Chapter Text
The bunker is bigger than Sonic expected. Nine explained as they went through all the rooms that they found it after they came here the first time. It had been unusable then, flooded with gore and sickness. Nine had no trouble rattling off the details as Sonic stared at them, horrified. It was inhabitable, and from Nine's disgusted face, the people who used it met an untimely demise.
It had taken Nine weeks to clean it out and much longer to set up shop, building impressive machines to do the heavy load for them. Though it had taken longer to build upgrades for finer cleaner, Nine made it work. Sonic awed and ohed as Nine showed him the hanger filled with worker bots. They do not have the polish Dr. Eggman or the Choas Council's tech own. But from what Nine lacks in aesthetics, they make up in practicality.
Still, Nine warned him not to go into rooms that reeked of death. As thorough as Nine is, in their words, it is an enormous place and getting everything clean is statistically impossible. Not that Sonic doubts them. He would rather avoid discovering any grimy spot Nine's tech forgot to clean.
Sonic refrained from asking how long everything took exactly - trusting Nine's vague time assessments. Even without mentioning it, Sonic knew it was a sensitive topic. Only a few hours passed for Sonic in Jungle World, but for the people in New Yoke, months went by. He cannot imagine how Nine felt, thinking Sonic abandoned them. It breaks his heart.
Still, despite the bunker's impressive size, Sonic does not feel as excited as Nine when they showed him everything. Sonic did his best to listen and give input when necessary, but he often drifted off and swayed on his feet. Nine told him to rest and take it easy. Sonic followed their advice, knowing how much of a hypocrite he would be if he did not follow his own advice when he has told Tails and his friends so many times to relax.
But a rest day becomes two, three, four; by now, Sonic has lost fingers to count how many days he has been since he woke up in the bunker. His memories fade in and out; he is sure that whatever happened to him is affecting his brain. However, he has no idea how to bring it up. Usually, he pushes his problems deep down, hoping they will miraculously vanish. Or one of his friends points it out and forces him to confront it. But Nine does not mention how Sonic wobbles on his feet or how tired he is. So, he concludes it must not be that serious. If someone like Nine does not notice how odd he is acting, then it must be just him imagining things.
Still, the days in the Grim go by slowly. There is nothing to do. Even as Sonic slowly gets better, feeling less sluggish as his energy returns to him, nothing about their routine changes. They wake up, and Sonic fumbles, trying to ask to leave and yet accommodate Nine's needs. They go around the bunker repairing stuff. Or Nine does the maintenance as Sonic dies of boredom, and they go back to sleep. Every day in and out. Same tasteless food, stainless floors, and steel walls staring back at him, keeping him away from the beautiful wind and adventure harkening to his name.
Sonic is fed up with this routine.
"Are you alright, Sonic?"
Sonic's ear twitches, folding back to hear Nine's voice better. He turns towards them, schooling his expression before Nine can see his grimace. He feels so fake for smiling. But if he let his true colours show, Nine would get irritated. Sonic is unsure why he feels that way, but his spines raise at the possibility. He needs to keep his cards close to his chest, even if he feels like a liar for doing so.
But he sighs - it would be better, to be honest. That is what led him to break down Nine's impenetrable walls before. It may work again.
"No, buddy. Now that you mention it, I've been feeling pretty awful." Sonic examines Nine and what they are doing. He expects them to keep working on the robot they have been tinkering with for days. They did say it only needed a few finishing touches. But Nine is not working anymore. They are staring down at Sonic on top of the mech. Almost menacing with how they block out the fluorescent light of the LED lamps. It sends a shiver down Sonic's spine. Their spider tails twirl behind their head ominously.
"Hmm." Nine hums. They hop down from the robot, sliding down its steely exterior and landing gracefully on the floor. They are no less intimidating, as Nine does not need the height with their ferocious glare to come across as threatening.
When did Nine become so scary? I'm not intimidated, but I don't appreciate feeling this on edge. Sonic muses, refusing to acknowledge the trickle of fear thrumming in his veins.
"Say, when are we going to the surface? You've been doing so much maintenance. We have to be getting to the end of the workload." Sonic asks, avoiding eye contact as Nine's intense eyes bores into his. He walks about, anything to keep himself busy, stretching his legs into exaggerated movements, loosening his arms and rolling his shoulders. He feels stiff - even if he is not running, he should be doing pilates or yoga to keep himself nimble. He has a crick in his neck! It is a shame it is impossible to relax in such an environment, even as Sonic ignores how unnerved he is.
"I am doing the one doing the work. And hmm," Nine corrects harshly, but they calm down quickly, glancing at their project. Nine nods, "I guess I made good progress this week."
