ACT 3

From the gloom of the immense shadow, Red's face materialized, metallic and blank but unmistakable.

The Freedom Fighters fled behind the water tower as the Megabot thundered past, the ground shaking beneath its massive feet. It towered over the normal-sized Roboticized wolf and jay preceding him.

"We're too late…" Sonic moaned, devastated.

"Oh mah stars," Bunnie breathed, looking sick. "Even for Robotnik, that's dreadful."

"He can't get away with this!" Rotor declared.

Shaken, Sally tried to compose herself. "We have to get to the plant's main computer. Come on!"

The four jogged around a corner in a large and dimly lit utility room. When they stopped at a large, round grate, Sally said, "This tunnel leads to a service stairway. The main computer is on the top level. Bunnie, would you - "

"Hold up, Sal." Sonic turned to the others, his expression dead serious. "SWAT-butts are going to be all over the place," he said. "Bunnie, Rote, you two should juice back to Knothole."

"Heck no, Sugah-hog!" Bunnie rejected.

"Yeah!" Rotor joined in, determined. "We're here to take down the Megaboticizer!"

"Sonic's right," Sally conceded. "It's too risky for all of us."

"They got Red. I can't lose you, too." Sonic's eyes pleaded with theirs.

The rabbit and the walrus exchanged a look. "Alright, Sonic," Rotor relented. Gravely, he held out the cartridge to Sally. "Give my regards to Robuttnik."

"We will," Sally promised, stowing it in the backpack and withdrawing the coil of rope.

"How 'bout I get the door for y'all?" offered Bunnie. With her robotic arm, she twisted and lifted the grate with ease.

Sonic revved up. "Be safe, guys." He sped into the tunnel, Sally not far behind.

"Good luck!" called Rotor, scanning the room cautiously.

Sonic and Sally reached the dizzying heights of the hydroelectric plant's top level and flattened against a piece of humming electronic equipment. SWATbot guards seemed to be lurking on every catwalk and balcony. Two were just around the corner.

"Ready for this, Sonic?" Sally asked in a hushed voice.

"Born ready," Sonic confirmed.

"Remember, after I start the override sequence, we'll only have 25 seconds - "

"- Before this junk heap is washed up. I'll cover for ya, Sal."

They fist bumped and said in unison, "Let's do it to it!"

Sonic circled behind the two SWATbots and skidded between them. "Yo chrome domes!" Sticking out his tongue and waggling his fingers on either side of his head, he taunted roguishly, "Bet you can't catch me!" He darted away, and the guards tore after him, singularly focused on "HEDGEHOG, PRIORITY ONE."

Sally ran out to peer over the guardrail. With a foot on its bottom rung, she spotted the main computer on a balcony across the plant's constructed ravine. Between her and her target, there was a catwalk with two more SWATbots. They turned toward the commotion and started shooting lasers toward her. She ducked back and spun her rope above her head like a lasso. When she cast it up, it looped securely around an overhead pipe.

Meanwhile, Sonic came to a dead end. "You metalheads really drive me up the wall," he called, effortlessly transitioning to running vertically. The SWATbots, however, skidded helplessly at the last second before smashing themselves to pieces on the concrete surface. Sonic veered sideways onto the adjacent wall then descended onto the catwalk. The guards firing up at Sally didn't see him coming before he stormed past and knocked them off.

The princess grasped the rope and leapt. She sailed across the chasm and landed gracefully on the main computer's balcony. From the green backpack she took out the cartridge and inserted it into a slot. Just as Rotor had programmed, a digital screen lit up with "025" in bright red. "Here it goes," she said under her breath as she pressed the left round button on the cartridge. A monotonous voice announced, "LOCK OVERRIDE SEQUENCE INITIATED." As it echoed in the cavernous hydroelectric plant, the screen began to beep as it counted down: 024, 023…

Zooming around the plant, Sonic had gathered a squad's worth of SWATbots trailing him. They cornered him in front of two massive metal doors, chanting "HEDGEHOG, PRIORITY ONE" and closing in menacingly. Out of the corner of his eye, Sonic saw a glimmer of gold up on a high balcony. He faced the robots and jibed, "You SWAT-butts really think you got me this time, huh?"

Sally hurled the Power Ring down to him, then swung off the balcony on the rope. "Well, I hate to break it to ya - " Sonic caught the Ring above his head, and the SWATbots flung up their arms to shield their mechanical eyes from the burst of energy. " - but your plan doesn't hold water." He spun into a spiky blue blur and dashed between them.

Right when the screen hit 000, a dissonant alarm sounded twice, and the lock's doors parted. The stored waters of the Great River gushed forth exuberantly like an animal set free. The SWATbots could barely react before the deluge swept them away.

Sonic sped through the plant with the cascade at his heels as equipment fried and sparked all around him. Sally swooped down on the rope and let go to land with kismet in Sonic's outstretched arms.

"We're almost to the Megaboticizer!" she shouted over the tumult.

"Then let's juice it loose!" he accelerated to breakneck speed, outpacing the rushing water. They tore out of the building moments before the torrent reached the overpowered electronics of the Megaboticizer itself. The ensuing chain reaction was a fittingly mega-sized explosion that annihilated the entire complex.

That same moment, the monitors in the control tower displayed the orange glow of the destruction. Dr. Robotnik seethed as he witnessed his precious monstrosity and dreams of a Megabot army go up in smoke. Even worse, that sabotaging rodent and his vermin princess once again escaped his clutches unscathed. In incoherent fury, he unleashed a terrifying roar and surged from his command chair. His shaking fists sent Cluck flying from the armrest. Snively cowered in a corner. As the entire power grid shorted, the lights flickered, then failed, casting the villain and his entire capital into darkness.

The mass power outage in Robotropolis was visible from Knothole, and a cheering crowd greeted Sonic and Sally upon their triumphant return. When the waters of the Great River came thundering back, all the Freedom Fighters celebrated on its bank. Rotor and Bunnie danced together. Tails surfed on his twin namesakes. Even Antoine, still jealous and sniffling, clapped begrudgingly.

A bit apart from the others, Sonic felt a disheartened pang despite the tremendous victory. "I wish Red could see this…" he murmured as he surveyed the joyous group.

Sally slid her arm through his. "You're a hero, Sonic." She kissed his cheek. "And so is Red. He fought for our freedom."

Sonic smiled and gave a thumbs up. "Yeah, and we'll keep fightin'!"