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Sonic the Hedgehog and all related characters are © to SEGA and Sonic Team.

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Chapter One: The Planet Mobius

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"Attention, Doctor Robotnik." A small robot droned. "We are nearing the planet's surface. At what time should orders be sent to the troops?"

"Immediately." The man responded, glancing at the lush green hills through the viewport. His mustache shifted as a maniacal grin was plastered onto his face. "Grandfather's reports were right; this planet does truly exist!"

He shifted his hovercraft into drive, and he floated through the battleship that he had snuck away from his home. He had traveled through space for nearly five years now, searching for the mythical world that his grandfather had recorded about.

His home was too populated and dangerous to take over, so naturally, what better place to take over than a world inhabited only by defenseless birds and rodents? Why, even the animals that would pose a threat on his world, like rhinoceros, were barely larger than his hand!

And when he'd finally taken over Mobius, he could use his new army to invade Earth, and easily overpower G.U.N.

He snickered darkly, soon bursting out into a cackle.

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Sonic sighed in bliss, bobbing his head back and forth as the rock music played through his earbuds. South Island had been quiet lately, as usual. The latest 'disaster' was the recent tornado that had torn up a bit of Green Hill, but the gaps were easily passable via bridges, although they rotated if the balance was thrown off.

He sat up, stretching, and picking up the sparkling blue jewel he had recently earned from one of the many 'Ring Zones' scattered around the island. He had entered feeling confident, and each time, he came out defeated. It had taken ten years, but he had finally broken the record for 'Fastest Time in a Ring Zone'.

Of course, the title didn't matter to him; he never felt the need to race. He already knew he was the best, but he always felt a bit awkward when he talked to the previous holder of the title. He'd already made at the very least ten rivals in speed, but every time, he came out on top.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the land, and he looked around, curiously. It was barely past noon, so why was it suddenly so dark? He looked left and right, before shrugging. He looked up, only to stare in shock at the massive ship that had entered Green Hill's airspace.

Multiple little bug-shaped creatures flew out of the ship, disappearing beneath the canopy of the Green Hill. Sonic stared in shock as the terrified cries of the woodland creatures filled his ears, before growling and sprinting towards the Action Zone.

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Sonic sighed in relief as the Flickies swarmed around his head, chirping happily. He looked around, raising an eyebrow. He'd spun through all the robots he'd seen, freeing all of his friends, but he had no leads as to who did this. Even he couldn't speak Flicky.

He scowled up at the ship, before his eyes widened in shock; another robot was flying down at him!

He leapt to the side, flipping onto his feet and glaring at the new enemy. It looked similar to the 'moto-bugs' he'd encountered, but this one had a black shell and blue spots. It's eyes glowed a sickly green, and it's pincers were longer and sharper.

"You there! Hedgehog!" A man's voice came from the robot. "What do you think you're doing ? ! How dare you destroy my beautiful creations ? !" Sonic merely raised an eyebrow. "Well...no matter then! You don't stand a chance against this badnik." He snickered. "He's powered by a Chaos Emerald, and he's one of my most valued officers! Farewell, little pest!"

The robot charged towards him, and Sonic spun over it. He spun downward, preparing to slice right through it, only to bounce right off. The badnik charged again, grabbing Sonic by his wrist and flinging him into the air.

The hedgehog landed with a thud, rolling out of the way as the tire came barreling towards him. He realized what had been said; this robot was powered by a Chaos Emerald! Sonic reached into his glove, pulling out the gem he'd acquired earlier, and tightening his fist around it.

He was covered by a light blue glow, and he spun at the robot again. The two clashed, head-to-head, but the steel stood no chance against Sonic's razor-sharp spines.

The badnik fell into two pieces, and Sonic landed on his feet, a Chaos Emerald in each hand. Suddenly, the two gems vanished, disappearing into Sonic's hands. He raised an eyebrow, but merely shrugged it off, sprinting on ahead.

The brown checker-board pattern changed to purple, and the dirt transitioned to marble. He sliced through each badnik that came his way, and he was surprised to see that they were becoming more and more dangerous, with less and less available spots for him to hit.

He skidded to a stop at he came to a small lake of lava. There was another path on the other side, and he prepared to jump, only to stare in surprise at the new device that floated down.