It has been only a week? I could have sworn more days than the regular seven have gone by. Is Nine's definition of a week different from mine? Should I even ask, or would that be stupid?
Nonetheless, the prospect of getting out of here has Sonic giddy - turning back around with stars in his eyes.
"So, does that mean we go can up there? I've been dying to stretch my legs," He says, stretching his aforementioned legs in the classic runner's pose, whizzing past the hanger's pillars and even skipping to show how excited he is. It is everything he has been waiting for since he woke up in this dreary place.
"You can stretch your legs here. There is enough space." As you just did, goes unsaid as Nine looks pointedly at Sonic's shoes. The white hexagonal design is free of blemishes or filth, unlike the other powered-up versions of his sneaker that got dirty the first five minutes of getting to a new paradoxical world.
"Yeah, sure…" Sonic rolls his eyes, crossing his arms grumpily.
The bunker is big; Sonic has run around this place enough times to cement this fact. But it is a cluttered space. For someone as meticulous as Nine, they do not seem to enjoy cleaning up much. Or that is how they concentrate, having everything where it belongs even if it looks like the opposite of organised. But that does not help Sonic. The bots only clean up dust and stains. They do not organise and store objects. And when Sonic tries to clean up after Nine so as not to feel useless - Nine snaps at him.
Although bringing that up right now seems like a bad idea.
"It's not only about running, though. We need some fresh air! Staying inside can not be good for both of us, bud. So, let's go up, up, up and catch some vitamin D. I know you need some." Sonic hand signs all his words, hoping his enthusiasm and energetic body language will entice Nine to accept his offer. Opening his arms wide at 'air' and maiming catching a fish and reeling it in with 'catch'.
But Nine does not budge - narrowing their eyes. As unamused as a pear.
Sonic comically copies their deep frown—still, nothing. The fox is an emotionless wall. Nothing escapes them.
"You look a ghost." Sonic whines - dramatically falling behind before catching himself and speeding past Nine - tapping on their shoulder.
"Boo!" He tries to scare Nine, snickering as he truly falls, this time to the floor - letting his spine cushion his fall. He expects accompanying laughter, for a soft, if youthful voice to call him a dork and help him back up. But as Sonic opens his eyes, it is Nine who is staring down at him. Pale blue irises that are too stark against the darkness beneath their eyes.
"Why do you want to go to the surface so much?" Nine asks, their voice so faint Sonic almost does not hear it. Sonic blinks. It is the first time he has seen Nine look sad - or what is sad for Nine, at least. Their ears do not droop like Tails, nor do their tails fall limp to the floor in defeat.
Nine does neither of those things. But their eyes are downcast, and they clench their jaw in frustration. But it is the soft tone of their voice that gives them away. Because Sonic knows what frustration for Nine looks like, this is not it.
"Heh?" Sonic makes a confused sound.
Nine takes a deep breath, staring at the ceiling in what feels short of rolling their eyes.
"You've been clamouring to go up every single day. Why do you need to leave so badly?!" They bite out, annoyed. The fur of their fleshy tails raises like it has been hit with electricity. Sonic climbs upright, lifting a brow. I was right. That was not frustration. This is. He notes.
"...Nine, I never said anything about leaving? Are you alright? You might have overworked yourself, buddy." He cautiously treads, chuckling to relieve the uneasy tension in the hanger. It feels like the room has been sucked out of oxygen; Sonic can feel it weighing on him.
"I'm fine." Nine murmurs. Sonic has a feeling that it was not meant for him. It sounds like a reassurance to themself as if they need to convince themself of being alright. Nine glances back at Sonic - appraising him. As if he had done something in that short time, Nine was not looking at him.
They sigh - closing their eyes. Nine looks tired.
"Not yet. I still need to do the last checkups before I can take a rest day." They pause, mulling over their words. Nine turns their entire body towards Sonic, their body language more open than before. "You understand, don't you, Sonic?" They smile, holding their arms behind their back. It is a better smile than a week ago. But there are still too many teeth with a look that looks too sardonic to be genuine. It feels practised and less reassuring than it is meant to be.
Sonic bobs his head. It is more than a habit - not meant to be a nonverbal agreement. But he is not going to say otherwise.
"Okay, but I don't understand why I can't go up there-"
"We are going to study the emerald structures together! Isn't that what we decided on? Don't you want to do that anymore?" Nine interrupts, staring up with their big blue eyes. Sonic just noticed it, but Nine lowered themself, not standing high and mighty above them with their bio-mechanical tails. They arched their back to appear even smaller than they were to Sonic - their gestures more akin to their age than the teenage bravo he had come to expect from them.
