robotnik's bids for domination. They're from some of the other official universes.
Tired from his pacing, he sat down to ponder his own question. Suddenly a wicked smile crossed his grotesque face. "Of course, the secret to his strength is his fellow rebels. Without them, he is nothing."
Nyperold: Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. He acted alone. It wasn't until the sequel that Tails showed up.
Pushing a button on the arm-panel, he called Snively in.
Eggman: Who?
Nyperold: ASU figured you needed an assistant. And a nephew as an assistant, no less.
Shadow: ASU?
Nyperold: Another Sonic Universe.
"Yes, Sir?" Snively asked just as he arrived.
"I believe I've found a way to get rid of the pesky rodent."
Knuckles: A trap baited with a chili dog.
Sonic: HEY!
Nyperold: Wouldn't work. He'd grab it and be out of there before the trap could close. But that last adventure trapped him pretty good.
Sonic: Yeah, good thing Tails crafted that fake to be just like the real one, or I would've been toast!
Snively waited for Robotnik to continue, knowing a reply was not wise or necessary when Robotnik had been ranting.
"The hedgehog is entirely too dependent on the rest of the Freedom Fighters.
Box: They claim him on their 1040s! (gets looks) Tax forms, guys.
Not overly intelligent himself,
Sonic: HEY!
he relies on others to help make his decisions. Even with his speed, without assistance, he is helpless."
His lackey nodded.
"So," he continued, "if we can kidnap key members of the resistance, he would come after them..."
Listening to the rest of the plan, Snively had to smile, maybe this time the Freedom Fighters would give Robotnik what he deserved.
Misinterpreting his nephew's slight grin as a confirmation of his grand idea, Robotnik called in his newest creation, "BIO-x-23, report to the main control room at once."
Shadow: AHHH! The Biolizard!
Amy: Nah, the Biolizard was made long before that, and besides, you two beat him, right?
Sonic: Right!
Shadow: (relieved) Right.
An eerily organic voice replied, "Yes, Master."
*****
Box: Ninja throwing croissants?
In the hidden village of Knothole, everyone was rising with the sun and then starting the day with a good breakfast followed by the necessary chores that kept the village running. Sally
Tails: Ride?
Knuckles: Forth?
Sonic: Who?
Nyperold: Acorn. Daughter of King Acorn, she's a squirrel who leads the Freedom Fighters. In most Sonic universes where she exists, she's Sonic's girlfriend.
Sonic: A squirrel? As much as I don't mind having friends of any species, I don't know if I can see myself with a squirrel...
was eating breakfast in her hut, staring out the window, when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in!" she called, swallowing her food and standing up.
Sonic walked in and sat down heavily at the table, nearly knocking over Sally's bowl.
"Sonic, I thought you were scouting the Great Forest," Sally resumed her seat at the table and her eating.
"I decided to wait until later," Sonic then sighed overdramatically and tapped his foot on the floor.
"What's wrong?" Sally asked.
Knuckles: (as Sonic) I'M WAAAAAAAAIIIITIIIIIING!
Sonic: Oh, cut that out!
"I'm so bored. Robuttnik hasn't been doing anything of interest and we've not had a raid on Robotropolis for three days!"
Rouge: If you're so bored, scout the Great Forest! At least it's something...
Sally smiled, "Sonic Hedgehog," she scolded mockingly, "you are so obnoxious. We finally get a break from fighting and all you can do is complain."
Sonic did not find the situation humorous. "My traction's made for action, Sal. Without ol' Buttnik doing something, I might as well not be here."
"I'm sure he's just sitting there plotting another one of his evil schemes. Maybe one even too good for you to trash," Sally replied with an impish grin.
"Whoa there, Sal, too good for moi?
Nyperold: (as Antoine) Ze very idea, she iz ze humorouz!
Tails: Who...?
Nyperold: Ack, I shoulda known. Antoine, from ASU.
Your arrows of faithlessness have hit me," he moaned sarcastically, standing up and clutching his chest. He dodged a slight punch aimed for him, and ran out laughing.
*****
Sonic: Ouch. Looks like the punch may have hit its mark after all. (to Nyperold) You sure she's my girlfriend? She's already mocked and punched at me...
