Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog. I included quotes from the game; I don't own those either. So there.

13:27: Over the Capital City

"This is Sigma-Alpha two heading due south over the city. We're en route and everything's a go."

Inside the military helicopter two guards stood silently, their guns trained on their prisoner. The hedgehog had been quiet and well behaved for the entire flight. (Only because he'd been unconscious for most of it) But now he sat glowering at his captors, trying to maintain as much of his dignity as he could while shackled to a bench.

'This is so stupid! The report was a black hedgehog stole the chaos emerald. Black! Do I look like a black hedgehog? No, see my fur? IT'S BLUE! Shocking, neon blue. Military intelligence at it's finest, they hear the word "hedgehog" and automatically think of me...' He suppressed a sigh and leaned back, letting his glare intensify.

"This is control tower, we have you on radar. Report cargo status of captured hedgehog aboard, over."

Sonic propped himself against the side of the helicopter trying his best not to arouse suspicion in the guards. 'How am I gonna get out of this one?'

He closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift to something Knuckles had told him once: people get cocky at the end of fights, it's easy to use that to your advantage. It wasn't one of his favorite memories of the echidna, (the lecture has been followed by a spiked boxing glove reaching down to help the hedgehog stand after an uppercut had sent him flying) but it was useful. He'd have to thank the big, red knucklehead after he got loose.

'If I'm going it has to be now, while they're distracted.'

"That's a 10-4, cargo secured onboard and what-?"

"Didn't copy that, over!"

"The hedgehog is gone! He's taken out everyone onboard and..."

"What's wrong? Come in, over!"

"What in the world? Freeze! What do you think you're doing? Get that hedgehog!"

The door of the helicopter burst open and off, falling away towards the city below. A sapphire blur shot out on the craft and swung over, landing in a sitting position on the wing. His mangled handcuffs flying away in the high wind.

"Talk about low-budget flights, no food or movies? I'm outta here!" 'Good, keep them off-balance. What can I use up here? Aha!'

There was a shriek of rending metal as the skin of the wing was peeled off.

"I like running better." With that final taunt the hedgehog launched himself into the air. "Yeah!"

Halfway through his spiraling decent an unpleasant though popped into Sonic's head. 'I don't have a parachute!'

-- -- --

The falling hero touched down in the middle of a crowded street. Absorbing the impact he slid down the incline in a shower of sparks, steering as if riding a snowboard.

'So far, so good. Hold on, what's that? ... I'm not sure why anyone'd build a ramp in the middle of the road, but I'm not complaining.'

A series of aerial flips and tricks later Sonic was feeling very confident. "Yeah! That was awesome!"

So confident in fact that he didn't see the minivan. Normally an incident between an automobile and a furry woodland creature ends poorly for the animal. Not this time though. At the speed Sonic was moving (not as fast as his running but a good clip nonetheless) the collision threw the vehicle high in the air. As if the initial crash wasn't enough it flipped and rolled down the slope, knocking other cars out of it's path and clearing the street.

'Oh no! I hope no one was in there... What am I saying? There had to be a driver. What if there were kids? Oh man... I guess it's just one more charge against me. Robbery, resisting arrest, destruction of private property,' He looked down at the "board" under his feet and shook his head, 'Defacement of government property, disturbing the peace. Heh, definitely that one. I'll probably get a ticket for improper use of lanes too! Well, first things first. I've gotta escape from the city and hope G.U.N. doesn't have an army of 'bots waiting for me at the end.'

A/N: I always wondered if Sonic, the perfect hero, ever felt guilty about wrecking all those cars while in the city. Another thing, all those quotes up there? From the game exactly as they were in the first cut scene, I copied it all by hand. You wouldn't think it was that hard but I had to watch that blasted movie at least 14 times! I had a nightmare about it later... (shudder)