Granted, Nine is taller than his Tails. But the action is superficial. Sonic taps his finger against the inside of his elbow.
"...no, Nine, I love to study those emeralds with you." Sonic grits between clenched teeth, "Just a few more checks, yeah?"
"I promise." Nine reassures - smiling thinly behind shadowed eyes.
"Cool beans." Sonic grins, giving a thumbs up. It does not reach his eyes. The duo are mirrors, reflecting each other. Disingenuous to the very last drop of blood in their system.
"I'm going to the restroom," Sonic announces, turning away from the conversation in a bored tone. His posture is lax, not waiting for Nine to respond.
"Okay, you know where it is." Nine does anyway, staring hard into Sonic's back. Sonic does not turn around to confirm it. He can feel it.
"Of course I do. I have a fantastic sense of direction." He says, the humour plain in his voice.
"I know." Nine laughs. Sonic's smile strains.
Sonic walks away, hands behind his head as he whistles a tune. It bounces off the hangar walls, echoing through every little corner and carrying far down the corridors of the bunker. Sonic rounds the corner, truly alone. He frowns. Nine lied to him - straight to his face! He almost did not catch it but recognises Tail's telltales everywhere. The twitching of their right ear just as they stared deeply into Sonic's eyes, trying to convince him their every word was the truth. It makes Sonic queasy. How had he not noticed it before?
Sonic was so busy trying not to compare Nine to Tails that he ignored all the signs of something being wrong. He feels so stupid! Sonic balls his fists, swallowing the frustrated scream building up his throat. He had a hunch he was being lied to. His gut is never wrong, but from his little buddy? It makes him madder than anything before. Although, he sighs, his raised spines wilting like flowers. It is his fault for not noticing it sooner.
But this is Nine we're talking about. A part of Tails - or whatever these Paradox counterparts are! There is no way they would deceive me. Not maliciously, anyway. Sonic tries to rationalise. Nine had to have had a good reason to lie. They have to! No version of Nine could be evil, and even so - Sonic would have noticed it right away if there was a cruel bone in Nine's body. Sure, they have admitted to hurting others before, and their apathy to other living things does not help. But Nine is a good person! They may be a sombre and angst teen, but they are still an alternative version of Tails. Sonic cannot imagine Tails being crooked.
So, maybe it was a white lie for a way to spend time together. Nine is not the most socially intelligent, despite their obvious intellect. Perhaps this is their way of wanting to be close to someone?
If only a week has passed. Maybe it really was just maintenance. I can see why Nine has stretched out the time for so long. Machinery is delicate. You can never be too careful with it. However, their subtle insistence on not going to the surface alone is still suspicious. Sonic muses.
Sonic thinks back to the tour and the one hallway they did not explore - remembering its circular design and how different it was from the high-ceiling rooms the rest of the bunker possesses. Nine had not even given that place a cursory glance. Sonic brought it up, noting how odd it was as Nine had something to say about every room and hallway. Its design was way more interesting than anything else in the bunker - to Sonic. It is smaller than the other hallways, circular and looks like a room built into a spaceship.
Nine had walked ahead, waving off Sonic's question. Only through prodding did the fox answer. They mentioned it being of the rooms and halls they could not clean as it was too small for the bots to get to and that they would not touch it with their own hands. Too much death, they had remarked. Even though they had no trouble describing the gruesomeness of the other messes, they cleaned up.
If there is nothing there, it should be okay if I go there. It is not like Nine forbid me from going there. If I'm right, I know where it leads -
"Where are you going?"
Sonic jumps, looking behind him. His quils raise, and he falls into a stance to spindash. Heart leaping in his throat.
It is Nine. It could not be anyone else - there is no living soul in here besides them. Still, Sonic does not relax, his previous thoughts invading his mind. Is he really safe? He does not feel like it.
He forcibly relaxes his quills when Nine raises a brow, their eyes on the many little spines people usually don't see because they usually lay flat next to the bigger quills. Perhaps it is the first Nine sees them. Sonic does not get scared often. Still, he does not like it.
"Gah! Little buddy, you scared me. I think I'm going to have a heart attack if you do that again." Sonic says with an anxious chuckle, waving his hand in an 'oh you' sort of way,
Nine's eyes bores into him - staring him down. Sonic blinks, realising they come to the same height. He glances down, allowing his concentration to falter. Nine's metallic legs have raised them from the ground, slowly making their user taller and taller until Nine is completely hovering over him. Just like they did with the robot in the hangar, making themself bigger than Sonic and more intimidating.
Nine catches his look and looks down as well. They hiss and quickly come back down as if to rectify a mistake.
Maybe they never noticed that they were doing that. Either way, I don't care. I'm fed up with this.