Nyperold: In the official universes where she exists, she is. However, since this is fanmade, one can never be certain...
After a lunch of chili dogs, Sonic finally went out to resume his patrol of the Great Forest. He was best suited for the job because of his speed. What would take a normal Mobian days to do, he completed in a matter of hours.
As he ran through the deepest, darkest part of the forest, he nearly stumbled on a large, soft object. Catching himself before he fell face first on in the dirt, he turned around and walked cautiously up to the object which had nearly caused the mishap. Looking at it from a short distance he could distinguish that it was a snow white wolf.
Sue: It was in a coma-like state, and surrounded by seven sad little dwarf wolves.
It was laying on the ground
Box: ...and Farmer Brown was getting ready to gather up the fox eggs to sell.
moaning softly as if it had just awakened and found a great pain.
Knuckles: Which he did, from the looks of things.
Sonic: HEY!
Slowly the canine raised its massive head and looked at Sonic with glazed eyes.
"Who are you?" the wolf asked in a gruff voice.
"The name's Sonic the Hedgehog, and who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"
"I'm Jyack, the leader of the White Wolf Pack Freedom Fighters," he replied.
"What happened?"
"I was walking through the forest, scouting out terrain for new farmlands, when I stepped into this," Jyack indicated a large trap that had clamped down on his leg with its metallic teeth.
Amy: Which, of course, only became apparent to Sonic then, despite its size.
"Ouch, that's gotta hurt!" Sonic replied, eyeing the trap.
"I struggled for a few hours, but as you can see, it didn't budge. Finally I passed out from the pain. But now you're here could you help me?"
"Sure, it's worth a try," Sonic said, rubbing his hands together. Bending over his leg, Sonic grabbed the jaws of the trap and pulled with all his might. After a few minutes, he sat down, breathing hard. "Boy, you ain't kiddin' 'bout this thing, it's stuck tight."
"Maybe if we work together, we can open it."
Tails: I don't know, but I know this: we all did it together!
Again Sonic pulled, but with Jyack's help, they managed to finally release the leg. Jyack tried to stand, let out a cry of pain instead, and crumpled to the ground.
"There's no way you're going anywhere on the leg," Sonic said while examining the injured appendage. "But I think I could carry you back to Knothole."
The canine nodded, unable to speak because of the pain.
*****
Nyperold: What a way to star-t a new scene.
When Sonic reached the village, he was exhausted. The wolf had been heavier than he had expected, although he would never admit it.
The villagers ran out quickly when they saw Sonic and Jyack. Swiftly they carried the injured creature to the med-hut where Bookshire examined him.
Amy: "I'm Dr. Bookshire," he said patiently.
"You seem to have a small fracture in the ankle bone, but, with a few weeks rest, you should be good as new!"
"I need to get back to my own people," the wolf muttered. "Are you sure there's not a way for me to return sooner?"
"I'm afraid not," Bookshire replied, "unless you want to sustain permanent damage."
Tails: You have sustained a lethal injury. Sorry, but you are finished, here.
Nyperold: Interesting. A fox imitating Operation: Wolf.
Jyack groaned and grudgingly laid back down on the mat.
Sonic walked outside where Sally met him. "Do you think we can trust him?" she asked, pointing her head towards the wolf asleep inside the hut.
"Why not? He's obviously not a robot, Bookshire checked that out, and I've heard of the White Wolf Pack from Lupe'. She told me about Jyack and how he and his pack had helped them out on raids to Robotropolis."
"But Robotnik has replaced leaders of Freedom Fighter groups with robot duplicates before," Sally emphasized.
Tiff: (as Sally) How well I know it...
Nyperold: I take it this is based fairly heavily on the Saturday morning cartoon.
"As I told you before, he's already been checked out. He's just another victim of Robotnik's, just like us."
Sally finally agreed to let him stay, but he had to be watched closely by the rest.
*****
Rouge: And those would be the eyes.
A few days later, Jyack was able to get around on crutches made by Rotor. He used the opportunity to look around Knothole and to talk to villagers. Bunnie often came too "Ta keep an eye on 'im," was what she told Sally. But even a blind person could see that the rabbit had become rather 'interested' by their handsome young visitor.
