Chapter 6 Back to The Old Grind
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"You've really gone an' messed up yourself big time hedgehog."
"Yeah, I know. I heard you the first few hundred times, Knux." Sonic groans behind a mouth full of chili, "And just who was it that got himself caught up in another one of Eggman's schemes? A certain blue hedgehog? Who says I'm the gullible one now?"
"I said I heard you, Knux, so knock it off, ok! If Shadow's not picking on me for deciding to do this, then neither can you, and I knew this was an Eggman scheme from the beginning. So that doesn't give you the right to tease me for being gullible.'"
"Says his pet."
"Excuse me?" Sonic glares at the guardian while his cheeks flush bright pink, "You heard me, Sonic, or did Eggman give you a new nickname? Fluffy? Mr. Needlemouse? Sparky? What does it say on that collar or your's pet?" Sonic jumps out of the chair, his quills rising, "Ok, that's it! You wanna go fists for brains?!"
"Sonic, no, don't! Knuckles, stop teasing him, and the both of you shut up already! Geeze can't get one moment of peace with you guys. If you're not fighting with your fists, your fighting with your words." Tails complains, "You're right, bro. Sorry." Sonic says, not being entirely sincere, leaning back into his chair at the small dining table. Knuckles says nothing crossing his arms over the white mark on his chest with a scowl.
Knuckles had arrived in the early afternoon just as Sonic and Tails started to make lunch, during which upon first spotting the blue blur, Knuckles had yanked the hedgehog away from the stove and dragged him outside where the two could engage in one of their regular brawls.
Surprised and thrilled at first, Sonic started the fight with gusto, but his enthusiasm sharply declined when things escalated into something more heated. Knuckles had more spitfire in his taunts and punches than in the past as the echidna had stored up quite a lot of rage since Sonic's ditching them for the evil scientist. Knuckles had been furious at the hero of Mobius for leaving his team without their leader to flounder for themselves and to quote, "join the good doctor for an extended tea party." Sonic had been lucky only to finish the fight with a few bruises and cuts.
Letting out a large burp Sonic pats his stomach, happy to have his chili dog cravings satisfied. "Eww, gross!" Tails laughs with gross appreciation that only a child can express with embarrassing body noises. Knuckles grunts in disgust, rolling his eyes, "Well, I assume you have a plan to break out?" the echidna asks. "Sure do! And I'm working on it." Sonic rubs his nose, "Been messing with Beeboy all week, and I think I'm finally getting under his skin. He looked close to blowing up yesterday; if all continues to go as planned, I should be out of there before the end of next week!"
"Beeboy?" Knuckles slowly asks with a raised brow; Sonic lazily waves a hand, "Oh, just another nickname for Egghead."
"Where did you come up with that one?"
The blue devil chuckles, "Turns out Eggman's a tea man, and he likes it with honey. Not just a spoonful, no, he practically empties the hive for one cup! One thing led to another, and out popped Beeboy." Knuckles snorts, "Not one of the best nicknames you've come up with."
"Hey! It's not easy coming up with some of this stuff; not all of them can be winners! I'd like to see you try to come up with something better." Sonic points at his red friend who's face twists and turns in thought trying to come up with a clever nickname, but he can't think of anything. "Yeah, that's what I thought, knucklehead."
"Um, Sonic, as much as I would like for you to come home, is getting under Eggman's nerves such a good idea? What if you end up breaking the contract? Then we'll be stuck at square one again!" the little yellow fox asks, interrupting the two's quarreling. "Look, Tails; my plan is foolproof! And the point is not for me to break the contract but for Eggman to give up on it. If I can get him to kick me out of his own will, technically, he and I would still be bound to the contract. Nothing was ever mentioned about him cutting me to the curb. If Egghead really keeps his promises, then we have nothing to worry about!"
Tails scratches his head, unsure of the whole idea, "I don't know, Sonic. It sounds kinda sketchy to me. And things could go wrong easily. What'll happen to you if it doesn't work like you planned?"
