"The Perfect Warrior" A work of Sonic the Hedgehog "Fan-faction" by Ian 
Patterson A few technicalities... I've read enough fanfic to know what title 
17 (the copyright law) does and does not allow; you can't change the text in 
any way or charge anyone money to read this without my expressed written 
permission. All situations and characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog 
Saturday morning cartoon series, as aired on ABC, are copyright SEGA, DiC, 
and/or Archie Comics, and are used (or at least referred to here) without 
permission, except the characters created by yours truly, which are 
copyrighted by me.


THE PERFECT WARRIOR


	It was well past midnight in the Great Unknown.  This didn't mean 
that all was quiet, however.  A huge transport hovered through a narrow 
canyon.  It was being escorted by about eight hover-units and hover-bots.  A 
red and black hover-unit was riding near the back.
	Mecha-Sonic sat in the right chair, while a SWATbot piloted his ship.
He had been ordered by Snively to over-see this mission.  He thought it 
sounded pretty simple.  All he had to do was make sure this transport made
it to some super-secret construction site deep in the Great Unknown.
	"Do a short-range sensor scan", he said to the SWATbot.
	"Scanning, Sir", it said, "Scan complete, no organic life-forms 
detected."
	"Hmph", grunted Mecha-Sonic, "There isn't enough life out here to 
fill a hover-unit.  Still, I have a bad feeling."
	Amazingly, just as Mecha-Sonic completed the sentance, the transport 
came to a halt.  The SWATbot brought the hover-unit to a halt as well.  
Mecha-Sonic knew that they were a good hour from their destination.  Plus, 
Snively had ordered that there be absolutely no stops along the way.
	"What in the...?", he grumbled, opening the hatch.
	He looked over at a hover-bot that was nearby.
	"Hey, you!", he said, "What's the matter?  Why have we stopped?"
	The bot pointed up the canyon pass, and Mecha-Sonic saw that a huge
rock-slide was blocking their path.
	"Blast!", he growled, clenching his hands into fists, "How long is it
going to take to clear that away?"
	"Approximately eleven minutes, Sir", said the hover-bot.
	"I don't like the idea of sitting here that long", said Mecha-Sonic,
"Order all SWATbots to begin clearing the rocks away as quick as possible,
and I want all hover-bots flanked around the transport.  We're taking no
chances."
	"Affirmative, Sir", said the hover-bot.
	Mecha-Sonic sat back in his chair, and watched the SWATbots begin 
clearing the rocks.  Snively was not going to be happy with the delay, but
he would get over it.  
	Down by the rocks, about twenty SWATbots were using picks and rifles
to clear enough of the rocks out the way so that the transport could fit
through.  
	One SWATbot was hitting the rocks with a pick, when it felt the pick
bang against something that wasn't rock.  It looked, and saw a dark blue
cylinder sitting among the rocks.  There was a red light on it that was
flashing.  
	There was a huge flash of white light as the canister exploded, 
destroying most of the SWATbots, and damaging the rest.  
	Mecha-Sonic jumped out of his chair when he saw the flash.  This was
not good.  No, this was not good at all.
	"No!", he yelled, waving his fists in the air, "NOOOO!!!!"
	Sonic and Sally stood up from where they had been hiding.  
	"Good job, Nicole", said Sonic.
	"No prob, Sonic", chirped Nicole.
	"Looks like Uncle Chuck steered us right again", said Sally, "The
transport's right where he said it would be."
	With that, Sonic revved up and ran down into the fray.  Sally took 
out her flare gun, and fired it straight into the air.  All of the Freedom 
Fighters that had been hiding, saw it, and attacked.  Any of the SWATbots 
that hadn't been destroyed in the initial blast were quickly taken care of 
by the Freedom Fighters.
	The hatch on the transport opened up, and the two SWATbots that were
piloting it looked, and saw Geoffery St. John standing there.
	"Hello, Mates", he said, "And good-bye!"
	He fired an arrow, and it struck one bot in the head, short circuting
it.  The other one pulled out a rifle, and aimed right at him.
	"Put your hands up", it said.
	"Ooooookay", said Geoffery.
	He let another arrow fly as he threw his hands above his head.  The
arrow struck the bot in the chest.  It dropped the rifle, and fell flat on 
its face.
	"You may want to rephrase that next time, Mate", said Geoffery, 
reloading his cross-bow.
	Rotor ran in right after Geoffery.  He looked at the two bots laying
on the floor.
	"Nice job", said Rotor, "Let's get these things out of here so we
can get moving."
	Rotor helped Geoffery drag the two bots to the rear of the cock-pit,
and then jumped into the pilot's seat.  Geoffery sat down beside him.
	"Let's go", he said.
	Rotor threw the transport into reverse, and backed it away from the
rock pile.  
	Sonic looked up from the disabled SWATbot laying beneathe him.  He
saw the transport backing up.  
	"Way to go, Rote", he said, "You got......uh oh."
	Sonic watched the transport back right towards the black and red 
hover-unit.
	"Look out!!", yelled Mecha-Sonic to the SWATbot.
	The bot tried to move, but it was too late, the transport slammed
right against it, causing it to lose power and go into a nose-dive.
	"What was that?", said Rotor, bouncing in his seat.
	"Whatever it was", said Geoffery, "It's out of the way now."
	"AHHHHHH!!!!", yelled Mecha-Sonic.
	"There is a malfunction in the anti-gravity controls", said the bot,
"The hover-unit is no longer capable of flight."
	"How observant of you!", yelled Mecha-Sonic, "Time for me to bail 
out."
	He kicked the hatch open, and jumped out of the hover-unit just 
before it slammed into the ground and exploded.  Mecha-Sonic activated his 
rockets, and hung right in the air.  He looked around at the carnage.  The 
entire convoy had been wiped out.  Worse yet, the Freedom Fighters were 
escaping with the transport!
	"Not if I have anything to say about it", he said, holding his arm 
up and arming his laser cannon.
	Sonic looked up, and saw what Mecha-Sonic was planning.  
	"Oh no you don't!", he said, revving up.  
	Sonic ran towards the canyon wall, and right up the side.  He got
high enough up, and jumped straight outwards, right at Mecha-Sonic.
	Mecha-Sonic was about to fire, when he saw something blue flying at
him.  He turned his head, and was hit right in the face by Sonic's fist.
Mecha-Sonic grabbed Sonic by his ankle, and pulled himself towards his
organic double.  The both of them then went into a free-fall.
	"I will destroy you if nothing else!", roared Mecha-Sonic, slashing
at Sonic with his razor sharp claws.
	Sonic easily avoided the blows.  He looked to the side, and saw the
ground approaching very quickly.
	"Quick decision", said Sonic, rolling, and turning Mecha-Sonic onto
the bottom.