This was was less a robot, and more of a hovercraft, with a large, rotund man in the cockpit. "Why you pesky little pincushion!" He snarled. "Who are you ? !"

Sonic crossed his arms, glaring up at him, before smirking, giving him the thumbs-down.

"Little brat!" Robotnik growled, flying directly over him. Sonic's smirk vanished as a fireball shot out at him from the hovercraft. He leapt to the other side of the lake, bounding off of the marble and spinning into the vehicle. The round craft wobbled out of control, and Robotnik shook his fist at the rodent. "You'll pay for that, you maggot-eating rat! This isn't the last you've seen of the great Doctor Ivo Robotnik!"

Sonic sprinted forth, keeping up with the madman. "Wh-What ? ! How can you keep up ? !" The hovercraft sped up, and Sonic followed suit. The marble faded away, replaced by bronze-colored concrete. The hedgehog smirked, running fast enough so that he was in front of Robotnik, running backwards. "He...! He's mocking me!"

Suddenly, Sonic felt the ground vanish from under him as his back hit a round deflector of sorts, and he bounced through the air, spinning into a ball and landing on his feet. As soon as he looked up, he was greeted by flashing neon lights.

He stared in amazement for a moment, before remembering the task at hand, and he sped off after Robotnik once more.

He finally caught up with the scientist, who flinched at the sight of him. "You again!" He pressed a button on his dashboard, and a spike fired towards Sonic. He dodged to the side, and his eyes widened as another spike neared.

He smirked, jumping on top of the spear, leaping to the next one, then the next, until he finally was high enough to jump up, spin into a ball, and slice into Robotnik's airship.

It wobbled uncontrollably once again, and Robotnik cried out in shock as he crashed down into the ruins nearby.

Sonic crossed his arms, smirking, and turning around on his heel, heading back towards the Green Hills. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and Sonic fell over onto his backside as he lost his footing. He looked up in the sky to see Robotnik's battleship, looming over the Spring Yard ominously.

He pushed himself up, sprinting towards the edge of the Spring Yard, and leaping with all his might into the ruins.

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Sonic unrolled himself as he neared the floor, landing on his feet. He looked around, noticing the scorch-marks left by Robotnik's hovercraft. He immediately followed them, not thinking twice as he leapt into the water below.

Only after about thirty seconds or so did he realize his mistake; the water was deep, and he had never learned how to swim properly. He held his breath struggling to move through the water. His lungs felt as if they were about to burst, before he jumped out, breathing in the musky, old air of the Labyrinth.

He made a mental note to look for alternate pathways from now on, but only dwelt on it for a moment, before sprinting after the scorch-marks.

Robotnik was just up ahead, and Sonic craned his neck up as the madman flew up the narrow tunnel. He glared disapprovingly at the jagged wall in front of him, knowing that he'd have to climb. He sighed, but only had a moment to think when he realized that the water had begun to rise.

He leapt up, latching onto the wall, and pulling himself up as fast as he could. He looked upwards, feeling a sense of relief as the light from the surface shone down the narrow hole. He pushed off of the wall, hoisting himself up, and rolling onto his back, breathing heavily. He gulped back the saliva that had built up, before pushing himself up, looking around for the spherical aircraft.

Robotnik was a few yards away, and Sonic immediately gave chase. He leapt into the air, latching onto the wobbling hovercraft, and waving his fists wildly at the scientist.

"AGH! YOU LITTLE PEST!" Robotnik exclaimed, trying to deflect Sonic's assault. The hedgehog grabbed his mustache, and he cried out in pain and fury. The two continued their fight as Robotnik flew closer to the larger battleship, until the man nailed Sonic in the face, causing him to lose his footing and fall from the craft, down towards the city below.

Sonic spun onto his feet, letting out a sigh of relief. He growled, running forth through the city. By now the sun had set, and he was thankful that the Star Light city was just that; bright as the starlight. Suddenly, a loud 'pop!' echoed, and he looked around, raising an eyebrow.

Another popping sound was heard, and he looked up, where he noticed that there were small bombs with legs on the ceiling. A third one exploded, molten debris raining down. The hedgehog dodged each piece of scrap, leaping up from one platform to the next.