"Don't worry your big old brain about it, bro. Just leave it to me!" Sonic says, standing up and ruffles the fox's bangs before letting out a yawn, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go catch some rays. Staying inside that old grey base has really been a bummer, and I need to make sure this handsome tanned bod stays as beautiful as ever." shooting a few finger guns Sonic zips outside to sunbathe on his usual spot. The roof.
"Do you really think his plan is gonna work?" Knuckles lowly asks after the hedgehog leaves; Tails sighs with a worried frown, looking at where his brother stood moments ago, not at all reassured by his plan. "I don't know, Knuckles. I mean, Sonic's always been good at coming up with ideas on the spot when we're in a pinch but this plan..."
"Seems as cuckoo as the cuckoo bird's nest?"
"Maybe not that crazy, but yeah...not one of his best. But then again, some of his craziest plans have worked in the past. We'll just have to wait and see what happens."
"Still haven't found any loopholes on your end?"
"Nothing." Tails' ears sadly droop as he turns back to the echidna, "That contract is iron locked, not a single usable loophole. I talked with G.U.N.'s best lawyers, and even they haven't figured a way out of it. If I can't come up with any ideas and if Sonic's plan doesn't work, we're stuck like this until the 6 months are up." Knuckles lays a gloved hand on the fox's shoulder in comfort, "Hey, you'll think of something eventually. We know you can! And if worse comes to worst, well, it's only for a short time."
"Thanks, Knux." Tails gives his friend a small smile in thanks. The echidna smiles back and nods. Pulling away, Tails perks up and stands, "I'm gonna go work on a few upgrades for the Tornado while Sonic's napping. You're welcome to stick around if you like."
"No thanks. I need to get back to The Master Emerald before that thieving bat gets any ideas to come visit me." Tails chuckles at the thought of Rouge visiting the guardian to only try and 'steal the master emerald.' "Ok then, see ya around, Knux!" Knuckles nods again, waving goodbye, and walks out. Stepping away from the house, violet eyes glance behind and up, spotting a bit of blue poking up over the roof. The echidna fondly shakes his head; despite their differences and not-so-great introduction, Knuckles held Sonic in high respects.
The hedgehog was brave, kind-hearted, and never ran from a fight with evil even when all the odds were stacked against him. As mad as he was for Sonic leaving them and though he would never say it, Knuckles thought it was very brave of Sonic to sacrifice himself to spare the world from Eggman. After Tails had explained to everyone what had transpired during their capture, all had agreed to do everything in their power to help the speedy hedgehog out of this predicament.
A warrior with such honor and courage was worthy of much praise and respect. As well as assistance when in a tight bond as of now.
"We'll get you out of this mess, hedgehog. You can be sure of it." Knuckles says lowly. With that, the echidna leaves, hoping that Sonic's plan works for all their sakes.

Laying on the roof on his side with his arm close to his chest, Sonic breaths softly as he sleeps under the warm afternoon sun. Fluffy clouds dot the bright blue sky, birds chirping in the distance while riding the light wind currents brushing the tall grass in Mystic Ruins. Tails' workshop doors stand wide open to allow the cool air to move through, giving the fox some relief from the heat of the non-air-conditioned building as he works tirelessly on his latest project for his and Sonic's beloved plane.
The peaceful scene is abruptly broken by a faint high pitched screech echoing in the distance, "Sooooooooniiiiiiic!" said hedgehog's ear twitches in response, but he doesn't wake. "Sooooooooooniiiiiic!" the pink dot in the distance wails again as it rushes closer to the workshop; Sonic's ear twitches again to the call of his name. Groaning, he begins to stir and slowly peels open one eye, searching for whoever was calling for him.
"Sooooooniiiiiiic!" the voice calls again, much closer now, emerald eyes widen in horror when Sonic recognizes the familiar banshee call. Oh shit, it's Amy! Jumping to his feet in a panic, Sonic swings his arms wildly, losing his balance, and tumbles to the ground, landing on his face. "Sooooooniiiic!" Amy calls again as she runs; a bright smile forms on her face when she finally sees her beloved picking himself up.
