Boom to Another Dimension

by GAMERBLADE

Summary:

He was lying in the middle of a tropical beach, the ocean waves rolling gently in the distance. Palm trees swayed, and in the far-off hills, he could see a unfamiliar-looking village.

Sonic’s eyes widened in horror as realization sank in.

“...Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

Orrr...

Sonic Boom meets their Movie counterparts

Chapter 1: An Experiment Gone Wrong

In the Wachowski household, the evening had been peaceful—at least, for a little while. Tom and Maddie sat comfortably in the living room, the TV humming in the background, a cozy warmth filling the space. It was a rare moment of calm, but they both knew it wouldn’t last.

Sure enough, a loud BOOM rattled the house, followed by an irritated yell from the basement.

“Knuckles! That was not what I meant by ‘gently placing’ the power distributor!”

Tom sighed, lowering his cup of coffee. “Do I even want to know?”

Maddie chuckled, shaking her head. “Probably not.”

Downstairs, the real chaos was unfolding. The basement—Tails’ makeshift lab—was filled with glowing blueprints, hovering diagrams, and stacks of notes scattered across every available surface. In the center of it all, a workbench held a strange-looking device wired to a computer, faintly pulsing with green energy.

Sonic stood to the side, arms crossed. “Tails, buddy, are you sure about this? Because last time you said ‘it’s perfectly safe,’ I ended up in a tree.”

Knuckles, meanwhile, rubbed his fist where an electric spark had zapped him. “You should have given better instructions, Fox.”

Tails groaned, running a hand through his fur. “The instructions were literally, ‘Don’t touch anything until I say so!’ How is that complicated?!”

Knuckles huffed. “You should have been clearer.”

Sonic smirked. “I dunno, Tails. Maybe you should’ve drawn him a picture.”

Tails threw his hands up in exasperation. “Okay, can we focus ? This research is important! I’ve been studying the Master Emerald’s energy signatures and how they interact with the rings. If my calculations are correct, we could use them to enhance portal stability!”

Knuckles crossed his arms. “And what exactly does that mean?”

“It means,” Tails said, adjusting his goggles, “we could theoretically open stable, controlled portals to anywhere without rings, I could be able to build a portal gun!”

Then he mumbled in soft low voice ” With the risk of getting lost in some random dimension”

Sonic raised a brow. “And what are the chances of that happening?”

Tails hesitated. “...Statistically speaking, very low.”

Knuckles and Sonic exchanged a look.

“Okay, but like… low low , or Tails’ version of low, which is basically a 50/50 shot?” Sonic asked.

Tails sighed. “Guys, I’ve triple-checked everything! The rings, the Master Emerald’s residual energy, the stabilization algorithm—this is going to work.” He turned to his console and began typing. “Now, Knuckles, gently place the power distributor back into position.”

Knuckles grumbled but did as told, carefully lowering the small glowing device into the machine. Tails gave an approving nod and flipped a switch. The machine hummed to life, the rings placed around it shimmering as a soft green glow enveloped them.

Sonic whistled. “Alright, that’s pretty cool. So what now?”

Tails grinned. “Now we run a small test. Just a tiny energy pulse to see if the system stabilizes.”

He hit a key.

For a moment, everything seemed fine. The glow from the rings brightened, the energy fluctuating in a controlled loop.

Then, without warning, the device sparked violently.

Sonic’s ears flattened. “Uh, Tails?”

Tails’ eyes widened. “That… shouldn’t be happening.”

Knuckles took a step back. “Fox, fix it.”

Tails frantically typed on his console. “I’m trying —”

The machine let out a high-pitched whirrrr before a loud CRACK echoed through the basement. The rings pulsed erratically, and the air around them ripped open , revealing a swirling vortex of bright, chaotic colors.

“OH, COME ON!” Sonic yelled as the pull of the portal yanked him off his feet.

Knuckles grabbed onto the nearest table. “This is why I don’t trust technology!”

Tails tried to shut the machine down, but sparks flew from the console. The portal expanded , its energy spiraling out of control.

Sonic flailed midair. “TAIIILS—!”

Before anyone could react, the vortex sucked him in , swallowing them whole. The last thing Sonic saw was the blinding swirl of colors before everything snapped into darkness.

Elsewhere…

A warm breeze ruffled Sonic’s fur.

He groaned, blinking blearily at the bright blue sky above. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his aching head.

“Ugh… That wasn’t a small test, Tails.”

His eyes focused, and his surroundings finally registered.

This wasn’t the basement.

He was lying in the middle of a tropical beach, the ocean waves rolling gently in the distance. Palm trees swayed, and in the far-off hills, he could see a unfamiliar-looking village.

Sonic’s eyes widened in horror as realization sank in.

“...Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

Chapter 2: Exploring the Village

“...Oh, you have got to be kidding me.”

Sonic groaned as he pushed himself off the warm sand, his ears twitching at the unfamiliar sounds around him. The distant crash of waves, the rustling of palm trees, and—was that... laughter?

His eyes flickered toward the source: a village nestled between rolling hills, its buildings simple yet sturdy, with a rustic, almost tropical charm. But what caught his attention the most were the people .

Or, rather, the not -people.

Anthropomorphic animals bustled about, chatting, shopping, and going about their daily routines as if this were completely normal. Foxes, beavers—even a crocodile —all walking and talking. Sonic’s brow furrowed. This is different... even for me.

After all, he’d spent the last ten years on Earth, a world where the strangest thing around had been him. Before Tails and Knuckles showed up, he had gotten used to being the only talking animal in a world full of humans. The only other time he’d seen a place like this was—

His chest tightened. With Longclaw. Back when he was just a kid, before—

Sonic shook his head, "Nope. Nu-uh. Not doing that today." physically cutting off the thought. 

“Alright, gotta get my bearings,” he muttered, dusting the sand off his fur. His stomach growled, reminding him of a more pressing problem. “And food . Definitely food.”

Keeping low, he made his way toward the village, sticking to the tree line for cover. He had no idea where he was, but step one of any good survival plan was gathering intel.

And, y’know, not getting caught.

Sonic peeked around the edge of a wooden stall, eyeing a pile of fresh fruit. His stomach rumbled again, louder this time

Alright, quick and easy—just grab something and go. No big deal.

He reached out—

“HEY! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Sonic yelped, nearly faceplanting into the stand as an old raccoon lady swatted at him with a broom. He scrambled back, hands up in surrender. “Whoa! Easy, lady! I was just—”

“No freeloaders! You want food, you pay for it!” she snapped, waving the broom threateningly.

Sonic winced. Right. Unlike back home, I can’t just yoink stuff when no one’s looking.

“I, uh… left my wallet in my other dimension?” he tried, flashing an innocent smile.

The raccoon narrowed her eyes. “Uh-huh. Scram, kid!”

Sonic sighed and backed off. Plan A? Failure.

Okay, new plan.

As he wandered through a narrow alley, a fluttering sound caught his attention. He turned to see a clothesline strung between two buildings, various garments swaying in the breeze. Among them—an oversized brown cloak.

Perfect!

Grinning, Sonic leaped up and grabbed it, quickly throwing it over himself. The fabric was ridiculously big on his tiny frame, the hood slipping over his eyes and the excess fabric dragging on the ground.

“Alright, cool, mysterious traveler look—wait, nope, too much fabric—hang on…”

He tried adjusting it, but the sleeves flopped over his hands, and every step nearly tripped him. He had to waddle just to keep from face planting.

From the outside, he looked less like a stealthy wanderer and more like an extra tiny , extra-clumsy traveler drowning in fabric.

Sonic sighed, pushing the hood back just enough to see. Not exactly the coolest look, but whatever. At least I’m not as obvious now.

He pulled the cloak tighter around himself and trudged into the village, hoping no one would notice just how small he was.

As Sonic wandered the village, he took in more details.

The architecture was simple—wooden houses, small shops, and market stalls lining the streets. The villagers chatted casually, some fixing up buildings while others traded goods. It felt… homey .

But the biggest shock?

No humans .

Not one.

Everyone here was some kind of animal,. Sonic bit his lip. Does that mean humans don’t exist here?

It was a weird thought. He’d lived on Earth for most of his life, surrounded by humans. Even now, Tom and Maddie were his family.

“Alright, so… new dimension, no humans, full of furries—er, anthros—so that means…” He paused. “

“Okay, that’s kinda awesome,” he admitted. “Still gotta find a way back to Knucklehead and Tails, though.”

For now, he had a mission: Avoid drawing attention, and—most importantly—find something to eat before his stomach eats its self.

Adjusting his ridiculously oversized cloak, Sonic took a deep breath and strolled deeper into the village.

This was gonna be interesting .

 

---

@burningtime_o7 did this adorable doddle of Movie!sonic

 

IT SO ADORABLE!!!!!!!!

Notes:

HII HOPE YALL LIKE IT

(also how many of y'all watched the sonic 3 moive)

Chapter 3: Trying to Blend In

Sonic adjusted the oversized cloak for what felt like the hundredth time, his small frame nearly swallowed by the fabric. He tugged the hood further over his face, trying to look like just another traveler passing through.

Of course, that was easier said than done when he had to keep kicking the excess fabric out of his way with every step.

“Ugh, note to self: steal better-fitting disguises next time,” he muttered under his breath.

The village was bustling with activity. Stalls lined the streets, selling everything from food to tools, while groups of villagers chatted in front of their homes. Sonic did his best to weave through the crowd unnoticed, keeping his ears open for anything useful.

Then he heard it.

“Did you hear? Sonic was spotted near the beach again.”

Sonic froze mid-step

Wait—what?

He quickly ducked behind a wooden crate, peering toward the group of villagers gathered near a market stall. A fox and a badger were chatting casually while a boar stacked wooden crates nearby.

“Yeah,” the fox said, scratching his chin. “Some of the fishermen said they saw him running along the coast this morning.”

“Must be heading back toward the village,” the badger replied. “Maybe he’s causing trouble again.”

Sonic’s brain was racing .

How do they know me? He didn't even do anything in this world yet —was this a completely different alternate dimension, his lill brother rambled about?

His first instinct was to step forward and demand answers, but something in his gut told him not yet .

There were too many unknowns.

Sure, these villagers didn’t seem hostile, but if they already knew a “Sonic,” then showing up out of nowhere might cause problems. Especially if their Sonic was different from him .

Okay, new plan—stay hidden, gather more info, and figure out just what kind of world I’ve landed in.

He adjusted his cloak, making sure his face stayed covered, and carefully slipped away from the market.

One thing was clear:

This world wasn’t that different.

It already had a Sonic the Hedgehog .

Notes:

HEYYY how are y'all!!!

I hope you liked this chapter

byeeeee

Chapter 4: A Familiar Yet Different Sight

The streets of the village were quieter now, and the sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows across the cobblestones. He hadn’t really had a chance to eat since his little “attack” earlier with the old racoon. There was so much about this place he didn’t understand, but something told him he should keep moving. Hmm maybe if he walked long enough he could find something to eat.

It wasn’t long before he turned a corner—and that’s when he saw them.

There, gathered around what looked like a small outdoor store, was a group of… well, very familiar-looking strangers.

Sonic froze. His brain struggled to process what he was seeing.

Right at the center of it all sat a blue hedgehog—spiky quills, red shoes, cocky grin—yeah, that was definitely supposed to be him. But something was off. No, scratch that, everything was off. He was much taller and his quills were longer, his arms were wrapped in sports tape like some kind of overenthusiastic athlete, and for some reason, he was wearing a weird brown handkerchief around his neck. Seriously, dude? What is that? You’d look way cooler without it.

And then he spoke.

“Well, guys, I think it’s safe to say I, Sonic T. Hedgehog, am the best at bowling,” Other Sonic announced smugly, reclining in his chair.

Sonic’s ears twitched. His stomach twisted. Oh no. No, no, no.

He sounded wrong . This Other sonic didn’t even have his beautiful voice

Well now he knew that this sonic is some alternate-universe bootleg version of him. Sonic shuddered. Oh, this is weird. This is so weird.

“Oh, please,” the yellow fox beside him groaned. Sonic’s eyes snapped to him.

It was Tails. Or at least, it looked like Tails. Same twin tails, same yellow fur, but this one had a pair of goggles resting on his head and was taller than him. That is so weird , 

He carried himself with more confidence—almost cocky, even, But hey at least he sounds the same as his lill brother .

“You just got lucky with that last shot,” Not-Tails grumbled.

“Luck? Pfft, nah. Pure skill.”

Sonic barely heard the exchange, too busy scanning the rest of the group. His brain kept throwing error messages.

There was a red echidna—Knuckles, obviously—but what the heck happened to him?! Back home, Knuckles was taller than Sonic by maybe half a foot, but this Knuckles? This guy looked like he ate a truckload of protein shakes for breakfast. Bulkier, taller, wrapped in boxing tape— seriously, did he just live in the gym?! 

And then he spoke.

“Well, those soccer balls hurt a lot when you kicked them,” Tall Knuckles said, rubbing his chin like he had just discovered some great mystery of the universe.

Sonic blinked. Not Tails froze mid-step. And not sonic smacked his forehead

“…That’s because they were bowling balls ,” Not-Sonic snapped, his eye twitching.

Tall Knuckles stared at him, blinking slowly, as if his brain was struggling to process this groundbreaking revelation. Then, after a long pause, he let out a deep hmm and nodded. “That explains why they didn’t bounce.”

Not-Sonic smacked his forehead. not-Tails covered his mouth to stop from laughing. 

Yep. No doubt about it. This world’s Knuckles wasn’t just big—he was really stupid.

And then there were two others.

One was some kind of badger with orange fur and long, thick hair tied into two locks with auburn strings. She had brown stripes across her eyes, and she carried herself like someone who could handle a fight. Okay, pretty sure I’ve never met her before. Not in my world, at least.

And then there was a pink hedgehog.

Sonic’s brow furrowed. He didn’t recognize her either. She wore a headband, a sleeveless minidress with a white collar, and had an energy about her that practically screamed I will call you out on your nonsense.

“If you’re so great at coconut bowling, why don’t we make it interesting?” the pink hedgehog challenged.

Other Sonic waved a hand. “Nah, I don’t wanna embarrass you guys again.”

“Oh, you mean like how you embarrassed yourself during that last chili dog-eating contest?”

The group erupted into laughter.

Sonic stood frozen in place, his mind a tangled mess of confusion and disbelief.

What the heck is going on?

He swallowed hard. Okay. Okay. I can handle this. No big deal. He’d just walk up, introduce himself, and—

But then a nagging thought stopped him cold.

What if they don’t trust me?

What if they took one look at him and decided he was an imposter? A fake? He didn’t exactly blend in here, and he doubted “Hey, I’m you, but cooler” would win them over.

His stomach growled loudly, yanking him out of his downward spiral.

...But maybe he should find some food first before worring about all this...

Ya Maybe he should figure out food first. Everything else could wait.

Notes:

Yup our lill blue boy has unofficially met the others

hmm here is a lill piece of the next chap:

Sonic tilted his head. "I dunno, man. 'Meh' isn’t exactly selling it..."

comment where you think our blue boy will go next!

Chapter 5: Meh Burger? More Like "Not Bad" Burger

Sonic strolled through the streets, his hood pulled low. He’d spent most of the day just walking and wondering what the hell was going on.

But all that sneaking around had worked up an appetite. His stomach let out a very un-stealthy growl.

"Welp, can’t think on an empty stomach," he muttered to himself. "Time to hunt down some grub."

As if summoned by fate (or, more likely, by a combination of desperation and low standards), a flickering sign caught his eye. Meh Burger.

Sonic tilted his head. "I dunno, man. 'Meh' isn’t exactly selling it..."

But then the smell hit him—grease, salt, and the unmistakable aroma of probably-questionable-but-definitely-delicious fast food. His stomach made the decision for him.

With a shrug, he headed inside the open-air establishment. The place had character—if by character, you meant grimy floors, flickering lights, and a general air of "we gave up years ago." A single miraculously clean spot stood out among the smudges and stains, and Sonic mentally called dibs.

He approached the counter, where a tall, lanky nutria slouched against the register, staring into the void. His lavender uniform looked like it hadn’t seen an iron (or effort) in years.

The cashier —Dave, according to his name tag—sighed deeply, as if simply existing took too much energy. "Welcome to Meh Burger. Order something, or don’t. I really don’t care."

Sonic smirked. "Wow. Stellar customer service. You take a class for that?"

Dave blinked slowly. " This is all-natural talent."

"Impressive," Sonic deadpanned. "Alright, what’s good here?"

Dave actually looked confused. "Uh… good ? the name of the place is Meh Burger."

"Yeah, yeah, but, like… edible?"

Dave scratched his head. "I mean, the Meh Deluxe probably won’t kill you. Comes with fries, assuming the machine isn’t having a breakdown."

Sonic gave him a thumbs-up. "Great. One 'probably won’t kill me' special, please."

Dave lazily punched in the order. "That’s six dollars."

Sonic handed over the money he found around the ground (finders keepers) and found a seat at his pre-dibbed clean spot. After a few minutes, Dave shuffled over and practically slid the tray onto the table.

"Here. Enjoy, I guess."

Sonic eyed the burger. It wasn’t bad looking—just slightly… suspicious. He took a bite anyway.

And to his surprise, it was actually kinda good.

Not in a "this is five-star dining" way, but in a "I’ve eaten worse, and this is hitting the spot" way. Greasy? Yep. A little questionable? Absolutely. But edible? Oh yeah .

Dave, who had been watching from the counter, squinted at him like he was witnessing an unnatural phenomenon. "...Did you just like it?"

Sonic took another bite. "Weird, right? But yeah, it’s not bad."

Dave leaned in slightly, as if Sonic had just confessed to liking wet socks. "are… you okay?"

Sonic grinned. "Trust me, I’ve had way worse. You ever eaten something that moved ? 'Cause I have."

Dave made a face. "I suddenly regret asking."

Sonic just smiled, finishing off his burger as Dave walked away, muttering something about "absolute freaks."

Then, just as Sonic was about to leave, Dave hesitated. "Hey, uh…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "You, uh, wanna fill out a job application?"

Sonic blinked. "Huh?"

"You actually like the food, and honestly, that makes you overqualified."

Sonic snorted. "Tempting, but I think I’ll stick to my current gig—y’know, being not employed ."

"Figures," Dave muttered. "Nobody ever wants to suffer with me."

Sonic patted his stomach and stretched. "Well, Dave, it’s been real. Thanks for the, uh… experience."

Dave gave a lazy thumbs-up. "Don’t tell anyone you liked it. Ruins our whole brand."

With a final smile, Sonic adjusted his hood and strolled back out into the village, feeling a little more energized. Sure, he still had no idea what his next move was, but at least now, he wasn’t doing it on an empty stomach.

And honestly? Meh Burger was a solid 6 out of 10. Would eat again.

...Maybe.

Notes:

Well now our blue boy has eaten!!

also @burningtime_o7 did this adorable doddle of Movie!sonic you can check it out in chap 2!!

also a sneak peak of the next chap:

"Hey there! Sonic!"

The voice was way too cheery. And way too unfamiliar.

Sonic’s entire body froze. His brain screamed NOPE, and his legs screamed GOTTA GO. The world around him blurred, and before he could even think, his fight-or-flight instincts kicked into overdrive.

Flight it is.

Chapter 6: A Close Call with a Villager

Sonic stepped out of the restaurant t, his oversized cloak practically swallowing him whole. He looked like a walking bed sheet with legs, and the way it flapped around in the breeze didn’t help his cause

The sun was setting, the air was warm, and everything was—boring. If Sonic wasn’t trying to survive in some random parallel universe, he might’ve even considered calling it a vacation.

But then—

"Hey there! Sonic!"

The voice was way too cheery. And way too unfamiliar.

Sonic’s entire body froze. His brain screamed NOPE, and his legs screamed GOTTA GO. The world around him blurred, and before he could even think, his fight-or-flight instincts kicked into overdrive.

Flight it is.

There was no hesitation. No dramatic monologue. No slow-motion "gotta go fast" sequence. Just BOOM.

The ground shook as Sonic exploded out of there like a tornado in sneakers. Market stalls went flying. Vegetables were sent into the air like they were part of some weird vegetable-based fireworks show. And poor Mr. "Hey, Sonic!" was left standing in a cloud of dust, mouth open, not knowing if he’d just witnessed the coolest thing in the world or if he was about to be hit by a speeding meteor.

Sonic didn’t stop. He didn’t think about stopping. Nope. He just kept going, faster than the speed of all bad decisions he had made, his legs a blur as he tore through the village like a blue streak of chaos.

A few seconds later, Sonic realized something…

Wait a minute. Where the heck am I?!

He slid to a halt on the edge of a cliff, dust flying up around him like he was some sort of action movie hero. His heart was pounding, and his eyes were wide as saucers. He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see the village right behind him. But instead of a quaint little village, he saw...

...ocean.

Sonic, you’ve really done it now, he thought. He stood there, staring at the horizon, the realization dawning on him. “Did I really just run across the whole freakin' island?!”

His cloak, which had been whipping around his face in the wind like a flag on a mission to cover every inch of his vision, finally fell off his head.

Sonic sighed, rubbing his face. “Great. Not only did I panic and do the ol’ let’s-ditch-everything-in-sight trick, but now I’ve accidentally run across an entire island.!”

He threw his hands up in exasperation. “I really gotta work on that ‘not immediately sprinting across places thing.”

He paused, staring back at the ocean. “Well… guess I better start heading back..”

Notes:

HEYYY HOW ARE ALL OF YALL

Yeah, so the person he was running away from it was just a random person(I wanted an excuse to write him running across the island)

Small sneak peek for the next chapter

Sonic tried to be careful. He really did.

But he was Sonic. And a Sonic didn’t exactly do subtle.

Chapter 7: Sonic Shenanigans

Sonic tried to be careful. He really did.

But he was Sonic . And a Sonic didn’t exactly do subtle.

The moment he got back to the village, he told himself, Alright, Sonic, just stay low. Be cool. No speed-stuff. No drawing attention.

That plan lasted exactly four minutes.