He had been to Star Light before, but he had forgotten how much fun it was to use those strange seesaws that were dotted across the city. His heart beat faster in anticipation when he realized that the usual weights had been turned into maces.

Suddenly, he skidded to a stop, coming face-to-face with an orb-shaped robot with three maces orbiting it's body. He had seen others like it around the city, but this one was almost twice their size, and the maces were noticeably sharper. Just like the 'Super-Moto-Bug' from the Green Hills, it's eyes were green.

"This time you won't get away!" Robotnik declared, and one of the maces brushed past Sonic's cheek. He leapt to the side, grunting as one of the maces scraped his shoulder, leaving a cut. Sweat beaded his forehead, and he scowled, tensing his muscles, preparing for another attack.

The Chaos Emeralds appeared in his hands once more, without warning, and he felt his spines sharpen and stick out. Another mace flew at him, and he leapt into the air, spinning around and repelling it back towards the 'Orbinaut'.

To his surprise, the mace exploded, and a Chaos Emerald flew out of the smoke. He smirked, spinning through the air and dodging each mace. He landed in front of the robot, sticking out his tongue and pulling on his lower eyelid.

"LITTLE PEST!" Robotnik cried in rage, and the maces flew back towards them both.

Sonic simply waved, leaping out of the way and causing the last two maces to slam into each of the Orbinaut's eyes. When the smoke cleared, three more emeralds lay at Sonic's feet.

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"CURSE HIM!" Robotnik shouted, slamming his fists into his keyboard at the transmission was lost. "That little pincushion! Who does he think he is ? !" He removed his fists from the keys, taking a deep breath, before breathing out, calmly. "This can't be happening...He took down two of my most precious creations, and he's already passed the Star Light city...What's more, he can utilize Chaos Energy in order to power himself up, and he has six of the emeralds..."

He smirked. "Run as fast as you can, little rat! Even if you do manage to survive my Scrap Brain, I'll simply have that much more fun crushing your brittle bones myself!" He burst into cackles which echoed all across the base.

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Sonic sighed in relief as he ducked onto the ledge above an electrical outlet. He was thankful that Robotnik had been 'kind' enough to have those robots deliver the emeralds; he doubted he'd be able to make it through all of this without them.

He saw it, dead ahead, a doorway leading to what he guessed was Robotnik's main control room. His suspicions were confirmed when the madman stepped out, a smirk on his face.

"Bravo, hedgehog, bravo!" He clapped, mocking him. "Congratulations on being the first of this world to see my laboratory firsthand! But I'm afraid our little game is over." Sonic gave him the thumbs-down, smirking, before leaping at him and curling into a ball.

Suddenly, a glass barrier came down in front of Robotnik, and Sonic bounced backwards, into a pair of mechanical arms. He squirmed around, trying to free his arms, and Robotnik chuckled darkly.

"Ah, yes, the Chaos Emeralds. Thank you for delivering them to me, hedgehog! Now, hand them over!" Another pair of arms rose up, searching Sonic's gloves, socks, and shoes, only to find nothing. Robotnik flinched. "Wh-What ? ! Wh-Where are they ? ! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY CHAOS EMERALDS ? !"

"Doctor Robotnik." A motobug nearby droned. The scanners have detected the presence of Chaos Energy...within the hedgehog."

Robotnik raised an eyebrow. "Within him?" He smirked, but Sonic noticed a bead of sweat on his shiny dome. "Could it be...?" He pressed a button on the wall, and energy siphons lowered from the ceiling. "If you won't give them to me willingly, I'll take them by force!"

The devices turned on, and for the first time, Robotnik heard the hedgehog scream in agony, electricity sparking all over his body, causing his quills to stand up. His eyes flashed red for a moment, and he could have sworn his blur fur turned golden for half a second.

Finally, he jolted, the Emeralds shooting out of his body in a burst of light. The barrier lifted, and Robotnik picked up the six gems. "Yes, there we go!" He snickered. "I applaud you for getting this far, but it's about time we end this. Before I bid you farewell to the next world, however, I must know the name of the one who nearly foiled my plans."

Sonic was nearly unconscious, eyes struggling to stay open. He could barely speak, not that he'd have answered Robotnik's question if he could.

"Oh well." Robotnik shrugged, taking the emeralds back into the main control room. "Farewell, rat!"