Even Nine's question feels like a formality. It is hard to tell; even with the days spent together, Sonic still needs to guess Nine's true thoughts. From their tone alone, they find nothing and even their body language is neutral as they walk up to the wall. Nine opens the panel and, with their multitool, starts tinkering with the wires and zappy buttons behind the safety metal.
But, Sonic's eyes dart to Nine's tails. They are fanned around Nine, helping them repeatedly with their task. But their two blonde tails lay limply in the gentle cradle metal. The support tail curls around it protectively - keeping it far from danger.
Nine is agitated. Sonic knows that for sure.
"Going to do the bathroom. Didn't I say that already?" Sonic answers, folding his arms. He cannot help but respond in kind. Walking on eggshells for an entire week tired him out. He is done with this attitude of Nine, especially after lying to him.
It is one thing to fib or lie over something inconsequential, like taking the last doughnut or about a house chore. But about something like Sonic's freedom? Sonic does not know what Nine is keeping secret, but if it has something to do with the surface of the Grim or the Shatterverse, Sonic cannot forgive them as much as he wants to cajole them and treat them like Tails. If Nine stands in his way to save the universe and the mess he made, he will have to fight them as much as it pains him.
Nine comes down from their spider hunch, their biomechanical tails gently placing them back on the ground. They turn around, seemingly disinterested and awkwardly scuffing their shoes on the floor. Sonic is caught between finding it funny and being extremely annoyed.
"Hmm, sure." They murmur, so nonchalant. Sonic forces away the urge to make a jab. Nine is not his enemy, he reminds himself. This still could be a misunderstanding.
Nine glances at Sonic, eyes narrowed.
"You know what you're doing?" They ask as if peering into Sonic's soul with such a simple question. It sounds less like a question and more of a statement.
"Always." That's a lie, but Nine does not need to know how impulsive Sonic can be. If Nine is going to be dishonest, then Sonic is too. It is childish, perhaps, but Sonic feels he must - even if his gut churns with it. Something just is not right, and he has to get to the bottom of this—solo style.
"Just checking." Nine waves their hand, walking away into a side corridor. It is the kitchen if Sonic recalls correctly. They are probably hungry from making their brain work so much all morning.
"Don't let me keep you waiting. I am not inclined to clean up your messes!" They shout, their voice disappearing around the corridor.
"Puh-lease, Nine. I would be embarrassed from here to Angel Island if you needed to clean up after me for anything. I am a responsible man." Sonic quickly responds, laughing loudly so Nine can hear him in these echoing halls.
Nine does not respond. The silence is poignant - filling with dread. Sonic drops the happy facade, grimacing deeply as he walks towards his destination.
So, what is on the surface? He asks himself, walking into the forbidden corridor Nine warned him about.
What is on the surface, indeed? The voice in his head replies, as curious as a viper - urging him to take action. He nods, mind made up.
Sonic enters the circular door, not looking back. The day's content flashes by him as he treks into it - careful not to make too much sound. Sonic can be silent when he wants to be, but foxes hearing are sensitive. He does not want Nine to know what he is up to. He is unwilling to break the lonely inventor's trust - even if Nine broke it first.
Looking back on it now, he should have seen the oddness before now. In the last few days, Nine has been tight-lipped about their inventions. They only kept prattling on about how amazing the bunker was and how efficient the worker bots were. Anything else coming from Nine was curt or ignored. Sonic had chalked it up to irritation and lousy sleep. But Sonic knows that Nine has been sleeping better as they wake up together every morning. Sonic insisted on sleeping elsewhere, wanting to give the teenager space and privacy. It is not like Sonic is in critical modus anymore, so it should have been fine.
But Nine had been adamant about them staying in the same room and sharing supplies. He found it cute at first and missing Tails, he let it be. Now, the thought sends a chill up his spine. He does not like it, even if he cannot put his finger on why. But Nine's behaviour has been off. He can no longer stay ignorant of it.
It is creepy. Sonic never considered it until now. From Tails, it would be endearing. But Nine is not Tails. They are a stranger with a familiar face and a familiar story. But they are not his baby siblings or the person he grew up with and half-raised.
It ruffles Sonic's fur and spines all the wrong ways. He looks ahead, focusing on his surroundings instead. He can think about this all later. Or better yet, run until his thoughts are drowned and forgotten,
The corridor is longer than Sonic thought, cleaner too. He wonders if Nine lied about this as well. But, a few meters in, the floor becomes dusty - filthy. Heh, I guess they were not lying after all. About this, at least. Although, it's less filthy than I expected. Sonic thinks.