	There was a small 'BOOM' as Mecha-Sonic slammed into the ground, 
making a huge crack in the desert floor.  Sonic looked up, and saw that
his robotic double's eye lights were out.  He staggered to his feet, and
brushed himself off.
	"Whew!", he said, "I don't want to do that again soon."
	"Sonic!", called Sally.
	Sonic looked up, and saw Sally hanging on the side of the transport.
He revved up, and caught up to it.  
	"How's it going, Sal?", he asked.
	"We did it, Sonic", said Sally, cheerfully, "Now let's get out of 
here before anything else happens."
	Sonic jumped on to the side of the transport with Sally, and it flew
off into the night.
	Back at the scene, Mecha-Sonic's eye lights came back on, and he 
lifted his head of the ground.  His image sensors were still a bit fuzzy,
but he suddenly thought he saw something standing in front of him.
	It looked like a person, but Mecha-Sonic couldn't be sure.  It was
rather large, and was covered in a brown robe.  Mecha-Sonic smacked the
side of his head, and the image cleared up.  He looked, and saw that there
was nothing to be seen.
	Slowly, he rose back to his feet, and looked around.  He alone was 
all that remained of the convoy.  Snively was not going to be happy with
this.  He engaged his thrusters, and flew back towards Robo-Tropolis.
	Back in the Great Forest, the huge transport came to a halt in Green
Meadow.  Sonic jumped off, and slapped Rotor a high-five.
	"Way ta go, Rote!", he said, "We sure stuffed those SWATbutts!"
	Sally came up, and hugged Rotor.
	"Nice job, Rotor", she said, "You have no idea how important this
mission was."
	"Scuse me, Luv", said Geoffery, stepping out of the transport, "But
you failed ta actually tell us why we needed this bloomin' thing so bad."
	"Uncle Chuck told us that Snively has some secret project under 
construction in the Great Unknown", said Sally, "It's so secret, that he
doesn't even know what it is or where the site is located.  He was hoping
that the transport's computer and database could tell us."
	"Aunt Sally!", called Tails, flying in, carrying Sasha.
	"Neato ship, Sis!", said Sasha, looking around the transport, "Where
did you get it?"
	"From Snively", said Sally, "We just stole it from him in the Great
Unknown."
	"Did you trash Mecha-Sonic, Sonic?", asked Tails.
	"I smashed him on the ground", said Sonic, smiling and folding his
arms.
	"Which he probably walked away from", finished Sally, "Time to 
deflate your head, Sonic."
	Sonic leaned up by Sally's head, and whispered in her ear,
	"Quit blowin' in my ear and it won't get so over-inflated."
	Sally blushed, and slapped him on his shoulder.  Sonic countered by
wrapping his arms around her and tickling her sides.  Sally tried slightly
to get away, but Sonic had his arms wrapped around her so that she could
not escape.
	Sasha watched her sister and Sonic flirt.  She then looked over at 
Tails, who was making a grossed out face.
	"That's so gross", he said, sticking his tongue out and pointing at
it.
	"I think it's romantic", said Sasha, laying her head on Tails' 
shoulder.
	"You would", said Tails, "Girls like all that mushy stuff."
	"It is not mushy, Miles Prower!", said Sasha, putting her hands on
her hips.
	"Well, ah do declare", said Bunnie, walking up, "There must be love
in the air tonight."
	Sally finally got away from Sonic, and walked back to the cock-pit.
Her eyes were all wet and red from laughing.  She wiped them, and caught
her breath.  She looked over, and saw Bunnie just smiling at her.
	"He started it", was all Sally said.
	"Damn it!", cursed Rotor from inside the cock-pit.
	"What's the matter?", asked Sally, looking at the monitor, "Oh."
	The monitor was full of nothing but garbled characters and letters.
	"Snively must have incrypted all of the files", said Rotor, "This is
really complex, too.  I don't know if I'm going to be able to crack this."
	"Let's see if Nicole can't figure it out", said Sally, pulling Nicole
from her boot.
	She plugged Nicole into the console, and the information came up on
her screen.
	"Fractile incryption code detected, Sally", said Nicole, "Code is
breakable, but sixteen hours is required for full translation."
	"Well", said Sally, sitting Nicole down on the console, "That takes
care of that.  While Nicole works her magic, what say we check out the 
equipment in the cargo bay?"
	In Robo-Tropolis, Mecha-Sonic was kneeling before Snivley, who was
sitting in Robotnik's old command chair.  It was safe to say that Snively
was not pleased with the out-come of the mission.
	"Let me get this straight", said Snively, making a triangle with his
fingers, "You let the Freedom Fighters destroy the convoy, and steal the
transport."
	"I'm sorry, Master", said Mecha-Sonic.
	"The transport with all the equipment needed for Project Omega", said
Snively, "HOW COULD YOU LET THEM DO THAT, YOU STUPID ROBOT!!!!!??"
	"I did not have the proper forces to deal with the threat", said
Mecha-Sonic, "The Freedom Fighters also hid a detonator in the rock pile."
	"I designed you to be able to be able to handle any situation!", 
yelled Snively, "Don't give me any of your excuses!!  You're lucky I don't
turn you into scrap metal right here!
	"Yes, Master", said Mecha-Sonic.
	"Luckily", said Snively, "I incrypted all of the files in the ship's
computer.  That should buy us a little time.  But, if I know that little 
brat princess, she'll find some way to break it.  We must get the transport
back soon.  But how?  You seem to be incapable of handling the Freedom
Fighters.  Yet, there's no one else."
	"There could be", said a voice from the darkness.
	"Who dares?!", yelled Snively.
	A very large sillouette appeared.  For a moment, Snively was 
terrified.  Sweat started to pour down his face, and his voice trembled when 
he spoke.
	"D-D-Dr. Robotnik?", he said.
	"No", said the figure, "I am not Robotnik.  I am called, Century."
	The figure walked out of the darkness, and Snively relaxed.  No, this
was not his uncle.  This figure was about the same size as Robotnik.  He
was dressed in a sandy brown robe with a hood over his head.  Both of his
hands were robotic.  The silver color gleamed in the light.  His face was
hidden by a white breathing mask.  A black visor covered his eyes.  His
voice was obviously filtered several times by the mask, giving it the deep,
raspy sound.
	"Security!", yelled Snively, "Intruder alert, main control room!"
	The door opened, and two SWATbots came in, aiming plasma rifles.  
Century just looked at them.  If he made any expression, it was hidden
behind his mask.
	"Ah, security", he said, "But I wonder, are any of us truly secure?"
	He held his hand up, and a beam of white light exploded out of it, 
and right into the two SWATbots.  When the flash died down, all that 
remainedof the bots was a smoldering pile of ash.  Century lowered his arm, 
andturned his attention back on Snively.
	"Now", he said, "Where were we?"
	Century quickly shot up his hand as Mecha-Sonic slashed at him.  His
claws hit Century's robotic arms and sparks flew away as they connected.