Sonic has the opposite reaction when he sees how close his obsessive self-proclaimed girlfriend is. It's not that he hates the girl, no. Otherwise, he wouldn't consider her as a friend, but her obsessive view of him made Sonic apprehensive about being in her company too often.
Danger! Danger! His mind screams as he franticly searches for a place to hide. Tails! Workshop! Safe! Sonic enters the workshop with speed; he's known for bringing the wind with him inside, creating a tornado sending papers and blueprints scattering. "Hey!" Tails cries in irritation, having a set of blueprints he had just been holding blown out of his fingers, gloved hands firmly grab his shoulders, turning him around to face panicked eyes before him, "Amy! Must hide. Safe place. Where?!"
"Uhhhh?" Tails stutters, looking back over his workshop for a spot where his brother could hide, his eyes glance over the clock before landing back on it. "It's 10 minutes to 5 pm! Don't you have to be back at Eggman's by then?" Sonic lights up, "Of course, that's perfect! Thanks, little bro!" He gives the fox's cheek a peek and a quick nuzzle before heading for the door stopping dead in his tracks when Amy stands in his way. Sonic smiles apologetically, quickly saying, "Sorry, Amesgottago. Eggheadwantsmebackbeforedinner. Ohwell,catchyalaternextweekbye!"
Shuffling away from the disappointed girl, Sonic dashes into the sunset, silently thanking Eggman for the time limit; otherwise, he would have been stuck in Amy's arms for another hour. His relief turned sour as it clicked in his mind that he was going back to that old grey base to be stuck there for another week. Maybe I should have taken my chances with Amy. Frowning, Sonic ran back to the base.
Several hundred miles later, he could see the dull building in the distance. Slowing down, Sonic ran past the perimeter fence, and one of the tiny bulbs on his collar blinked green, unlocking the front door for him to enter. Red sneakers squeaked loudly against the smooth tile floor as he put on the breaks sliding through the hallways. Sonic stops perfectly in the middle of the doorway to the lounge room in a dab pose, wearing his usual cocky grin, "Did ja' miss me~?" he playfully asks.
Eggman looks up from his tablet seeing Sonic stand there in a pose he doesn't recognize, and glances at his watch, "Seven seconds to spare. Cutting it close, aren't you hedgehog?" he says, unimpressed, putting away the reading material. Dropping the dab, Sonic pouts. His cool entrance, entirely dismissed, "Hey, I'm back, aren't I?"
"That you are. Welcome back. I'm sure your hungry. Let's go to the dining room, shall we?" Rolling his eyes, Sonic waves his arms in a gentlemanly gesture replying sarcastically, "After you, Beeboy." Eggman huffs at the newest rude nickname. Joining the hedgehog's side, he and Sonic walk to the dining room.

[The most important thing you can do is stay calm. One of the worst things you can do while dealing with an out-of-control teen is losing control of yourself. If your rebellious teenager sees you losing your patience and yelling at him, they can begin questioning the boundaries and consequences you have set. If your teen's goal is to get a rise out of you, he will see it as a victory rather than as poor behavior. Instead, take a deep breath and walk away. Then revisit the situation with a clearer mind. Reacting in the heat of the moment could leave both of you with regrets. Remember, you are the parent. You are the adult in charge of the household. Your teen may try to exhibit adult-like tendencies, but at the end of the day, you are the one with the life experience necessary to make important decisions.]
"So, how was your day? Do anything interesting?" The doctor asks during dinner with a wide smile. "Fine." Sonic answers taking a bite out of a steamed carrot. "Did you visit Tails?" Eggman making sure his tone was cheery, asks, trying to make himself come across as friendly as possible while recalling all the research he had done the last two days in his mind. He desperately hoped that the tips and suggestions he had picked up and formulated to use as a strategy to make the hog behave and open up would work this time.
"Yup."
"Did he make anything new?"
"Like an invention?"
Yes! More than a one-word answer! Eggman celebrated internally. Always celebrate the little victories. His smile widened, "Yes! He's quite a bright young lad. I dare say his genius rivals my own. What's the latest gadget he's come up with this time?"