Sonic: Okay... this is making a hedgehog-squirrel pairing look normal by comparison... at least neither are, y'know, carnivores?
"Ya know, Ah've rather enjoyed these past few weeks. It's a shame that ya have ta go back so soon," Bunnie said with a sigh.
Rouge: Which she brandished in order to keep him from leaving.
Box: (as Raphael) Hey! What are you doing with my weapon?
Nyperold: S-I-G-H, not S-A-I.
"As have I," her canine companion replied. "Perhaps you could visit my pack sometime. There is sure to be some other wolf that you would consider just as good looking as me." He smiled broadly at her.
"Ah..uh..well that is to say..." she stopped, unable to speak as Jyack leaned down and kissed her softly. Blushing a deep red, Bunnie broke off the kiss. "Maybuh Ah will take yuh up on your offer."
"Tomorrow, Bookshire said I should be able to return to the pack. I hope to see you there soon." He took hold of Bunnie's organic hand and brushed his lips across her fingers. Then he returned to his temporary residence.
Eggman: I wonder what the folks at Canine Companions would say about that...?
*****
But that night, something dreadful happened. Tails appeared to have just walked off in the middle of the night. Everyone was frantically searching for him, hoping to find some sign that the two-tailed fox had passed that way.
All except Nyperold: EWWWWWWW!
Nyperold: Not that kind of sign!
A couple of villagers that were staying up late spotted the young vulpine walk down the path, into the Great Forest. Sally wondered if he might have been sleepwalking.
Jyack quickly said that he would postpone his long journey back to the White Wolves in order to help out with the search.
Dulcy was called out and Sally went with Bunnie on the dragoness in order to stake out the forest from the air. The rest of the searchers went on the ground with Sonic. Each one hoped that Tails hadn't left the Great Forest, for if he did, most certainly he would be located in
Shadow: White Jungle.
Sonic: Green Forest.
Nyperold: Heh. Y'know, he'd probably do those stages better on foot...
Robotropolis. But at the end of the day, no one had located him. Disappointed, the villagers went to their huts in order to rest up for the continuation of the search that next morning.
Unfortunately, tragedy had struck again. This time Antoine was the victim.
Nyperold: Ah, good. Now you'll learn something about him.
Since not many had slept the night before, the French fox
Nyperold: Speculation. Some say he's a bandicoot; others say he's a coyote.
had been spotted leaving the village. As before no one thought anything of it until he didn't return the next morning. Sonic, who had seen Ant leave the vicinity, told Sally that he thought that he was going on guard duty.
Sally, as well as the rest, was baffled. "Why would good Freedom Fighters...."
Sonic interrupted with a short bark of a laugh, "Ant, a good Freedom Fighter?!"
Tiff: Maybe, if he's Adam Ant.
Sally simply glared fiercely at him, then continued, "...why would they leave the village?"
When no one answered she went on. "Antoine may have had his reasons, but Tails, he's just a child. There's no way he would have left willingly without telling someone first. The only way I see it is that they wandered a little ways into the forest, then were picked up by SWATbot patrols."
Several heads nodded at this.
"We've searched only about half the forest, but I believe we should skip that for now and go right to Robotropolis.
Eggman: Do not pass Go; do not collect 200 rings.
Uncle Chuck will be able to find them if they're there."
Jyack interrupted, "Who is this 'Uncle Chuck'?"
Sally smiled but remained cautious, "He's Sonic's uncle."
"Well," Sonic spoke up, "what are we waiting for? Let's juice!"
*****
Sonic: Hey, look, 5 juicers! I'll take the oranges, you get the lemons, you work on the grapefruit, you go for the limes, and you do the tangerines!
Everyone assembled outside, while Sally put them in teams. "Rotor, Arlo, Penelope, you're team A. Mikki, Swift, and Scorcher, you'll be team B. Dylan,
Nyperold: (singing) How many roads must a man walk down, before they call him a man...?
Bunnie, Jyack: team C. Dulcy, Sonic, and I are team D. Any questions? No? Good!!