Century caught one of Mecha-Sonic's hands, and then the other one.  The 
robot just glared at Century, unable to do anything else.
	"This pitiful copy is nothing next to the original", said Century.
	A huge flash of light erupted, throwing Mecha-Sonic back against the
wall.  He hit it, and slid down to the ground.  Century then looked back
at Snively.
	"Your first attempt at an unstoppable robotic warrior leaves much to
be desired, Snively", said Century.
	"And I suppose you could do better?", asked Snively, "Why are you 
here?"
	"I've come to help you crush your enemies", said Century, "I see 
potential in you.  With my help, you will be much more than your uncle 
ever could have hoped to be."
	"Fine", said Snively, still not convinced, "Tell me how to destroy
the Freedom Fighters."
	"I won't do your job for you, Snively", said Century, "I will only
steer you in the right direction.  You must make the final decisions and
choices."
	"I see", said Snively, "So steer."
	"You wish to destroy the Freedom Fighters", said Century, "And at the
same time, finish your precious Project Omega.  Am I correct so far?"
	Snively didn't want to know how Century knew about Project Omega.  
Next to Mecha-Sonic, no one knew it even existed.  However, he didn't say
any of that.
	"Yes", was all he said.
	"You have the perfect ability to create a robot", said Century, 
pointing at a monitor behind Snively.
	Snively looked, and saw the Robotization Chamber.  
	"You want me to roboticize someone?", asked Snively, "That's insane!
A woker-bot could be torn limb from limb by a simple SWATbot!"
	"True", said Century, putting his arms behind his back, "But not if
you created a more powerful roboticizer.  One that would create an enhanced
worker-bot.  Perhaps a warrior-bot?"
	Snively sat back in his chair, and scratched his chin.  What this
cloaked figure was suggesting did make sense.  
	"There's only one problem with that", said Snively, "I don't pretend
to understand everything about the roboticizer's properties like my uncle 
did.  I don't know enough about it to alter it in that way.  I've been able
to use the manuals that Robotnik left behind to perform routine maintenace
work on it, but that's the extent of it."
	"Tell me, Snively", said Century, "Who would be the one capable of
doing as I suggest?"
	"Sir Charles Hedgehog", said Snively, "But I doubt that he would be
willing to take on the assignment, even if I could find him.  He's most 
likely hidden in Knothole with the rest of those wretched rodents!"
	"Or maybe he's still in Robo-Tropolis", said Century, "Moving around
right under your nose."
	"Impossible", said Snively, "If he were trying to impersonate a 
normal worker-bot, he would have been spotted.  All of the worker-bots and
SWATbots have been programmed to recognize his face."
	"What if he isn't using his own face?", asked Century, "How would
your minions find him then?"
	Snively was about to say something, but a flash of light surrounded
Century, and he vanished just as mysteriously as he had appeared.  Even 
though Snively didn't completely trust this new player, he had given him 
something to contemplate.
	"Mecha-Sonic", said Snively, "Here's your chance to redeem yourself."
	Mecha-Sonic walked up to Snively's command chair, and stared at his
master.
	"And what would that be?", he asked.
	"Find Sir Charles Hedgehog", said Snively, "I don't care how, just
find him."
	Mecha-Sonic turned, and started walking out of the control room.  He
stopped right at the doors and looked back at Snively.
	"And you think he'll do all this for you if you just say 'please'?"
	After saying that, Mecha-Sonic, disappeared through the doors.  His
words did make Snively think.  It was one thing to actually find the old
hedgehog.  It was another thing entirely to force him to make the 
alterations on the roboticizer.  
	Snively pushed a button on his chair, and a SWATbot walked through
the doors.
	"Yes, Sir?", it said.
	"Bring me someone who will be useful in forcing Sir Charles into 
doing my bidding", said Snively, "And make sure you do it before Mecha-Sonic
finds him."
	"Affirmative", said the SWATbot.
	The bot turned, and walked out of the control room.  Snivley leaned
back in his chair, and made a triangle with his fingers.  If this succeeded,
who knew what other juicy tid-bits that Century would be willing to share?
	Sonic opened the door to Rotor's workshop, and his jaw dropped.  
This place was now more cluttered up than the storeroom was.  
	"Rote!", said Sonic, "What's up with all this stuff?"
	"Oh, hey Sonic!", said Rotor, looking up from some equipment, "Sally
and I unloaded all the stuff from the cargo holds on the transport."
	Sonic picked something up, and tossed it to the side.
	"What is all this crap?", he said, looking at Sally.
	"Way too complex for you", said Sally, pushing him out the door, 
"Now, out!"
	"Hey, wait a minute, Sal!", said Sonic, "I just came by to see where
Tails was!"
	Sally stopped pushing, and let Sonic stand up straight.
	"He went out to the Power Ring Pool with Sasha", said Sally, "Why 
don't you go pester them for a while?"
	"But I just checked the Power Ring Pool", objected Sonic, "Nobody's
out there!"
	"What?", said Sally, "But Sasha said......"
	Sally stopped talking, and clenched her teeth together.  She balled
her hands into fists, and hit the door frame.
	"I'm going to kill my sister", growled Sally, "Come on, let's go 
find them."
	"Find them?", asked Sonic following Sally, "We don't even know where
they went."
	"I got tired of Sasha doing things like this", said Sally, "While
she was sleeping the other night, I sewed a tracer into her right boot.  If
she's anywhere in the great forest, I'll be able to find her with it."
	About six miles from Knothole, Sasha and Tails finally reached their
destination.
	"Sasha", said Tails, "If you wanted to go swimming that bad, we 
could've just gone in the Power Ring Pool."
	"Come on, Tails", said Sasha, "I'm tired of swimming in that boring
pond.  Besides, I've never been in the river before."
	"Aunt Sally is not going to be happy", said Tails, "We should have
told her where we were going."
	"Ah, forget Sally", said Sasha, crouching down, and putting her hand
in the water, "She would have said 'No', anyway.  The water's perfect."
	Before Tails could say anything, Sasha pulled her vest off, and 
tossed it over by a tree.  She then unhooked her belt, and kicked her boots
off.  
	"Come on", she said, pulling Tails' gloves off.
	Tails took his other glove off, and kicked his shoes over by Sasha's
clothes.  
	"Now what?", he asked.
	"Fly me out over the water, and drop me in", she said.
	Tails wound up his twin tails, and took Sasha's hands.  He hovered 
out over the middle of the riddle of the river.
	"Ready?", he asked Sasha.
	"Yep", said Sasha.
	Before Tails could do anything, Sasha yanked herself up, and kissed
him right on the lips.  He was so surprised, that his tails got tangled up
and he fell in the water with her.
	"Yikes!", he said, after coming back up, "That's cold!"
	Sasha rose her head out of the water right by him.  Tails saw her
grinning at him.
	"That wasn't very nice, Sasha!", he said, splashing her.
	"No", she said, "And neither is this!"