"Nothing." Sonic answers with a bored expression, not noticing Eggman's smile fall and begin to stumble over his words, "N-n-nothing?"
"Yup."
"Oh...I guess he was too upset over you leaving to make anything new." cold green eyes shoot up at the human at that statement (uh, oh wrong thing to say.) "I didn't leave him." Sonic says with ice lacing his words, "You made me abandon him to come live here with you."
"I did not make you abandon him, Sonic. You know as well as I do that that fox is perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I wouldn't have suggested this arrangement if I didn't have any confidence that he couldn't."
"Oh, so you're perfectly fine in having an 8-year-old stay home alone but not me?!"
"I'm not saying you can't take care of yourself, Sonic!" Eggman pulls himself back, noticing his tone was rising. He took a deep breath before speaking smoothly again, "I'm merely trying to provide you some stability and guidance. You have given Tails that benefit, and it has served him to the full. However, you still lack this in your own life, and I'm trying to provide that for you."
Sonic dropped his fork like a mic as his voice rose, growling, "So what? Do you think I'm stupid?! Look, just because all I've ever done is taken down more of your robots than I can count doesn't mean I can't make it out on my own without your so-called guidance. Just what kind of oh so wise counsel could an evil villain like you give me? How to not set a bomb off on yourself?" Sonic mocks.
"Watch yourself, hedgehog." the doctor says sternly, "I have many more years of life experience than you. Something that you could benefit from if you would just listen." Sonic rolled his eyes and scoffed, "Yeah, right like I would ever listen to you, Baldy McNosehair. You're just a sad old man who does nothing but makes worthless robots so I can turn them into junk for the recycling cent-"
"That's enough!" Eggman harshly interrupts the blue blur from his ridicule, his words slightly echoing in the dining room dramatically, a tense silence follows. Standing up, the doctor swiftly takes Sonic by the arm and pulls him from his seat, ignoring Sonic's protests while dragging him out of the dining room. The hedgehog struggles in his grip, "Hey, what gives?!"
[It's essential to be clear about the difference between annoying behaviors and those that are unacceptable. When your teen is angry, allow them to retreat to a place where it's safe to cool off. Set boundaries. Even if your teen rebels, deep down inside, he or she wants the comfort of boundaries. They need help telling right from wrong; although your teen wants to make decisions on his or her own, remember that an adolescent's brain is not yet fully formed, and they still need guidance. Don't worry about hurting your teen's feelings or giving him or her more reason to rebel. Sensible rules might upset your teen at the moment, but they will have a positive effect over the long term.]
"Your comments this evening have been very disrespectful. I will tolerate no more of this behavior. I tried to have a civilized conversation with you, and you immediately attacked me with insulting and rude remarks." opening the door to Sonic's room, Eggman pushes the little hedgehog inside. Sonic turns back to the large human, mouth agape, "Wait a minute, I haven't even finished dinner yet!" he complains. The large human continues to ignore his whining, thinking the comment was Sonic's attempt to divert his attention from the hedgehog's disrespectful attitude. "You are to stay in this room and think about your actions! I want a sincere apology; I don't care if it's written or oral. Just stay here and think!"
Before Sonic could utter another word, the door was slammed shut and locked. He stood there a few seconds in stunned silence, his mouth still hanging wide open before the words started to flow from his lips. "Why that dirty no good lying cheating son of a-" Shaking his fists in the air with a scream, Sonic hit the door, punching and kicking it with all his might.
How dare that stupid, idiotic Ph.D. show-offing know it all lock me in here! I only told the truth! He wants some respect? He needs to show me some respect! I'm the freaking hero of Mobius! I'm the one who's saved the planet from every one of his evil schemes, and just cause he's older and takes me in, he thinks that gives him the right to ask-no. Demand that I, Sonic the Hedgehog, should go to him for guidance?!
As his mental rambling and cursing went on, Sonic's violent assault moved from the door to the rest of his room. His anger continuing to escalate, and everything he could get his hands on was destroyed. Spin dashing all over the room, sending swift kicks down on anything in his path and running all over the walls and ceiling. Sonic spared nothing. The sheets were shredded like paper in a paper shredder, the furniture was broken to bits, and anything electrical was decimated. At one point, a small fire broke out from the tv, but that was quickly put out from the wind Sonic made while running on the ceiling, leaving dirty footprints all over the walls.