There are no other doors or rooms nor the stench of death - contradicting what Nine said. But further up ahead, there are marks on the wall. Sonic blinks and inches closer to study the strange marks. They are brown, though light enough not to let the scent of what got stuck on the walls linger. No, Sonic only smells antiseptic and the stuffy air the bunker holds. Whoever tried to scrub away these stains could not get all the stains out. Sonic thinks it is stubborn dirt at first, having seen how dark earth can get - specifically fertile soil. It is excellent for growing gardens and, more importantly, food! Sonic grows the most perfect chillies, if he must say so himself. It is one of the relaxing hobbies Amy introduced him to, and although his green thumb is less stellar than hers, gardening keeps him busy for a little while when the house is too quiet.
But Sonic remembers the Grim's sand being a crimson-deep red. It was such an odd colour, yet beautiful against the emerald sky. It had stolen his breath away.
Wait, I remember the Grim, or I would not know what it looks like. But what happened afterwards? Sonic wonders. He had done his best not to think about it, his mind buzzing to return to the action while pleasing Nine. But without the genius with him, his mind is free to think. Even when Nine was asleep, Sonic lay awake at night, unable to sleep with the icy feeling of wrongness. He dared not to dwell on the past.
His feet lead him further in, each step remembering a little more.
We fought. I remember that. I disagreed with what Nine was planning for the Grim. But what was their plan? It could not have been that bad if Nine had proposed it. Although with how Nine has been acting, Sonic wonders if he should trust in Nine's virtue unquestioningly.
They are not Tails. You cannot tell them if you cannot trust them. Give respect to gain respect and all that jazz. Sonic was blinded by the sibling he saw in Nine.
Sonic lifts his gaze, eyes widening as he spots a door. He races towards it, awing at the circular shape. It reminds him of a bottle cap. Does that mean I'm inside a bottle? Could a giant come by and twist it open like a cold one? That would be funny. Sonic muses, allowing himself a little chuckle in this tense moment. He looks around for a control panel, curious about where this leads. Despite what people might think, Sonic is not inept with computers. He just seems that way because Tails is such a technical genius. Everyone looks like a Luddite next to the golden child prodigy. And with how militaristic everything is, things like control panels are obvious and labelled. Sonic cannot read the tiny letters, but the big red button must be the opening hatch.
He hovers over it to press it. But he hesitates, noting the wear and tear on it. He surveys the control panel again and spots a key slot and a pictogram of turning it clockwise. Only the key is gone.
Sonic clicks his tongue. He has a good idea of who would have that key. He looks behind him, considering going back to searching for the key. From the hole size, it must be small, and knowing Nine, no doubt they would keep it on their person. They are paranoid like that.
He taps the metallic surface of the panel, irritated. Sonic glances down at his shoes, watching the hexagonal patterns stream soft light against the strange matching flooring. He snaps his fingers, grinning with an electrifying idea. Sonic jogs into place, buzzing as he arches all his spines and rubs his arms. Static electricity pours out of him, and he touches the panel again. The charge is not enough to unlock the door, but the power from the paradox phenomenon fries the circuits, making them unable to process the foreign energy.
After all, Sonic muses smugly as the door opens with a hiss of pressurised air - all emergency exits need to be able to be opened in case of system failure. Tails taught me that one.
Sonic does not wait for the door to completely slide off to the side, running into the desert air with a sense of newly acquired freedom. It tastes dry and full of sand, ironically enough. But Sonic would take that above getting stuck inside again.
The Grim spreads before him in all its contrasting glory. Just as in his memory, the sands are like wine on the dark red side. Sonic steps into it, testing his weight on it. It is strangely solid. But it is still sand, which gives away when he digs his heel into it. But it should be sturdy enough to run on, as long as he does not trip or make too sudden turns. However, he prefers it to pavement. He has gotten some ugly bruising and scrapes from skidding across asphalt at top speed.
He looks up at the sky.
"Wow." He utters, unable to stop the awed sound from leaving him. He ambles forward to admire it openly, striding from under the little roof of the bunker's entrance. The sky is a sea-deep green, darker than the emerald sheen he remembers. But it is undoubtedly mesmerising. A whole galaxy spans above him, unmeasurable stars glittering before his eyes - green reflecting green. It is magnificent. It is like a river stream spanning over the sky, with flashes of purple and even bits of orange. It is so alien compared to the indigo night sky of his home, but it sends a pang of longing through him anyway.
Sonic clenches his fists, filled with determination. He must return to the adventure and correct things. It is his fault everything became like this. He must fix it. When he gets back, he will give Tails a big bone-crushing hug. It is the least his little buddy deserves after everything.
