Hello! Recently I got inspired to do a written adaption of the first Sonic Adventure game - a novelization, if you will. I arranged all the characters' stories in a logical order and wrote hard over a period of two weeks. The result is an 87,000+ word fanfic based on the game, written to the absolute best of my ability. This is a very exciting project for me, as it is by far the longest work I've ever written in my life, and I'm proud of the result.

And not to fear - the entire fic is already written! Barring some unforeseeable catastrophe, this fic will never be abandoned. I plan to update with a new chapter every Monday and Friday, until all chapters have been uploaded. I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Credit to aroczerny for being the first to read through my rough draft, and to isakthedragon for being my unofficial proofreader every time a new chapter goes up!

Can also be found on AO3!

Eggman's jungle base - noon

Static.

Initiate preliminary startup sequence.

One by one, its functions came online. Heat sensors. Balance servos. Audio detectors.

"Excellent." A voice came through. "All systems, full power!"

The optic units stabilized, and a face came into focus through the fading static.

The unit detected dark glasses, a large red nose, a bushy mustache. A human face, goggles strapped to the top of its head. A very round form, wrapped in a red jacket with gold clasps.

The unit raised its own head and looked beyond the form. A large room lay ahead with various doors lining the walls, a staircase in the center leading down to a lower level, and two tubes, each containing other, significantly differently-shaped units. But those units were sealed away, the translucent walls of the tube enclosing them. This unit was not sealed.

"Look at me!"

The unit refocused its gaze back on the human who had first spoken. It raised an eyebrow.

"I am your brilliant creator, Dr. Robotnik!" It stated its own name in a grandiose fashion, waving an arm in the air for emphasis and then extending a finger toward the unit. "And you're the second of my new E-100 model machines. E-102! Code name: Gamma."

The unit spun its head around a few times, the servos grinding slightly as they moved against each other for the first time. "Gamma," it repeated, testing its name, testing Dr. Robotnik.

"That's right." Gamma found at this moment that it had been installed with facial recognition software. Dr. Robotnik was making an expression of satisfaction, apparently pleased by Gamma's simple vocalization. "And you will henceforth obey only me. Do you understand?"

Obey. Follow. Comply. Abide. Serve.

"Now," the doctor said, spinning on its heel and gesturing back at Gamma. "Follow me, and we will see what you are capable of."

An order. Gamma stepped down from the base of its tube, its heavy foot clanking down onto the metal floor below, and walked in file behind the doctor - down the stairs in the center of the room to another set of walls with doors. Dr. Robotnik stopped in front of one of them.

"The shooting range is through here," he said, waving his hand at the door. "Your big brother E-101 - Beta - is in there practicing already." He showed his teeth in what Gamma interpreted was supposed to be a smile. "Enter and show me what you are capable of! You're not as advanced as Beta is… but I'm sure you'll do fine."

He pressed a button on a console next to the door, which slid open with a soft whoosh. Gamma stepped inside, into the darkness, and the door shut behind it.

One by one, dim lights on the ceiling flickered on to reveal the contents of the room. Stuffed dolls, made out of colorful red and yellow fabric but limp and dead eyed, hung off various poles and metal spiked on the walls and floor. Gamma scanned the yellow one first and found a partial match in its databanks.

Miles "Tails" Prower. Fox. Mechanical genius, though nowhere near as talented as the brilliant Dr. Robotnik.

The doctor must have filled Gamma's databanks with important information. It scanned the red one next, finding another profile. Knuckles the Echidna. Guardian of the Master Emerald. Ability: super strength, though it simply cannot compare to the strength of the brilliant Dr. Robotnik's mind.

"Let's put your abilities to the test, Gamma!" The doctor's voice was filtering through a speaker somewhere in the room, sounding tinny and distant. "I want you to find the Sonic doll somewhere in this shooting range… and blow it to bits!"

Gamma raised its right arm. Instead of a hand, like on its left arm, this one was tipped by a cannon with an aiming laser beneath it.

"And don't be shy about using the other dolls for a little target practice along the way!"

"Acknowledged," Gamma said, and swept its aiming laser across every doll within sight, painting the targets with small holographic icons. Once every doll was marked, it fired, small energy missiles exploding out of the end of the cannon and homing in on the targets. Each doll exploded in a cloud of fluff, their remnants strewn across the metal grating on the floor.

"Excellent!"

Gamma walked further into the range, marking every doll it saw in the same manner and leaving bits of burnt doll stuffing in its wake. The shooting range went deep, and from somewhere further along Gamma could detect the sound of another cannon firing. But it paid it no mind. The other cannon was not related to its mission.