Slowly running out of targets, Sonic's rampage died down. Over an hour later, the blue devil finally stopped, panting heavily as he tiredly looked over the destruction. While he gazed upon the chaos realization, hit him on what he had just done, and he gasped. Regret and horror washing over his features as he continued to stare at what once had been his room. It looked like a wild animal had had a rampage, and to an extent, one had. Sonic's ears lowered in shame at his behavior, and his eyes widened slightly in fright.
Eggman was going to kill him in the morning when he saw this.
He shrugged the thought off, straightening up in his usual heroic pose, "Pffft, What do I care? I'm the Hero of Mobius's Sonic the Hedgehog! I take down Eggman's robots and free animals from his clutches!" his arms dropped. He slumped over, mumbling, "but I sure haven't acted like a hero lately. I didn't even give Eggman a chance...again."
Sonic hadn't meant to go off on the doctor earlier or to trash his room. After returning from his visit from Tails, he had planned to follow Shadow's advice and go easy to Eggman, giving him a chance to redeem himself. But the blue blur had blown up instead and ruined any possible future opportunities to make up for this mistake. Getting caught up in negative thoughts and wishes just to go home, Sonic had completely forgotten again that the reason he was doing this was to help not only the world but Eggman. Yet, he had focused on himself and his wants like the selfish brat he was.
Yes, selfish, that describes me perfectly! Just a selfish, stupid jerk of a hedgehog. God, I'm such a dick! He kicked the side of the tv, jumping back in alarm when it spat out a few sparks covering himself with his hands, waiting for another fire to break out. After a minute or so, he cautiously opened his eyes, scanning the floor for any flicker of a flame, finding none.
Sighing in relief, Sonic relaxed his stance holding himself and feeling nauseous. His eyes watered, and he sniffed, feeling sorry for himself for getting into such a predicament. The doctor was definitely going to kick him out for his outburst and breaking the rules so often.
Well, this is what I wanted anyway, so...
But was that what he had really wanted?
"No. No, that's not right." he shook his head, "I didn't want this. I just...I just wanted...sigh, I'm not sure what I want. Gosh, why is this so hard?! I thought Eggman turning good would be easier than this! It's so simple Sonic just work with Eggman and help him turn into a good person. The guy already took the first step; he just needs a little help getting going."
"And I love helping people. This is the golden opportunity we've dreamed about this for years! Years!"
"Yeah, but Egghead is such a pain!"
"So what he's more tolerable as a villain?"
"No! I'm just saying he's so annoying trying to be with me all the time!"
"Cause he doesn't know what the hell he's doing! You're a good guy, so he's trying to learn from the best!" At this point (if it was not already evident), the blue blur was pacing around the room, talking to himself. An old habit of his before meeting Tails that he still did when alone and faced with a difficult problem. After this last comment, he smirked to himself.
"Heh, yeah. I am a pretty good good guy, aren't I?"
"The best! And...well, they don't call you the hero of Mobius for nothing!"
"Aw, Sonic, don't you'll make me blush! Wait a sec, that were we talking about?"
"Egghead. Annoying. Trying to be a good guy. You being a screw-up."
"Ah, yeah, right." Sonic solemnly looked back at the room; his gaze fell to the alarm clock still miraculously working. Midnight it read. He deflated, "It's too late to do anything now. Egghead is gone and won't be back till tomorrow morning, er, later, I guess?"
He rubs away the remains of tear stains from his muzzle with a sigh and began gathering the shredded fabric on the floor. Moving a few broken wooden beams aside, Sonic places the scraps under the remains of the desk that had piled up against the wall forming a small fort. Making a burrow for himself, Sonic curled up inside, not bothering to go turn out the lights since the desk remains blocked out enough light for him to rest. Nestling into the cave-like structure, he fell into an anxious sleep dreading the doctor's reaction when he returns the next day.