Shadow: (opens his mouth)
Nyperold: If you're going to point out that she seems to have given no time to actually ask questions, I suggest you read the MiST of Drug Prower. Actually, I recommend it, anyway.
Shadow: (closes it)
I'll give every team a comm-link and we'll be on our way."
Bunnie might have been thrilled that she was on the same team as the wolf, but the seriousness of the situation put a damper on her spirits.
The canine noticed this. "I'm sure everything will be all right," he said with finality.
Tails: (as if petting a chao) Everything'll be okay.
Bunnie shook her head, tears starting to form in her emerald eyes. "Ah sure hope so." Neither said anymore, there was no need to, both understood each other's meaning.
*****
Team B went out to scout first. They were approaching from the southern side of the city but Robotnik instantly noticed them and sent SWATbot units to capture them. When they returned, they had in their possession a rabbit, a coyote, and a squirrel.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" Robotnik snarled. "More rebels trying to reclaim their planet. Well, do I have a special surprise for you. You have the fortunate privilege to try out my new roboticizer. It transforms you in liquid metal that can act solid, rather than the plain old steel plates. With this process, you can change shape at will, to whatever form is needed to serve me.
Eggman: This alternate version of me is creeping me out, here...
Oh don't worry, it's been tested, perhaps you know the lucky animal, he goes by the name of 'Jyack Rantby.'" Smiling at the horrified faces his speech was causing he continued, "Not only would this decrease the chance of being recognized, but your friends will have a much harder time reconfiguring your DNA in order to deroboticize you."
Shocked looks replaced defiance in the faces of his captives. One last cry of rebellion came from their throats, then they were led, struggling every step of the way, to their doom. After the roboticizer was activated the only sounds in the room were the anguished screams coming from the victims, as their organic bodies were transformed.
*****
(all are silent)
Sonic: ... Man. First we've heard of such a horrific thing, and he's already upgraded it...
Sally and her team had just reached the outskirts of the dark city. Taking out her comm-link, she contacted the other teams. When she wasn't able to reach team B she started to worry.
Sonic, noticing her change of expression asked, "Sal, what's wrong?"
"Sonic, I can't contact team B. What could have happened to them?"
"I'm sure that everything's fine. All of them were skilled Freedom Fighters.
Knuckles: (as Sonic) They're all very good at being heretofore unknown.
Shadow: And that may be the key.
Rogue: Hey, yeah! The main characters of Rotor, Bunnie, Sonic, and Sally were distributed among Teams A, C, and D. None, with the possible exception of Sally, are particularly hated by a segment of fans, and Sonic is in her team, too. If any team were going to have something happen to all of it, it would be that one.
Maybe they had to turn their comm-link off in order to get past security."
"I hope you're right, Sonic. I hope you're right."
*****
Sonic: Actually, I'm to your left.
Meanwhile, team C had reached their point of access. Answering Sally's checkpoint call, they slowly crept past the SWATbot patrols closer to the prison cells.
Soon they received yet another message from the princess.
Rouge: (as the princess) Greetings;
If you see any ghosts, be careful.
They will give chase
if you run away.
I have enclosed a
jewel that helps
protect you.
Nyperold: Not...
Rouge: Princess
Toadstool
"Guys, team B hasn't responded to any of my messages. Could you try to raise them?"
Shadow: All right, but I don't think any of us knows RESURRECT.
"Sure will, Sally-girl, Ah'll do it right away. Bunnie out."
But she had no better luck than Sally had and reported that to her as well.
"I hope they haven't been..ptured..y...W..bots.........."
"Sally, your signal is breaking up Sugar. Ah don't know how long Ah can hold on to you."
Box: (as the Outback Steakhouse commercial guy) Son! KHKHKHK... You're bre- you're breaking up.
There was only dead silence.
*****
Sally's team had suddenly been ambushed by 'bots. Fortunately, Sonic had been able to divert their attention to the "HEDGEHOG PRIORITY ONE"
Nyperold: You know how many variations I've seen of that?
Sue: It can't have been more than six.
Rouge: ... That's pretty good.
Sue: Thanks, ma'am!
and lead them on a merry chase throughout the city. Sally had managed to get out the weak signal for help, when cold, hard hands suddenly grasped her body from behind. The last thing she heard before passing out was the sound of maniacal laughter...