"The Sonic doll…."

Against the opposite wall of the room Gamma had just entered was a single blue doll, hanging limply off its spike. Gamma scanned it and read the data that appeared.

Sonic the Hedgehog. Dr. Robotnik's arch-nemesis. Known harnesser of Chaos Emeralds to achieve a super state. Ability: super speed, though nowhere near fast enough to outrun the doom the brilliant Dr. Robotnik has planned for him!

This was the correct doll. Gamma raised its cannon, preparing to paint the target as it had the others, but no sooner had it moved than the spike the doll was attached to ground into motion, racing toward the side of the wall to disappear into a crevice. Gamma adjusted its aim, marking the doll three times for good measure, and let the missiles fly - all of them struck the doll squarely, and it exploded into dismembered doll bits.

"Mission complete," Gamma said, and turned back to exit the range.

Eggman's jungle base - noon

Just outside the door, the doctor awaited Gamma's return.

"Excellent job, Gamma!" he said as it stepped out into the main room, raising his arms appreciatively. He gestured Gamma toward the center of the room. "I didn't think you had what it takes! You even beat the secret time limit I had set for you."

Positive feedback raced across Gamma's processors. Serving the doctor is a priority, it seemed to say.

"I tried a different design on you than I used for the others in the E-100 series," Dr. Robotnik continued, hands clasped behind his back. "Zero was a dud, barely good for anything - I'll be sending him on menial missions. I gave Beta significantly more firepower than you, and I'm still convinced he's the better of you two…."

The positive feedback stalled.

"After all, that was only a very simple test." The doctor showed Gamma his teeth again. "I have another one for you… and if you want to stay on board, you must be able to pass it. SO pay attention to what I say! The almighty Egg Carrier is a flying fortress that needs a good crew - no, the best!" He gestured to the door of the shooting range. "Beta, come forth!"

The door slid open once more, and a black and white unit stepped out. Its shape was familiar, similar to Gamma's own, but possessing two bulkier cannons on the end of each arm. It stomped forward with more force than Gamma's steps produced, and stood still.

"I'd like you to meet your older brother, E-101. Just call him Beta. I'm pitting the two of you against each other, and the winner serves on my ship." The doctor pressed his lips together, the corners of his mouth raising. "I put my bets on Beta, but I owe you at least a fair chance. Don't disappoint me, either of you!"

Dr. Robotnik performed an exaggerated about-face, walking back up the stairs and leaning over the railing overhead to watch the spectacle below.

As soon as the doctor was clear of danger, Beta struck. It raised its cannon and fired a missile straight at Gamma. Gamma sidestepped it easily, scanning it as it passed - far thicker than one of its own, and made of solid material, not pure energy.

This meant Beta had a limited number of missiles, while Gamma had as many as its energy level would supply. Must use this to my advantage -

Something impacted against Gamma from behind, sending it stumbling and nearly toppling over. Heat radiated from the impact center, and Gamma could sense some damage to its external armor chassis.

"Oh ho ho!" came the doctor's voice from above. "I knew Beta would do better in a real fight!"

Homing missiles. It seemed Gamma was not the only unit equipped with those.

Beta raised its other cannon, firing off another shot, but this time Gamma was more prepared. Instead of sidestepping the attack, it painted the missile itself as a target, and let loose a projectile of its own, glowing blue and sparking with energy. The missiles collided in a blast of heat between the two units, and as Beta readied itself for another attack, Gamma used the opportunity to paint its brother.

Three times, the same as the Sonic doll.

Three energy missiles burst out of the end of Gamma's cannon, and a second later all three impacted Beta - in the head, in the midsection, inside the barrel of one of its own cannons. It teetered and sparked slightly, then went still.

For a moment, silence reigned in the room.

Then laughter boomed from above, and Gamma detected footsteps, heels clinking on the metal stairs. The doctor's round form came into view, stepping into the center of the two units. "Oh ho ho ho! You surprised me, Gamma!"

Straightening itself as best it could despite the damage, Beta stepped closer to Dr. Robotnik. Gamma stayed still where it was, cannon still raised in a ready position.

"Your older brother might have technically superior firepower, but you, Gamma… you have smarts! I had a funny feeling there was more to you than meets the eye." Teeth. "I, Dr. Robotnik, hereby grant Gamma permission to serve on board the Egg Carrier!"

Beta stepped forward once again, this time standing almost between Gamma and its master. It had not made a single vocalization in all this time, but the meaning of its action was perfectly clear.