Incident #1: The Fruit Stand Fiasco

Sonic had barely taken three steps into the marketplace when he spotted something glorious: a delicious, golden, perfectly made chili dog, sitting right at the edge of a fruit stand.

His mouth watered. His self-control? Nonexistent.

So he reached for it—

—and a second later, he was three streets away, holding an entire bag of fruit he definitely did not remember grabbing.

Behind him, a villager screamed as their entire stand collapsed like a house of cards. Oranges, bananas, and apples rained down like a fruity apocalypse. The owner flailed helplessly in the air, somehow clinging to the awning.

Sonic blinked at the bag in his hands.

“…Okay. I did not mean to do that.”

He sighed, set the bag down for someone else to find, and whooshed out of sight before anyone could connect the dots.

Incident #2: Accidental Hero Moment

Sonic was determined to avoid further incidents. He really was.

But then he saw a little old rabbit crossing the street. And a cart full of pumpkins rolling directly toward her.

His feet reacted before his brain.

One blue blur later, the rabbit was safely on the sidewalk, and the cart was miraculously parked in front of the bakery without spilling a single pumpkin.

The entire street gasped. Someone cheered.

Sonic, realizing what just happened, immediately pulled his cloak over his face and booked it before anyone could see him.

Incident #3: The Merchant Mix-Up

Sonic, now on high alert, ducked into an alley to breathe. Okay, no more running. No more accidents. Just stay put.

Unfortunately, the second he leaned against a wall, the entire wooden stall next to him wobbled.

“Whoa—”

He fell face first into the ground

CRASH.

Boxes tumbled, baskets flipped, and a merchant turned around just in time to see a mysterious blue blur vanish into the distance.

The poor guy just stared.

“…Did I just see a ghost?”

Meanwhile, at Tails’ Workshop…

Tails adjusted his goggles, watching his monitor with a frown.

Something weird was going on in the village.

There were reports of high-speed blurs zipping around. A power outage that lasted two seconds. People claiming they saw Sonic but also didn’t see Sonic.

“Hey, Sonic?” he called over his shoulder.

Sonic, who had been lazily lounging in a hammock, cracked open one eye. “Huh?”

“Have you been in the village today?”

Sonic stretched. “Nope. Been here the whole time. Why?”

Tails narrowed his eyes at the screen.

“…Then who the heck is running around acting like you!?”

Notes:

HEYYYY HOW ARE YALL

EID MUBARAK TO ALL THE LADIES AND GENTLEMAN WHO CELEBRATE!!!!

Also a Lil sneek peak of the next chap:

Tails didn’t like mysteries. Well—scratch that. He loved mysteries, but only when he got to solve them. And right now? This one was driving him nuts.

 

Really cant wait to see what you guys think will happen next

Chapter 8: Tails Gets Suspicious

Tails didn’t like mysteries. Well—scratch that. He loved mysteries, but only when he got to solve them. And right now? This one was driving him nuts.

For the past day, strange things had been happening all over the village. Flickering power, random gusts of wind, and multiple reports of "Sonic" acting weird.

And the worst part? Sonic insisted it wasn’t him.

Tails adjusted his goggles, staring at the data on his screen. The energy fluctuations weren’t natural—there was a distinct speed-related signature to them.

“Alright,” he muttered to himself, standing up. “That’s it. I’m getting to the bottom of this.”

Sonic was not in the mood for whatever Tails was planning. He was perfectly comfortable in his hammock, enjoying a well-earned nap.

Unfortunately for him, Tails was on a mission.

“Sonic, get up,” Tails said, pulling out his tracker.

“Mmm. No.”

“There’s someone in the village pretending to be you.”

Sonic peeked one eye open. “Oh no, an impostor. The horror.”

Tails crossed his arms. “What if they’re up to something bad?”

“Then Knuckles can punch them.”

Tails groaned. “Sonic.”

Sonic sighed dramatically and rolled out of his hammock. “Fine. But if this is just some random guy in blue pajamas, you owe me chili dogs.”

Tracking the energy signature was easy enough. The readings led them straight to the marketplace, where a small hooded figure was sneaking through the streets.

The cloak was comically oversized, making the figure look like a walking pile of fabric with tiny legs sticking out. Every so often, they had to stop and physically readjust the hood because it kept slipping over their face.

Sonic snorted. “Okay, that’s adorable.”

Tails elbowed him. “Focus.”

Sonic stepped forward, casually calling out, “Yo! Cloaky McMystery—”

The second the kid heard the voice, he didn’t even hesitate.

He just—BAM—vanished.

One moment he was there, the next, there was a sonic boom, and he was gone.

Sonic and Tails stood frozen, staring at the dust cloud left behind.

“…What,” Sonic finally said.

Tails gawked at his tracker. “He—he just—HE’S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VILLAGE.”

Sonic blinked and grinned “I think I just met my match.”

Notes:

The chase is on!!!

HEY EVERYONE, HOW'S IT GOING?!

It’s April 1st, so you know what that means—APRIL FOOLS’ DAY!

What pranks do you have planned for your friends and family? Spill the details!

And as always, here’s a sneak peek at the next chapter:

Sonic really didn’t mean to start a high-speed chase through the village. But the second he heard that other Sonic’s voice? Instinct took over.
Run first. Think later.

Chapter 9: The Chase Begins

Notes:

HEYYYY

So in this chap boom sonic is going to be called Other sonic for now

Sonic really didn’t mean to start a high-speed chase through the village. But the second he heard that other Sonic’s voice? Instinct took over.

Run first. Think later.

Unfortunately, “other Sonic” and “think later” were apparently best friends, because the second he bolted, he heard a very irritated voice behind him.

“Oh, no you don’t! ”

Other Sonic was right on his tail.

Sonic weaved through the crowded village, expertly dodging carts, stands, and confused villagers. He leaped over a fruit stand, barely avoiding a shower of apples.

Other Sonic, right behind him, tried the same move—only to miscalculate and crash directly into the cart.

“WHY IS IT ALWAYS FRUIT?!” Other Sonic yelped as oranges pummeled him.

Other Tails zoomed overhead with his propeller tails, Yelling “Sonic, he’s headed for the jungle!”

Other Sonic shook off a particularly stubborn banana peel and took off again. “NOT FOR LONG!”

Sonic zipped through the dense jungle, jumping over fallen logs and dodging vines like it was second nature (Thank you Green Hills forest!). His speed gave him an edge—Other Sonic was fast, but he was just a little bit faster .

And Other Sonic was not happy about that.

“Okay, WHAT?! Who even are you?!” Other Sonic grumbled, pushing himself to go faster.

He glanced back to Other Sonic for half a second. “Not your problem!”

“Buddy, you’re running through my village, knocking over my fruit stands, and making me look slow. You are definitely my problem!”

Sonic grinned. “Then try to keep up, blue boy!”

Other Sonic growled. “ Oh, it’s ON.”

Tails, meanwhile, had been doing something neither Sonic was— thinking ahead .

He activated a small drone, sending it ahead of Sonic. Right as the little speedster reached a clearing—

ZAP!

A light energy field shot up in front of him, forcing Sonic to skid to a stop.

“Oh, come on—”

Before he could react, Other Sonic tackled him from behind, sending both of them rolling through the grass in a flurry of blue.

Other Sonic ended up on top, panting hard as he pinned Sonic down.

“Okay… wheeze… whoever you are … you’ve got some explaining to do. ”

Sonic wiggled under his grip, glaring. He could try running again, but the Other Tails had gadgets (and witnessing his own little brother's inventions, he did not want to be the one on the receiving side of any of those gadgets), and this Other Sonic had stubborn energy written all over him.

“…Fine,”  Sonic muttered. “I’m Sonic. I’m from another world.”

Other Sonic stared at him.

Then he turned to Tails.

Then back to him.

“…Right. Sure. That makes perfect sense.”

Tails rubbed his temples. “Oh, Chaos, this is gonna be a long day.”

Notes:

HEYYYY HOW ARE YALLL

hope you liked the chase between the 2 speedy Hedghogs!!!!

As always a sneak peak of the next chapter:

Sonic huffed. "First of all, rude. Second of all, I am much cooler looking than you, and Third what with your eyes, Fourth, I told you—I’m Sonic. And I had a portal accident which ended up with me landing on this world.”

BYEEEEE

Chapter 10: Interrogation Time

Sonic sat on the ground, arms crossed, thoroughly unimpressed with the whole "being tackled and interrogated" thing.

Other Sonic and Other Tails stood over him like a pair of detectives who had just caught a very tiny, very fast criminal.

"Alright, start talking," Other Sonic said, hands on his hips. "Who are you, really? And why do you look like a pocket-sized version of me?"

Sonic huffed. "First of all, rude. Second of all, I am much cooler looking than you, and Third what with your eyes, Fourth, I told you—I’m Sonic. And I had a portal accident which ended up with me landing on this world.”

Other Sonic raised a skeptical brow. “Uh-huh. And I’m a chili dog.”

Tails, however, was squinting thoughtfully. "Hold on, Sonic. He did say something about a portal accident." He turned to Sonic. "What exactly happened?"

He shifted uncomfortably. " One minute I was in my world, my Tails was messing with something involving the Master Emerald and some rings, and the next thing I know—BOOM—I'm here."

Other Sonic snapped his fingers. "See, right there? He’s totally making this up."

Tails groaned. "That is not proof, Sonic."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't want to be here, okay? But I don’t know how to get back. So unless you want a confused, dimensionally displaced speedster running around your village causing problems—"

"You already did that," Other Sonic cut in.

"—Then maybe help me figure this out?" Sonic finished, ignoring him.

Other Sonic sighed dramatically. "Fine. But if you’re not me, then prove it. Say something only you would know about you."

Sonic hesitated, thinking. Okay, what’s something personal but not TOO personal?

Then, with complete seriousness, he stated:

"I eat my chili dogs without condiments."

Other Sonic gasped. "What kind of monster are you?!"

Tails facepalmed. "Sonic. Focus."

Other Sonic squinted at Sonic suspiciously. "Alright, that’s weird, but not definitive. You could just be a Sonic with bad taste. Anything else?"

Sonic smirked, deciding to up the ante. He leaned forward and whispered:

"You sleep with a nightlight."

Other Sonic froze.

Tails’ ears perked up. “Wait, what?”

Other Sonic immediately started waving his arms around. “Pfft, no! That’s—That’s crazy talk! I don’t—” He pointed at Sonic accusingly. “LIES AND SLANDER!”

Sonic grinned. “Oh yeah…”

Other Sonic stared at him, then at Tails, who was definitely trying not to laugh.

“…Okay, so maybe I like a nice relaxing sleep environment. SUE ME.”

Tails chuckled. “I dunno, Sonic. That was awfully specific…”

Other Sonic huffed, crossing his arms. “I still don’t trust you, tiny faker.”

Sonic sighed. “That’s fair. But until I figure out how to get home, I’m kinda stuck with you.”

Other Sonic groaned. “Great. A mini-me that judges my life choices. Exactly what I needed.”

Tails clapped his hands together. “Well, we’re not getting answers just standing around here. Let’s take him back to the workshop and run some tests.”

Other Sonic shot one last suspicious look at Sonic. “…Fine. But if you try anything shady—”

Sonic smirked. “Dude, I’m the one who should be worried. You’re the one who tackled me into the dirt.”

Tails leaned toward Sonic. “So, the nightlight thing—was that a guess?”

Sonic grinned. “Nope!.”

Tails snickered. “Nice.”

Other Sonic groaned and rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine. But you’re not running around unsupervised. We’re going to the workshop.”

Before Sonic could react, Other Sonic grabbed him by the scruff like an unruly kitten.

“Hey—HEY! Put me down!” Sonic yelped, immediately thrashing like a toddler denied a toy. His legs kicked wildly, and he flailed his arms. “I can walk just fine, thank you very much!”

Other Sonic ignored him, effortlessly carrying him along. “Yeah, and I don’t trust you not to bolt the second I blink.”

Tails stifled a laugh as he walked alongside them. “You do kinda act like a hyperactive kid sometimes.”

Sonic continued squirming, trying to pry himself free. “This is so undignified! I’m a grown hedgehog, not some lost baby animal!”

Other Sonic smirked. “You sure about that? ‘Cause you’re making this real easy to believe.”

Sonic crossed his arms, pouting mid-air. “I hate this.”

Tails chuckled. “You’ll live. Now, let’s figure out if you are lying or not.”

Other Sonic carried on, dragging the flailing blue blur toward the workshop like it was just another Tuesday.

Notes:

Hiii

It is like 3 am and I can’t sleep a wink so I am gonna post this now

BYEEEEE

Chapter 11: Meeting the Rest of the Crew

Sonic had been through a lot in the past few days.

Portal accident? Check.
Getting chased by an alternate version of himself? Check.
Getting tackled into the dirt? check.
Being scuffed like a cat? Big check

And now? Now he had to deal with more people.

Great. Just what he needed.

Tails had dragged him back to their workshop, where three new faces were waiting—well, one familiar face and two completely new ones.

The first was a massive red echidna. The guy was built like a tank, towering over Sonic with broad shoulders and arms that looked like they could punch through steel. But the weirdest part? He had this huge, goofy grin plastered on his face.

The moment Knuckles laid eyes on him, he burst out laughing.

“WOW, Sonic! You finally learned how to be tiny!”

Sonic’s eye twitched.

Knuckles wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. “Oh man, this is hilarious. I always said you needed to be taken down a peg, but I didn’t think it’d be literally. ”

Sonic barely resisted the urge to snap back. He had to remind himself—this wasn’t his Knuckles. His Knuckles was tough, serious, protective. This one? He was laughing so hard he nearly fell over. It was… unsettling.

Okay, Sonic thought, forcing himself to take a deep breath. So This Knuckles is a walking joke here. That’s fine. That’s totally fine.

Before he could fully process that weirdness, a pink hedgehog stepped forward. She had a friendly, excited look on her face, practically bouncing on her heels as she greeted him.

“Hi! I’m Amy!” she said brightly. She tilted her head, examining him like he was some kind of rare artifact. “You look like Sonic, but… you’re so much more adorable! ”

Sonic blinked, thrown completely off guard.

What?

He took a nervous step back. “Uh… thanks?”

But Amy was already crouching down in front of him

“Oh, you are adorable, ” she cooed, reaching out as if she was about to pinch his cheek. “Look at those little spikes!”

Sonic almost stepped back again but forced himself to hold his ground. Nope. Nope. He wasn’t going to be treated like some tiny, fuzzy woodland creature.

Clearing his throat, he attempted to break the awkwardness. “Uh, thanks, I guess? But, uh, I’m really not—”

Amy ignored him completely. “You’ve got such a cute little face, I just wanna pinch your cheeks!” she squealed.

Sonic felt his face heat up. He had faced world-ending threats, fought robots, survived dimensional chaos, and this was what was making him flustered?

Scratch that. This was officially the worst.

“Uh, yeah… Thanks, I think?” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head, hoping she’d let it go.

Amy then turned toward the other Sonic, placing her hands on her hips. “If only you were as respectful as him, you might learn a thing or two about treating people right.”

Other Sonic groaned, shaking his head. “You sure know how to take a compliment… and turn it into something that sounds like a lecture.”

Sonic saw an opportunity to finally redirect the conversation. “Umm, hey—”

But before he could finish, Amy was right back to fawning over him.

“Awww, you’re so sweet, just like a little muffin! ”

A muffin?

Sonic’s face turned as red as a chili dog. “Okay, okay! I get it! ” he yelped, backing up a little. “I’m adorable. Can we please move on now?”

That was when a wild-looking badger suddenly got right in his face, her massive eyes squinting at him suspiciously.

“He’s a clone. ”

Sonic blinked. “Uh—”

“Or a spy. ”

“…What?”

“Or BOTH. ”

The badger pointed at him like she had just cracked some top-secret conspiracy. “He’s been sent here by the government—no, by robots! No, wait! By LIZARDS IN DISGUISE! ”

Sonic’s brain stalled.

He turned to Tails, utterly lost. “Is she okay?”

Tails sighed, clearly used to this. “She’s always like this. Just go with it.”

Yeah, sure. Why not? At this point, what was one more weird thing?

Tails nodded, pulling out some weird-looking scanner. “Right. I’ll run some tests. If you’re from another world, your energy signature should be different but similar to Sonic’s.”

Tails studied the readings, frowning.

Other Sonic leaned over. “Well? What’s it say?”

Tails tapped the screen. “Huh. His energy readings are different from yours. They match the usual energy pattern, but they’re… off. Almost like they’re from a completely separate source.”

Other Sonic folded his arms. “So he is telling the truth?”

Tails nodded. “Looks like it.”

Other Sonic groaned. “Ughhh, great. So now I’ve got a tiny alternate-universe version of myself running around?”

Amy chuckled. “Hey, look at the bright side! Now you can finally see what it’s like when someone else speeds around annoying everyone.”

Other Sonic shot her a glare. “Don’t test me.”

Meanwhile, Sonic just sighed, rubbing his temples. “Okay, so you believe me now. Awesome. But can we please figure out how to send me back before I lose my mind? ”

Other Sonic huffed, crossing his arms. “Yeah, yeah, don’t get your tiny quills in a twist. We’ll figure it out. Eventually. ”

Sonic groaned, already regretting every life choice that had led him here.

This was definitely going to be a long, exhausting experience.

Notes:

Hey everyone!

How’s it going?

I am exhausted (pulled an all-nighter… oops) because I have a science test today (zero studying done) and 3 projects due that I still need to finish. Yay, school! 😅

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 12: The Blue Lightning Incident

Tails had been poking and prodding Sonic with scanners for what felt like hours.

Sonic sat on the examination table, arms crossed, foot tapping like a jackhammer. His patience was wearing thin, and he had to much energy, that he needed to run off . “Is this really necessary?”

Tails adjusted his goggles without even looking up. “Yes. I need more data to find the exact world you are from—”

BZZT!

A sudden jolt shot through Sonic’s arm the moment Tails touched him. The fox yelped, stumbling back like he’d been hit with a mini thunderstorm.

“OW! What was that?!”

Sonic blinked. “What was what—?”

That’s when he felt it. A familiar crackling sensation creeping up his spine, surging through his quills. Blue lightning snapped at the air, arcing off his body in sharp, electric veins. The room flickered in its glow for a split second.

Knuckles took one look at the sparks and let out a scream so loud it could’ve shattered glass.

“HE’S SUPERCHARGED! GET DOWN!”

Before Sonic could react or explain, the entire room exploded into chaos.

Other Sonic covered Amy and dove behind the nearest table, flipping it over like it was a battlefield barricade.

Other Sonic peeked out, eyes wide with sheer panic. “WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME HE COULD DO THAT?!”

Sticks, who had somehow ended up wedged under a chair, jabbed a finger in his direction. “THIS CONFIRMS EVERYTHING. HE’S A GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENT, THAT WAS TRAPPED FOR FIFTY YEARS”

Sonic looked around. “Eww no! the government is disgusting, They catfished my aunt why would I be par- Wait… you guys don’t do that?!”

There was a beat of silence. Then—

“NO, WE DO NOT DO THAT!” Other Sonic shouted from behind the table still holding on to the table and Amy.

Knuckles, still in full panic mode, grabbed Amy’s shoulders . “DOES THAT MEAN I CAN DO THAT?! SOMEONE ZAP ME!!”

Amy wrestled free, grabbing his arm before he could throw himself at Sonic. “NO ONE IS ZAPPING ANYONE.”

Tails had recovered enough to start scribbling furiously on his notepad, mumbling to himself. “This is incredible. I’ve never seen energy manifest like this before! If his world’s physics allow for this kind of electrical output—”

Other Sonic shot him a glare. “OKAY, BUT CAN HE TURN IT OFF?!”

Sonic flexed his fingers, shaking his arms out. The lightning dimmed, fizzled, then finally disappeared. His body felt normal again—though the energy still hummed under his skin like a caged animal.

Tails rubbed his hand, “You didn’t… do that on purpose, did you?”

Sonic shrugged, offering a lopsided grin. “I mean, not exactly? It kinda happens when I get annoyed, or mad, or, y’know… I’ve got too much energy and need to run it off. No biggie.”

Knuckles immediately raised his hand. “But if he does do that again, can I—”

“NO, KNUCKLES.”

Other Sonic groaned, slumping against the flipped table like he’d aged twenty years in the last five minutes. “I am so not getting paid enough for this.”

Sonic smirked. “You guys get paid?”

Other Sonic didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the nearest wrench and chucked it at him.

Sonic dodged, laughing.

Yep. This was gonna be a long day.

Notes:

MORNING!!!! How are ya

Chapter 13: A Nickname for the Little Guy

The workshop buzzed with chaotic energy. Tails muttered to himself over a pile of notes, Knuckles was lifting random objects just to see if they were heavy, and Other Sonic paced in tight circles like he was stuck on a loading screen.

Meanwhile, Sonic sat on the edge of a table, legs swinging, watching all of it with mild amusement.

Then Amy clapped her hands together. “Okay, we need to talk about something important.”

Sonic tilted his head. “Uh… what?”

Other Sonic stopped pacing.

And Amy turned to them “ I was thinking this whole ‘two Sonics’ thing? It’s gonna get confused really fast”

Sonic arched a brow. Took you this long to figure that out, huh?

Tails nodded, adjusting his goggles. “If someone yells ‘Sonic’ and you both answer, things are gonna get very chaotic.”

Knuckles smirked. “I don’t have the brainpower for that.”

Sonic snorted. “At least you admit it.”

Amy sighed. “We need to call you something else.”

Sonic blinked. “Sooo… what, you guys wanna rename me?”

Before he could even process that, Sticks let out a dramatic gasp, pointing at him like she’d uncovered a government conspiracy. “OH! What if we call him Second Sonic ? No, wait— Shadow Sonic ! No, that’s taken. Tiny Sonic ! Baby Sonic ! Clone Sonic !”

Sonic recoiled. Tiny? BABY?! He gave her a flat look. “Yeah, no to all of those.”

Knuckles rubbed his chin. “What about… Lil’ Blue ?”

Sonic rolled his eyes. “Too predictable.”