Tiff: Kefka?
Eggman: No...
*****
Dulcy was on the edge of the Great Forest, being used as a getaway for her team. Even though she became a little suspicious when she tried to contact the squirrel and received only static, the dragoness knew that the best place she could be was there, in case of the need for a hasty retreat.
Knuckles: (singing, as Aladdin) Let's not be too hasty...
*****
When Sonic returned to where he had left Sally, he only found a torn piece of her vest on the ground....
Nyperold: Eep. And she's only wearing a vest and boots in the first place... on the other hand, she was only wearing boots for the first few issues of the Archie comic...
Rouge: (smirking) And it's not like you could talk, anyway.
Nyperold: Well... no...
*****
The members of team A had barely made it back to the safety of the forest before hover-units converged on them. Dodging left and right, they managed to escape
Sue: Being hit by the ball.
their clutches. They had to give up the hunt, so they returned to Knothole, empty-handed.
*****
Bunnie was horrified when she could not get Sally on her comm-link. Jyack was quick to comfort her. "Perhaps they had to hide from hovercrafts."
"But wouldn't she have tried to contact us sooner?"
"Maybe the 'bots are still there."
Box: Yeah, cracking wise at the flaws in the plot and making random cultural references...
Tiff: Sorta like us, then.
"Maybuh....."
Dylan ran up to them. "Listen guys, I'm sorry to interrupt or anything, but I just saw Sally being put into a hover-unit!!"
Horrific thoughts ran through Bunnie's mind as she wondered what Robotnik would do to the princess when she came into his presence. Shaking her head slowly, she tapped Jyack on the shoulder to get his attention. "Um...Ah think we should go after her don't ya?"
"I would like to Bunnie, honest. But I'm afraid you've mistaken me for something I'm not."
Knuckles: (as Jyack) You see... I'm a Pleasure GELF.
"What do yuh mean?"
"I going to have to turn both of you in, to Robotnik," he said as he knocked both of his teammates unconscious with his massive hands. A twinge of regret swept through him as he scooped both of them into the bags that he had carried along but soon passed. Almost in a whisper he spoke, "I'm sorry, Bunnie. I'm so very sorry."
*****
Box: And the injury stars resurface...
After delivering Sally to Robotnik, the SWATbot saluted and then left. The evil doctor shook the princess until she slowly raised her eyelids. She stared into the distance as her vision came back into focus. Robotnik watched her with great interest
Tails: This wouldn't be the same... interest... that Bunnie showed for that Jyack guy, would it?
(Everyone except the bots turns green blended with their respective fur colors.)
Amy: Ack, Tails, no!
until she jerked her head suddenly towards him. "What am I doing here?" she managed to spit out between clenched teeth.
"Well my dear, you see, I have been in need of bait for my prey and you just happened along. I guided some SWATbots to your hiding place while distracting your friends with others."
Eggman: That, and the chili dogs weren't working.
"What are you going to do, roboticize me?"
"What use are you if you are a cold, heartless machine? Sonic would never give himself up for a robot that would rather kill him than give him a kiss," he sneered.
Sally's eyes widened with horror as she heard what Robotnik was going to do to her beloved hedgehog.
*****
Sonic had followed the SWATbot's path all the way to the control center of Robotropolis where he had to stop because of the locked doors.
Nyperold: And again, the Doors put in an appearance.
Rushing into a spin, he cut through the walls and found himself inside some sort of interrogation room. He shuddered when he saw the cruel mechanisms Robotnik used to force poor captives to tell all they knew about the resistance. He turned a corner and stopped suddenly when his way was blocked by the doctor himself plus a dozen 'bots. Grinning evilly, Robotnik motioned the SWATbots in the room to bring forward the princess. Sonic gasped in horror as he watched Robotnik order her tied into a chair. "Now, hedgehog, we are going to have a little talk. You WILL tell me where Knothole is located and anything else I wish to know about the Freedom Fighters or else the princess here will lose a finger."