	Sasha grabbed Tails' head, and dunked him under the water.  He came
back up, and dunked her back.  They both playfully struggled in the water
for a few moments, each trying to dunk the other.
	"Gotcha now!", said Tails, wrapping his arms around Sasha, to keep
her from swimming off.
	"I guess so", said Sasha, pulling her arms out, and wrapping them
around Tails, and kissing him right on the lips.
	Tails was shocked again.  Most of the time, Sasha would just give
him a little peck on the lips, but not this time.  This time, their lips
stayed together for well over a minute.  Tails didn't try to pull away, 
either.  He had always thought it was gross when Sonic kissed Sally, but
now that he was kissing Sasha, it didn't seem so bad.
	Sasha finally parted her lips from Tails', and the two just gazed
at each other for a few seconds.  Sasha put her forehead against Tails', and
smiled.
	"I love you, Tails", she said.
	"I.....love you, too, Sasha", said Tails.
	Sasha put her head down on Tails' shoulder, and hugged him.  She felt
so peaceful when she was with him.  Nothing could possibly go wrong.  
	Sasha felt the water ripple against her.  She opened her eyes, and
they became as wide as saucers.  She then let out a scream as she pushed 
herself backwards.
	"What is it?!", said Tails, turning his head.
	Tails looked, and saw a light-blue and green AQUAbot raising up from
the water.
	"Oh, man", said Tails.
	The AQUAbots were a different kind of SWATbot.  Snively had built 
them and sent them into the rivers of the Great Forest to see if they could
track down Knothole that way.  They were water-proof, and were built to swim
at speeds up to forty miles an hour underwater.  They also had harpoons and 
nets instead of blasters.
	"Halt, Freedom Fighters!", said the AQUAbot.
	"Go, Sasha!", yelled Tails, "Fast!"
	Both Sasha and Tails began swimming as fast as they could towards
the shore.  Another AQUAbot surfaced, and grabbed Tails.  It put an oxygen
mask over his face, and then dove back underwater with him.  Sasha didn't
even look back.  She just kept swimming.  
	Once she reached the shore, she looked back, and didn't see Tails
anywhere.  Tears started running down her already wet face.
	"TAILS!!!", she screamed.
	The barrel of a blaster pressed against her head.  She moved her
eyes, and saw a SWATbot standing there.  
	"Do not move", it said.
	Sasha was too scared to do otherwise, however.  The SWATbot grabbed
her by her neck, and lifted her off the ground.  It looked back at the 
AQUAbot that was still in the water.
	"Take the prisoner back to Robo-Tropolis", said the SWATbot, "Lord
Snively will be expecting them both."
	"Yes, Sir", said the AQUAbot.
	The SWATbot threw Sasha back in the water, and the AQUAbot caught
her.  She tried for a moment to escape, but the bot's hold on her was too
much.
	"Do not struggle or you will drown", said the AQUAbot, putting an
oxygen mask over her face.
	Sasha stopped moving as the AQUAbot sank under the water, and headed
back to Robo-Tropolis.  The SWATbot lowered its blaster, and walked back to
its awaiting hover-unit.  Snively would be pleased, indeed.  
	In Robo-Tropolis, woker-bots that were once Mobians, toiled endlessly
to work for Snively.  Several SWATbots moved around, monitoring the work
going on, and making sure that all was well.  Tech-bots also scurried about,
supervising the operations, while performing jobs as well.
	Uncle Chuck moved around in his tech-bot disguise.  He had been doing
this ever since Robotnik had discovered him a little under a year ago.  
Since his face was now known, he'd been forced to do his spying for the 
Freedom Fighters like this.  
	So far, he hadn't been able to find out much about Project Omega, but
if he just kept digging...
	There was a loud knock on the back of his head.  Uncle Chuck turned
the tech-bot around, and looked right into the face of Mecha-Sonic, who was
flanked by six SWATbots.
	"Y-Y-Yes, Sir?", said Uncle Chuck.
	"I'm performing a routine system check of all tech-bots", said
Mecha-Sonic, "Open up your access hatch."
	Uncle Chuck was petrified.  If he opened up the hatch, Mecha-Sonic
would see him for sure.  Maybe he could talk his way out of this.
	"System operating at 100% efficiency, Sir", said Uncle Chuck, "No
need for system check."
	"Maybe so", said Mecha-Sonic, reaching for the head, "But I just 
want to make absolute sure."
	Uncle Chuck moved the tech-bot out of Mecha-Sonic's reach.  The robot
hedgehog wasn't buying it.
	"Negative", said Uncle Chuck, "Need for system check, unnecessary.
Tech-bot #9853b must return to assignment now."
	Uncle Chuck turned around, and started to roll away.  Mecha-Sonic
narrowed his eyes to slits, and grabbed the tech-bot's head between his 
claws.
	"I don't think so!", he growled, "Now, let's see what's behind door
number one!"
	Mecha-Sonic crushed the head, and ripped it right off the tech-bot's
body.  He threw it to the side, and looked down at Uncle Chuck.
	"What's up, Chuck?!", he said, grabbing Uncle Chuck by his neck, and
lifting him out of the tech-bot's body, "Nobody likes a tattle-tale, Chucky.
I should rip your head off like your little car here, but Snively has a job 
for you."
	"You might as well rip my head off", said Uncle Chuck, "I'll never
help Snively do anything!"
	Mecha-Sonic pulled Uncle Chuck's face right up to his own.
	"I think you may change your tune, Old Man", he said.
	By the river, Sonic and Sally ran up, and looked around.
	"Sasha!", yelled Sally, "Tails!  Where are you?!"
	There was no answer.
	"This doesn't make sense", said Sally, "The tracer says that they're
right here."
	"Hey, Sal", said Sonic, looking under a bush.
	Sally looked down, and saw Sasha's vest, belt, and boots.  Next to
them were Tails' shoes and gloves.
	"Oh no", said Sally, "This isn't good."
	"Yeah", said Sonic, "No way would Tails run of and leave his sneaks
under a bush.  Why do you think that they took their clothes off?"
	"If I know Sasha", said Sally, pointing at the water, "I'd say they
took a dip in the river.  That little monster knows I don't like her swimming
in there because of all the AQUAbots that Snively put......oh no!"
	Sally looked at Sonic, with fear in her eyes.
	"You don't think the AQUAbots got them, do you?", she asked.
	"Yo, Sal", said Sonic, pointing behind her, "Check it out!"
	Sally turned, and saw several SWATbot-sized footprints on the ground.
Tears fell from her eyes, and she fell to her knees, crying.
	"Oh no", she cried, "Sasha, Tails.  Snively's got them."
	"Come on, Sal", said Sonic, picking her up, "Let's get back to 
Knothole.  We can drop Uncle Chuck a line and see if he's heard anything. 
There's a chance that the SWATbutts didn't get them.  They may just be 
hiding down river somewhere."