Amy tapped her chin thoughtfully. “What about something that still feels like you but different enough to not be confusing?”

Other Sonic snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up. “Ooooh, what if we call him Sanic ?”

Sonic made a face. Sanic? Like he was some kind of discount version ? Nah. Absolutely not. He crossed his arms. “I dunno… makes me sound like a cheap knockoff, and you’re the knockoff here, knockoff.”

Sonic glared at him. Other Sonic just smirked.

Knuckles grinned. “How about Zoomer ?”

Sonic nearly choked “Absolutely not.”

Tails barely looked up from his notes. “Statistically speaking, that name would not age well.”

Then—

Tails suddenly gasped so dramatically it startled everyone . “I GOT IT— Lightning !”

Sonic blinked. “…Huh?”

Tails pointed at him. “You’ve got blue lightning ! It’s unique! It’s cool! And it means when we yell it, only you will answer!”

Sonic frowned, rolling the name around in his mind. Lightning.

…Okay, that wasn’t bad. It had a nice zing to it.

It was a little dramatic… but hey, so was he.

Amy smiled. “It does fit.”

Sonic shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Better than ‘Tiny Sonic.’”

Sticks gave an approving nod. “I like it.”

Other Sonic grinned. “You know what? Yeah. I like it too.”

Sonic— Lightning —smirked. “Guess I got myself a name.”

Knuckles pumped his fist. “Great! Now if we get another Sonic, we just call him Thunder and complete the set!”

Lightning laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, let’s not invite any more of me into this mess.”

Other Sonic smirked. “Agreed. One of you is enough.”

Lightning crossed his arms, leaning back with a satisfied grin. 

Yeah… this worked.

Notes:

HIII HOW ARE YA!!!

So lill blue boy gets a nickname!!!

Chapter 14: A Plan to Go Home

The workshop hummed with quiet activity. The air smelled faintly of metal and ozone, a constant reminder of the endless hours Tails had spent tweaking the portal generator. His goggles reflected the glowing holographic schematics hovering in front of him as he worked, adjusting calculations with laser focus.

Lightning paced restlessly near the workbench, his nerves a tangled mess. 

“So… this is actually happening?” he asked, voice laced with excitement and just a touch of disbelief. “You’re gonna send me home?”

Tails looked up, pushing his goggles onto his forehead. “Yeah. I’ve got the calculations down. It should work… but there’s always some risk when you’re dealing with dimensional portals.”

“Risk? Like, what kind of risk?” He forced out a nervous chuckle. “Because, uh, I’d rather not end up in another random dimension again.” Lightning waved his hands dramatically. “One accidental world-hop was more than enough for me.”

Sonic, leaning against the wall with his usual smirk, crossed his arms. “Don’t worry, Lightning. Tails knows what he’s doing. We’ve opened plenty of portals before. Right, buddy?”

Tails gave a tight-lipped smile. Not exactly the confidence boost Lightning was hoping for.

“Uh… yeah. Sure.”

Lightning groaned, dragging a hand down his face. Super reassuring, guys. Thanks.

Still, this was his best shot. His only shot. No backing out now.

“Alright,” he muttered, rolling his shoulders, trying to shake the tension out of his body. “Just… make sure I don’t end up in some weird place again .”

Knuckles, lounging on a nearby crate, chuckled. “Hey you could end in a world where you are a giant turtle with swords or a nephew of a rich duck!”

Lightning shot him a glare. “Not. Helping.”

Tails flipped a switch, and the portal generator roared to life with a low hum. The swirling vortex of electric-blue energy crackled in the center of the room, illuminating everything with an eerie glow.

Lightning’s breath caught in his throat. This is it.

“I’ve got everything calibrated,” Tails announced, fingers flying over the controls. “It should work.”

Sonic pushed off the wall, his smirk softening. “Alright, just… be careful, okay?”

Tails nodded. “I know.” Then he turned to Lightning.

The swirling energy of the portal reflected in Lightning’s eyes. He swallowed hard. 

“Thanks, everyone.” His voice came out softer than he intended. 

Tails gave him a thumbs-up. “Anytime.”

Lightning took a deep breath, stepping forward toward the portal.

His heart pounded.

One step closer.

Almost home.

Then—

BOOM.

The entire room shook as a pulse of energy blasted outward. A shockwave knocked Lightning off his feet. He hit the ground hard, his ears ringing, his vision flashing white.

“Tails!” Sonic shouted. “What did you—?!”

The vortex wasn’t shrinking—it was expanding , roaring louder, pulling at the air, at everything .

Lightning scrambled up, his stomach lurching. Oh no. Oh no no no no no—

“Uh, guys?” Sonic’s voice was tense. “It’s pulling in the workshop!”

A violent crack of energy shot from the vortex. Then— whoosh!

Two figures were yanked through the portal, landing hard on the workshop floor with a heavy thud .

and then machine exploded sending bits and pieces in the air 

Silence.

Everyone stared.

Lightning’s pushed himself up, eyes widening.

No way.

Lying in the center of the room were two very familiar figures.

One was a small fox—his fur slightly ruffled, twin tails twitching as he groaned and sat up. His eyes darted around, wide with confusion. Tails.

Beside him, a red echidna pushed himself onto his elbows, shaking off the disorientation. His violet eyes scanning the room sharply, His fists clenched, his stance immediately shifting to defense. Knuckles

Lightning’s breath caught.

Tails?! Knuckles?!

Well, he thought, this just got a whole lot more complicated

Notes:

HEYYY

 

now for the moment you all have been waiting for!!!! MOVIE TAILS AND KNUCKLES

(also did any one see the rottmnt and ducktales references I put there)

Chapter 15

Back in the Wachowski household’s basement, the aftermath of the portal malfunction left Tails and Knuckles standing in the wreckage of the room, staring at the torn remnants of the portal. Their thoughts raced as they struggled to process everything that had just happened.

Tails clutched his tablet like a lifeline, his hands trembling. His chest tightened. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This wasn’t supposed to happen! He swallowed hard, voice barely above a whisper. “I—I don’t understand. And now Sonic…”

Knuckles, sensing the spiraling panic in his youngest brother, reached out and grabbed his arms. His grip was firm but not harsh. “Calm yourself down, Fox. The hedgehog will be fine. He’s our brother, remember?” 

Tails stared at him, eyes darting frantically, ”Should we tell Mom or dad”

“It would be beneficial to tell father and mother about this ordeal, They would know what to do”

Before either of them could head to Tom and Maddie, a low hum filled the air.

Tails barely had time to process the anomaly before another portal tore open again, swirling with electric energy. The tendrils of light twisted outward, snapping like hungry jaws.

“Move!” Knuckles shouted, his instincts screaming at him to react. He reached for Tails, but the vortex’s pull was relentless.

“Knuckles!” Tails yelped as his feet left the ground. He flailed for something— anything —to grab onto, but there was nothing.

The force yanked them both forward before they could even think to resist.

The world twisted into a chaotic blur. Tails felt his stomach flip, his ears ringing from the sudden shift in space. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for what felt like an eternity—

Then, just as abruptly as it began, it stopped.

With a painful thud , they crashed onto a floor. The impact rattled through Tails’ bones, leaving him momentarily dazed.

He groaned, blinking up at the unfamiliar ceiling. What… just happened?

Shaking off his dizziness, he scrambled to his feet, his fingers still clenched around his tablet. His fur bristled with unease as he took in his surroundings. It was a workshop, cluttered with gadgets, blueprints, and machinery that pulsed with an unfamiliar energy. 

Knuckles groaned beside him, pushing himself up. His violet eyes darted warily around the room before landing on the pink hedgehog standing a few feet away, looking just as stunned.

“What… is this place?” Knuckles muttered, his stance immediately shifting into a defensive one. His fists clenched on instinct, ready for a fight.

The pink hedgehog let out a nervous chuckle, raising her hands. “Uh… funny story?”

Knuckles didn’t wait for an explanation. His body tensed, muscles coiled, ready to strike. Tails fumbled through his backpack, fur puffing up in alarm as he reached for one of his gadgets.

Then—

“Tails! Knuckles!”

The voice cut through the tension like lightning.

Both of them turned toward the sound.

Standing there, eyes wide with relief, was Sonic.

For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.

Then, everything snapped back into motion.

Tails launched himself forward, practically tackling Sonic in a crushing hug. His chest ached with the sheer relief of seeing him again. “We were so worried! ”

Knuckles wasn’t far behind, nearly knocking them both over with his own bear hug.

Sonic chuckled, hugging them back. “I’m fine, guys, I’m fine—”

Knuckles, however, refused to let go. Sonic’s face started turning an alarming shade of purple.

“Knuckles… air…” Sonic wheezed, his arms flailing slightly.

Tails quickly tugged on Knuckles’ arm. “Okay, okay! Let go before you break him in half!”

Knuckles finally released him with a final squeeze, grunting in satisfaction.

Sonic shook his head with a grin. “I’m definitely lucky you didn’t crack a rib.”

Silence settled over the room as the weight of the situation fully hit them.

Then, another voice spoke up.

“Okay, so… you two are his Tails and Knuckles?”

Tails turned toward the voice, eyes narrowing as he took in the other blue hedgehog standing beside them.

Tails smiled. “Uh, yeah? But—” He pointed an accusing finger at his Sonic. “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

Notes:

Hiiiii!!

For some dumb reason my brain decided to wake me up at 3 AM and now I can't sleep—so I’m gonna post this here while I can!! lol.

Anyway! What I was going for is that the Boom universe moves way faster than the Movie universe (kind of like Dimension X in 2012 TMNT). So even though Lightning was in Boom for like a day and a half, only about five minutes passed in the Movie universe.

ANYWAY—hope you’re having an awesome night/day!! 💫✨

Chapter 16: New Faces, Broken Hands

The moment Lightning stepped  “Uh… hey guys?” he said sheepishly, gesturing at the two arrivals behind him. “Meet the rest of my crew.”

Standing in the middle of the workshop, Little Tails adjusted his bag with a cute little “hmm,” his fluffy twin tails twitching behind him. 

Next to him stood Little Knuckles, built stockier than the average child, a determined frown on his face and a stance that screamed "miniature gladiator.” His arms were folded as he scanned the room like he was on a battlefield. “This place is… strange. But I sense strength in some of you. I approve.”

Sonic blinked. “Did… did that kid just give us a battle rating?”

“I think he did,” Tails muttered, adjusting his goggles.

Amy stepped forward with a warm smile. “Hi there! I’m Amy, and—” She reached out instinctively to shake Little Knuckles’ hand.

The child warrior narrowed his eyes at her. “We greet with strength in my tribe.”

Amy didn’t hear Lightning, and little tails yelling “NO”

Amy blinked. “Okay? I guess I can-”

CRACK.

Amy let out a short yelp, yanking her hand back as Little Knuckles gave the firmest handshake the universe had ever seen.

“Oh my gosh!” Lightning yelped, rushing to her side. “He breaks everyone’s hand! We keep telling him he needs to do it a bit softer!”

“I consider it a gesture of respect,” Little Knuckles said with complete seriousness.

Amy cradled her hand, groaning. “This kid’s stronger than Knuckles…”

Sticks, who had been watching from behind a stack of gizmos, slowly peeked out, eyes wide. “Did the squirrels warn us about this and I just forgot?”

Little Tails rolled his eyes. “No. We’re from another dimension. Try to keep up, boomerang girl.”

Sonic choked on a laugh. “Okay, he’s sassy. I like this one.”

“I'm adorable and intelligent,” Little Tails replied, fluffing up proudly. “A rare combo, honestly.”

“Okay, okay, timeout,” Lightning said, holding up his hands as Tails wandered closer to the duo. “It looks like they got sucked by the portal that was supposed to send me home.”

Little Knuckles stepped forward again, planting himself in front of Boom Knuckles. The two echidnas stared at each other in silence.

“…I like him,” Knuckles finally said.

Little Knuckles grunted with approval. “You would make a fine sparring partner. Perhaps we shall test our strength in honorable combat.”

“YES,” Boom Knuckles said, already bouncing. 

Sonic facepalmed in the background. “Please don’t start an interdimensional brawl in my house.”

Tails raised an eyebrow. “Your house? This is my workshop.”

Sonic shot back. “Let me have this.”

Little Tails had by now climbed onto one of the rolling chairs, spinning himself dramatically. “Well, now that the introductions are over, could someone please feed us? We’ve been dimension-hopping all day and I am starving . And also mildly traumatized.”

Amy blinked. Something about the tiny, fluffy fox dramatically spinning while complaining with a slightly squeaky voice activated every single maternal instinct she had.

“Ohhhh my gosh,” she whispered, a hand going to her heart. “You are SO. CUTE.”

Little Tails froze mid-spin. “Wait—what—?”

“Look at you! You’re so small! Look at your little gloves and your tiny tails! Oh my stars, come here—”

Before he could react, she scooped him off the chair like he weighed nothing, cradling him in her arms like he was a stuffed animal.

“I AM A FULLY CAPABLE ENGINEER!” Little Tails squeaked, kicking his legs lightly as Amy rocked him.

“You sure are, sweetie! A very smart and capable baby!” she cooed, brushing his messy fur.

Lightning was already doubled over laughing in the background. “Oh no. He’s malfunctioning.”

“I—I don’t—WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME—” Little Tails babbled, his entire face turning red as he tried (and failed) to squirm away. “I’m not a baby! I’m just smol!! This is a violation of fox rights!”

“You’re too cute to not be babied,” Amy said sweetly, “What do you eat, huh? Pancakes? Nuggies?”

“I EAT SCIENCE,” he shouted, flailing helplessly. “AND, SOMETIMES, APPLE SLICES WITH PEANUT BUTTER, BUT THAT’S NOT THE POINT—”

Tails leaned against the wall, smug. “Never thought I’d see me get rocked like a newborn. This is excellent.”

Little Tails let out a squeaky hiccup of emotional overload. “I don’t know whether to cry or combust—”

Amy gasped. “Did you just hiccup?! Oh, sweetie, do you need a juice box?”

“I—” Little Tails dramatically flopped back in her arms, face buried in his tiny hands. “…Is there apple?”

“I can make it apple.”

“I accept.”

Amy finally set him down gently on a beanbag chair, fluffing his tails like a blanket around him. “There. Want some snacks? I’ve got carrot sticks and tiny cookies shaped like stars.”

“I want to complain,” he mumbled, cheeks puffed out. “But I also want cookies.”

“See? Adorable,” Amy said, handing him a tiny plate. “Anyone else hungry?”

It didn’t take long for everyone to gather around. They made a casual semicircle on the floor and spare couches, surrounded by plates of snacks—chips, fruit, leftover sandwiches, and a suspiciously large stash of juice boxes. Tails had a notepad out. Sticks had perched herself on the armrest like a bird. 

Lightning looked around at the group now lounging with snacks like a slumber party. “Okay,” he said, clapping his hands once. “Everyone comfy? Full of tiny foods? Good. Because we need a recap.”

Notes:

HIIIII

 

HOW ARE YALLL

Chapter 17: The Recap

Everyone was gathered with snacks in hand, half lounging and half perched, as Lightning stood dramatically in the center of the chaos, clearing his throat like an actor on stage.

"Alright, buckle up, because this is a wild ride."

Little Tails, still clutching a juice box like a life raft and with a cookie crumb on his nose, tilted his head. "Oh, this should be good."

Little Knuckles grunted, cracking his knuckles as he shoved half a sandwich in his mouth. "Better make it quick, Hedgehog."

Lightning smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Oh, trust me, I’m about to tell you the most insane story of my life."

He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself before launching into his tale.

"Okay, so you know that portal that sucked me in, right? Next thing I know, I’m crash-landing in this dimension, and let me tell you—it was NOT a smooth landing. Pretty sure I faceplanted into the ground. Very tragic."

Little Tails snorted through his straw. "Sounds about right."

Lightning shot him a look but didn’t break stride. "Anyway, I wake up, dazed, confused, and—get this—starving. And THEN! I find out this world already has a Sonic! With a scarf and everything! Not stylish, by the way."

From across the room, Other Sonic scoffed. "Can’t someone appreciate the look?!"

Lightning waved a dismissive hand. "So, I’m stuck here, trying to make sense of literally everything, just trying to survive, you know? I walk around the village for almost a day, I find some food, then Big Me finds me—" he jerked a thumb toward Other Sonic "—and chases me around like I stole something. They corner me, I spill the whole ‘I’m from another dimension’ thing, and then we start working on a way to get me home. Cue science montage: lots of dramatic failures, things catching on fire—you know, the usual. But FINALLY, we get a portal open, and I’m thinking, ‘Yes! Home at last!’"

He paused for effect, raising a finger. "But then!"

Little Tails leaned forward, cookie forgotten. "Let me guess. It didn’t work."

“Bingo! Not only does it not work, but instead of just sending me home, it decides, ‘Hey, you know what? Let’s drag you two along for the ride!’” Lightning threw his arms out, gesturing dramatically at his Tails and Knuckles.

"And now here we are! One giant, interdimensional mess! The gang’s all here,the machine that brought you here is now a pile of scrap, and I still have no clue how we’re gonna fix this."

A heavy silence followed.

Then Other Sonic burst out laughing. "Wow. That is so on-brand for us."

Little Tails blinked at Lightning in confusion before realization dawned on him. His face lit up with a grin. "Wait—hold on. For us, you were gone for, like, 5 minutes before another portal yanked us in. That means this dimension moves faster than ours!"

Other Tails groaned, rubbing his temples. "Okay, new problem, okay. We’ll figure this out. We always figure it out."

Sticks crossed her arms. "Preferably before another portal rips open and starts the alien war."

Little Tails and Knuckles both shot her a confused look. Even Other Tails looked unimpressed.

Other Tails clapped his hands together. "Alright! So, new plan: we find a way to get these three back home without causing another disaster. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded, though some with more enthusiasm than others.

Lightning smirked, rocking back on his heels. "Great. Now, who’s ready for round two?"

Little Tails groaned, exasperated. "Please. No more portals."

Notes:

Hey everyone! 👋

Quick question — I’m currently working on the Knuckles brawl scene, but I’m hitting a bit of a wall 😅 If anyone has ideas or wants to brainstorm with me, I’d be super thankful!!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I’ll see you again tomorrow! Take care, okay?

Byeeeee

Chapter 18: A Nickname for the Little Guy (Pt 2)

The group gathered in the workshop for an important meeting. Well, important enough— Sonic had called it a “Name Meeting,” which meant it was half serious and half just an excuse to sit around and joke.

Lightning sat cross-legged on a workbench while his brothers stood beside him, arms crossed as they surveyed the room. Sonic leaned against the wall, looking way too entertained by all of this.

Other Tails cleared his throat. “Alright, so here’s the problem. We now have three extra versions of people who already exist in this world, and if we keep calling you by the same names, it’s going to get really confusing.”

Lightning huffed. “Which is exactly why I’m sticking with ‘Lightning’ while we’re here.” He crossed his arms and smirked. “We already decided that back when you we were figuring out how to send me home.”

LittleTails tilted his head. “Wait, you guys picked a nickname for him?”

Amy nodded. “We had to. It was either that or call him ‘Lil Sonic,’ which he hated.”

Lightning shuddered. “Don’t remind me.”

Other Knuckles gasped. “Ooooh, can we call the little fox Tiny Tails?”

Little Knuckles—who had been silently stewing in the corner—snorted. “Absolutely not.”

Little Tails rolled his eyes. “No way. If he gets a cool name, I want one too.”

Other Tails perked up. “Oh! How about ‘Twister’? You’re fast, small, and kinda chaotic like one.”

Twister thought about it, then shrugged. “Not bad, actually.”

Lightning smirked. “Yeah, fits you way better than ‘Tiny Tails.’”

Amy pouted. “Aw, but it was cute.”

Other Sonic tapped his chin. “Okay, so we’ve got Lightning and Twister. What about you, Knux?”

Other Knuckles opened his mouth to say something before being cut off by Little Knuckles who was glaring at him.

Little Knuckles groaned. “I will not be going with anything cute.”

Amy hummed. “Hmm… how about ‘Fists’?”

Fists considered it for a moment, then nodded. “That’ll do.”

Sonic clapped his hands together. “Alright! Lightning, Twister, and Fists.”

And somehow other knuckles had summon a stamp and a paper out of thin air and stamped the paper and yelled at the top of his lungs “APPROVED”

Lightning rolled his eyes, but a small smile played on his lips. Sure, things were still weird, but at least now, they weren’t as confusing.

Notes:

HEYYYY

HOW ARE YALL

Chapter 19: Adjusting to the Universe

Lightning stretched his arms behind his head, watching his brothers

“Alright, so here’s the deal,” he said, hopping up onto a crate. “Things here are fine. Mostly. Just… weird .”

Fists crossed his arms “Tch. Weird barely describes this land. I have seen much in my time, but this ... this is beyond comprehension.” His eyes flicked to Knuckles, who was currently stacking crates to see how tall he could make them before they toppled over.

Lightning winced. “Yeahhh, uh, Knuckles is… different.”

Fists scoffed. “He is no warrior. He is but a fool with strength.”

As if on cue, Knuckles gave a loud whoop as the tower of crates crashed down, sending him rolling across the floor. “Aw man, so close!”

Fists exhaled through his nose like he was physically holding himself back. “How has he survived this long?”

Lightning patted his shoulder. “You get used to it.”

Meanwhile, Twister had completely abandoned the conversation, eyes sparkling as Tails showed him a new gadget.

“You really built this yourself?” Twister asked, examining a small metallic device.

Tails nodded, grinning. “Yup! It’s a mini energy stabilizer. Helps with power flow in unstable tech.”

Twister turned it over in his hands, his tails twitching with excitement. “That’s so cool. The wiring’s completely different from my world’s tech, but I think I get how it works!”

Tails beamed. “Oh, we should totally compare notes!”

Lightning shook his head as the two immediately started geeking out over circuits and energy fields. Yeah, those two were gonna get along way too well.

Across the room, Sonic leaned against the wall, watching Amy sort through supplies.

Lightning smirked. “So, uh… what’s up with you two?”

Sonic blinked. “Huh?”