The hedgehog felt himself falling, before crashing face-first into a pile of scrap. He lay there for a few minutes, before pushing himself up, stumbling as he kicked away a few robot parts. He slid down the pile, landing in his rear, and shaking his head, clearing his vision.

He bowed his head, and anyone would have guessed that he'd given up; he had every right to, Robotnik had practically won, there was no way out of this place, and even if he did get out, he'd stand no chance against Robotnik and the Chaos Emeralds.

But he did just the opposite.

He leapt to his feet, determination etched into his face as he sprinted down the slope nearby. Without hesitation, he leapt into the pink-colored water (he didn't care if it was toxins or not) and ran as fast as he could through the liquid, spinning out when he came to a way out, and jumping onto a spring, shooting upwards through the sewers.

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"So beautiful..." Robotnik grinned evilly down at the emeralds, having placed them in a siphon. "The Chaos Emeralds of Mobius truly are capable of miracles! My Death Egg is being built at almost ten times it's normal speed!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a seventh sky-blue gem. "Just one more emerald, and my flying fortress will be complete!"

"Doctor Robotnik!" The Moto-Bug from earlier exclaimed. "The scanners are picking up another Chaos Energy readi-!"

"WHAT ? !" Robotnik gaped, staring in shock at the doorway. Sonic stood there, smirking, and holding the Moto-Bug's head. "Y-You...YOU! HOW DID YOU ESCAPE MY DISPOSAL PLANT ? !" He snarled. "ANSWER ME!" He stomped on the ground repeatedly. "YOU...YOU LITTLE RAT! THAT DOES IT, THIS TIME I'LL FINISH YOU MYSELF ! !"

He pressed a button on the wall, and a capsule shot out of the wall, surrounding the scientist. It rose into the ceiling, and Sonic looked around, preparing for it to come back out. He noticed a panel open on the floor, and he waited a moment, before spinning through it, slicing it in two. He raised an eyebrow when he realized that it was empty.

He heard the hissing of another panel opening, but he could only stare in shock as the capsule came down.

CRUNCH!

Sonic screamed in agony for the second time, feeling the metal crush his ribs. He gasped like a fish out of water, feeling pain like no other. The capsule crashed down again, and again, and his breathing slowed with each crunching sound.

Finally, the capsule stopped, and Robotnik stepped out, snickering. "Don't worry hedgehog, I won't kill you...yet." He smirked. "I have plans for you...Your Chaos Energy, your skill and strength, everything about you is fascinating. I will keep you alive, if only for the purpose of creating the ultimate weapon!" He grabbed Sonic by the scruff of his neck, dragging him along like a child would a doll.

Sonic snarled, arms twitching as he attempted to move. Suddenly, the Chaos Emeralds glowed a brilliant color, and the glass covering their containment siphon shattered. The six gems floated up, and Robotnik felt the seventh vibrating in his pocket.

WHAM!

The madman flew backwards as Sonic broke out of his grip, socking him in the face and glowing golden for a split second. Robotnik let out a cry of shock and fear as Sonic loomed over him.

Then, for the first time, he spoke. "You asked for my name before." The hedgehog smirked. "You're the first ever person who's made me break a sweat, so I'll let you go. But remember this..." He pointed his index finger at the man's nose. "If you ever come back and threaten Mobius, Sonic the Hedgehog will stop you over and over until you can't build another Badnik!" He let out a 'hmph'. "Now, get outta here!"

Robotnik didn't need to be told twice, and he bolted for his hovercraft, flying away. An idea sprouted in Sonic's mind, and he crouched down, somersaulting forward repeatedly on the spot, and blasting forward. He jumped up, kicking the craft through the roof, and sprinting back into the main control room, snatching up the six gems and dashing out of the Scrap Brain.

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Sonic smirked as he returned to Green Hill, skidding to a stop, and waving at all the woodland creatures that had been awaiting his return. Suddenly, he felt his body vibrate, and the Chaos Emeralds appeared in front of him, spinning around rapidly.

In a flash of light, the gems vanished, and Sonic looked around, wondering where they could have gone. He shrugged, before running across the hills, feeling victorious.

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Meanwhile, far off in the ruins of Robotnik's battleship, the bald scientist chuckled darkly, pulling out the sky-blue gem from his pocket.

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To be continued...