Sonic looks around, not planning to dwindle around. He had already spent too much time in that horrible bunker. Said bunker is buried by the sand. Only the entrance peeks out from under a wooden roof. The tarp attached to the sides was fixed there to keep as much sand away from the electrical door during a sandstorm as possible. Sand tends to clog machinery really badly. But Nine's Tempest is nowhere to be seen. Sonic expected it to be nearby so Nine could take off whenever they wanted. Although if the Grim suffers from frequent sandstorms, it would make sense to keep it inside until needed.
But there is a charging station outside. Sonic walks towards it, touching it with his toe as he curiously pokes around. Surprisingly, all the tech is clean, like a bench to set up a computer console and batteries. Some sand particles are on there, but it is less snowed in than the bunker.
"Or sanded-in, ha!" He snickers, laughing at his own joke. Sonic shakes his head. It is not the time for jokes, even if he yearns for their simplicity. He feels on edge.
Sonic stands in between the charging poles for clues about where the Tempest could have gone. He shifts on his feet, uneasy. The sand feels different here. Sonic looks down, digging into the sand with his shoes. He will never get the red stains out of his gloves if he does it with his gloves, and well, he is quicker on his feet anyway. He must not dig deep—the metal door peeks from under the sand. Sonic frowns, his nose crunching with bemusement. He thinks back to the layout of the bunker and recalls the giant hanger. You had to walk many stairs down to get to the bottom of it, where all the tools and robots lay. But Sonic would have remembered if he saw the Tempest or a metal hatch on the ceiling.
There were more rooms Nine kept hidden from me. I should not be surprised anymore, but it still stings. Sonic sighs, surveying his surroundings again. There is nothing much here. It is an empty wasteland with nothing interesting for miles aside from the emerald structures jutting out from the bedrock. There are craters in the distance, but Sonic is not up to playing explorer. Knowing this world's history will not help him right now.
Well, if there is nothing else. Then, I can only rely on my speed to get me to places. Sonic concludes, stretching to get into a running position. He can fight and run whenever he wants to without stress or hurting himself, but only because he exercises daily and stretches. He neglected his health down in that bunker. In fact, he feels like he has been inactive for a long time. It is worrying, to say the least, for he has only been inactive for a week. But after a couple of stretches and circular jogs, Sonic sprints far away from the bunker - ready to leave all of it behind.
It feels great to be able to run at his top speed finally. Like being released from a cage, running to his heart's content. He digs in his heels a little harsher than usual, desperate to escape the confusion and bad feelings he had a week ago.
"Sonic! Run faster. Whatever you do - do not stop! Run! " A strangely familiar voice chimes in his ear. Sonic looks to his right, surprised to see the ghostly visage of his longtime rival. It nearly shocks him out of his sprint, but he keeps on pushing forward, agreeing with Shadow for once.
He feels a strange sort of Deja vu course through him. Something tells him not to question it, almost relieved to see someone recognise him as Sonic after so much time introducing himself to people repeatedly and being the very reason for this mess. But that is beside the point.
"Alright, Shadow. You got it! Sorry for being late, as weird as this is - I don't want to spend another minute here."
Shadow's response is garbled, but Sonic can make out a hint of annoyance overshadowed by desperation. Oof, Shadow is not doing well if he is relying on Sonic of all people. He feels terrible for the guy, even if he punches him too often to Sonic's liking. This guy seriously needs to attend some ethics classes. We don't sneak up and hit people, Shadow. That is just rude and painful.
Sonic is so busy concentrating on Shadow and his inner monologue that he does not notice the contraption further up ahead. He sees a flash of blue but is already stumbling and rolling into the sand. He cannot see what made him trip up. He groans, bemoaning the sand that got under his quills. He shakes his pelt, trying to quickly get back up and back to running. In the back of his mind, he can hear Shadow's voice screaming. But it fades as fast as soon as it registers.
Not to disappoint his rival, he hurries. Shadow sounded desperate, and it worries Sonic - even if they do not have the best relationship, he still cares for Shadow. Him screaming so gutterally cannot be good. He sets off to resume running. Except he cannot get up.
He looks at his feet, gasping. He ran into a trap! It is a strange contraption, certainly nothing like Dr Eggman's MO or the little he remembers of the type of gadgets the Choas Council creates. But it clings to his ankles, snapping together every time the two bendy wires come into contact. They are like magnets, drawn to each other. But much stronger than the silly fridge magnets Sonic and Tails keep on their fridge. They are devious. Sonic cannot stand upright without having to keep his legs apart. He cannot run like this!
Oh man, to be defeated by a glorified super magnet. I'm lucky Dr Eggman is nowhere to see this. I wouldn't want him to get any funny ideas.