Lightning rolled his eyes. “You and Amy.” He gestured vaguely. “There’s, like… something there, right?”

Sonic’s ears twitched. “Wha—pfft—no! I mean, yeah, we’re friends, obviously, but—”

Lightning raised a brow as Amy glanced over. “What are you two whispering about?”

“NOTHING,” Sonic blurted, standing up straight.

Lightning narrowed his eyes, watching the way Sonic immediately got all nervous.

Huh. The way Amy talked to him, the way she looked at him… it kinda reminded Lightning of Tom and Maddie. 

The way Maddie would fuss over Tom when he was being reckless, the way Tom acted all cool about it but totally listened to her anyway.

Oh my gosh, Lightning thought. It’s like watching a romcom.

A grin stretched across his face. Oh, this was gold .

Fists, meanwhile, had reached his limit. He stomped over to Knuckles and jabbed his fist at him. “You! Explain yourself. How do you claim the name Knuckles yet conduct yourself with the manner of a jester?”

Knuckles blinked, then grinned. “Ohhh, you’re talking about me! Sweet.”

Fists growled.

Lightning sighed. Yeah… adjusting to this place was gonna take some time.

Notes:

HIII

How are y'all!!!!

 

You guys can see some sonamy crumbs in this chap lol

any ways I think you guys will be very excited for the next chapter

Sneak peak:

“I merely wish to test his strength,” Fists said, not looking away from Boom Knuckles. “I do not fear defeat. But I cannot abide false pride.”
Knuckles cracked his neck. “Cool! I like wrestling. But, uh, what are we doing again?”

Chapter 20: Echidna Clash

The field behind Tails’ workshop had seen a lot—blown-up targets, scorch marks, the occasional wild explosion from tails “testing” something—but this was new.

Two echidnas stood across from each other.

One looked like a walking slab of muscle with a wide, dopey grin and bandages around his knuckles. The other stood tall and poised, arms crossed, a calm fury radiating from his every move..

“You sure about this?” Sonic asked, perched on a fence rail with Lightning next to him.

“Oh, he’s sure,” Lightning muttered. “He’s been pacing like a tiger for an hour.”

“I merely wish to test his strength,” Fists said, not looking away from Knuckles. “I do not fear defeat. But I cannot abide false pride.”

Knuckles cracked his neck. “Cool! I like wrestling. But, uh, what are we doing again?”

Fists narrowed his eyes. “Combat.”

“Oh, like a punching contest? SWEET.”

Twister groaned. “This is either going to be hilarious or catastrophic.”

Amy crossed her arms. “Place your bets.”

Tails blinked. “Wait, are we seriously letting this happen?”

Sonic grinned. “Too late now.”

With a silent nod, Fists lowered into a balanced stance—feet planted, fists raised, calm and coiled like a spring. Boom Knuckles, meanwhile, raised his arms like he was about to flex.

“YEAH BABY,” Knuckles whooped. “LET’S KNUCKLE UP!”

And then, like a cannonball, Fists lunged.

He was fast. Scary fast. His first jab nearly clipped Knuckles’ jaw, but the red echidna leaned back at the last second—purely by accident as he sneezed and stumbled.

Fists missed by an inch and gritted his teeth.

“Haha, that tickled!” Knuckles said brightly, swaying like a tree in the breeze. “Your punches are spicy!”

Fists blinked. “What.”

He struck again—this time a sweeping kick aimed at the knees.

Knuckles tripped forward mid-laugh, completely dodging the kick, landing flat on his face, then popping back up like nothing happened.

“Whoops! Haha! Almost dropped my sandwich! …Wait, where’s my sandwich?”

From the sidelines, Twister was nearly crying with laughter. “Is he… dodging by being an idiot?!”

“Not on purpose,” Amy muttered. “He’s just like this.”

Fists was shaking now. Not from fatigue—but humiliation.

He unleashed a flurry of disciplined, well-placed strikes, every one of them targeting vital points—joints, ribs, pressure spots—but Knuckles either sneezed, tripped, waved at a passing bird, or turned to ask someone if they’d seen his missing glove.

None of the blows landed.

Fists’ eye twitched.

Knuckles grinned, oblivious. “So, are we warming up first or—WHOA!” He finally got clocked by an uppercut and went flying—only to land on his feet, giggle, and wave. “That was AWESOME. Can you do it again?”

Silence.

Then Fists exhaled sharply and changed tactics.

He stopped trying to hit Knuckles.

Instead, he waited.

Knuckles bounced in place, shadow-boxing. “Doo-doo-doo, yeah, I’m a knuckle sandwich machine—OOF!”

Right into Fists’ counter.

A swift leg sweep, followed by a short-range elbow to the chest, brought the Boom version down like a brick wall falling.

Fists stood over him. “Victory is mine.”

Knuckles blinked up from the ground. “Did I win?”

Fists actually growled.

Lightning burst out laughing. “That’s the most cursed win I’ve ever seen.”

Amy gave Fists a pat on the back. “You earned that, buddy.”

Twister was still wheezing. “He didn't even know he was fighting.”

Knuckles sat up, beaming. “That was the most fun I’ve had all week! Wanna do it again?”

Fists’ eye twitched. “No.”

Chapter 21: A Race Across the Island

Notes:

Hiii how are yall

Here is a lill sneak peak of the next chap:

“OH great,” Sonic muttered, dodging left. “We were literally in the middle of something!”

Lightning zipped beside him, sighing. “Y’know, for once I thought we’d get one normal day.”

“BEHOLD MY—!”

The dust was still settling from the impromptu sparring match between Knuckles and Fists. Both stood in the clearing, grinning like lunatics.

“That was awesome,” Knuckles said, cracking his neck with a wide grin. “You punch like a landslide.”

“And you hit like a boulder. Slow, but solid.”

Twister shook his head, amused. “This crew is unhinged.”

Sticks muttered, hugging a boomerang like it was a sacred relic. “That punch you threw was strong,” she said to Fists. “Ten outta ten, would use to knock out a government conspiracy.”

Fists nodded. “Thank you badger”

Sonic clapped his hands together. “Okay, now that Knuckles and Fists had a brawl bonding, who’s ready for a real showdown?”

Lightning perked up. “What, you mean like… a race?”

“Exactly,” Sonic said, grinning. “Around the island. Fastest wins.”

Lightning’s eyes sparked—literally. “Oh, it’s on .”

“Oh no,” Amy sighed. “Here we go.”

Tails looked up from his tools. “Can you please not shatter any space-time barriers this time?”

“No promises!” Sonic and Lightning chorused, already stretching.l.

Sticks crossed her arms. “Fine. I’ll allow this race. But I’ll be watching. Closely. With a telescope. And maybe some tripwires.”

Fists grunted approvingly. “This should be interesting.”

With the entire crew gathered, the two hedgehogs faced off.

“One lap,” Lightning said. “Fastest around the island wins.”

“Winner gets bragging rights for eternity,” Sonic added.

They crouched. The air seemed to still around them.

“Three—two—one—GO!”

And just like that, they were gone—two streaks of blue ripping across the island, the trees trembling in their wake.

Sticks narrowed her eyes at the horizon. “If they summon any ancient spirits doing this, I swear I’m throwing hands.”

Chapter 22: Eggman Makes a Move

As Lightning and Sonic dashed through the open fields, their laughter echoed through the island

Lightning was ahead of Sonic in the race—until the ground suddenly rumbled beneath them.

A chorus of mechanical whirs filled the air, followed by the distinct hum of energy weapons charging up. Lightning skidded to a stop just in time to see lasers rain down from above, scorching the earth.

A chorus of mechanical whirs filled the air, and the distinct hum of energy weapons charging up made Lightning skid to a stop. He barely had time to look up before lasers rained down from above, scorching the earth.

“OH great,” Sonic muttered, dodging left. “We were literally in the middle of something!”

Lightning zipped beside him, sighing. “Y’know, for once I thought we’d get one normal day.”

“BEHOLD MY—!”

Eggman’s usual dramatic entrance was cut short when Sonic called up, “Hey, can we do this another time? I’m kinda busy right now.”

Eggman’s mustache bristled. “No! The fght was schedule for today and I’ve been planning this all week! NOW PREPARE TO MEET YOUR D—” He suddenly squinted at Lightning, his words faltering. “Wait, hold on. What’s going on here? Who is that?”

Lightning blinked. “Huh?”

Eggman leaned forward in his Eggmobile, eyes darting between Sonic and the little hedgehog standing beside him. Then, something clicked. His jaw dropped.

“OH MY EVIL GENIUS, SONIC, WHEN DID YOU HAVE A CHILD ?!”

Sonic choked. “I WHAT—?!”

Eggman practically had steam coming out of his ears. “Why would you bring a child to a battle?! Are you insane?! Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?! Actually, scratch that, of course you don’t! I have to do everything around here—”

Lightning waved his arms. “I’m NOT his kid!”

Eggman ignored him, dramatically flailing. He jabbed a finger at Sonic. “What kind of irresponsible —”

Sonic groaned. “Oh my God, he’s not my kid, dude!”

“I’M NOT HIS KID!” Lightning shouted again, but Eggman was already in full rant mode now.

“You absolute buffoon ! This is why I say you’re reckless! You just drag kids into your battles like it’s some casual afternoon jog—”

At this point, the Crew and the rest of the trio showed up, skidding to a halt at the edge of the field.

Knuckles squinted. “Wait, what’s happening?”

Eggman huffed, crossing his arms. “What’s happening is that Sonic apparently thinks dragging his child into battle is a normal Tuesday!”

Lightning groaned. “I already said I’m not his kid!”

Eggman threw up his hands. “Oh, please ! Look at you! You’ve got the little quills, the cocky attitude, the speed —you’re just like him!”

That’s when his eyes flickered past Lightning, landing on Twister and Fists. Twister’s twin tails spinning idly behind him, Fists standing firm with his arms crossed.

Then, he looked back at Sonic. Then Lightning. Then Twister. Then Fists. His brain finally put the pieces together.

Eggman’s mustache twitched.

“…Wait a second.”

Sonic grinned. “ There it is.”

Eggman suddenly paled. “OH CHAOS, YOU CLONED YOURSELF?!”

Sonic snickered. “Not exactly , but you're close enough.”

Eggman frantically pointed at Lightning. “So you’re not his child , you’re—?”

“He’s an alternate version of me,” Sonic said with growing irritation. “Eggman, meet Lightning, Twister, and Fists. Lightning, Twister, and Fists, meet Eggman—he shows up every now and then to terrorize the village.”

Lightning, Twister, and Fists froze.

They stared at Eggman.

Eggman stared back.

The three immediately had war flashbacks to their own versions of Robotnik

Fists cracked his knuckles. His patience had officially run out. “Enough of this foolishness.”

Lightning, Twister, and Fists stepped forward, Lightning and Fists, eyes sparking with electricity.

Eggman gulped.

Then they lunged.

Lightning’s spin-dash tore through half the robots, Twister became a blur of destruction with gadgets , and Fists literally ripped machines apart like paper.

Eggman, who had been all smug and confident seconds ago, immediately reevaluated his life choices.

He mashed buttons on his Eggmobile in a panic. “WaitwaitWAIT! TIME OUT! TRUCE! I DIDN’T SIGN UP FOR THIS!”

Lightning took a step forward, electricity crackling around him like a mini thunderstorm.

Twister cracked his knuckles. His twin tails spun menacingly behind him, like two tiny chainsaws warming up.

Fists clenched his fists, and the ground literally rumbled beneath him .

Eggman swallowed so hard it made an audible gulp .

“A-Alright, alright!” he yelped, waving his arms wildly. “I may have slightly underestimated you! But still, it’s not like you’re actually going to—”

Sonic and the Crew quickly stepped in before things got ugly.

“Whoa, guys, let’s not go full supervillain here.” Sonic placed a hand on Lightning’s shoulder.

Lightning barely registered it, his focus locked on Eggman. Electricity crackled in the air around him, Twister, and Fists, their energy still surging.

Sonic hesitated before asking, carefully eyeing the trio.

“…You weren’t actually about to kill him, were you?”

Silence.

Lightning, Twister, and Fists didn’t respond right away.

Sonic’s grin wavered. “Right?”

Twister shrugged. “Haven’t decided yet.”

Fists rolled his shoulders. “Depends on if he got back up.”

Eggman paled, “Alright! THAT’S ENOUGH!” he yelped, frantically mashing buttons to retract his remaining robots. “YOU WIN! YOU THREE ARE TERRIFYING! CAN WE MOVE PAST THE WHOLE ‘MURDER THE EVIL SCIENTIST’ PHASE NOW?!”

Sonic let out a relieved sigh but quickly held up his hands. “Look, I get it—you guys are used to dealing with some serious threats, but Eggman’s… well, he’s kind of a joke.”

Lightning’s glare didn’t ease. “A joke? You said he attacks the village constantly!”

Sonic rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, but it’s more of a… routine inconvenience than an actual world-ending crisis.”

Amy nodded. “Honestly, stopping him is like brushing our teeth at this point.”

Eggman scoffed. “Oh, excuse me! I am a diabolical genius , not some neighborhood nuisance!”

Amy crossed her arms. “You can be both.”

Eggman sputtered. “I—THAT IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS!”

Tails let out a nervous chuckle. “We’ve been dealing with him for years. He pulls off some big schemes, sure, but he always loses.”

Eggman threw up his arms. “Oh, come on! A little respect wouldn’t kill you!”

Twister deadpanned, “…That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Fists folded his arms. “Evil is evil. That man builds machines to hurt innocent people, correct?”

Sonic sighed. “Yeah, but he doesn’t actually hurt people. It’s mostly just property damage and empty threats.”

Lightning’s frown deepened, but the sparks flickering around him began to settle. Twister and Fists exchanged glances before easing their stances—still wary, but no longer ready to throw hands.

Sonic sighed. “Yeah, yeah, no more threatening Egghead now, ok. Let’s just focus on fixing this whole ‘multiversal mess’ thing.”

Tails perked up. “Actually, Eggman, you might be able to help with that.”

Eggman froze, his mustache twitching. “... Help ? Me? ”

Tails nodded. “You do want them out of your metaphorical  hair, don’t you?”

Eggman grumbled, glancing at the trio still scared out of his pants. “...Fine,” he muttered. “But I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it so I don’t die. ”

Sonic smirked. “Good enough for me.”

And with that, they turned toward Tails’ workshop, ready to grab what they needed and head to Eggman’s lair.

Notes:

HIIIIII 🥳💖

Sooo the Chaos Trio just met the Boom World's weird uncle—let’s GOOOO!! 🎉✨

Alsoooo, my birthday’s in 3 days!! 😭🎂💕

And I like to think that once one Eggman starts ranting, it’s game over—he’s in his own world, not hearing a single word anyone else says. Full-on monologue mode activated

Chapter 23: Garlic Cookies & Villainous Hospitality

The ride back to Eggman’s lair was… weird. Not tense exactly, but not relaxed either. Lightning, Twister, and Fists sat in Eggman’s hovercraft, wedged between Sonic, Tails, Amy and Sticks, while Knuckles casually dangled his legs over the side like falling out wouldn’t be a problem.

Eggman, gripping the controls a little too tightly, kept glancing at the trio out of the corner of his eye.

He still wasn’t entirely convinced they weren’t going to fry him.

Once they landed, Eggman cleared his throat dramatically. “ Ahem! Now that we’ve established that I am, in fact, a genius, and you are, in fact, invading my home , let’s get one thing straight—no breaking anything .”

Lightning smirked. “No promises.”

Eggman groaned but led them inside anyway.

Eggman’s lair was exactly what you’d expect—lots of screens, lots of beeping machines, and way too many Eggman-shaped decorations. Lightning eyed a golden statue of Eggman and muttered, “Wow. This guy really likes himself.”

Fists snorted. “A warrior should seek honor, not vanity .”

Eggman ignored them. “ Ahem! Before we begin, refreshments!”

Tails blinked. “Wait, refreshments ?”

Eggman gestured grandly to a tray on the table. “Cookies. Homemade cookies, I’ll have you know.”

Lightning squinted. “...Why do I feel like this is a trap?”

Orbot and Cubot, who had been waiting quietly in the corner, finally spoke up.

“Oh, they’re not a trap, sir made them himself,” Orbot said.

Cubot nodded. “Yeah! But, uh… you did put a lot of your special ingredient in them.”

Sonic and Tails, glanced at each other, silently agreeing not to tell everyone what they already knew—Eggman’s “special ingredient” was always garlic.

Soon Sticks, Amy and Knuckles had taken a bite.

Their expressions immediately soured.

Amy swallowed with difficulty. “Okay. That is… strong. ”

Knuckles stuck out his tongue. “Blegh. It’s like eating a garlic-flavored brick, I would know.”

Sticks spat hers out violently . “ POISON! ”

Eggman huffed. “Oh, please. You uncultured swine wouldn’t know flavor if it hit you in the face.”

But then something unexpected happened.

The trio took a bite. Chewed. Swallowed. And then—

“…Not bad,” Lightning said casually, grabbing another cookie and taking a bite without hesitation.

Twister nodded, examining the texture with an eye. “Texture’s a little off, but it’s good!”

Fists simply shrugged. “It is acceptable.”

They continued munching like this was the most normal experience in the world.

The entire room stared.

Sonic’s jaw practically hit the floor. “Wait, wait, wait—you actually like them?!”

Lightning blinked at him, confused. “Yeah? I mean, we’ve all eaten way worse.”

Silence.

Tails looked deeply disturbed. He hesitated before speaking, as if dreading the answer. “...I feel like I don’t want to ask, but at the same time, I really want to ask.”

Sticks leaned in dramatically, her eyes glinting with curiosity. “Was it lizard people food?”

Lightning just shrugged, completely unbothered. “I lived off barriers, bugs, trash, and other stuff for ten years before being adopted.” He grabbed another cookie like nothing he just said was remotely concerning.

Twister mirrored his brother’s nonchalant energy, waving a hand. “Before I came to Lightning’s home and got adopted, I was isolated from my village for years. I had to live on my own. And sometimes, when the other kids broke into my lab, they’d steal my food supply, so I had to go scavenge for food.”

Fists exhaled through his nose, as if recalling distant memories. “I was a hunter at one point in my tribe. After I lost them, I spent my time traveling between planets searching for the Hedgehog and the Master Emerald. Food wasn’t exactly a priority, so this cookie is quite well made.”

The silence that followed was deafening.

Tails just stared at them, his face a mixture of horror and disbelief. He slowly turned to Sonic, looking for some kind of logical explanation that didn’t exist.

Eggman stared at the trio “Every other word that comes out of your mouth makes me even more scared of you.”

Sonic could only nod, still trying to process everything he’d just heard. “Yeah, no, I second that.”

Sticks gasped dramatically, pointing an accusing finger at Lightning. “SO IT WAS LIZARD PEOPLE FOOD, WASN’T IT?!”

Lightning groaned, rubbing his temples. “For the last time, NO.”

Twister, meanwhile, reached for another cookie. “So, can I take some of these to go?”

Tails looked beyond done. “What is WRONG with you?!”

Eggman, meanwhile, was still processing the fact that someone had actually complimented his baking, and that whatever these kids just said was extremely concerning . His shoulders relaxed a little. “Huh. Well. at least they have taste .”

Lightning smirked. “See? Told you we weren’t that bad.”

Eggman narrowed his eyes. “ For now. ”

Orbot & Cubot Meet the Chaos Trio

As the group got to work setting up equipment, Orbot and Cubot approached the trio.

Cubot tilted his head. “Sooo… if you’re not a mini Sonic, what are you?”

Lightning grinned. “Awesome.”

Twister rolled his eyes. “He means we’re from another dimension.”

Fists folded his arms. “And I do not trust this one.” He jabbed at Eggman, who had gone back to tinkering.

Orbot sighed. “Well, good news , neither do we.”

Lightning raised an eyebrow. “Wait, really?”

Cubot nodded. “Oh yeah, we only work for him because he programmed us to. If we had a choice, I’d be a chef .”

Orbot sighed. “And I’d be literally anywhere else. ”

Eggman, overhearing, scowled. “EXCUSE ME?!”

Lightning and his brothers exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

Maybe this Eggman was different.

And maybe… this wasn’t going to be so bad.

Notes:

Hiiii everyone!!

How’s it going?

I hope you’re all enjoying the fic so far! I’m currently brainstorming ideas for future chapters, so if you’ve got any fun or wild suggestions, feel free to throw them my way—I love hearing your ideas!💖💖💖

also next chap has a lill angst!!

Chapter 24: The Truth About Robotnik

“So… I gotta ask,” Sonic said, arms crossed as he leaned against one of Eggman’s monitors. “Back there, you guys looked ready to take him out for real.” He nodded toward Eggman. “What’s the deal with that? You guys fight your Eggman all the time, right?”

The trio exchanged glances. Their expressions darkened.

Fists was the first to speak. “Our Robotnik is… different.”

Amy raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Different how? He wears a different mustache style? He sings villainous show tunes?”

Twister shook his head. “Trust me, if you knew what he did, you wouldn’t be joking.”

Sticks narrowed her eyes. “Alright then, tell us.”

The trio fell silent for a moment before Lightning let out a sigh. “Fine. You wanna know why we were ready to deck him into next week?” He clenched his fists. “Because our Robotnik was batshit crazy. Like, full-on ‘science experiment gone rogue’ level of crazy.”

Tails’ ears twitched. “Wait, what?”

Lightning’s jaw tightened. “Yeah. When he found out what I could do, he wanted to cut me up, hook me to his machines, and drain my energy to power his robots.”

The crew froze.

Amy paled. “Uh… what.”

Lightning crossed his arms. “And when that plan failed, he decided, ‘Oh well, guess I’ll just go for revenge instead.’”

Twister’s usual curiosity was gone, his voice oddly flat. “Robotnik wasn’t just a villain. He was cruel. He didn’t care who got hurt as long as he got what he wanted. He tricked our Knuckles, left him for dead, nearly wiped out our parents, and tore apart our town just to get to us.”

Sonic scowled. “Okay, that’s way past messed up.”