	Sonic scooped up Sasha and Tails' garments, and stuffed them in his
backpack.  He then revved up, and shot back to Knothole.
	"Well well", said Snively, turning his command chair around to face
Uncle Chuck, "It appears that you've finally done something right, 
Mecha-Sonic.  You caught Sir Charles in record time."
	"I suppose it was worth checking every tech-bot in Robo-Tropolis to
find this little mole", said Mecha-Sonic, feeling quite pleased with 
himself.
	"Well, Sir Charles", said Snively, with a sinister grin, "I have a
job for you to perform for me."
	"No dice, Snively", said Uncle Chuck, "Like I told your robot flunky
here, I won't help you, no matter what you do to me."
	"Sir Charles", said Snively, "You wound me.  I have no intention of
doing you any harm if you don't help me.  However, THEY are another matter
entirely."
	Snively pointed, and two containment cylinders rose up from the 
floor.  Sasha and Tails were seated inside them, strapped to chairs.
	"Sasha!", said Uncle Chuck, "Tails!"
	He looked back at Snively, who was on the verge of breaking out with
laughter.
	"What are you going to do to them?", asked Uncle Chuck.
	"Well, you see, Sir Charles", said Snively, "There are so many 
possibilities.  I could just roboticize them.  I could suck all of the air
out of the cylinders and see how long a Mobian can live without breathing.
I could dump them in the middle of a crew of worker-bots, and let them 
tear these two apart.  The possibilities are endless!"
	"Then it appears I have no choice", said Uncle Chuck.
	"That's right", laughed Snively, "You don't."
	"What is it you want me to do?", asked Uncle Chuck.
	"There are several alterations on the roboticizer I want you to
make", said Snively, "Since you are the brilliant person who created it, I
knew that no one but you could pull it off."
	Snively handed a piece of paper to Uncle Chuck.  Uncle Chuck studied
it for a moment.  The paper contained a list of things that Snively wanted
the new roboticizer to do.
	"These adjustments are going to cause the roboticizer to work on an
entirely different principle", he said, "This could take a long time."
	"Then you'd better make it take a little time, Sir Charles", said
Snively, "Otherwise, these two get dismantled!"
	Uncle Chuck just glared at Snively.  He knew that the little maggot 
had no intention of keeping his word.  However, if he had refused to 
cooperate, Sasha and Tails would have been destroyed right then.  At least 
now, he had a little time to think of someway to get them out.
	A huge door opened to the side of the control room, and a roboticizer
stood there, waiting to be re-built.
	"Get to work, Sir Charles", said Snively, "I shall return to check
on your progress.  Mecha-Sonic, come with me."
	Snively got up, and left the room with the robotic hedgehog.  Several
SWATbots took up position around the room.  Uncle Chuck gritted his teeth,
and got to work on the roboticizer.
	In Knothole, Sonic was standing by the Power Ring Pool.  He looked at
his watch, and could tell that it was almost time.  After they had gotten
back from the river, Sally had immediately gone to see if she could contact
Uncle Chuck.
	"Sonic!", said Sally, running up beside him, "I tried to get Uncle
Chuck, but he's not answering his radio in the tech-bot."
	"That's not cool", said Sonic, "Unc never goes too far from it.  This
whole thing is really starting to stink."
	"I told Bunnie and Rotor what was happening", said Sally, "They're
going to watch Knothole while we go to Robo-Tropolis.  As soon as the Power
Ring comes, we can go."
	"Say no more, Sal", said Sonic, pointing at the water, "Here she 
comes!"
	The usual flash of yellow light erupted from the water, and a Power
Ring floated into the air.  Sonic stuck his arm out, and grabbed it.  He
tossed it to Sally, who shoved it into his backpack.  After that, he lifted
her up, and shot towards the city.
	Mecha-Sonic followed Snively into the Void Chamber.  He wasn't liking
this one bit.
	"You're not going to change your mind, are you?", asked Mecha-Sonic.
	"Not a chance", said Snively, "The king is the perfect candidate for
this.  During the Great War, he was a master strategist.  Then, the 
opposition got to be too much for him, and that's why he put Robotnik in
charge of everything.  Besides, I like the irony of King Acorn serving my
purposes."
	"And by the way", said Mecha-Sonic, "How are you planning to get him
out of the Void, anyway?  Didn't Robotnik have you destroy all of the 
retrieval programs right after you sent that Naugus guy there?"
	"Yes, he did", said Snively, "But I kept one active.  I knew that the
possibility existed that I might have to actually over-throw Robotnik one
day, and I thought that Naugus might be a formidable ally to have."
	Snively inserted a disk into the console, and it hummed to life.
Mecha-Sonic watched him as he punched in the code to open the Void, and 
to activate the retrieval sequence.
	"What about the crystalization effect?", asked Mecha-Sonic, "From 
what you've had me read about the Void's effect on a person, the king won't
survive more than a few minutes outside of it before he turns to crystal."
	"Don't worry, my robotic minion", said Snively, continuing to punch
buttons.
 	Snively hit several more buttons, and the lights came on in the 
chamber below.  The huge door that sealed the Void off from the rest of
the world, groaned as it creaked open.  The strange sounds that the Void
made were audible all around the room.  
	"Initiating retrieval program", said the computer, "Enter target to
be retrieved."
	"King Acorn", said Snively, "Activate."
	Another panel directly across from the Void opened up, and a device
extended from it.  It opened, and a blue beam of light shot out of it, and
into the vortex.
	"Searching...", said the computer, "Searching.....target found. 
Locked.  Target will exit Void in 5....4....3....2....1...."
	There was a huge flash of light, and the beam shut down, as did the
door to the Void.  Snively uncovered his eyes, and saw King Acorn laying
in the center of the chamber.
	"Go get him", said Snively, "We don't have much time."
	King Acorn opened his eyes.  His head was pounding.  One minute he
had been sitting with Naugus, playing chess, and all of a sudden, some
bright light snatched him, and yanked him right out of his chair.
	He saw a blurred figure standing in front of him.  The shape of it
resembled Sir Charles' nephew, Sonic, as he remembered him from the last
time he had seen him in the Great Unknown.
	"Sonic?", he said, trying to get up.
	A sharp cold hand grabbed him by his coat, and yanked him to his
feet.  King Acorn's vision was cleared up now, and he saw that the thing
that had him was not Sonic, or at least not the Sonic he knew.
	"Close, Your Highness", hissed Mecha-Sonic, "But close only counts
in horse-shoes and hand grenades."
	"Would you stop clowning around and get him to the Main Control 
Room!", yelled Snively, from the observation level.
	"Snively", said King Acorn, "I remember you.  You're Julian's nephew!"
	"Quite so", said Snively, "However, I suppose I should tell you that
my uncle had an unfortunate accident in the Great Unknown and is no longer
among us.  I am now the ruler of Mobius, and you have been brought back 
from the Void to serve me!"