Sonic growls, looking around to see how he even activated this trap. It would just be his luck if he accidentally set off an easily avoidable trap. A strand of silver shines in his eye, leading back to the strange contraption pulling to the handcuff ankles. At least it is not a hogtie. That is just degrading. Sonic tries his best not to think about that. He was threatened as a child to be eaten too often and finds the image funny.
It is a tripwire, he realises - attached to a flashing little red light. Sonic stares at it, creeping dread filling his gut. Blinking red lights are never good.
He fastens back into a run to get as far away from whatever disaster he just unlocked. But as suspected, the magnets pull together just as they gravitate towards each other, making him fall and eat sand - again. He groans into the sand, spitting it back out when he comes up to breathe. He is sick and tired of this. Sonic scrambles upright, getting to work to untangle it. If the trap is anything like a fishing net, he will get out of it as long as he can concentrate enough to untie the knot.
But the bendy wire is more slippery than he expected, and even when he does get to the knot, it is sealed tight, pinching against his fur the harder he pulls.
"Stupid fat fingers! Arghh!!!!" He screams, giving up and just gnawing on the wire. It does not break, even as it bends and shreds from his teeth. It looks ugly with his bitemarks, but still, no cigar.
"What is this made from - titanium?!"
"Just bendable metal, actually; I just infused it with paradox energy to harden the metal wiring so it won't snap so easily."
Sonic snaps his head towards Nine, who casually sits on a cruiser. He must not have heard it above his own frustration.
"Nine…" Sonic trails off, not sure what to say.
"Me." Nine points at themself, gritting their teeth. Their mechanical tails carry them up to the nose of the sand mobile, sitting on top of them high and mighty. They look down at him, judgemental. Although not angry, despite what Sonic expected. But Sonic does not care for that, struggling for the magnets to unhook. He sat still for so long that they refuse to detach again.
"Argh! Let me go! This isn't funny!" Sonic demands, struggling. The sand is getting up all his fur into places he would prefer sand never be. But he does pay attention to it, desperate to return New Yoke, Kux, Rebel, Thorn - hell, he would take having one of Shadow's sucker punches over this.
Nine cocks their head.
"I wasn't trying to be. You will find my humour to be lacking." They lean over, cradling their head on their hand.
"I was wondering when you would try and make a run for it again. I did not expect you to play along for this long. I suppose even with short-term memory loss, you do learn. How fascinating." They say, sounding so aloof it is maddening, "I will have to add to my notes." Despite their statement, they do nothing to note down the information they covet. They are staring tiredly at Sonic whilst kicking their feet. Nine's hand hides their mouth, but from what little Sonic can see - a snarl hides behind it. He knows from Tails what the wrinkles of one look like. Nine hides it well, but they are pissed off.
Sonic halts in his struggles - realising it is useless. Perhaps he can still find out why Nine is doing this and plead for reason. Nine is smart. Surely they can see how bad this is?
"Why? What is going on? Is this your doing?! People are going to get hurt if you don't release-" Sonic pleads - a flash of what he left behind in New Yoke flashing before his eyes.
But he is interrupted by Nine.
"Why? Why?! "Nine shouts, eyes dilating into pinpricks in their anger. They swipe at the air, enraged. But they quickly calm down, for they look anguished instead as if they are the one here losing so much from their actions.
"Oh, of course, you would not remember. I keep forgetting about that. Maybe I'm the one with amnesia here, haha." Nine says, sitting back down on their throne of metal and bioware, a hand dragging across their face.
"I don't feel like explaining it again. You understand, right? I sound like a broken record at this point." They yawn as if this is just a regular occurrence to them. And it is - but it boggles Sonic's mind. How can they be so nonchalant about this? His perception of the past days is shattered, and they do not even care. And why would they, when they have been doing this repeatedly? The realisation drives an ice-cold spike into Sonic's heart. How long have they been here for Nine to have grown so numb?
Amnesia, really? Oh. Sonic is unsure if he should believe Nine; with their lies and actions, they have proven themself untrustworthy. But every piece of evidence points towards it: the bunker, the signs of age and most importantly, himself. The lethargy was not him being stressed; it was from oversleeping in a cycle of broken healing.
It is a difficult pill to swallow. But Nine has no patience for it, scoffing. Sonic glares at them. If they are correct, then their reaction makes sense. But still, that does not stop Sonic from being rightfully angry.
He is a happy-go-lucky dude. But this is the last straw.
"You fucking ba- Ah!" He yells, writhing on the ground. A sudden numbness overtakes him, shooting from his ankle up through his body. It is an icy feeling, seeping into his veins and paralysing him. He falls to the sand, stretching his neck to see what happened. The little device to the wire unplugs a tiny needle, ejecting it once used.