"So you want to come along with us, eh?" The doctor's lip curled slightly. Beta bobbed up and down, though whether this was a response to the question or a side effect of the damage it had sustained, however minor, Gamma could not deduce. "Very well… we could always use a spare set of parts, I guess. You have special permission."

Beta stopped bobbing. Gamma lowered its cannon.

"Both of you, be ready! The fortress takes off this evening, under cover of darkness." The doctor spun on his heel and headed for a door on the other side of the room. "We have a special mission tonight, and I won't be late for my appointment."

And with that, the door slid shut behind the doctor, leaving Gamma and Beta standing next to one another in perfect silence.

Serving the doctor… is a priority.

Above the ocean - evening

The evening was dark, even directly after sunset, and the Egg Carrier slipped through the clouds high above the earth without notice. Eggman had one destination in mind, and one plan - and all he needed was one clear shot.

"Set course for Angel Island!"

Angel Island altar - evening

On an altar crumbling from thousands of years of wear, resting on the floating landmass known as Angel Island, a small red figure dozed quietly. Perhaps he hadn't meant to fall asleep so early, as he was still in a sitting position - but his eyes had drooped, and before Knuckles the Echidna knew it, he had drifted off for the night.

As far back as I can remember, I've been living here on this dark island…

Had he ever left? Hazy memories drifted through his mind - a year ago, no, two….

…always guarding the Master Emerald from anything that could harm it….

A large, round figure, approaching his altar….

I don't know why I was given this job, why it was my fate… destined to be here…

Here?

…forever!

A sharp crack split the silence of the night, and instantly Knuckles' eyes popped open. He scrambled to his feet, hands clenched into fists.

The Master Emerald!

He spun around, half expecting another false alarm - another loud crack of thunder shaking him from his nightly rest, or a bird causing a racket in a nearby tree, but no such luck. Standing at the top of the altar, back to the steps, Knuckles found himself face to face with the strangest creature he'd ever seen.

It looked like it was made of water, but the color was wrong, a thick turquoise, almost poisonous in appearance. It stood on two feet, nearly twice as tall as him, and stared down at him with piercing, solid green eyes. Behind the eyes, its brain was visible - a pink mass floating freely in its liquid body.

Knuckles felt a chill run down his spine at the sight.

"Who are you?" he demanded, already preparing for a fight, but then another sight made his breath catch in his throat.

No - !

The creature stood in front of the Master Emerald - or rather, what was left of it. Scattered shards littered the ground behind it, not nearly enough to comprise the entire mass of the emerald. Most of it was simply… gone.

"The Master Emerald!" Anger and grief tinged his voice. Then Knuckles felt his gaze harden as a hot fury rose in his throat. He locked eyes on the creature once more; in all this time, it had made no move. "Did you do this?"

The creature just stared, impassive.

"Answer me!" Knuckles lunged forward, thrusting his fist forward spikes first. It made contact, and he yelled in a furious triumph - but his fist sank harmlessly into the creature's liquid form. He barely had enough time to look up in shock before it raised its arm and slapped him directly across the face, sending him sprawling.

"Agh!" He tumbled backwards down the stairs at the front of the altar, hitting the ground at the bottom with a grunt of pain. Digging his heels into the ground, he managed to steady himself, and looked back up to the top of the altar, where some kind of orange spark was rising into the air at an erratic pace - no doubt from what that monster just did!

He charged full speed back up the steps, fist ready for another try, but as he reached the top the creature began to… melt. Knuckles skidded to a stop and stared in shock as its form dissolved until it was just a puddle of bluish goo on the floor. He clenched his fists, readying himself for a surprise attack, but the puddle began to shrink and evaporate, and by the time he ran up to it, the ground was dry.

"No!" he yelled, dropping to his knees and smacking his palm against the bare stone. "No, no, no! You shattered the Master Emerald! You shattered my emerald!"

He went quiet, his harsh breaths now the only sound in the cold night. The faint glow from the remaining emerald shards, so small and so few, seemed to mock him, blame him.

The ground beneath him began to rumble ominously.

"Oh no…" he murmured.

Without the Master Emerald's power, this whole island will fall….

He remained on the stone where he was kneeling, eyes closed as the descent began.

I've failed.

Station Square - night

Miles and miles away from Angel Island, the city of Station Square bustled with life. Even though it was late at night, the city thrived, crowds wandering the busy streets, chattering at the sights and enjoying the amenities. It was the middle of summer, after all, and Station Square had no shortage of beach resorts and tourist attractions, making it one of the country's most popular vacation spots.

And Sonic loved every minute of it.