Eggman, who had been suspiciously quiet, finally scoffed. “Alright, now hold on .” He folded his arms, looking almost offended. “Sure, I may be a villain, but even I have standards! My lifelong dream is to build Eggmanland over your village, not… that! ”

Cubot nodded. “Yes, sir is evil, not monstrous.”

Orbot whispered, “Most of the time…”

Eggman shot him a glare but turned back to the trio. Something about the way they talked about their Robotnik nagged at him. It took him a moment to realize—

They were speaking in past tense.

The room fell silent.

Tails glanced between Lightning, Twister, and Fists. “…Wait. What happened to him?”

Lightning looked down.

Fists exhaled. “dead.”

The words hung in the air like a storm cloud.

Knuckles blinked. “…Oh.”

Sticks raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Twister frowned. “Actually… no.”

Eggman tensed. “What do you mean no ?”

Lightning rubbed the back of his neck. “We haven’t heard from him since the big battle a few months ago. There was an explosion, then… nothing. No body, no signal, nada.”

Twister shrugged. “So maybe he’s dead. Or maybe he’s just biding his time.”

Sonic ran a hand through his quills. “Great. So you’ve got a crazy messed up scientist that might be dead or might be lurking in the shadows, waiting to make a dramatic comeback. That’s comforting.”

Fists crossed his arms. “If he’s alive, we’ll finish what we started.”

Eggman, who was usually full of bravado, suddenly found himself very, very glad that he was not that Robotnik.

Amy looked uneasy. “Either way, that’s terrifying.”

Then—just as the mood became way too heavy for anyone’s liking—Eggman suddenly clapped his hands together so loudly that Cubot nearly jumped out of his casing.

“Alright, alright, enough of the gloom and doom!” he announced, standing up with the energy of a sitcom dad. 

 He spun around, pointing at Orbot and Cubot. “You two—blankets! Hot cocoa! And extra marshmallows—no, triple marshmallows, Cubot!”

Cubot, looking a bit overwhelmed, nodded hastily. “Got it, Boss! I’ll make it extra gooey!”

Orbot sighed. “Ah yes, nothing like a sugar overdose to process emotional trauma.”

Eggman ignored him. “And while you’re at it, get fuzzy socks! I want maximum comfort levels!”

Twister raised an eyebrow. “...Are we being adopted?”

Sonic smirked. “I think you guys just got yourself an evil uncle.”

Eggman huffed. “Oh, please, I am a dastardly genius ! I don’t ‘adopt,’ I uh… temporarily tolerate!” He waved a hand dismissively before pointing at Tails. “You! Get the remote! We’re having a movie night.”

Tails blinked. “Uh… what movie are we watching?”

Eggman smirked. “Something tasteful. Something refined.”

Tails grinned. “So, Eggman’s Worst Defeats Volume 1?”

Amy snorted. “Or ‘The Day I Almost Won, A Documentary’?”

Sonic chuckled. “Ooh, what about Eggmanland: The Untold Failures ?”

Eggman put a hand to his chest, looking deeply offended. “Excuse you, I have impeccable taste! Alright, everyone, get comfortable! We’re watching a cinematic masterpiece .”

Sonic raised an eyebrow. “What are we watching?”

Eggman smirked. “A true hidden gem. Attack of the Mutant Space Gerbils 3: Rise of the Rodents! ”

The room went silent.

Lightning blinked. “…Is Keanu Reeves in it?”

Tails tilted his head. “Who?”

Lightning looked deeply offended. “Keanu Reeves. You know, John Wick? Neo? THE internet’s beloved immortal legend?”

Knuckles scratched his head. “Uh, nope.

Sonic chuckled, “I don’t think we have a ‘Keanu Reeves’ here.”

Lightning reeled back like he’d just been personally attacked. “There’s a world without Keanu Reeves? That’s—That’s unnatural! That’s like… like a world without gravity! Or chili dogs! Or—”

Twister patted his shoulder sympathetically. “Breathe, you’ll get through this.”

Lightning just crossed his arms. “I dunno, man. A Keanu-less world does sound like a dystopia.”

Sonic snorted. “Well, sorry to disappoint, but this is our world, and we have Mutant Space Gerbils 3 instead.”

Lightning groaned and flopped onto the couch. “This is the darkest world.”

Eggman, completely ignoring the existential crisis happening behind him, pressed play. “Enough chit-chat! Time for some real cinema.”

As Orbot and Cubot bustled around with blankets and mugs of steaming cocoa (Cubot somehow managing to spill half of his own), the tense air from earlier seemed to ease

And maybe, just maybe, evil geniuses did have a soft side after all.

Notes:

HIII

HOW ARE YALLLL

Chapter 25: Sleepover!!!

As the credits rolled, Lightning sat there, still in visible shock over the Keanu-less world. He kept glancing at the screen as if waiting for reality to correct itself.

Twister lazily tossed a popcorn kernel in the air, catching it in his mouth. “Well… that was something.”

Fists, who had been dozing for most of the movie, cracked one eye open. “Did the cheese aliens win?”

Amy leaned over to Sonic, whispering, “I thought Eggman said had taste in movies.”

Sonic shrugged. “What can I say? It’s Eggman.”

Lightning slowly turned to sonic. “Hey, you know, this movie’s really starting to make me question reality. Like… how does a cheese-based space war even happen?”

Twister, ever the philosopher, raised an eyebrow. “Who knows? Maybe it’s art.”

Fists snorted, half-asleep. “Sure. Art. The gerbil is the artist.”

Eggman, noticing the collective lack of enthusiasm, dramatically cleared his throat. “Alright, alright! I get it! My movie choices may not be for everyone!” He folded his arms, clearly unimpressed with their lack of cinematic appreciation. “At least it had heart!”

Tails looked up from his notebook. “I think the gerbil general’s war speech was statistically impossible.”

Eggman groaned. “Ugh! Critics!”

Amy stretched, suppressing a yawn. “Well, it’s late. We should probably head back to the village.”

Tails rubbed his eyes. “Yeah… but we also need to finish the portal.”

Eggman, who had been fully prepared to shoo them out, suddenly reconsidered. “Hmm. Yes, well… fine. I suppose you can all stay over. For practicality’s sake, of course!” He pointed at Orbot and Cubot. “Go get pillows! And blankets! Lots of them!”

Cubot saluted, nearly dropping a pillow on his own head. “On it, Boss!”

Within minutes, Orbot and Cubot had returned, their arms overloaded with even more blankets and pillows. Everyone grabbed a pile and picked a corner to settle into for the night.

The trio, however, immediately grabbed their pillows, stacking them into an elaborate nest.

Sonic watched as Lightning, Twister, and Fists made a nest of pillows and snuggled in, using way more pillows than necessary.

Tails stared. “Uh. What are you guys doing?”

Fists, already buried in the nest, blinked sleepily. “What does it look like? Nest instincts.”

Lightning flopped down into the pillow fort. “We sleep like this all the time.”

Twister yawned. “It’s a sibling thing. You wouldn’t get it.”

Fists, already asleep, just mumbled, “More pillows…”

Sonic smirked. “If I try to take one of your pillows, will you hiss at me?”

Lightning stared at him, unblinking. “Try me.”

Sonic very slowly backed away. “Noted.”

Knuckles, watching them smiled. “Hey, wait. That looks comfortable.” He turned to Cubot. “gimme five more pillows.”

Cubot looked at him. “No”

Eggman sighed, rubbing his temples. “I don’t know why I even bother trying to understand you people.” He gestured dramatically. “Fine, nest all you want. But if anyone wakes me up at an ungodly hour, I will not be held responsible for what happens next.”

As Eggman turned to leave to head to his room he mumbled low enough so no one could hear. “I swear, It’s like I’ve adopted 8 children overnight…”

With that, the lair settled down. The hum of Eggman’s machinery provided a strangely soothing white noise as everyone got comfortable.

As the group settled in, the room grew quiet, save for the occasional snores, rustling of blankets, and Knuckles’ whispered argument with Cubot over pillows.

For now, at least, things were… peaceful.

Notes:

Heyyyyyy how are yalll

It your girls BIRTHDAY TODAY!! (Holy shit I’m 16 now)

Any ways so that means you guys will get 2 chapters today!!!!! ( I will post it later today!!)

Chapter 26: Morning Mischief

Lightning was the first to wake up, blinking blearily as the mechanical hum of the lair filled his ears. He stretched, yawning, before glancing around at his still-sleeping siblings. Twister was curled up on his side, mumbling nonsense in his sleep, while Fists had practically buried himself under a mountain of pillows.

For a brief moment, Lightning considered just going back to sleep.

Then he noticed Eggman standing in the doorway, groggily rubbing his eyes. The scientist looked disheveled—his mustache was slightly frizzed, and he had very clearly not had his morning coffee yet.

Lightning blinked.

Eggman blinked back.

“…You’re awake early,” Eggman muttered, voice hoarse from sleep.

Lightning grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. “And you look way too tired to stop me from doing something stupid.”

Eggman squinted. “I don’t like that sentence.”

By then, Twister had woken up, stretching lazily. “What’s going on?”

Lightning smirked. “Pranks.”

That got Fists up real fast. “I’m in.”

Eggman groaned. “I should’ve gone back to bed.”

The trio immediately started plotting. Twister grabbed some spare wires and zip-ties from the workbench, Lightning snuck over to Orbot and Cubot (who were both recharging), and Fists rifled through Eggman’s storage.

Eggman watched them with an expression that could only be described as deep regret. “You’re going to break something, and then I’m going to have to deal with it.”

“Relax, Eggy,” Lightning teased. “We’re professionals.”

Eggman opened his mouth to protest the very incorrect use of the word “professional,” but by then, the pranks were already underway.

The Pranks:

For Sonic they tied his shoelaces together and strategically placed a banana peel right in front of him. Classic.

For Tails they reversed his wrench settings so that everything he tightened was actually being loosened.

For Knuckles they replaced his punching gloves with oversized foam mitts that bounced back when it hit something.

For Sticks they… didn’t actually prank her. She woke up halfway through and joined them instead.

For Orbot & Cubot they swapped their voice boxes. (Cubot now sounded like a very sad Shakespearean actor, and Orbot sounded like an overexcited chipmunk.)

And finally Amy, The trio originally planned to do something to her hammer, but after noticing the way she was curled up peacefully, Lightning had a last-minute change of heart. Instead, he nudged Twister. “Let’s just move her closer to Sonic.”

Twister smirked. “Ohhh, I like the way you think.”

With careful movements, they nudged Amy’s sleeping form juuuust a little closer to Sonic’s. Then they kicked away one of Sonic’s pillows so that when he turned in his sleep…

His arm draped over her.

Twister grinned. “There we go. Instant awkwardness.”

Eggman watched all of this with an increasingly exhausted expression. “I’m too tired for this.”

Lightning patted his arm. “Just embrace the chaos, old man.”

Eggman scowled. “Don’t ‘old man’ me, you brat.”

By the time everything was in place, the trio plopped back onto their pillow pile, eagerly waiting for the show to start.

And oh, was it going to be good.

 

---

 

Notes:

Heheh 2 chapters in 1 day

Ohhh look at what my friend got for my birthday:

Chapter 27: Chaos O’Clock

The lair was peaceful. The kind of peace that only existed when everyone was asleep and hadn’t yet realized they’d been pranked.

Lightning, Twister, and Fists sat huddled together in their pillow nest, barely containing their giggles as they waited for the inevitable fallout. Eggman, who had long since given up trying to stop them, was seated off to the side with his morning coffee, watching like a tired, underpaid babysitter.

And then—

Sonic moved.

The first groggy stretch, the way his eyes blinked blearily open—Lightning was practically vibrating with excitement.

Sonic yawned, smacked his lips, and then—

“Oh, hey, Amy.”

Silence.

The trio exchanged glances.

Sonic, still mostly asleep, squinted in confusion before his brain finally caught up with the situation. His arm? Wrapped around Amy. Their faces? Way too close.

Amy stirred, letting out a sleepy hum as she nuzzled into Sonic’s chest.

Sonic short-circuited.

“—AHHHH!”

Amy jolted awake with a startled gasp. “What?! What’s happening?!”

Amy blinked, still drowsy. Then she realized where she was.

Her face went beet red. “AHH—”

WHAM!

Sonic went flying across the room.

Lightning, Twister, and Fists absolutely lost it.

Eggman sighed and took a sip of his coffee. “Saw that one coming.”

Elsewhere in the room, other chaos unfolded.

Tails groggily grabbed his wrench, ready to get to work—only for everything he “fixed” to immediately fall apart. “What is happening?! Am I cursed?!”

Knuckles cracked his knuckles dramatically, only to discover his hands were now encased in massive foam mitts. “WHO DID THIS? I CAN’T FEEL MY FINGERS.”

Sticks, having joined the prank planning, woke up completely fine and simply sat back to watch the mayhem with a proud grin.

Orbot and Cubot, upon activating, immediately started screaming.

 “MY VOICE! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY VOICE?!”

 “To be or not to be, that is the question…”

Eggman, still seated and sipping his coffee, finally sighed. “Well. At least my morning isn’t boring.”

Lightning wiped away a tear from laughing so hard. “Oh man, this was so worth waking up early for.”

Amy, still red-faced and embarrassed, glared at the trio. “I know it was you three.”

Twister grinned. “Us? Guilty? I’m offended by the accusation.”

Fist just shrugged “I have no clue on what you are talking about, Hedgehog”

Lightning, still trying to smother his laughter, waved a hand. “Okay, okay, but in our defense , that was hilarious.”

Sonic, groaning as he peeled himself off the wall, pointed dramatically at them. “You little gremlins are so getting payback-” 

But as soon as he took a step he tripped onto a banana 

Lightning smirked. “Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try.”

Eggman sighed again. “Oh great. Now they’re starting a prank war.”

Cubot, still speaking in an overly dramatic tone, clutched his chest. “A war… of mischief and deceit! ”

Eggman rolled his eyes. “Someone fix his voice box already.”

Notes:

HIIIII HOW ARE YALLL

Chapter 28

Lightning, Twister, and Fists sat smugly in their pillow nest, basking in their victory.

Sonic dusted himself off, cracking his knuckles. “Alright, you little chaos gremlins—game on.”

Tails groaned, rubbing his temples. “Oh no… this is going to escalate, isn’t it?”

Knuckles, still struggling to remove the foam mitts, grinned. “Oh, definitely.”

Eggman, sipping his now-lukewarm coffee, groaned. “You kids and your pranks. I swear, if any of you mess with my lair’s security system, I’m throwing you into the nearest volcano.”

Twister grinned. “Noted. No security system pranks.”

Fists snorted. “For now.”

Eggman gave them a long, tired stare. “I hate you.”

Lightning smirked. “No, you don’t.”

Eggman sighed. “...I do a little.”

Amy, arms crossed, still glaring at them, cleared her throat. “Okay, but seriously—no more pranks.”

Twister, Fists, and Lightning all exchanged looks.

Tails, Knuckles, and Sonic all exchanged similarly mischievous glances.

“Of course.”

“Yeah, totally.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

Amy narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”

She was absolutely right not to.

Phase One of the Crew’s Counterattack: The Glitter Bomb.

Sonic was fast. Tails was smart. And together, they were unstoppable.

While the trio was busy plotting their next prank, Sonic zipped around the lair, planting tiny, inconspicuous glitter traps in every single one of their belongings.

Tails grinned. “And now… we wait.”

Fists flopped down onto the pillow nest.

Poof.

A cloud of gold and blue glitter exploded into the air.

There was silence.

Then, slowly, Fists sat up. He blinked. His entire everything was covered in glitter.

Lightning’s eyes widened in horror. “Oh no.”

Twister touched his wrench, watching as a wave of sparkles cascaded off it like a waterfall. “Oh no.”

Fists ran a hand through his fur, sending another puff of glitter into the air. His eye twitched.

From across the room, Sonic and Tails burst out laughing.

Eggman smirked. “Oh, this is so much better than TV.”

Phase Two: Psychological Warfare.

Tails had something special for Fists.

While the others weren’t paying attention, he activated a stealth hologram. It shimmered subtly to life above Fists’ head—an extremely realistic, eight-legged spider crawling ever so slowly through his fur.

Lightning screamed before Fists even noticed. “OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE A SPIDER IN YOUR FUR—”

Chaos ensued.

Fists flailed wildly, rolling off the nest and spinning in place like a Beyblade while yelping, “GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!”—which only made the hologram look like it was clinging tighter. Tails was on the floor laughing so hard he couldn’t breathe.

Phase Three: Squeaky Sabotage.

Later that day, Lightning laced up his sneakers, unaware of the switch.

The moment he took off running—squeak squeak squeak—his eyes widened in slow-motion horror.

He stopped.

He stepped again.

Squeak.

“SONIC!”

Sonic peeked around the corner, clearly waiting for the moment. “Soggy shoes activate!”

“You're dead,” Lightning growled, squeaking across the floor like an angry mop.

Phase Four: Baby Steps.

Twister woke up in confusion from his nap.

There was... a blanket.

A very tight blanket.

Wrapped all around him.

Like a burrito.

A very snug, swaddled, helpless burrito.

Lightning nearly fell over laughing. “TWISTER?! WHO DID THIS?!”

Twister blinked at the ceiling in betrayal. “I was asleep.”

A sticky note was stuck to his forehead.

"Nap time for Baby Wister – Love, Sonic & Tails 💕"

Eggman took one look at the scene before him—glitter explosions, spider panic, squeaky footsteps echoing through the halls, and one swaddled Twister—and sat back down with a sigh.

Lightning, narrowing his eyes, slowly turned to Sonic. “You realize this means war, right?”

Sonic shrugged. “Bring it on.”

Twister yelled mischievous glint in his eye. “Oh, you fool. You have no idea what you’ve just unleashed.”

Fists, still sparkling like a disco ball, clenched his fists. “We are at war.”

Knuckles, now missing both foam mitts, cheered, “Oh, I love war!”

Amy groaned. “You guys are so immature.”

Sticks, now wearing a tinfoil hat for seemingly no reason, grinned. “Ah yes, the sacred cycle of trickery and vengeance. It’s beautiful.”

Eggman sighed, standing up. “I’m going to need another coffee for this, aren’t I?”

Orbot, now recovered from his voice-box malfunction, nodded. “Would you like extra sugar, sir?”

Eggman sighed. “Just dump the whole bag in.”

Notes:

HIIII HOW ARE YA

We will be seeing a new character next chapter, here is a Lill sneak peek:

Lightning’s eyes sparkled.

Lightning’s brain immediately supplied one undeniable truth:

This guy is the coolest person I’ve ever seen.

(Sorry, not Sorry Tom.)

 

Sooooo who do you guys think it is!

Chapter 29: The Coolest Hedgehog Alive (Apparently)

After an hour of absolute chaos —including but not limited to an industrial-sized bucket of slime, a suspiciously rigged microwave, and an incident involving way too many rubber chickens—the Crew and the baby trio mutually decided to call a truce.

everyone finally slumped onto the floor of Eggman’s lair, exhausted.

Sonic lay sprawled on a pile of pillows, groaning. “Alright. Truce. I can’t take any more.”

Lightning, covered in feathers from an unfortunately well-placed fan trap, nodded. “Yeah. If I get hit with one more confetti cannon, I might actually explode.”

Twister, who was still finding googly eyes everywhere , muttered, “Agreed.”

Sticks, picking spaghetti out of her fur, sighed. “Fine.”

Amy dusted off her skirt, crossing her arms. “ Finally. ”

Eggman, sipping his seventh coffee of the hour, sighed. “I never thought I’d say this, but I actually miss regular fighting.”

With the prank war officially over, the lair settled into a strange, peaceful quiet. The exhaustion of battle (or, rather, mild inconvenience-based warfare ) had set in.

Lightning stretched, feeling restless. “Alright, I need some air. Gonna go for a run.”

Sonic gave a lazy thumbs-up. “Don’t get lost.”

“Please do,” Eggman muttered under his breath.

---

The crisp air was exactly what he needed.

Lightning took off into a run, weaving through the trees, feeling the wind rush past him. No glitter bombs. No prank traps. No Eggman dramatically complaining about them ruining his lair. Just freedom.

And then—

WHAM.

He crashed directly into something or rather someone .

Stumbling back, Lightning blinked up at the figure in front of him. His quills were jet black with red streaks, his expression was a perfect mix of I don't care and I could destroy you if I wanted to.

Lightning’s eyes sparkled.

Lightning’s brain immediately supplied one undeniable truth:

This guy is the coolest person I’ve ever seen.

(Sorry, not Sorry Tom.)

He took a step closer. “You are the coolest person I have ever seen in my life. ”

The hedgehog frowned. “...What?”

Lightning grinned, practically vibrating. “The black-and-red aesthetic? The brooding? The whole vibe ? Are you, like, a ninja assassin or something?”

The hedgehog crossed his arms. “No.”

Lightning gasped. “ Secret agent? ”

“No.”

“Legendary lone warrior on a quest for vengeance?”

The hedgehog narrowed his eyes. “Go away.”

Lightning gasped again, this time even louder. “ Mysterious tragic past?! ”

The hedgehog sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I am not doing this today.”

Lightning, completely ignoring the clear go away energy, grinned. “Too bad, buddy, because I am. ”

Shadow turned on his heel. “I’m leaving.”

Lightning jogged beside him. “Oh, so we’re going on a walk together? Nice. See? Friendship is already happening.”

The hedgehog visibly tensed. “No, it is not. ”

Lightning, completely ignoring him, grinned. “What’s your favorite color? I bet it’s red.”

The hedgehog refused to dignify that with a response.

But that didn’t stop Lightning.

Because he had made up his mind.

And just like that, the fastest hedgehog in his world made it his personal mission to befriend the most done-with-life hedgehog in this one.

Notes:

Hiii

for everyone who guessed shadow in the last chapter you were right!!!

Chapter 30: The Persistence of an Annoying Hedgehog

Shadow had dealt with many things in his life.

Explosions. Government conspiracies. Eggman’s nonsense. The sheer headache that was Sonic.

But this kid?

This kid was somehow worse.