It steals his voice, slurring around what he wanted to say.
Nine jumps down from the sandmobile and saunters to Sonic, grouching beside him. Sonic can barely keep them open, but dread pools in his stomach as Nine smiles at him - lacking any gentleness.
"Oh, Don't you worry Sonic. Everything will be alright. I'm here." Nine croons, placing a hand on Sonic's head. Sonic is too lethargic to raise his spines and slumps on the ground, eyes falling shut.
"Mark my words. I will make your world a reality, one way or another. Even if it takes me a century or more - I will succeed and make paradise. Nothing will stand in my way, not even your obtuse self-sacrificial tendencies." Nine whispers so tenderly, as if it is a secret. They pet Sonic, humming a tune into the empty desert air.
"So go to sleep, and when you wake up, we will do this over and over again until we do this right ." Nine's voice filters through, just barely, yet Sonic understands every single one. Afraid and filled with astronomical dread.
"Goodnight, buddy - until we meet again."
And Sonic drifts off, dreaming a very grim dream.
Extra cut content, potential text from an earlier Loop (chapter 2):
Sonic was not always emotionally available for Tails. He understood giving them basic needs and survival skills. But Tails experiences the world so much differently than he does. His kid sibling is a genius and wonderful, but he would be lying if he said their childhood was easy. They came upon a system where Tails would flat-out tell him what they wanted or needed. New screws, wrenches, movie nights with just the two of them, flavourless foods, hyper electrical charges specifically stolen from secret government bases, etc… Sonic had Tails covered. It is far from perfect, and Sonic still messes up reading the finer details - trying to make it with too much gift-giving and less listening than he should.
But, with Nine - they are an entirely different nut to crack.
They do not say anything, nor do they request anything from Sonic. They look as if Sonic is going to run away all of a sudden and leave. As if! Sonic cannot imagine a scenario when he would do that voluntarily. Not when the future is so uncertain, and a piece of Tails might slip past him again.
Still, when he does reach out, offering a hand with their experiments or making lunch, Nine just smiles. Not gently with a little affection eye roll Tails does or toothly when they are finally getting somewhere with their work. But, almost nostalgically? Sonic is not sure what to call it, but the first time he saw it, he thought he was hallucinating. The usually grumpy fox smiling from ear to ear without a sense of sarcasm had thrown him off; he did not even bother feeling useless when Nine told them they thought the gesture was sweet but declined it—saying something about how Sonic should rest and that handling dangerous equipment while healing from a concussion is a recipe for disaster.
Sonic does not know much about medical stuff, so he did not question it. But sitting around doing nothing is grating. Sonic does not like having nothing to do. He is always an advocate for relaxation. But that comes after a good run or an exciting battle. He feels empty and uneasy, as if he is forgetting something really important.
Direction notes chapter 1:
-Nine wakes up and freaks out. Sonic acts like everything is fine. Nine is suspicious but says nothing. Their morning feels tense and rehearsed. Sonic considers asking what is going on, but something inside of him tells him not to, and he obeys it. End the scene with an awkward breakfast.
-The next scene is Sonic and Nine looking around the base. Nine explains its intricacies, delighted Sonic shows interest while Sonic feels something horror creep up his spine. (CUT) {Potential earlier loop where Nine reveals too much and administrators the amnesia serum earlier than usual}
Direction notes for OG script of chapters 2, 3 and 4 (so this chapter's script)
*Sonic keeps requesting to go up. Nine makes excuses. Sonic finally decides to go up himself without Nine. Realising he doesn't need Nine's permission at all to leave the bunker, He goes into the forbidden tunnel Nine warned him about after exploring the bunker and realising there is no exit. That tunnel is the only exit.
Sonic realises as he goes through this tunnel that things don't appear as they are, and he finds signs of a struggle in the hallway (remnants of Nine forcefully taken over the bunker). He gets a bad feeling and climbs up to the surface. There, everything looks as he remembered. But, he needs to leave - now. He tries to excuse himself by saying that he needs to save his friends and the rebels, ignoring how Nine tried to keep him here.
He tries to fly the Tempest (CUT, the Tempest is inside in the final cut). But unlike the Tarnodo, Sonic can't seem to make it work. He leaves and tries to run for it, as Shadow calls for him to fucking book it. Sonic does that but gets caught by Nine's security system. The Tempest has an alarm that alerts Nine if anyone but them tries to pilot it. Not that that would have mattered much since the security system would have captured Sonic regardless. But perhaps if Sonic had left the space shuttle alone, he would have had enough time to figure out a way to escape (unlikely). Now, it is too late, and the nightmare restarts. End Loop [UNKOWN]*