He'd just arrived back in the city a few hours ago, after months of being away, and had been celebrating by running at top speed along the rooftops. It really was his kind of place - nothing ever moved slow here. He might like the wilds, with plenty of space to run free - might like the soft beauty of nature - but he had to admit, big cities like this one struck a chord with him.

No one on the streets saw him as he ran. He moved too fast, and stayed near the top of the city, on the rooftops, sometimes daring himself to run sideways along the walls without falling off before bounding back up to relative safety. From his vantage point, he saw and heard everything around him. The glimmering lights, the people, the…

Police sirens?

Sonic skidded to a halt on top of a building near the beach, looking over the edge to the street several stories down. Sure enough, several police cars were swerving haphazardly along the road, tires screeching. They looked almost panicked, and people gasped in their wake, leaping back in alarm.

Sonic grinned to himself. "Aw yeah, this is happenin'!" he said to no one in particular. Where there were cops, there were bad guys - and where there were bad guys, there was always a need for heroes, or so he figured. At the very least, even if they didn't need his help, he could always enjoy the spectacle.

Wasting no more time, he did a front flip off the roof, landing gracefully in the middle of a shocked group of tourists, and took off after the squad cars in a blur of blue.

Station Square - night

The building the commotion led him to turned out to be the courtyard of Station Square's city hall. Sonic caught up just as the cops were getting out of their cars, which were all positioned outside the courtyard as a kind of barrier.

"You are completely surrounded!" one of the cops called out, but Sonic couldn't see who they were talking to. Frustrated, he tried to peer over or around the cars, a feat made difficult by his small stature.

"Lock on target, men!" the voice yelled again, echoing around the courtyard. "Ready… FIRE!"

The sound of gunfire rang out, much to Sonic's shock. He winced. Not what I came here for…. He looked away, hoping nothing too horrible was happening in that courtyard, and caught the eye of several brave spectators who had gathered nearby to watch, as close as they dared. One locked eyes with him and gasped, pointing. "Sonic - !"

"Shhh," he said, waving his hand, and she covered her mouth with her hand, looking abashed.

Nice to know I have fans, at least.

The gunfire ceased abruptly.

"It's no good! Our weapons are useless against that creature!"

Sonic's ear perked up. Maybe this wouldn't be as gruesome as he'd feared….

An appalling squelching noise emanated from the courtyard, followed by the same cop's voice one last time, sounding panicked. "Retreat! All personnel, fall back!"

"I think it's finally time to join the fray!" Sonic said, rolling his shoulders once. He crouched and leapt up onto one of the squad cars just as the cops passed him, looking shocked.

"Hey - is that - ?"

"Sonic!"

"Hey guys!" he said, but he wasn't paying attention to them any longer. His gaze had been drawn by the strange creature standing in the middle of the courtyard, bullets littering the ground at its feet.

It's like it's made out of water… yikes.

If he didn't know better, he'd have thought someone cooked up this monster just to spite him. But then again, what was the likelihood of drowning inside a living creature?

"This could be fun!" He rolled easily off the front of the car, stopping in front of the creature, which was standing still as though it hadn't just been pelted with bullets from six different guns. "If you've been causing trouble around here, then it looks like I'm gonna have to take you down!"

The creature's alien green eyes narrowed immediately, and it took a menacing step forward. That was when Sonic noticed something he hadn't seen before… its brain, floating free in its liquid body and seeming almost to glow slightly.

"That's the ticket!" he said aloud, and just as the creature lunged forward, taking its first swipe at him, he leapt up. He curled into a ball, sharp spines on the outside, and homed in on the brain, striking it hard through the goo.

The creature let out an odd noise, a sort of low sloshing howl that made his skin crawl, and as he rebounded it struck out again immediately. Sonic barely had time to land before dodging the blow, but the creature seemed clumsy and slow.

He laughed as he dodged again. "Come on!" he called as it swung, this time letting his feet connect with its arm and bouncing off it toward the courtyard wall. The soles of his shoes planted firmly against the concrete, and he launched himself away - directly at the creature, striking its brain a second time.

Another howl. This time, as Sonic landed, it chose a different tactic. It leapt high in the air and landed on a lamppost, its feet melting into a solid mass to keep itself attached to the top. An arm shot out, stretching to reach the ground, and Sonic. He rolled to avoid the strike, then another. The creature unfused its feet only to leap to another light post and repeat its attack.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Sonic yelled, dodging its arm, which struck the ground hard enough to leave a spiderweb crack in the pavement. If he was going to take this thing out, he'd have to get higher.

The lampposts….

"Yeah, that'll work!"