“Listen,” Shadow said, turning on his heel with a glare. “I don’t know who you are, and I don’t care. Leave.”

The kid was still grinning like he had just met his personal hero, folded his arms. “Yeah, see, I would, but you’re clearly avoiding social interaction, and I, Lightning wachowski, have decided that’s my new mission.”

Shadow twitched. “You’re testing my patience.”

Lightning gasped, hands on his hips. “Whoa, is that a threat, Mr. Lone Wolf? ‘Cause I gotta say, you’re just making me more intrigued.”

Shadow turned away, heading toward the forest. “I don’t have time for this.”

Lightning immediately followed.

“I do,” he said cheerfully.

Shadow sped up.

Lightning sped up.

Shadow took a sharp turn.

Lightning parkoured off a tree to catch up.

Shadow stopped abruptly. Lightning nearly smacked into him.

The older hedgehog exhaled through his nose. “You’re still here.”

“Yep.”

Shadow stared at him. “Why.”

Lightning shrugged. “I dunno. I just think you’re cool.”

Shadow twitched again. “I don’t want to be your friend.”

Lightning nodded. “Totally get it. You think you don’t, but that’s just because you’ve been alone too long, my brooding, tragic, cool-colored dude.”

Shadow groaned.

Then, without another word, he turned and dashed away.

Lightning, blinking at the sudden disappearance, narrowed his eyes. “Oh, so that’s how it is?”

He cracked his knuckles.

“Alright. Game on.”

Shadow sighed in relief as he finally reached his cave—a quiet, hidden retreat where he could not be bothered by overly chatty hedgehogs.

Stepping inside, he let the darkness settle around him, enjoying the familiar quiet.

And then—

THUNK.

A very loud crash echoed through the cave entrance, followed by a groan.

Shadow turned around slowly.

There, sprawled out on the floor in a pile of absolute failure, was the kid, who had clearly just fallen through the entrance.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then—

he weakly raised a thumbs-up. “Nailed it.”

Shadow stared.

A very small, almost unnoticeable twitch of his mouth threatened to form a smirk.

Lightning, still on the ground, gasped dramatically. “Was that a smile?!”

Shadow’s face immediately went back to neutral. “No.”

Lightning pointed. “It was! I saw it!”

“Leave.”

“Never.”

Shadow groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

he leaned against the cave wall, arms crossed. Lightning, still on the floor, seemed completely unfazed by his own embarrassing entrance.

“So, what’s the deal with this place?” Lightning asked, sitting up. “Secret lair? Evil villain hideout? Just your chill spot?”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “Why do you care?”

Lightning shrugged, looking around. “I just like knowing things. Especially about the people I decide to bother forever.”

Shadow sighed. “It’s where I go to be alone.”

Lightning snapped his fingers. “Yeah, see, that’s the problem. You gotta mix it up, dude. Socialize a little. Maybe have a barbecue. I dunno.”

Shadow stared at him, unimpressed. “A barbecue.”

Lightning nodded seriously. “Yep. You, me, some chili dogs. Maybe a bonfire. We tell spooky stories. Get to know each other. You know, the usual stuff.”

Shadow rubbed his temples. “The sheer audacity you have is exhausting.”

Lightning grinned. “Thank you.”

Shadow turned away, pretending this conversation had never happened. He walked deeper into the cave, hoping that if he ignored the problem, it would go away.

It did not.

Lightning followed.

Shadow clenched his fists. “You are incredibly persistent.”

Lightning beamed. “I know, right? It’s one of my best qualities.”

Shadow groaned again.

It seemed like no matter how fast he ran, how much he ignored him, or how many threats he made, The kid wasn’t going anywhere.

And deep, deep down—a part of him didn’t completely hate that.

Not that he’d ever admit it.

Notes:

Hey hey! 👋💖

So, me and my awesome friend Smilegirl64 teamed up to write a fic together called "Owl You Need is Love" - and we’d absolutely love it if you checked it out!

You can read it here:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/64917190/chapters/166866538

Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed writing it! 💕 Let us know what you think!

Chapter 31: Ice Cream and Ice-Cold Threats

Shadow had no idea how it happened.

One moment, he was brooding in his cave, enjoying the blissful silence after The kid finally shut up.

The next? He was standing in front of an ice cream parlor.

"How did you do this?" Shadow asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Lightning, who was grinning like he’d just won the lottery.

"Persuasion, my brooding friend," Lightning said with an exaggerated wink.

Shadow scowled. "I don’t recall agreeing to this."

Lightning waved a hand, brushing off Shadow’s concern like it was nothing. "Yeah, yeah, technicalities. Just try something. It'll be fun!"

Shadow sighed deeply, massaging his temples. "Fun," he muttered under his breath. "Sure, why not." He figured that if he indulged the kids antics this one time, maybe, just maybe, he'd leave him alone faster.

He stepped up to the counter, eyes scanning the flavors with mild interest, trying not to be impressed by the variety.

"I’ll have one dark chocolate," he said, voice low and uninterested. "No toppings."

Lightning leaned in beside him, practically bouncing with energy. "Ooooh, edgy choice. I respect it hot topic."

Shadow shot him a glare. "It’s just ice cream."

But Lightning was already grinning wider, eyes sparkling. "Not just any ice cream, my dude. This is ice cream ," he declared dramatically. "I’m gonna go all out." He turned to the cashier and ordered, "Two scoops of birthday cake explosion, extra sprinkles, with a cherry on top!"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "That... is the most obnoxious flavor I’ve ever heard of."

"And yet, the most delicious," Lightning shot back without missing a beat. "Trust me, it’s a game-changer."

They got their ice cream and everything was fine—until they got to the register.

"Alright, that’ll be ten dollars," the cashier said with a polite smile, her hand hovering over the register.

Shadow and Lightning both froze.

"Uh…" Lightning patted his quills seeing if he had any spare change . "Hey, you got this, right?"

Shadow’s eye twitched, his glare intensifying. "You dragged me here, and you don’t even have money?"

Lightning shrugged, unfazed. "Hey, I just assumed the legendary hedgehog carries some spare change."

"Legendary hedgehog?" Shadow growled, "I don’t carry money. That’s not how I operate."

The cashier hesitated, her smile faltering slightly. "Sir… that’s not how this works."

Shadow's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I wasn’t asking, you let me and the kid get the ice cream"

The cashier, now visibly uncomfortable, stepped back a little. "I-I’m sorry, but I can’t just give you the ice cream."

At that moment, Lightning stepped in with an overly cheerful grin. "Whoa, okay, okay, let’s not threaten the nice ice cream lady, buddy," he said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "That’s not the vibe we’re going for."

Shadow shot him an irritated look. "Then how do you propose we pay?"

Lightning tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Okay, so, theoretically, I could run around the block a few times, grab some loose change, and maybe find a few wallets—"

Before he could finish his plan, a very familiar voice rang out from the entrance.

"Oh, for the love of—what did you do this time?"

Lightning turned with a wide grin. "Sonic! Hey, man!"

Sonic stood at the entrance, his arms crossed, looking very much like a tired mother who had been hunting down a wayward child all day. His fur was ruffled, his scarf was slightly askew, and the deep sigh he let out was one of pure exasperation. It was the kind of sigh that only someone who had been dealing with Lightning for far too long could make.

"We’ve been looking for you everywhere," Sonic said, his voice dripping with annoyance. " What part of 'don’t get lost' was unclear?"

Lightning, still holding his ice cream like the situation was normal, didn’t seem fazed at all. "Relax,  I was making a new friend!" 

Sonic's frown deepened. "That’s somehow worse."

Before Lightning could even respond, Sonic had crossed the distance between them and grabbed him, lifting him off the ground effortlessly. Lightning gave a small, unbothered noise of protest, though he didn’t try to escape. "Whoa, whoa, dude, I’m eating here," he complained, his eyes darting back to his ice cream.

"Yeah?" Sonic’s tone had shifted to one that only a parent would use when talking to a misbehaving child. "Well, eat while explaining why you’re trying to rob an ice cream shop."

Lightning gasped dramatically. "That is slander. I would never!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. He turned his gaze to the cashier. "Did he try to threaten you or something?"

The cashier blinked, looking slightly rattled but relieved to have backup. "Well, he—uh… his friend was threatening me. He seemed kind of… dangerous."

Lightning, still in Sonic's grasp, glanced over where The brooding hedgehog had been standing and frowned. "Wait, where’d he go?"

Sonic, with a sigh that could almost be felt in the air around him, turned to look around the shop. Lightning's new friend was gone. No surprise there.

Great. "Fugitive on the loose," Sonic muttered under his breath, hands on his hips. "Just great."

Meanwhile, Lightning, who was still happily licking his ice cream like this whole thing wasn’t the least bit troubling, turned his attention back to Sonic. "Yeah, he’s really fast. Kinda impressive, honestly, and a little cooler than you."

Sonic gave him a tired look, a mix of exasperation and something that might’ve been jealousy. "Yeah, I’m sure he is. Too bad he’s a pain in the neck."

Lightning snickered, not at all bothered. "No argument here."

Sonic, now trying to juggle Lightning’s antics and his own rising frustration, groaned. "You’re not gonna tell me who it was, are you?"

Lightning smirked, his tone far too casual for the situation. "Nope. But don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll be back."

Sonic narrowed his eyes. "Fantastic."

"On the bright side," Lightning said with a dramatic pause, "we still have ice cream."

Sonic’s expression softened, and he gave Lightning a long, tired look . "Fine. You’re eating your ice cream. And when we get back home, you’re paying me back for it." he said as he handed a ten dollar bill to the cashier.

Lightning gasped dramatically, eyes wide in mock horror. "Betrayed by my own brother in arms!"

Sonic shot him a side-eye. "Keep talking, and I’m eating the rest of it."

Lightning immediately closed his mouth, giving a mock salute as Sonic began walking toward the exit, still holding him aloft like a small, unruly child.

 

Meanwhile, far away on a quiet cliff, Shadow stood, his arms crossed as he watched the village below. The faintest hint of a smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. 

Notes:

HIii how are you guys doing?

we posted the second chapter of our Sonic fic,'Owl you need is love',so check that out:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/64917190/chapters/166977346

Chapter 32: Ice Cream, Lies, and Mandatory Breaks

The instant Lightning walked into Eggman's lair, he barely had time to breathe before Amy pounced .

" AN HOUR, LIGHTNING! " Amy shrieked, her voice hitting an octave so high, even the glass in the room might’ve cracked. " AN HOUR! "

Lightning blinked. "Uh… hi?"

" Don't ‘hi’ me!" Amy snapped, her hands on her hips like she was ready to beat him over the head with her hammer. " Where have you been?! "

"Relax, geez." Lightning waved his ice cream like a peace offering. "I was just out."

"Just out?!" Amy repeated, clearly on the verge of combusting. "You left for what was supposed to be a 15-minute run, and you were gone for an hour! You could've been captured, attacked, or—"

"Oh my, Amy, chill!" Lightning groaned, taking a long, exaggerated lick of his ice cream. "I'm fine."

"Yeah, no thanks to you," Amy huffed, her arms crossed so tightly they might as well have been welded together.

Sonic, who had been leaning against the wall watching the meltdown unfold, chuckled. "Y’know, Ames, you do kinda sound like a worried mom right now."

Amy turned to him so fast Sonic barely had time to dodge the incoming death glare . " EXCUSE ME?! "

Lightning tilted his head, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Honestly? Yeah, you two BOTH act like an old married couple that panics if the someone is gone too long."

Sonic immediately choked on air. " WHAT ?!"

Amy turned bright red . " WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT! "

Tails, standing behind them sorting through tools, snorted quietly.

Lightning smirked and leaned in. "They totally do ," he whispered to Tails.

Tails, without missing a beat, muttered back, "Obviously."

Amy groaned loudly, clearly regretting every choice that led her to this moment. Meanwhile, Sonic was still reeling.

" What ?! No, we don’t—Lightning, shut up —Amy, tell him we don’t—"

Amy groaned louder. "Why do I have to prove anything?!"

"You don’t ," Lightning said smoothly, licking his ice cream again. "We all see it."

Amy let out a frustrated sound before whirling back to the actual problem—Lightning’s disappearance . "Okay, whatever—where were you?"

Lightning opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, the doors to the workshop burst open again.

His siblings stormed in, synchronized like two detectives about to interrogate a criminal.

" Okay ," Twister said, hands on his hips. "What the hell did you do this time?"

Fisy squinted at him. "And don’t even think about lying, hedgehog. . "

Lightning took another bite of his ice cream, chewed for dramatic effect , then shrugged. "Got ice cream."

Fist and Twister stared. "That’s it?"

"Yup."

" And? "

Lightning paused, then added, "Oh yeah. Made a friend."

Silence.

Sonic, Amy, and Tails all exchanged glances.

Fist raised an eyebrow. "A friend?" 

Tails straightened up, suddenly interested. "Wait—who’s the friend?"

Lightning shrugged again. "Some guy."

Amy narrowed her eyes. " What guy? "

Lightning grinned, but didn’t answer.

Twister sighed, rubbing his temples. "I swear , if you somehow befriended a villain—"

Before anyone could finish questioning him, the doors to the workshop slammed open again—this time, with Knuckles storming in like he was on a personal mission of vengeance.

" WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! " Knuckles pointed dramatically at Lightning’s ice cream. " YOU GOT ICE CREAM AND DIDN’T GET ME ANY?! "

Lightning blinked. "…Knux. Dude. It’s ice cream ."

Knuckles folded his arms, looking deeply, deeply betrayed. “I deserve ice cream."

Lightning sighed. "Fine. If you do me a favor."

Knuckles squinted. "Depends?"

Lightning pointed straight at Tails. "Make sure this guy actually takes a break . "

Tails scoffed, looking up from his tools. "I AM taking a break!"

Lightning raised an eyebrow. "No, you say that, but we both know you wouldn’t stop working unless someone made you. Don’t forget—I’ve got a little Tails too, y’know."

Tails opened his mouth, but Sticks nodded approvingly. " Solid plan . "

" HEY! " Tails protested, but before he could escape, Knuckles grabbed him by the scruff like an actual cat.

"Alright, you heard the kid—MANDATORY BREAK TIME!"

"Wait, wait, why am I being forced into this?!" Twister suddenly yelped as Tail grabbed him too.

"Because if I have to take a break, so do you!" Tails grumbled.

Lightning grinned, watching the chaos unfold. Meanwhile, Amy was still suspicious.

"You’re avoiding the friend thing," she pointed out, arms crossed.

Lightning casually licked his ice cream. "Dunno what you’re talking about."

Amy sighed, pressing her fingers against her temples. "You are so infuriating sometimes."

Lightning grinned wider. "Aww, you love me."

"Unfortunately."

Sonic, however, was still thinking about Lightning’s ‘friend’. He clapped a hand on Lightning’s shoulder. "Alright, but for real—who’s the friend?"

Lightning hesitated—just for a second—before answering smoothly, "Dunno never gave me a name. Kinda broody. Kinda quiet. Has a thing for Caves. You know, normal stuff."

Sonic froze.

Amy stopped.

Tails, who had been reluctantly settling into his “mandatory break,” slowly turned his head.

Lightning, completely oblivious to the sheer tension in the room, kept licking his ice cream like nothing was wrong.

Sonic’s eye twitched. " Wait. "

Lightning quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

Sonic took a step forward. " Lightning. Who, exactly, did you make friends with?"

Lightning shrugged. "I dunno, he didn’t say his name. Black and red, cool hover shoes, kinda dramatic. Talks like he’s in a movie trailer?"

Sonic looked like he had just been stabbed . " …You’re joking. "

Amy put her ice cream down. "Lightning… Please tell me you’re not talking about Shadow."

Lightning blinked. "Who?"

Tails stared. "You… you don’t know who Shadow the Hedgehog is?"

Lightning frowned. "Okay, so I guess his name might be Shadow? But like, he was cool! He got me ice cream!"

Sonic threw his hands up. " SHADOW DOESN’T JUST GET PEOPLE ICE CREAM, LIGHTNING! "

"Uh, well, he did for me?" Lightning said, confused. "And he was nice! In a ‘grumpy but secretly cool guy’ kind of way."

Amy groaned. " Lightning, Shadow is literally one of our biggest enemies !"

Lightning stared .

Tails sighed, rubbing his temples. "You really had no idea, did you?"

"No?" Lightning said, looking increasingly concerned. "Are we sure we’re talking about the same guy? Because my new friend didn’t seem evil. He was just kinda quiet. And kinda broody. And kinda…" He trailed off. "Okay, yeah, he does talk like he’s planning world domination, but he is good I can tell."

Sonic grabbed Lightning by the shoulders. " LISTEN TO ME, LIGHTNING. HE ONCE TRIED TO DESTROY THE PLANET. "

Lightning blinked. "...Okay, but like… is he still doing that?"

Sonic opened his mouth. Closed it. Thought about it. Then frowned. "Well, not recently—"

"Then what’s the problem?" Lightning grinned. "Dude got me ice cream. We’re cool."

Sonic looked like he was about to explode. "YOU CAN’T JUST BE FRIENDS WITH SHADOW!"

"Why not?! He’s nice!"

" HE’S NOT NICE! "

" Well, he was nice to me! "

" THAT DOESN’T COUNT! "

Before Sonic could fully process the sheer insanity of what he had just heard, Lightning suddenly pointed behind him. "OH WOW LOOK AT THAT TOTALLY REAL DISTRACTION—"

Sonic turned on instinct.

Lightning BOLTED.

" WHOOPS! LOOK AT THE TIME! GOTTA RUN— "

Sonic whipped back around. " GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE—! "

Amy sighed, already regretting every second of this conversation. "Ten dollars says Shadow actually likes Lightning and they keep hanging out."

stick groaned. "Twenty says Lightning is about to accidentally turn Shadow into a good guy just by being an absolute menace."

Amy smirked. "Make it thirty."

And with that, they leaned back and enjoyed the inevitable chaos that was about to unfold.

Notes:

HIII

This was a very fun chapter to write!!!

also the third (AKA the final chapter) of the fic, 'Owl you need is love' is out so check it out!! :
https://archiveofourown.org/works/64917190/chapters/167059642

Chapter 33: The Tails Are Stuck on Mandatory Break (And It’s a Terrible Idea)

Tails hated being forced to take breaks.

Not because he didn’t like relaxing—okay, maybe he didn’t—but because every second he spent not working on something, his brain just buzzed with all the things he could be doing instead. He had, like, three unfinished blueprints waiting back in his workshop, two half-built prototypes that needed testing, and a brand-new propulsion system idea that was just begging to be experimented on.

And what was he doing instead?

Sitting on a bunch of pillows.

Eating ice cream.

Twister, on the other hand, was having zero problems with their forced break. He was currently lying flat on his back, arms spread out, staring at the ceiling like he was having some kind of spiritual moment.

"Soooooo... whatcha wanna do?" Twister finally asked, tilting his head toward Tails.

Tails sighed. "Nothing. Because we’re ‘relaxing.’" He made air quotes with one hand, the other lazily poking at his half-melted ice cream. "Even though I could be working on, oh, I don’t know, literally anything else."

Twister hummed. "Yeah, this is pretty lame. I was hoping we’d at least get, like, a snack table or something."

"We have ice cream."

"Yeah, but that’s not, like, a table," Twister argued. "It’s just a single food item. You need variety to truly call it a ‘break feast.’"

Tails blinked. "A what now?"

"Break feast" Twister grinned. "If we’re being forced to take a break, we should at least be eating like kings."

Tails shook his head. "I don’t even know what to say to that."

"A ‘you’re so right, Twister’ would be nice."

Tails just rolled his eyes. "You know what, I think I get why Lightning makes you take these breaks. It’s to keep you from making up new ways to cause chaos."

Twister gasped dramatically. "How dare you? I would never. "

Tails shot him a look.

Twister grinned. "Okay, maybe I would, but, like, not on purpose."

"Uh-huh." Tails leaned back against a tree, exhaling through his nose. "Man, I really could be getting stuff done right now."

Twister’s eyes lit up. " What’s the most dangerous thing you’ve ever built?"

Tails hesitated. "Define ‘dangerous.’"

"Like... ‘almost destroyed the world’ dangerous."

Tails thought for a moment. "Probably the self-replicating nanobots. They kinda... uh... kept duplicating. Indefinitely."

Twister whistled. "Oof. That’s hilarious. Did you almost get eaten by them?"

"Not eaten exactly, but they did try to absorb an entire forest before I shut them down."

"Nice." Twister nodded approvingly. "See, now that is a cool invention gone wrong. I respect that."

Tails squinted. "...Do you?"

"Oh, absolutely. I mean, if something doesn’t go wrong at least once, did you really invent anything at all?"

Tails considered this. "Okay, that’s actually kinda fair."

"Right??" Twister leaned closer, eyes gleaming. "Okay, okay, but what’s your opinion on jet-powered bike?"

Tails’ immediate response was, "Dumb and unsafe."

Twister snapped his fingers. "EXACTLY! Finally, someone with some actual common sense! Lightning keeps telling me to build a jet-powered bike, and I keep telling him that’s just an elaborate way to die faster, also it would be much better and convenient to build jet-skates"

"You’re not wrong," Tails admitted. "Why jet-skates, though?"

"Oh, ‘cause they’re way cooler. And, y'know, portable. But they do, uh... kinda catch fire sometimes."

Tails stared. "Twister."

"Yeah?"

"That’s not a feature, that’s a hazard. "

"I mean, maybe to you."

Tails groaned, dragging a hand down his face. "Okay, okay, look—if you promise not to set yourself on fire, I’ll help you fix the overheating issue."

"Oh, this is so gonna get us in trouble."

Tails smirked. "Yeah, but it’ll be worth it."

And just like that, their mandatory break had officially turned into a chaotic engineering session.

After a few minutes they were now hunched over a pile of scrap metal, sketching out plans for The jet-powered roller skates 

"Alright," Twister said, tapping a wrench against his palm. "So, we could use a thermal-resistant plating to prevent the combustion issue—"

"Or we could install a micro-thruster dampener to redirect excess heat output," Tails suggested.