	"I will never serve you", growled the king, "I would die first."
	"Don't put ideas into my head", said Snively, "If Sir Charles' toy
doesn't stand up to my expectations, then you just might.  Mecha-Sonic, 
bring him."
	Mecha-Sonic turned, and walked away, dragging the king behind him.
	Back in the control room, Uncle Chuck stood up from the roboticizer,
and closed a panel.  The adjustments and modifications were complete.
	"Taking a break, Sir Charles?", asked Snively, walking back into the
room, "Or have you completed your task?"
	"It's done", said Uncle Chuck, "I give you, the Roboticizer II.  More
powerful than the original could ever hope to be."
	"Hmmmmm", said Snively, looking at the machine, "I think I'll call it
the Mechanizer.  It has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"
	"I must warn you, Snively", said Uncle Chuck, "This is still just a 
prototype.  It hasn't been tested to see what side-effects the new 
modifications may cause.  Besides, the process may be unstable."
	"This would all be important if I cared, Sir Charles", said Snively, 
"Besides, I don't have time to worry about safey precautions."
	He pointed at a monitor, and Uncle Chuck saw Sonic and Sally racing
down the streets of Robo-Tropolis
	"Time to give it a test run", said Snively, "Mecha-Sonic!  Bring in 
our special volunteer!"
	The door opened, and Mecha-Sonic walked through, dragging the king
behind him.  
	"Sire!", said Uncle Chuck.
	The king stood up straight, and looked at Uncle Chuck.  It took him
a moment to realize who he was seeing before him.
	"Sir Charles?", he said, "What on Mobius have they done to you?"
	"You remember the roboticizer, don't you?", said Uncle Chuck.
	"Yes", said King Acorn, "But you rejected the idea of it."
	"Julian stole the files for it just before the coup", said Uncle
Chuck, "Now me, and over three quarters of the population of Mobius have
become what you see before you."
	"Daddy?", said Sasha, quietly.
	"Ah, yes", said Snively, "I don't believe you've met all of my
prisoners!"
	He walked up, and pointed to Tails, in the cylinder.
	"This one isn't very important", said Snively, "You've never met him
before, since he was born after the coup.  However, this one is much more
valuable to you."
	He pointed at Sasha.  King Acorn just looked at her, into her eyes,
and smiled.
	"Sasha", he said, "My daughter."
	"Daddy", said Sasha, with tears running down her face.
	"Let her go, you monster!", growled the king, taking a step towards
Snively.
	Mecha-Sonic stepped in front of the king, and held up his razor sharp
claws.
	"Don't even think about it", he said.
	The king took a step back.  All of sudden, he yelped in pain, and fell
to the ground.
	"What is going on?!", yelled Snively.
	He stepped forward, and saw that the king's feet had begun to 
crystalize.  It was slowly working its way up his legs.
	"Well", said Snively, grinning, "I suppose we'd better get on with
it, then.  Mecha-Sonic, place his majesty in the cylinder."
	Mecha-Sonic hoisted the king over his shoulder, and walked up to the
newly designed roboticizer.  He opened the hatch to the cylinder, and tossed
the crystalizing king inside.  After the hatch sealed, Mecha-Sonic turned,
and walked back down the ramp.  The king began to pound on the wall.
	"I swear to you, Robot!", he yelled, "You will pay for this!"
	Mecha-Sonic turned his head, and looked back at the king.  He grinned
an evil grin.
	"Send me the bill."
	Snively walked up to the control panel, and looked at it.
	"I trust that the controls are roughly the same as before, Sir 
Charles?", he asked.
	"Yes", said Uncle Chuck, "And all the programming you wanted has been
inputted into the machine."
	"You've done your job well, Sir Charles", said Snively, "Mecha-Sonic,
put him in with the two little brats."
	Mecha-Sonic grabbed Uncle Chuck's arm, and tossed him in a third 
containment cylinder next to Sasha.
	"You are much too trusting, Sir Charles", said Snively, "What I think
I shall do, is disassemble you and find out how you managed to regain your
free-will.  As for the other two, well, give me time."
	Snively expected Sir Charles to begin calling him all sorts of names,
but the old coot said nothing.  That didn't matter, though, only this.
	A flash of white light appeared behind him.  Snively turned, and saw
Century approaching him.
	"Ah, Century", said Snively, "You're just in time for the unveiling
of my greatest triumph!"
	"Then don't let me delay you", said Century, folding his arms, 
"I trust you know that you don't have much time before you receive uninvited
guests."
	"I know", said Snively, "Hopefully, this machine will do the trick."
	Sasha looked over at Uncle Chuck, who was staring at the the new-comer
as well.
	"Who's that guy, Uncle Chuck?", she asked.
	"I don't know", he said, "But if he's dealing with Snively, then he
can't be any good."
	"One thing before we begin", said Snively walking up to the cylinder,
and opening the hatch.
	He grabbed the king's crown, and pulled it out.  Then, he shut the
hatch, and walked back to the console.  He put the crown on his head.
	"I think it fits me perfectly", laughed Snively.
	"You will regret this, Snively", said the king, "You'll regret it."
	"Behold", said Snively, grinning, "The power of the Mechanizer!"
	He threw the switch, and a beam of light engulfed the king.
	"AHHHHHHHHH!!!!", screamed the king.
	The light became so bright, that all present were forced to cover 
their eyes.  Century was the only one who didn't move.   
	"Transformation process, complete", said the computer.
	The light died down, and Snively uncovered his eyes.  The king's
screams had ceased.  He looked, and his eyes became as wide as saucers.
In the cylinder, stood a jet-black robot.  He was heavily armored, and had
several spikes protruding from his head.  The most prominent was the huge
"V" shaped one on his forehead.  His eyes were red, and in a "V" shape as
well.  On both of his arms were blaster cannons, and a missile launcher was
on his right arm.  
	"Amazing", said Snively, pushing the button to open the hatch.
	The robot stepped through it, and took several steps forward.  His
eyes glew bright red, and he looked around the room.
	"State your designation", said Snively.
	"Dark Stalker", said the robot.
	"State your commander", said Snively.
	"Lord Snively", chimed the robot.
	Snively grinned at that.  He loved being called "Lord" Snively.  His
uncle no use for such titles, but Snively had a great use for them.
	"Excellent", said Snively, "The perfect warrior.  Fast, powerful, 
smart, and obedient.  He meets all the necessary requirments."
	Uncle Chuck just closed his eyes, and shook his head.
	"What have I done?", he said.
	"You monster!", yelled Sasha.
	"Why, thank you, Princess", said Snively,	"I think a little test
drive is in order", he said.
	"Then let it done", said Century, "Show me what your new minion is
capable of."
	"That, I shall", said Snively.
	He looked back at Dark Stalker, who hadn't moved an inch.
	"Dark Stalker!", he said, "It is time to prove yourself to me."