As if to indicate his point, he put Sally's hand in a machine that had sharp blades. "You see, this little device can cut off individual fingers, hands, even arms and legs. If you wish her to be released 'whole', you must do as I say." Sonic couldn't find his voice in order to reply so Robotnik continued, "Now to began. Your first question is: 'Where is Knothole?'"
Sonic: Knothole in tree. Ugh.
The hedgehog gulped loudly and tried to stall for time. Where is Bunnie and her team? he thought to himself. They should have been here by now. His thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging in the hallway. Robotnik turned to see who it was along with Sonic. It was Jyack, carrying two large sacks behind him. "Where have you been, Jyack," Sonic sighed. "I wondered if you were going to come."
Tails: (as Jyack) In the byox, Sonic, where else?
The wolf fidgeted nervously before replying. "Uh.. Sonic, I'm didn't come here to help you. I came here to assist Dr. Robotnik."
Sonic and Sally couldn't believe their ears until the canine pulled out an unconscious Bunnie and Dylan. Gaping in horror, Sonic began to get really nervous, sweat poured down his brow as he watched Jyack tie the other Freedom Fighters to chairs. Then he left the room.
Robotnik then turned back to him. "Now hedgehog, where were we? Oh yes I remember, you were telling me the location of Knothole."
Box: Whoa, whoa, what hedgehog is he talking to? Sonic left the room.
Shadow: I believe it was Jyack who left the room.
Box: D'oh! Fooled by grammar...
"Before I answer that question, you answer mine."
"Oh you are quite brash in telling me what to do, when I have three of your closest friends within my grasp. But it only seems fair."
"What happened to Tails and Antoine?"
"Oh Jyack, would you be so kind as to show our dear hedgehog who he really saw when his friends left the village?"
As if in reply, Tails himself walked in the door,
Rouge: Not through the doorway, or even through the door, but in the door. That's some door, if it's wide enough and hollow enough to accomodate Tails walking, and transparent, as well.
completely whole, not a scratch or bruise on him. "Hiya Sonic," the vulpine said in his normal tone.
"What kind of trick is this?" Sonic asked angrily. "That's gotta be a robot, you wouldn't pass up the chance to hurt him if he was in your clutches."
Suddenly, Tails started to stretch out like elastic and began to 'melt.' When the 'melting' was complete, there stood Antoine. "Ze hedgehog, iz not to be getting our little 'joke', eh, master?"
"Certainly not, my favorite 'bot. Perhaps we should enlighten him, hmm?"
"With pleasure, master." 'Antoine' then went through the same process as 'Tails,' but this time Jyack was the end result.
"Is that the wolf that I saved the woods, or a replicant too?" Sonic asked wearily.
Sonic: Isn't that a robot from the Mega Man X series?
Nyperold: No, that's a reploid.
Knuckles: Okay, how about those robots from Red Dwarf?
Nyperold: Those would be simulants.
"Indeed, the creature you see before you is the one and only Jyack. You see, I was once a living being, and yes I was the leader of the White Wolf Pack. When Robotnik captured me, he used a new prototype roboticizer on me that would make me a shape-shifter like you see now. To answer your unasked questions, I was able to make a compound identical to the formula of blood to pass your tests and it was I who took the identity of Tails and Antoine."
Eggman: So what of other me's contention that roboticization would make Sally cold and heartless? Jyack sure fooled everybody up 'til now.
Nyperold: I figure it would be easier to fool somebody with a stranger than with a friend, especially one that the targets live around. With a stranger, it just has to have fairly good acting skills. But with a friend such as Sally, every nuance of behavior has to be correct. The only reason he got away with impersonating Antoine and Tails was that it was just for a short performance.
"But if you were the guy we all saw, then what happened to the real ones?"
"I kidnapped them later on in the night, when I was sure that everyone was asleep. See," Jyack turned on a monitor in the holding cells, "they're right there."
Indeed, on the screen, were the two foxes. Tails was trying to escape while Antoine was panicking, as usual. The canine turned it off and stood at attention, awaiting his master's command.
Sonic stared in disbelief as he first looked to Jyack, and then to Sally. Unnoticed by any of the group, Bunnie was beginning to regain consciousness, the memories of what happened all flooded back. Quietly, she sat up and looked around at her surroundings. Suddenly, she spotted the one who had betrayed her, the one who had taken her heart and crushed it. Anger built up inside of her and she yelled loudly and came at him with a side kick.