As the creature's arm shot out yet again, he raced toward the lamppost opposite his foe's with as much speed as he could muster in a short distance. He leaped at the last moment, his fingers closing tightly around the pole, allowing his momentum to carry him around and upwards in a spin. After a few tight rotations, he let go, aiming his feet directly at the monster's head.

It worked - his soles connected with the brain, and the creature was knocked hard from its perch, splashing down onto the pavement. Sonic landed just beyond it, sticking the landing perfectly, to the sound of cheering coming from the direction of the cop cars. He smiled, satisfied, and dusted off his gloves.

"Ah, it was nothing…."

He turned around, expecting to see a rather disgusting wet patch on the ground, only to notice that the residue from the creature wasn't staying put. In fact, it seemed to be gathering itself together into a goopy puddle, and sliding across the pavement towards a drain.

"Hey, come on, you big drip!" he shouted after it. "Where ya going?"

With a slurping sound, the puddle sucked itself down through the grates, leaving the courtyard looking hardly the worse for wear - as if nothing had even occurred there.

"Down into the dumps where you belong, huh?" Sonic crossed his arms, grinning down at the drain and tapping a finger. Station Square promised to offer him even more excitement than he had figured, if this was the sort of stuff that went on around here….

"You know nothing, fool!"

Sonic's head snapped up to find the source of this new voice.

"It's Chaos - the god of destruction!"

"Aw, geez…."

Floating above the city hall in his Egg Mobile was none other than Dr. Eggman himself. Sonic's mouth twisted ruefully as the doctor descended into maniacal laughter, then flew away into the night, his laughing still echoing around the courtyard.

"Figures he'd be behind something like this," Sonic said wryly.

"Mr. Sonic!" came a voice from the direction of the squad car barrier.

"Just call me Sonic," he said automatically as he turned to face the cop approaching him.

"We can't thank you enough for showing up when you did," the man said, obviously relieved. "There was no way we'd have been able to take him down on our own."

"Well, maybe not," Sonic said, grinning again. "Lucky I'm here to take care of things!"

He hopped onto the car again, staring out into the square beyond. Curious faces peered back at him, but already the other officers were ushering them back, away from the scene. "And if Eggman's back causing trouble, I'm gonna need my beauty sleep…."

Station Square sewers - night

The water from the sewers rushed out of the city, and the remnants of the creature washed with it. It turned corners, splashed down pipes, and it finally took a turn too hard, separating a small fragment just as it reached the open air.

The fragment trailed sluggishly along the ground, looking for the rest of its body, but instead slithered straight into a cool stream. The stream traveled away from the city, for miles and miles, until it reached a jungle, flowing peacefully beneath the canopy of the trees above.

must… find… the rest of me….

And to do that, it needed a body….

It regained just enough strength, drawing from the cool liquid in which it was submersed, to lash out at the first living creature it sensed - a small, green frog perched at the edge of the water.

Mystic Ruins jungle - midnight

Big woke suddenly from a deep slumber, his favorite fishing rod still clutched tightly in one hand. He sat up in his bed, rubbing his amber eyes and automatically looking around his small open-air dwelling for his best friend.

"Wha… Froggy?"

There were no frogs to be found anywhere he looked. Big sat up further, worry beginning to course through him, until he spotted Froggy sitting at the edge of the stream just a few feet away.

"Oh, there you are," he sighed. Then he frowned.

"Froggy, is that you?"

The frog had his back to Big, and was shivering violently. And even stranger….

"You're looking kinda weird, good buddy… what's up with the tail?"

Big had always thought frogs lost their tails as they grew up. He scratched his head in confusion. Did he have it backwards?

Froggy turned around and hopped closer, croaking strangely. Big reached down to scoop him up in concern, but Froggy evaded and leapt onto his table.

"Hey - "

Gulp!

Big turned and gasped. "You swallowed my lucky charm!"

The glowing yellow gem had disappeared into Froggy's mouth. Big had found it nearly a week ago, half-buried in the mud next to his favorite fishing spot, and he hadn't had a bad catch since.

"Froggy! You know how much I like that thing - "

Froggy gave another strange croak and hopped off the table, heading deeper into the jungle without so much as a backwards glance.

"Come back here!" Big said, scrambling off his wooden bed and nearly toppling over in the process. "What's wrong with you?"

Something's not right, he thought. We've always been friends… for years….

"Froggy!" he called again as his friend's strange new tail disappeared into the dark between the trees. His fingers fumbled with the straps on his sandals in his haste to put them on. "Wait up!"

Big took off into the jungle after his friend, fishing rod on his shoulder.