	"Anything for my master", said Dark Stalker.
	"Destroy Sonic the Hedgehog and Princess Sally", said Snively, "And
destroy them NOW!!"
	Dark Stalker bowed to Snively.  Smoke erupted from his feet, and he
flew up, and blew a hole in the ceiling.  He then flew out and into the
dark sky.  Snively just watched from down below.
	"Hmmmm", he said, "Perhaps I should install a sky-entrance there."
	"That might be wise", said Century.
	Sonic and Sally were racing down the streets of Robo-Tropolis, and it
was safe to say that something was up. 
	"Sonic", said Sally, "I don't like this.  We haven't seen any patrol
bots for almost eight blocks."
	"You're not complainin', are ya, Sal?", asked Sonic.
	"No", said Sally, "But it's not like Snively to leave the city so
under-guarded."
	"I just think that the little creep's losing his touch", said Sonic,
"Or as much of one that he ever had, heh heh."
	Just as Sonic said that, some type of rocket hit the ground right in
front of him, and exploded, knocking them both back.  Pieces of dirt and
garbage rained down on the area for a few moments.
	"Whoa", said Sonic, lifting his head off the ground, "That was way
uncool.  Are you okay, Sal?"
	Sally lifted her head up as well, and looked around.
	"Yeah", she said, "What was that?"
	"Uh", said Sonic, pointing, "I think we're about to find out."
	A jet-black figure emerged from the smoke.  It stopped, and just
stood there for a moment, gazing at them.
	"Yo!", said Sonic, "What's the big idea, shootin' fire-crackers right
in front of me!?"
	A red "V" lit up on its face.  Sonic guessed that that was his eyes.
It raised an arm up, and pointed at the two of them.
	"Targets sighted", said Dark Stalker, "Initiate annihilation mode."
	"Target?", said Sonic, backing up, "Annihilation?  No way!"
	He grabbed Sally by the arm, and dashed off behind a nearby junk-pile.
Sonic poked his head up, and didn't see the whacked out robot anywhere.  He
turned his attention back on Sally, who was holding her right arm.
	"What's the matter, Sal?", he asked.
	"Nothing", she grunted, with tears falling from her eyes.
	"Hey", said Sonic, "When you say it's nothin', it's probably 
somethin'."
	He took her hand, and pulled it away from her arm.  Sally squinted her
eyes, and gritted her teeth.  Sonic's jaw dropped.  A jagged piece of metal
was sticking out of Sally's arm.  Red blood was oozing out of the wound.
	"Oh man", said Sonic, "We gotta get this thing outta you."
	"Just leave it", groaned Sally, "It'll start bleeding uncontrollably
if you pull it out.  For the time being, I'm just going to have to suffer."
	"And suffer, you shall!", said a deep voice from above them.
	They both looked up, and saw Dark Stalker standing on the top of the
junk pile.  Sonic quickly pushed Sally out of the way, just as a hail of
plasma blasts came raining down.  He took off into a run, and tore down the
street.  Dark Stalker jumped down from the junk pile, and watched them.
	"You cannot escape", he said, "Death, is inevitable."
	He activated his thrusters, and shot off after them.  This game would
soon be over.
	Sonic didn't quite know where he was going, but he knew that he had
to get Sally away from that bot.  In the condition she was in, she wouldn't
last long in a fight.  
	There was a blast of sound, and something pushed him in the back.
Sonic lost his balance, and fell forward, sliding several feet before coming
to a halt.  Sally was underneathe him, since he was now laying on his 
stomach, and he had been carrying her in his arms.
	"Ugh", he said, "Are you alright, Sal?"
	"Fine", she said through her teeth.
	Sonic knew that she wasn't fine.  Sally was in great pain, and his
falling on top of her hadn't helped the situation one bit.  
	Something grabbed Sonic by his neck, and yanked him off of Sally.
Dark Stalker held Sonic above his head, and a bolt of lightning struck 
over-head, lighting up the sky.
	"Whoa", said Sonic.
	"Now, Hedgehog", said Dark Stalker, "Prepare to meet your ancestors!"
	Sally managed to get to her feet, and grabbed ahold of a piece of
splintered wood that was laying near her.  She swung it for all she was
worth, and it shattered when it hit Dark Stalker's side.  He turned his 
head, and gazed at her through his "V" eyes.
	"Apparently", he said to Sonic, "Your little friend wants to be the
first to die.  Very well, so be it!"
	Dark Stalker threw Sonic to the side, and he slammed into a wall.
He slid down it, and barely kept from passing out from the impact.
	Dark Stalker kicked Sally in the stomach, and then back-handed her,
sender her flying backwards.  She lifted her head up, and saw him coming
towards her.
	"Prepare to meet your end, Princess", he said, aiming his arm at 
her, "I will destroy......cannot....must...."
	Dark Stalker began to struggle with himself.  It was as though he
didn't want to hurt her, but did at the same time.
	"What's wrong with you?", said Sally.
	Dark Stalker didn't even pay her any mind.  He grabbed his head, and
started yelling like he was in great pain.  Sally just sat there, and 
watched.  
	"What's up with this?", said Sonic, rubbing his head and watching what
was going on before him.
	Electricity started to surround Dark Stalker.  Loud pops and cracks
could be heard.  He screamed even louder, and then a flash of white light
surrounded him.
	Sally was forced to cover her eyes, or be blinded by the light.  She
felt the heat of it as well.  After a moment, though, the heat faded, and
the cool night air could be felt.
	Sally opened her eyes, and couldn't believe them for a moment.  Where
Dark Stalker stood mere seconds ago, stood her father.
	"Daddy?", she said in disbelief.
	"Sally", managed the king before falling to the ground.
	"Daddy!", said Sally, crawling up to her father.
	Sonic got up from the ground, and staggered over to where Sally and
the king were.  He knelt down, and examined King Acorn.
	"This is deep", said Sonic, "That robo-freak was the king?  But why
did he turn back?"
	King Acorn stopped gasping for air, and lifted his head up.  He looked
at Sonic.
	"Snively made Sir Charles do something to the roboticizer", he said,
"I was the test subject.  Sir Charles said something about the process 
being unstable."
	"Of course", said Sally, "It's just like our de-roboticizer.  Since 
the process was unstable, the effect wore off and the person re-roboticized.
However, in this case, the effect wore off, and the person de-roboticized."
	"I hate to interupt this tender reunion", said Sonic, "But Snively 
still has Uncle Chuck, Sasha, and Tails in there.  And as soon as he
figures out what happened, I don't think they'll stay safe for very long."
	King Acorn rose to his feet, and looked at the Death Egg Command 
Center looming before them.
	"We'll have time for a reunion later", he said, "Come, let's go rescue
my daughter and your uncle, Sonic."
	"Juice time!", said Sonic, revving his feet up.
	He picked Sally up, and the king grabbed ahold of his shoulders.  He
then shot off towards the command center.