Twister gasped. "Oooo, fancy words. I like it."

The two were so deep in brainstorming that neither of them noticed the large shadow looming over them.

Eggman, for his part, just looked at them, eyebrows raised. "What exactly are you two doing?"

Tails looked like he jumped out of his fur and Twister just smiled “Hey”

Tails instinctively shifted in front of their half-built project. "Nothing! Nothing at all! Just… taking a break! That’s all!"

Eggman snorted. "Oh, please. I know a half-finished deathtrap when I see one."

Twister beamed. "Thank you!"

"That was not a compliment."

Eggman took a few steps closer, peering over Tails' shoulder to inspect their sketches. His expression morphed from curiosity to genuine interest. "Hmm… jet-powered roller skates? Intriguing. What’s your fuel source?"

Tails crossed his arms. "Not telling."

"Tch, fine. Be stingy about it," Eggman muttered, before pointing to the rough blueprints. "But if I were you, I’d reinforce the ankle supports—otherwise, you’ll snap your legs right off if you hit top speed too fast."

Twister frowned. "Huh. Yeah, that would be bad."

Tails glared. "Are you seriously taking advice from Him?!"

"Hey, bad guy or not, dude knows his engineering," Twister said with a shrug.

Eggman smirked. "Finally, someone who respects my genius."

Tails groaned. "I hate this. I hate that I agree with you right now."

Eggman hummed thoughtfully, tapping his chin. "You know, if you want a real challenge, you should consider adding a built-in grappling hook—perfect for swinging around corners at high speed."

Twister gasped, eyes sparkling. "Ohhh, that’s so cool. We should do that!"

"NO, WE SHOULD NOT!" Tails shouted, throwing his hands up. "Why are you encouraging him?!"

Eggman chuckled. "Oh, I’m just here for the entertainment. And to be honest, this is the most fun I’ve had all day."

"Glad we could help," Twister said proudly.

Before Tails could finish, Sonic’s voice echoed from the other side of the lair.

"Yo, Tails! Twister! You better not be working on anything—!"

Tails paled. "Oh, Chaos, hide the blueprints! Hide the metal! Hide everything!"

Twister panicked and threw the entire pile of parts behind a Pillow just as Sonic rounded the corner.

Sonic blinked, looking between them… and then at Eggman.

Silence.

Sonic slowly pointed at Eggman. "...Why is he here?"

Tails opened his mouth. Nothing came out.

Twister, however, casually said, "Oh, he was just giving us cool ideas for—"

Tails tackled him to the ground before he could finish. "WE’RE TAKING OUR BREAK! THAT’S IT! NOTHING ELSE! HAHAHA EVERYTHING IS FINE!"

Eggman smirked, tipping an imaginary hat. "Well, I’ll leave you kids to it. Enjoy your… break." He turned and walked off, whistling 

Sonic squinted suspiciously. "You guys are up to something."

Tails shook his head rapidly. "Nope! Nope! Nope! Nothing at all! Absolutely nothing to see here!"

Twister gave a very unsubtle thumbs-up from the ground.

Sonic frowned. "Uh-huh. Yeah, I totally believe that."

Twister swallowed hard. "Please don’t tell Lightning."

"Oh, buddy," Sonic grinned. "I’m definitely telling Lightning."

Notes:

HIII

Chapter 34: Two Truths and a Lie

After much protesting and another round of mandatory breaks (because, according to Sonic and Lightning, “Fox Brains don’t know how to stop working”), the group finally gathered as a group for some downtime.

Tails got up on a tabel and yelled

“Ok! So everyones here, great, so it  looks like the portal will be finished with in a week soo…” then pointed at the mini trio “you guys are stuck here for a week before you go home”

The trio cheered and decided that they should spend the next week doing as much as possible, Amy suggested they play Two Truths and a Lie.

Sonic immediately grinned. “Alright, I’m game. But just so we’re clear—I never lie.”

Amy snorted. “That’s the biggest lie I’ve heard all day.”

Sonic gasped in fake offense. “How dare—”

Eggman groaned, rubbing his temples. “Can we please just start the game before I change my mind about letting you stay here?”

Twister grinned. “Alright, you guys go first. Let’s see what kind of secrets you guys are hiding.”

Sticks popped her head out from under the couch. “Secrets? Are we exposing spies now? I have a list.”

Tails sighed. “Sticks, no one here is a spy.”

Sticks squinted at Eggman. “Debatable.”

Eggman cleared his throat and adjusted his mustache before raising three fingers.

1. I have a genius-level IQ.
2. I have never been defeated.
3. I once made blueprints for a theme park entirely dedicated to myself.

Sonic immediately pointed at him. “Dude, two. It’s two. That’s the biggest lie ever.”

Knuckles burst out laughing. “Yeah, you lose to us, like, every Tuesday.”

Tails smirked. “The theme park thing is absolutely true. I’ve hacked into your files. You even had a rollercoaster called ‘The Eggstreme Experience.”

Twister snickered. “Wait, you actually did that?”

Eggman grumbled, crossing his arms. “It was a work of art, thank you very much.”

Amy shook her head. “So the lie is obviously two. You lose all the time.”

Eggman let out an exaggerated sigh. “Yes, yes, fine. But one of these days, Sonic, one of these days, I will win.”

Sonic smirked. “Yeah, yeah, keep dreaming, Egghead.”

Eggman muttered under his breath, sipping his coffee again. “I hate this game.”

Sonic smirked, crossing his arms. “Alright, I’ll start easy.” He held up three fingers.

1. I once won a race against a jet-powered car.
2. I never lost a fight against Eggman.
3. I once got kicked out of a chili dog stand for eating too many chili dogs.

Twister tilted his head. “Okay, first off, I believe all of these.”

Lightning nodded. “Same. This is a Sonic we’re talking about.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Number 1 is so fake.”

Tails smirked. “Yeah, he’s lost jet-powered car before.”

Sonic groaned. “Ugh, fine. You got me.” He grinned. “But the other two? Commpletly true.”

Twister gasped. “Wait, wait, wait, how many chili dogs did you eat to get banned?”

Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh… let’s just say the owner still glares at me when I walk by.”

Lightning gave him an approving nod. “Respect.”

Tails adjusted his goggles. “Alright, here’s mine.”

1. I once built a machine that accidentally turned Sonic green.
2. I know how to juggle.
3. I hacked into Eggman’s systems just to change his theme song to elevator music.

Eggman gasped, pointing an accusing finger. “You did that?! I knew it wasn’t Cubot!”

Tails smirked. “Oh, so you’re confirming it happened?”

Eggman grumbled. “...Yes.”

Lightning hummed. “I wanna say two. You don’t look like a juggler.”

Amy smirked. “Nope. He totally can juggle. The lie is the green thing.”

Tails grinned. “Amy’s right. Sonic turned purple, not green.”

Sonic shuddered. “Never. Again.”

Knuckles cracked his knuckles, looking excited. “Alright, my turn!”

1. I once arm-wrestled a bear and won.
2. I can hold my breath underwater for five whole minutes.
3. I was the one who made Eggman trip over his cape last week.

Sticks leaned forward suddenly. “That cape tripping thing was you? I thought the couch was sentient again!”

Sonic burst out laughing. “Okay, that has to be true.”

Twister snickered. “I believe the bear thing, honestly.”

Amy sighed. “Yeah, he’s strong and stupid enough to do it ”

Knuckles sighed. “You got me number 2 is a lie.”

Sonic gave him a high-five. “Dude, you arm-wrestled a bear?”

Knuckles grinned. “Yeah! His name was Jerry. Good guy.”

Twister blinked. “This world is weird.”

Amy smiled sweetly. “Alright, here are mine.”

1. I once made Sonic wear a tuxedo to a formal event.
2. I secretly own a diary filled with romantic poems.
3. I can bench press more than Knuckles.

Sonic pointed at her. “Two. Absolutely two.”

Tails raised an eyebrow. “Actually, I think three is the lie.”

Knuckles looked horrified. “Wait—do you bench press more than me?”

Amy grinned. “Nope, but it almost worked.”

Twister smirked. “So you do have a diary full of romantic poems?”

Amy’s face turned red. “MOVING ON!”

Sticks stood up dramatically, clutching her boomerang. “It’s MY turn! And I play by the truth!”

Everyone collectively braced themselves.

Sticks held up three fingers.

1. I once lived in a hollowed-out tree with twenty-seven squirrels.
2. I have a full conspiracy wall charting Eggman’s hair growth patterns.
3. I’ve never eaten a marshmallow.

Sonic blinked. “Okay. These are all terrifying in different ways.”

Eggman stared. “Hair growth… what?”

Amy whispered, “Please tell me the marshmallow one’s the lie.”

Lightning laughed. “I bet it’s the squirrels. There’s no way you lived with that many.”

Sticks puffed up. “The lie is the marshmallows. I eat them all the time. Especially when they're on fire.”

Tails muttered, “That… makes too much sense.”

Eggman looked disturbed. “Why do you have a chart about my hair?”

Sticks leaned in. “Because the pattern changed, Eggman. I’m watching you.”

Everyone just looked at her in silent discomfort

After Sticks’s unsettling but somehow not surprising turn, the game moved to the newcomers.

Twister smirked and rolled his shoulders like he was getting ready for battle. “Alright. Let’s see if you guys can handle our truths. Lightning your up!”

Lightning held up three fingers.

Lightning smirked. “Okay, try this one.”

1. I once became a god for like… eight minutes.
2. I never had a chili dog until I was 13.
3. I have driven a motorcycle.

Sonic pointed at him instantly. “Number two. No Sonic waits until thirteen for a chili dog. That’s basically a crime against nature.”

Amy crossed her arms, unimpressed. “A god? Really? You’re supposed to make these challenging.”

Twister just grinned. “He’s actually telling the truth about both of those.”

Sonic’s jaw dropped. “WHAT?!”

Lightning shrugged. “Yeah, the chili dog thing still haunts me. But now I make up for lost time. Like, daily.”

Knuckles gasped, eyes wide. “You became a god?! That’s so cool!”

Tails, meanwhile, looked mildly horrified. “Wait… that means the lie is…”

Lightning sighed. “Yup. Never driven a motorcycle.”

Amy groaned. “I’m still stuck on the god part.”

Sticks whispered to Tails, wide-eyed. “This confirms it. Deity-level energy anomalies are real.” then she took a deep breath “HAH!! I TOLD YOU. I TOLD ALL OF YOU, WHEN I SAID I SAW A GOD SONIC!!!”

Tails immediately yelled back. “Okay okay okay, you were right, stop screaming—”

Twister smirked. “Alright, my turn.”

1. I have committed Grand Theft Auto, a car and a plane.
2. My first impression when I met Lightning was hitting Fists with a car.
3. I lost a dance battle with a Siberian dude.

Knuckles frowned. “Wait. You hit Fists with a car?”

Twister grinned. “Yep.”

Sonic snorted. “Why do I believe both of the first ones are true?”

Amy tilted her head. “I dunno… three seems weird. Losing a dance battle?”

Twister shook his head. “Oh I never have any losses there.”

Tails looked horrified. “I… have so many questions.”

Sticks leaned forward. “Was the plane government property? Because I know a guy who’s missing a glider and two llamas.”

Twister blinked. “...I’m not answering that.”

Fists cracked his knuckles. “Alright.”

1. I believe grapes are the worst food on the planet.
2. I am a champion of a gladiator fighting ring.
3. I have tried to kill both the fox and the hedgehog.

Silence.

Sonic blinked. “Uh.”

Amy’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

Twister and Lightning were just grinning like this was the most normal thing ever.

Knuckles hesitantly raised a hand. “Okay, so… uh… three?”

Tails gulped. “Y-you’ve never tried to kill them… right?”

Fists casually shrugged. “Oh, no, I definitely tried to kill both the fox and the hedgehog.”

Sonic groaned. “That is not how things work.”

Fists just looked unbothered. “The real lie is one. Grapes are wonderful.”

Sonic threw his hands in the air. “That’s the lie?!”

Eggman, sipping his coffee, muttered, “You people stress me out.”

Notes:

Hi everybody!!!!

Chapter 35: Truth or Dare

After the chaos of Two Truths and a Lie, the group wasn’t nearly ready to settle down. Naturally, the next logical step was to up the stakes.

Amy, smirking, leaned forward. “Alright, since we’re already spilling secrets… how about a game of Truth or Dare?”

Sonic grinned. “Now you’re talking.”

Lightning stretched. “As long as this doesn’t end in someone almost dying, I’m in.”

Twister gave him a look. “Almost?”

Eggman sighed dramatically, taking a long sip of coffee. “Fine. But if this game results in property damage, I’m kicking you all out.”

“Noted,” Sonic said. “Now, who’s first?”

Amy smirked. “Knuckles, truth or dare?”

Knuckles cracked his knuckles. “Dare, obviously.”

Amy’s smirk widened. “I dare you to… do your best Eggman impression.”

Knuckles instantly puffed out his chest, crossed his arms, and deepened his voice. “I AM DR. EGGMAN, AND I AM VERY EVIL! LOOK AT MY GIANT ROBOTS AND BIG, ROUND HEAD!”

Eggman deadpanned. “That was terrible.”

Sonic was already on the floor laughing. “No, no, it was amazing.”

Lightning wiped a tear from his eye. “10 outta 10, no notes.”

Sticks, nodding solemnly,, “Accurate. He does have a suspiciously round head. You ever seen him take off his goggles? I bet they’re hiding a third eye.”

Eggman muttered, “I regret staying.”

Tails smirked. “Alright, Sonic. Truth or dare?”

Sonic leaned back confidently. “Dare.”

Tails’ grin turned mischievous. “I dare you… to let Amy paint your nails.”

Sonic’s smug expression dropped. “Wait. What?”

Amy gasped in delight, already pulling a bottle of pink nail polish out of nowhere. “Oh, I like this one.”

Sonic pointed accusingly at Tails. “Traitor.”

Tails shrugged. “You chose dare, dude.”

Fist grabbed Sonic’s hand before he could escape. “No running, hedgehog. Be still, or I’ll make the pink hedgehog to make them sparkly.”

Sonic groaned but let her paint his nails as the others watched in amusement.

“This is humiliating.”

Amy just hummed. “If you stop squirming, I might let you pick the next color.”

Twister whispered to Lightning, “He is so whipped.”

Lightning whispered back, “Oh, absolutely.”

Knuckles grinned. “Alright, Lightning. Truth or dare?”

Lightning smirked. “Dare.”

Knuckles’ grin widened. “I dare you to eat—” He paused and grabbed something off a nearby table. “…this expired chili dog.”

Lightning raised an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

Knuckles blinked. “What do you mean, that’s it?”

Without hesitation, Lightning grabbed the chili dog, took a huge bite, chewed, and swallowed without a single reaction.

Amy looked horrified. “Lightning… are you okay?”

Lightning shrugged. “Yeah? It’s not even that bad.”

Tails cringed. “But it’s expired.”

Twister stared at him. “Dude. That thing could have killed you.”

Sonic leaned toward Tails. “Why do I feel like he’s survived things we cannot comprehend?”

Lightning, still chewing, raised an eyebrow. “Are we gonna keep playing or what?”

Tails grabbed the old chilli dog away. “NOPE. Into the biohazard bin it goes.”

Fists smirked. “fox, truth or dare?”

Twister grinned. “Dare.”

Fists cracked his knuckles. “I dare you… to let the other echidna throw you.”

Twister blinked. “...Wait. What.”

Knuckles immediately perked up. “Oh, I like this dare.”

Twister held up his hands. “Hold on, hold on—”

Too late.

One moment he was sitting on the ground; the next, he was airborne.

“WHY IS THIS HAPPENING AGAIN?!”

Knuckles caught him before he crashed into a wall, setting him down with a proud grin.

Twister, still dizzy, groaned, “Never again.”

Knuckles beamed. “You were so light!”

Twister glared. “I will get revenge.”

Sonic patted him on the back. “You're hanging around Fist a lot, dude.”

Amy smirked. “Fists, truth or dare?”

Fists crossed his arms. “Dare.”

Sonic grinned. “I dare you to carry Lightning or Twister on your shoulder for the rest of the round.”

Fists raised an eyebrow.

Sonic shrugged. “You’re a gladiator. We figured this would be easy.”

Fists sighed, then casually picked up Lightning like he weighed nothing and slung him over his shoulder.

Lightning, unfazed, simply crossed his arms. “Comfy.”

Tails blinked. “Why does he look so used to this?”

Twister snickered. “That's because Fists is used to carrying both of us around the house.”

Fists didn’t answer, and scowled. “Are we done yet?”

Amy smirked. “Not until the round’s over.”

Fists sighed but didn’t put Lightning down.

Sonic stretched. “Alright, Ames. Truth or dare?”

Amy, still smirking, didn’t hesitate. “Dare.”

Sonic’s grin turned evil. “I dare you… to admit that I’m the coolest.”

Amy rolled her eyes. “Ugh, that’s not a real dare.”

Sonic leaned back smugly. “What? You gotta follow the rules.”

Amy groaned, rubbing her temples. “…Fine. Sonic, you’re—” She mumbled the rest.

Sonic cupped a hand to his ear. “Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

Amy huffed, then crossed her arms. “You’re the coolest, okay? Happy now?”

Sonic beamed. “Very.”

Twister leaned over to Lightning. “Sooo… when’s the wedding?”

Lightning smirked. “Give it a year.”

Sticks, whispering to Tails “I call dibs on officiating. I’ve got the whole ceremonial bird mask ready.”

Tails, horrified “I… don’t know what to say about that.”

By the time the game wrapped up, Eggman had left halfway through grumbling about “idiotic children”, Sonic was sporting freshly painted nails, Twister was still plotting his revenge, and Fists had successfully carried Lightning for the rest of the round.

Sticks was drawing cryptic symbols in the corner “just in case this summoned something,” while everyone else watched in confusion.

All in all, another normal day.

Tails stretched. “Well, that was eventful.”

Sonic grinned. “Same time tomorrow?”

Twister smirked. “If you survive the night, sure.”

Sonic blinked. “Wait. What?”

he just smiled sweetly. “Good night~.”

Lightning patted Sonic’s back. “If you don’t make it, can I have your chili dog stash?”

Sonic groaned. “Yeah, yeah. Good luck with that.”

And with that, the night came to a close.

For now.

Notes:

HIIII

Chapter 36: Midnight Escape Plan Dumb-but-Determined

The base was quiet. Too quiet. Not in a bad horror movie way—more like a “ Sonic face-planted on the couch and is now drooling on a chili dog” kind of quiet.

Lightning peeked out from his pillow fort, glancing both ways like he was sneaking snacks before dinner.

“Coast is clear,” he whispered to himself, striking a dramatic pose. “Operation: Broody Hedgehog Hunt is a go.”

He crept past eggmans’ door (marked with a sign that read: Do Not Disturb Unless You're On Fire ), then tiptoed by Tails’ makeshift pillow fort, where the lack of soft beeping of some machine confirmed that he was not awake to ask questions .

Lightning paused at the door and grinned.

“Hmm… I wonder if I can find Mr. Broody tonight.”

Then he slipped out into the cool air like the world's sassiest ninja.

It didn’t take long to reach the canyon cliff where he’d last seen Shadow. The moon cast silver light across the rocks, and Lightning stood there, arms crossed, staring dramatically into the night like he was in a teen soap opera.

“Shadow,” he called, “I bring you sarcasm, bad life decisions, and emotional vulnerability. Come say hi.”

Silence.

Lightning waited. And waited.

A tumbleweed rolled by.

“…Okay rude, but fine. I’ll just go cry into a cactus or something.”

With an exaggerated sigh, he turned around. “Whatever. Your loss, Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Grumbly.”

He’d barely taken two steps when he felt a sudden pinch on the back of his neck.

“OW—what the—!?”

The world went sideways. “Not again”

His knees gave out. Lights blurred. His vision swam.

Just before everything faded, he saw a blurry figure—someone wearing a hoodie with Sonic’s face on it. one terrible fashion choice.

“Oh… great,” Lightning mumbled as darkness claimed him.

“Kidnapped by a cosplay mistake…”

Notes:

Heyyy everyone!!! 🌟

How are y'all doing??

I hope you like this chap

Just a quick little update: I won't be posting this week and next week 😢, because... drumroll please... WE'RE GOING ON A ROAD TRIP!!!

We're headed all the way to New York City!! 🗽 (I live in Canada, so this is going to be an adventure!!)

I'm super excited (and a little nervous, not gonna lie), but I wanted to let you know ahead of time so you're not wondering where I disappeared to! I’ll be back and posting again on May 12 !!!!

Alsooo... if you have any recommendations — fun places to visit, important tips, hidden gems, or must-try food spots in NYC — pleeeease drop them in the comments! I'd love to hear all your ideas and make this trip even more fun!

I'll see you soooon!!! 💬💕

Love ya!!!

Chapter 37: Welcome to the Fan Club (You Can’t Leave)

Notes:

GUESS WHO'S BACK, BACK AGAIN!!!

Lightning groaned as he blinked awake.

His head was pounding. His limbs weren’t just tied—they were tucked . His body was sealed inside some weird body-cast burrito blanket like a baby going to burrito boot camp.

“I swear, if this is another dare from Twister, I’m biting someone.”

He tried to wriggle.

Nothing.

Nope.

Completely encased .

“…I am the tortilla now.”

He glanced around, and his eyes widened.

The room looked like someone asked an AI to design “a Sonic-themed haunted Build-A-Bear.” Every single inch of the wall was covered in Sonic posters

A shrine glowed in the corner with flickering fairy lights and what Lightning was pretty sure were chili-dog-scented candles.On a shelf sat an entire lineup of Sonic figurines, all lovingly polished.

And on the bed beside him…

A pillow.

Shaped like Sonic’s head.

Staring.

Unblinking.

“Oh my god,” Lightning whispered.  “I’ve died and gone to merchandise hell .”

Footsteps shuffled outside the curtain.

His muscles tensed—well, they would’ve if he had any mobility whatsoever.

The curtain parted.