Tails: But that version of me is in a holding cell! Oh...
Imagine her surprise, when her foot and lower leg went through his body. "Oh, my stars!" Bunnie wailed. "I killed 'im."
Nyperold: Well hey, there are plenty up there, from earlier in the story!
But Jyack had another surprise in store. Ripping the bionic rabbit's leg out of his torso, he proceeded to reform the material that covered the hole. Bunnie nearly passed out in shock, but managed to keep on going at him. Kick after kick she threw at him, a high one, low, middle, roundhouse, anyone that she could do, she hit him with it. It didn't hurt the wolf, but it did keep him occupied.
Robotnik turned for a split second to see what had happened, when Sonic took that opportunity.
Eggman: I should've removed the FREE - TAKE ONE sign...
Slicing through the restraints and trashing the 'bots he freed Sally and took off, heading towards Bunnie and Dylan. The porcupine was the closest to the hedgehog so he was scooped up in his arms. Bunnie did a backflip and landed in the pathway of the blue blur, who paused only long enough to get her a lift. Sonic sped down the corridor laughing as he went.
Robotnik was barely able to restrain his rage as he spoke, "Well, why are you standing here for!!! Go after them!!" The white canine saluted and ran off after the Freedom Fighters. When he had left, Robotnik turned on the comm-link to Snively. Triple the security in sector 29-I, make sure that that hedgehog does not get to his friends. Do I make myself clear?"
Nyperold: Um... Adrani? Why are you ordering Snively around?
Shadow: Something tells me that the first set of quotation marks are missing...
"Y-yes, S-Sir," his lackey stuttered before signing off. "Miserable toad, one of these days he will finally go too far and get himself destroyed. Then it will be my turn to strike."
Amy: (as Nagaina) If you move, I strike; if you do not move, I strike. Oh, foolish people...
Snively then proceeded to do as his uncle had ordered him, for now at least.
*****
Sonic ran through the air ducts of Robotropolis, trying to find the correct one that led to the holding cells. "You know Sonic," Sally teased, "it would have made things a lot easier if you had just brought Nicole with you."
"Yeah, right. What do I look like to you, her personal carrier?"
"I think that could be arranged."
"Better watch it, 'Princess', one more remark like that, and you'll be experiencing flight up close and personal."
"You wouldn't dare!!" Sally said in mock horror, but just in case, she hung onto his neck a little bit tighter.
Knuckles: Cutting off his air supply, leaving the others trapped in Robotropolis with no hope, the end.
"Wait y'all, did yuh hear that?" Bunnie asked.
"What is it Bunnie?" the others asked together.
"It sounds like a SWATbot party down there, listen!!"
Sonic: Sure enough, they could hear strains of "Happy Bot-day To You" being sung in monotone voices.
Sally peered through a covering grate on the side of the wall. Sure enough the place was swarming with 'bots. "Sonic, there must be at least a hundred."
"Oh, Sal, that's nothing that the ol' hedgehog can't handle with a little Sonic Spin. Watch me Triple S them."
"Sonic you hafta be careful, whut if a stray laser hits li'l ol' Tails or Sugarfox?" Bunnie inquired.
"Not to worry, ladies, I'll be in there and out before you can say 'SWATbot'." With that the hedgehog jumped down from the duct and proceeded to taunt the 'bots. As predicted, the SWATbots began to fire their lasers at the 'PRIORITY ONE HEDGEHOG' but didn't pay any attention to the two captives or to the two jailbreakers. Sonic managed to lure the 50 or so 'bots that he hadn't trashed down the hall.
Eggman: (chuckles) I wonder how well this version would do if he would ever override the priority...
Sally and Bunnie took their chances and jumped to the ground. Picking their way through piles of 'bot scrap, they reached the cell with the captives. "Tails," Sally whispered gently.
"Aunt Sally?" the fox cried in disbelief then shook Antoine from his reverie. "Look, Aunt Sally and Aunt Bunnie have come to save us!"