	Inside, Snively pounded his fists against the console of the new
roboticizer, or the mechanizer.
	"NO!!!", he yelled, "He turned back!!  How is that possible?!"
	"I warned you that the process was highly unstable, Snively", said
Uncle Chuck, "But you didn't listen."
	"The old one is right", said Century, "You were warned, and you paid
the warning no mind."
	"You forget yourself, Century", growled Snively, "I didn't ask for
your help."
	"True", said Century, folding his arms, "But judging from this, I'd
say you need it."
	"You are severely trying my patients, Century", said Snively, "You
forget who is in charge here."
	Century took a few steps back.
	"Very well, Snively", he said, "I will leave you now.  For you have
more pressing concerns to deal with."
	"Like what?", laughed Snively.
	Century said nothing.  He simply pointed a finger up towards the
ceiling.  Snively turned his head, and his jaw dropped.
	"Yo, Snerdly!", said Sonic, dropping down from the hole that Dark
Stalker had made when he flew out of hit.
	Sally and the king landed behind him.  Snively took a step backwards.
Sonic closed in on him.
	"Come on, Baldy", said Sonic, "Let's go."
	"I don't think so, Rodent", said Snively, "I have troops for that
kind of thing."
	He pushed a button, and several SWATbots entered the room.
	"Destroy the Hedgehog!", yelled Snively.
	The bots began firing their rifles, but Sonic easily dodged the 
blasts.  Unfortunately, there were so many of them, that dodging them was
all he was really able to do.
	Sally and the king stood by the side, and watch Sonic move around, 
just missing the blasts.
	"Daddy", said Sally, "We have to help Sonic."
	"I know, Sally", he said, looking around, "Ah, there we go."
	King Acorn ran over to a crank and chain on the wall.  He followed it
up with his eyes, and saw that it was holding several huge drums up in the
air.
	"Hmmmm", he said, "It can't be that easy, can it?"
	The king pushed the crank, and the chains began to unravel.  This
caused the drums to fall from the ceiling, and they crashed right down on
the SWATbots, crushing them beneath their weight.
	"Whoa!", said Sonic, seeing what happened, "Good shot, Your Highness!"
	Snively roared, and looked at Mecha-Sonic, who was still standing 
by.
	"What are you waiting for!?", yelled Snively, "Get them!"
	Mecha-Sonic jumped into action.  He immediately targeted Sally and
the king.
	"That wasn't very nice", he said, moving toward them.
	"Hey, you ugly excuse for a hedgehog!", yelled Sonic, charging 
Mecha-Sonic.
	Mecha-Sonic's arm snapped back, and clocked Sonic right in the face.
The blow sent Sonic flying back several dozen feet.  He slid to a stop, 
and tried to get back to his feet.
	King Acorn looked, and saw another chain and crank on the wall.  He 
looked up, and saw more drums hanging from the ceiling.  Taking a big risk,
he pushed the crank, and the drums fell to the ground.
	"Yahhh!", yelled Mecha-Sonic, just barely jumping out of the way.
	The robotic hedgehog looked back at the drums, laying on the floor
behind him.  He turned his head back and looked at King Acorn and Sally.
	"Sorry, Acorn!", he said, "But I guess that trick only works once."
	He started to walk towards them again, but Sally reached down, and
pulled out a red flare-gun.
	"Don't move!", she yelled.
	"Hah!", laughed Mecha-Sonic, stopping, "You think that pea-shooter's
going to even dent my armor plating?"
	Mecha-Sonic looked, and saw King Acorn smiling.
	"Mind telling me what you think is so amusing?", asked Mecha-Sonic.
	The king didn't say anything, he just pointed behind Mecha-Sonic.  
The robot turned around, and saw the drums that had just fallen from the
ceiling, leaking some type of fuel all over the floor.  It was then that
he realized what the drums contained: fuel for Project Omega.
	"Oh no", he said.
	Sally pulled the trigger, and the flare hit the fuel, causing it to
explode.  The blast knocked Mecha-Sonic all the way across the control 
room, and through one of the walls.
	Sonic lifted his head up, and saw the drums exploding.  
	"Yikes", he said, "Nice shot, Sal!"
	Sally ran by him, and grabbed his arm.
	"Come on", she said, "We have to get everybody out of here!"
	They both ran up to the containment cylinders, and Sonic did a buzz-
saw attack on them, and sliced them up.  
	"Come on, Guys", said Sonic, unstrapping Uncle Chuck and the others,
"We've gotta juice.  I don't like the company here."
	Sally unstrapped Sasha, and hugged her.
	"Are you alright?", she asked.
	"I'm fine", said Sasha, "Could we go, please?"
	Sally took Sasha's hand and started to run for the door.  Before she
got there, she turned, and saw her father walking towards Snively.
	"Daddy!", she yelled, "Leave him!  We have to go!"
	The king paid his daughter's calls no mind.  He had something to take
care of before he left.  He walked up to Snively, and stood right over him.
	"I believe you have something that belongs to me", he growled.
	King Acorn snatched his crown off Snively's head, and then back-handed
him.  Snively then disappeared into the smoke.  King Acorn placed the crown
back on his head, and ran for the door.
	"Now we can go", he said.
	The door opened, and they all jumped when they saw who was standing
behind it.  Century stood there with his arms folded.  Sonic stepped ahead
of everybody else.
	"Alright, Masked Man", said Sonic, "I don't know who you are, but I 
know what you are, and that's in our way!"
	"My name, Hedgehog", he growled, "Is Century.  And you shall be seeing
much, much more of me.  I guarantee it."
	White light surrounded the hooded figure, and he vanished into thin
air.  Sonic and the others didn't worry about it, and just ran.  
	Once outside, Sonic pulled out a Power Ring, and the others formed
a chain from his back.  He held it over head, and it charged him.  His
feet exploded with speed, and he shot out of the city.
	After they were gone, Century reappeared.  He watched as Sonic ran
away from the command center.  
	"Yes, Hedgehog", he said, "I have entered the conflict now, and you
will regret ever crossing me."
	Back in Knothole, there was a grand celebration going on.  The king
had returned from exile after so long.  Everyone in Knothole was so happy
to see their true ruler back, that everyone forgot to ask a very important
question.  It was Sonic who finally remembered.
	"Hey, Majesty!", he said, "I just remembered!  How come you're not
crystalizing?"
	"I'll answer that, Sonic", said Uncle Chuck, "I believe that being
roboticized broke the Void's hold on the king.  I don't how, or why, but
it did.  He shouldn't crystalize anymore.  He's free."
	"I may be free, Sir Charles", said King Acorn, "But I will not rest
until the rest of Mobius is as well.  In the mean-time...."
	He stopped as he looked over at Sally and Sasha.
	"...I have two very beautiful young daughters that I need to get
to know again."
	They both came over, and hugged their father.  They were a family
again, and that's all that really mattered at the time.