Antoine managed a weak smile when he saw the familiar faces. "Ah, I am thinking that I am needing to be thanking you my princess."
"Save it Ant, we need to be getting our tails outta here,"
(Tails and Knuckles speak simultaneously.)
Tails: Yeah, never mind Antoine; get me out of here!
Knuckles: (as Antoine) But it won't be doing much good if we are not getting the rest of our parts out of 'ere as welling!
Bunnie whispered back. They all turned their heads in the direction where Sonic had disappeared to when a metal clang was heard.
"What was that being?" Antoine fearfully cried.
"That was probably Sonic just finishing off the remainder of the SWATbots," Sally replied. "Come on, let's get you out of there." But Sally couldn't override the codes necessary to open the door. "I need Nicole."
Tiff: (as Nicole) Why Sally, I never knew you cared.
Suddenly she felt the cold metal of a phaser being pushed against the base of her skull. Slowly turning her head, she saw that the others were in the same predicament. But Sonic was nowhere to be seen. She silently hoped that he had gotten away and was going to come to the rescue any moment now. But the person who came down the corridor was the last one she wanted to see. Jyack was grinning evilly as he strode over to the 'bots' captives.
"Well, well now, what do we have here? The mighty warrior princess and her army have been captured yet again be a common peasant like me? Oh the irony of it all." Shattering glass was his reply. A large green-blue blur swept past him, destroying half of the 10 'bots holding the lasers. It stopped, revealing a very
Sonic: ...nauseated Sonic.
infuriated dragoness.
"Dulcy!!" the Freedom Fighters cried in joy. But Dulcy had no time to reply as the SWATbots had started to fire on her. The lasers just bounced off her tough, thick hide though, but she couldn't get close enough to strike with her tail. So she concentrated and began to breath in slowly. When she exhaled, a substance like fire and ice mixed together came from her nostrils. While being harmless to the living beings, it completely burst the 'bots and froze Jyack.
Nyperold: Looks like somebody watched Terminator 2 recently.
The cell door cracked and fell to the ground and the captives escaped. Just to make sure that the wolf was finished off, Dulcy blew pure fire onto his frozen body, melting him, then she ran on with the others. They found Sonic where they had last seen him and they headed home.
Amy: He was standing around saying, "I'm WAAAAAIIIITIIING!"
*****
They had a great story to tell that night around the campfire. But it wasn't all fun and games, they knew that Robotnik had a dangerous new weapon at hand and it must be destroyed. For now, though they enjoyed watching the young children play
Shadow: GTA3.
Nyperold: I hope not!
'Capture the Flag.' Right then, it was easy to forget the troubles that had been caused by one human and his robot slaves. Soon the children begged the older ones to join in their game, and they did.
*****
Underneath a massive pile of rubble, a pile of what appeared to be molten metal drew itself together and became the shape of a wolf. Only one word came from its lips,
Nyperold: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Tails: Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
Sonic: Smiles.
Knuckles: That's not particularly long.
Sonic: Sure it is. There's a mile between the two "s"s.
"Shara."
All: Oh.
Nyperold: Looks like that's it for this story.
(They go back to the rec room.)
Sonic: That was pretty good. But... (yawns) it's getting to be late, and it's still raining. Hard.
Nyperold: Hey, you can stay here, if you like.
Rouge: You're sure it won't be a bother?
Nyperold: Yeah, I won't be bothered by it. Sue?
Sue: Yeah... (yawns) no problem.
Nyperold: You're looking sleepy. Hey sis, what say we get you into some PJs and then we can come back? You guys can sleep wherever seems comfortable to you.
Sue: Okay.
(They leave. The others recline in various places around the room. Nyperold returns with Sue in a pair and long-sleeved, long-legged purple pajamas. She goes around, hugging all the organic beings, and falls asleep hugging Sonic.)
All except Sue and Sonic: Awwwwwww...
Sonic: (whispering up to Nyperold) Is this okay with you?
Nyperold: (whispering back) Yeah, it's fine.
(Sonic smiles and drifts off, as do the others.)
Next: MiST of Sonic Adventure: The Arcadian Adventure, authored and MiSTed by Anthony Bault!
"It sounds like a SWATbot party down there, listen!!"