In stepped Tall. Twitchy. Wearing a hoodie covered in mismatched Sonic patches. Sonic socks pulled up to his knees. Glitter glue in his hair. And a deranged glint in his eye that screamed, “I talk to cardboard cutouts like they’re real.”

“You’re awake!” the tapir beamed .

Lightning stared at him. Ewww “Personal space MUCH?”

“You’re even CUTER than I thought you'd be in person!” The tapir cooed, eyes sparkling like this was Christmas morning.

Lightning blinked. “EXCUSE YOU—what?!”

“I was so worried the sedative would mess up your little brain,” The tapir continued, already leaning in way too close, “but you’re PERFECT! Just like the videos I got from the drones watching sonic's adventures! Though I wish it had audio but never mind that”

Lightning’s sass reflex kicked in at full force. “Okay. One—don’t get all up in my grill. Two—personal space violation detected. Three—I WILL BITE YOU.”

The tapir didn’t flinch.

Instead, he squealed.

Ok he is definitely a Creepy weirdo  

“You do have your dad’s attitude!”

Lightning blinked. “…What.”

“You’re Sonic’s KID, right?!”

“What.”

“You have to be! You’ve got his eyes, his spikes—well, almost—and that adorable nose!”

Lightning squinted Not again. “You think I’m Sonic’s kid ?, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SOMEONE THOUGHT THAT!” 

“Well,” The tapir said with deadly seriousness, “either that or you’re him but shrunk in the wash. Or time travel! Are you Baby Sonic from the past? Or Sonic’s future kid? OR—OR—ARE YOU THE SECRET LOVE CHILD OF SONIC AND A—”

“Nope, nope, nope,” Lightning groaned, trying to thrash despite being trussed up like a fuzzy sausage. “Let me out of this THING RIGHT NOW.”

“But you’re safer this way!” the tapir sang. “Tightly wrapped. Just like a precious little chili dog bun.”

Lightning’s face scrunched up. “ EXCUSE YOU AGAIN?! ”

“We’re gonna have so much fun ,” The tapir continued, clapping his hands like a proud kindergarten teacher. “I have a whole list of activities for us—movie marathons, dramatic reenactments, Sonic trivia night, Ooo I can even read you some of my family friendly fanfics—”

Lightning gave him a withering look. “I’m going to commit a crime.”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered, terrifyingly sweet. “ Sonic will come for you. I know he will, and I, Mark, sonic's biggest fan, will wait for him.”

Lightning stared up at the ceiling. “This is it. This is how I die. In a body burrito. Smelling chili dogs. While some deranged idiot plans fake family scrapbooks.”

He inhaled deeply.

“…I guess this is why Shadow doesn’t hang out with people.”

Notes:

HIIII GUYS I’M BACKKKK!!! 🎉💥💖

OMG I MISSED Y’ALL!! How’s everyone doing??

New York was a blast, but I’m super happy to be home again. Sorry for the little two-week silence—travel kept me busy—but I’m back and ready to post more!

also drop your headcanon and ideas in the comments! I seriously love reading through them and adding them into the story. (Also, shoutout to those of you who left comments earlier—I read a bunch while traveling and even wrote chapters based on them, so YAY!!)

(ALSO HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!)

ANYWAY. I’m back. I’m writing. I’m caffeinated. I’m ready to cause problems (affectionately). See you TOMORROW!!!

Chapter 38: You took WHO!?

The Crew was… silent .

Which was the first red flag.

Sonic stood frozen in the middle of the room, Lightning’s note crumpled in his hand. 

The note simply read:

“I’m just gonna meet up with Shadow real quick. Back before anyone notices. Don’t tell anyone. I’m not even gonna get into trouble probably. —Lightning”

It had been four hours.

And Lightning wasn’t back.

“...I’m gonna kill him,” Sonic muttered.

Knuckles frowned. “Isn’t that, like… counterproductive?”

Amy’s eyes narrowed. “Where is he?”

Fists kicked over a chair. 

Even Eggman—yes, Eggman —looked unusually tense.

Not that he cared.

He didn’t care.

Totally.

He definitely didn’t mutter, “Stupid spiky traumatized blue brat grew on me,” under his breath when he thought nobody was listening.

“What if he was kidnaped by aliens” sticks yelled, “I’ve got my machete to kill them”

Breathe,” Tails repeated unconvincingly as he hacked into security feeds. “Breathe. I found a signal ping. Around the abandoned arcade district. Northeast side.”

Sonic’s head snapped up.

“Oh,” Sonic grinned, cracking his knuckles, “we were already on the way.”

---

Mark was dancing.

Like, full-on jazz hands dancing around his Sonic shrine. “We’re having fun, right? You and me, little Blueberry.”

Lightning, still burrito’d on the floor, stared up at the ceiling with the soul of someone who had already given up.

“Dear universe: this is what I get for trying to make friends with Shadow.”

Mark’s smile widened impossibly. “You’re just so small and spiky! ” He chirped, ignoring the obvious, hostile vibes coming from the kid. “Like a pocket Sonic!”

“I’m fourteen ,” Lightning repeated slowly, trying not to scream.

“Yup! You’re a cute little mini-sonic !” Mark said proudly. “My very own Sonic baby.”

Lightning blinked. “LET ME GO YOU FUCKING PHYCHOPHATH ”

Mark nodded sagely. “You’re the son of the greatest hero of all time. Who else would have such cool quills like that? And the spikes ? Those are just like the perfect little hedgehog spikes. All small, and pointy!”

“I. Am. Fourteen .”

“Don’t worry,” Mark purred. “Once Sonic sees how happy you are, he’ll understand. We can all live together ! Like one big blue family—”

CRASH

The wall exploded.

Lightning blinked. “…That felt like an entrance.”

Smoke billowed.

Mark spun around, eyes wide.

From the dust stepped Sonic like rage-fueled bookends.

Sonic cracked his neck, slowly advancing, every step dangerous .

“Hey,” he said. Calm. Too calm.

Mark stammered. “Y-You Are in my home! OMG SONIC IS IN MY HOME, he’s your—he’s your— future child, right?! Or or or—maybe just your son from a different dimension timeline thingy —I mean, he looks like you! He acts like you! He bit me!”

Lightning yelled “YEAH, AND I’LL DO IT AGAIN.”

Sonic’s eye twitched. “You burrito-wrapped him.”

Mark nodded proudly. “He looked cozy!”

“And” Mark reached into his hoodie pocket. “I was gonna take a couple more pics for my fan blog, now that your here I can—”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

Before Mark could even blink, the wall exploded again .

Not knocked down. Not slightly cracked. Absolutely, cartoonishly obliterated. It looked like someone had hurled a Knuckles-shaped wrecking ball through a drywall factory.

Cue Twister and Fists entering in full feral sibling mode, covered in plaster dust and pure vengeance energy . One pair of eyes acctuly glowed red with electicity. One of them was snarling. The other? Vibrating.

Mark backed up, knocking over an unstable shrine made entirely of Sonic PEZ dispensers and—somehow—an animatronic singing Sonic toothbrush.

Fists cracked his knuckles so loud it sounded like a series of explosions “you have done a Big mistake. huge.”

“Oh,” Twister added. “You’re not walking away from this”

Mark nervously finger-gunned. “Look, can’t we talk this?”

Twister and Fists looked at each other.

Then—

WHAM.

Twister roundhouse kicked him straight into the plush wall. Mark landed in a pile of Sonic dolls, limbs tangled, one of the plushies screaming "You're too slow!" as he slid down.

“Mad Twister is my favorite one,” Sticks whispered as the rest of the Team entered through the wreckage like they were walking into a spaghetti western saloon. There was a dramatic wind. No one knew why.

Knuckles looked around and said, “Whoa. This place looks like a Sonic threw up on itself.”

“I—It’s called decor!” Mark tried.

Sonic, arms crossed, glared like someone just spilled grape juice on his reputation. “Buddy. You messed with us. There’s only one way this ends.”

“...Therapy?” Mark guessed, hopeful.

“Nope.” Fists raised his fist. “Therapy with fists.”

Suddenly, from the pile of pillows, Lightning emerged.

And he was done.

“You,” he said, voice flat.

Mark blinked. “Me?”

“You called me ‘pocket Sonic.’”

“It was affectionate!”

“You gave me a chili dog scented candle.”

“It’s artisanal!”

And then Lightning, precious, rage-filled Lightning, pounced.

“HE’S ATTACKING ME—” Mark managed to shriek before he was tackled into the beanbag.

Twister took a bite of popcorn. “Ooooh, he’s using his elbows. That’s new.”

Fist grinned. “I taught him that. He’s got great follow-through.”

“Definitely a Chaos Gremlin Level Two now.”

“Two more punches and I’ll promote him to ‘Tiny Menace Supreme,’” Fists said proudly.

Mark flailed beneath the angry blanket gremlin. “I—I didn’t mean it like that! You’re just so small and spiky!”

“I’m FOURTEEN!” Lightning screamed, punching him in the face.

“You fight like someone who needs weekly therapy and a juice box!”

“CORRECT!” Lightning roared, swinging again.

The Boom Team watched like it was the Super Bowl.

Amy handed Sonic a soda from her bag. “Think we should step in?”

Sonic shook his head. “Nah. He deserves this. Plus I think we should have dealt with Mark when we had the chance”

Mark tried to crawl away, only to be yanked back by his shirt.

Lightning stood triumphantly on his back and snarled, “You don’t burrito people, you freak!”

Sticks stepped forward, eyes glowing with menace. “Hey kid. Wanna sign your work?”

Lightning didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a marker and scrawled on Mark’s precious wall, right between two plushies and a commemorative Sonic cereal box:

"TRY THIS AGAIN AND NEXT TIME WE BRING SHADOW. 😎"

Everyone went silent.

Mark gasped in horror. “No. Not—him. Not the… broody one.”

Lightning smirked, strutting back to the group like an absolute king. “Yeah. Mr. Personal-Space-Only-Speaks-In-Death-Threats Shadow. That guy, My bff, I will tell him what happened and they will never find your body no matter how hard they try.”

The Crew cheered.

Mark almost fainted.

Amy fist-bumped Lightning. “Not bad for a burrito kid.”

Lightning rolled his eyes. “Never. Call me that. Again.”

Sonic slung an arm over Lightning’s shoulders. “Too late. It’s canon now.”

Twister winked. “Sticker merch coming soon.”

Lightning dusted himself off with as much dignity as someone wrapped in chili-dog-scented blankets could manage. “Let’s never talk about this again.”

“Agreed,” Sonic said, gently guiding him away from the chaos. “We’ll file it under ‘Weird Tuesday Stuff’.”

Fists leaned down and gave Mark one last intimidating glare. “If you ever so much as look at him or the other hedgehog again, I’m coming back with a bat. not for baseball.”

Mark whimpered from under a pile of Sonic plushies. “I was just trying to adopt a tiny future Sonic…”

Twister stopped right in front of Mark and picked up a Sonic bobblehead, turned it in his hand, and said, “Huh. This one’s got good balance.”

Then he snapped it in half.

Mark screamed like someone just unplugged his game mid-boss fight.

“Oh, also—” Twister turned to the group, voice way too casual. “Are we good to go?”

Lightning nodded. “Very.”

“Cool,” Twister said cheerfully. He reached into his tails and pulled out a tiny matchbox.

Amy’s eyes widened. “Twister. No. ”

Lightning and sticks yelled. ”Twister. YES.”

Fists just shrugged. “Let the fox do what is honorable.”

FWISH.

Twister lit a match and flicked it into the nearest pile of chili-dog-scented candles with the practiced ease of someone who absolutely should not be trusted with fire.

The room ignited like someone had poured gasoline over years of Sonic merch (and maybe they had).

One of the plushies literally squealed as it melted.

Knuckles stared, jaw slack. “That’s not… that’s not how fire works. That’s evil.”

Amy, clutching her hammer like a holy object, muttered, “He scares me.”

The Boom Crew collectively took a wide step away from Twister, who just whistled as flames licked the ceiling. Like he was roasting marshmallows over the apocalypse.

Twister strolled out of the collapsing room in glorious, slow-motion silhouette, the fiery shrine exploding behind him in a crescendo of BOOM , glitter, and a stuffed Sonic with Xs over its eyes.

Lightning watched the destruction from the sidewalk“…Y’know. I feel better now.”

Sonic gave him a side hug, cautiously keeping one eye on Twister. “We’ll debrief at the lair. And also throw that blanket into the sun.”

Amy added, “And we’re getting you an emotional support smoothie.”

“Can it be mango?”

“We’re getting you two smoothies.”

As the crew started walking back to Eggman's lair, Lightning glanced one last time at the rising column of smoke.

Twister leaned over and whispered, “Nothing like arson to bond a family.”

Lightning snorted. “You’re a menace.”

Twister winked. “Takes one to know one, Burrito Boy. ”

“STOP CALLING ME THAT!”

Notes:

Heyyy

how are y'all!!

I hope you guys like this chap and don't forget to comment any ideas you want to see in this fic!!!!

See ya Later Alligator!!!

Chapter 39: Responsible Adults, My Foot

The Crew returned to Eggman’s lair like champions.

Lightning was officially safe and was wrapped instead in a hoodie two sizes too big, sipping on a mango smoothie. The chaos of earlier still clung to their clothes like glittery smoke residue, but spirits were… oddly high.

“You feel okay now?” Sonic asked, glancing sideways at Lightning as they walked through the entrance.

Lightning took a long, slurping sip. “Yeah. Pretty sure watching a psycho fan’s shrine explode is on my list of Top Ten Therapeutic Moments.”

Amy gave him a proud pat. “We’ll log it under ‘Team Bonding.’ ”

As everyone settled back into Eggman’s lair-turned-safehouse, Twister was already getting restless, pacing near the workbench. “Okay, I’m gonna scavenge the junkyard across the river. We used, like, twelve sheets of steel. We need more parts.”

Sonic blinked. “You’re gonna what now?”

“Chill. I’m not sneaking out. Unlike him. ” Twister pointed at his brother blue and grabbed a mini satchel. “I’m taking Tails to be safe.”

Tails, already halfway into his gear, nodded. “We’ll stick together. Quick trip. Be back in less than half an hour.”

Amy opened her mouth to protest.

Sonic slapped a smoothie into it.

“You’ll live.”

Somewhere in the Junkyard 

Twister and Tails had made good progress through the piles of discarded tech, wires, and oddly aggressive seagulls. Twister had found the remains of an old hover drone and was gleefully dismantling it when he turned to Tails.

“I’m gonna check the eastern fence. Saw some coils I like.”

Tails nodded, distracted by what looked like an intact microwave laser. “Yup. Meet back here in ten min?”

“Yup!”

Twister bounded off through the twisted metal and scrap towers like a little whirlwind with purpose.

That was his first mistake.

Five Minutes Later

Twister was humming to himself, carefully unscrewing a large capacitor, when a shadow fell over him.

“OH, MY GOODNESS. A BABY.”

Twister blinked.

And then everything escalated at once.

A large walrus woman with giant sunglasses and  a purple dress descended upon him like an overdramatic storm cloud. “Where are your parents?! Who left a BABY all alone in a junkyard?!”

“I’m not—” Twister tried, taking a step back.

“No, no, no,” she tutted, scooping him up like he was a lost kitten. “This is completely unacceptable. Children these days left to scavenge like wild raccoons. You are coming home with me.”

Twister’s eyes widened. “OH NO. NOPE. NOPE.” He flailed his tails. “STRANGER DANGER—TAILS!!”

“I am going to take you home,” the woman said with the confidence of someone who had called CPS on a neighbor over mismatched socks.

Twister squirmed..

“Poor thing, you must be so scared—”

“I’M A MENACE, NOT A MUFFIN—!”

Back at the west junk pile

Tails looked up from the laser, frowning. “...Twister’s taking way too long.”

He tossed the microwave aside, adjusted his goggles, and zipped eastward.

And then he heard it.

Twister yelling

Tails sprinted, swerving around the corner—

—and found Twister mid-flail in the arms of an indignant Lady Walrus.

“I FOUND HIM WANDERING ALONE!” she barked. “DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILD IS?!”

“I’m not his parent!” Tails shot back, jaw dropping. “He’s like seven! I’m twelve!”

“Well someone needs to take responsibility!” she snapped. “Look at him—dirty, unsupervised, making threats—”

“He always makes threats!”

Twister squirmed harder. “TAILS. GET. ME. OUTTA. THIS.”

Tails whipped out a grappling hook with all the grace of a seasoned babysitter on the edge and yoinked Twister right out of her grasp like a pro.

“Come on, menace. Let’s bounce.”

Twister latched onto Tails like a koala, clinging tightly. “I hate strangers. I hate being mistaken for a toddler. I especially hate crazy ladies, my aunt doesn’t count.”

Tails patted his head. “We’re gonna pretend this didn’t happen.”

“Agreed.”

The Walrus Lady shouted behind them, “YOU’RE WELCOME! IRRESPONSIBLE! ”

And then, just as they were out of earshot—

“MY BABY!” she shrieked as her own toddler began climbing a rusted-out vending machine.

Tails didn’t even flinch. “Karma’s got hands.”

Later, at the Lair

“Any trouble?” Sonic asked as they walked in.

Twister, fur frazzled, ears drooping, mumbled, “I almost got kidnapped by a stranger who wanted to adopt me.”

Lightning spit out his smoothie. “AGAIN?!”

Amy looked at Tails. “Everything under control?”

“Yup. No one exploded. This time.”

“Can I?” Twister asked sweetly.

“No,” the whole room said.

He huffed. “Y’all are no fun.”

Notes:

Heyy this chap was inspired by comment from an earlier chapter so I hope y'all like it

Chapter 40: Where’s the Barista?

Lightning, lounging with his legs thrown over the back of the couch, absentmindedly flipped through channels on the TV, since the last time they went out he was kidnapped, then twister went out and almost got kidnapped, so they was kinda stuck in Eggmans lair for the rest of the day. “Hey, weird question,” he said, eyes still on the screen. “Where’s Agent Stone?”

Sonic blinked. “...Who?”

“Y’know. Eggman’s assistant. Wears a vest. Makes great coffee. Looks at Eggman like he hung the moon and also maybe committed tax fraud.”

Amy furrowed her brows. “Eggman doesn’t have an assistant.”

Lightning slowly turned his head. “What.”

Twister popped up from behind the couch. “Wait, wait, wait! No barista sidekick?? No guy who’s like Eggman’s personal cheerleader while also helping him build his death machines?”

Sticks yelled from the kitchen. “Sounds fake!”

Tails scratched his head. “ Eggman’s a solo act. Unless you count Orbot and Cubot, and even they quit from time to time.”

The three kids exchanged increasingly glances.

“Stone was, like, a constant,” Lightning said, looking personally offended. “He always had Eggman’s back . ”

“Maybe in this world, Eggman never had a stone to begin with,” Twister muttered.

“Wow, Imagine being so insufferable even your gay henchman doesn’t exist here.”

Eggman, passing through the hallway with a box of wires, paused. “Excuse me?”

Lightning squinted at him. “You seriously never had a guy named Stone?”

Eggman made a face. “What kind of name is Stone? What does he do, throw pebbles at enemies?”

“No,” Twister said flatly. “He makes espresso and enables villainy.”

Eggman looked at him like he grew another head.

Amy gave a polite smile. “They’re referring to their universe’s Eggman. Apparently he had... emotional support help.”

“He needed therapy,” Lightning mumbled.

“Desperately,” Twister agreed.

Eggman raised a brow. “So your version of me had a personal butler-slash-barista who made him coffee?”

Lightning nodded. “Yup. Pretty sure they had a thing.”

Eggman looked genuinely offended. “Well excuse me for being independently evil.”

“No offense,” Twister said, “but your other self at least had someone to remind him to shower.”

“Or brush his mustache,” Lightning added.

Eggman scowled. “I invented a toothbrush once.”

“Did you use it?” Amy asked sweetly.

He opened his mouth, paused, then stormed off muttering something about “ungrateful children” and “garlic cookies for no one .”

There was a moment of silence. Then:

“...So are we just not gonna unpack the henchman thing?” Sticks asked, casually strolling in with a suspiciously large knife and a burnt grilled cheese.

Tails looked at the others. “Okay but, like… where is Stone now? Do you think he is also dead?”The Chaos Trio fell quiet for a beat.

A heavy hush settled over the room—until Eggman yelled from the hallway, “IF THIS STONE GUY SHOWS UP, TELL HIM TO BRING COFFEE!”

And just like that, the tension shattered.

“Yeah, extra espresso shots, thanks,” someone called back with a small grin.

“Mocha for me,” Tails chimed in.

“Tell him to bring a therapy brochure while he’s at it,” Sonic muttered.

“AND A BRUSH!” Amy added.

Notes:

HIII YA GUYS

OMG I can't believe it took me this long to talk about stone also here is a lill sneak peak of the next chap:

“Where’d you learn to cook like that?”

“Maddie taught me,”

Chapter 41: Pancakes, Parents, and Questionable Government Decisions

They’d decided to call it a night after the bizarre discussion about Eggman’s complete lack of a personal barista/cheerleader. After all, nothing said “brain needs sleep” like realizing your local evil scientist didn’t come with a sidekick.

In the morning Amy had wandered into Eggman's kitchen to grab a snack and found Lightning already flipping flapjacks like a breakfast wizard, humming off-key and completely unaware of the growing audience behind him.

“Where’d you learn to cook like that?” she asked.

“Maddie taught me,” Lightning said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“...Who’s Maddie?” Sonic asked, poking his head in.

Lightning blinked. “My mom?”

Pause. Beat.

“YOU HAVE A MOM?!” Sonic practically shouted, flailing into the room like he’d just discovered time travel.

Twister poked his head around the doorway. “And papa too, actually.”

“Wait, hold on, two?” Knuckles asked, completely baffled.

Fists walked in, already sipping orange juice like this was routine. “Tom and Maddie Wachowski. Our mother and father. The people who taught us not to eat glue.”

“Speak for yourself,” Lightning muttered, flipping another pancake.

“He tried to eat glue like three weeks ago,” Twister deadpanned.

Lightning pointed a spatula at him. “It looked like icing.”

Sticks looked between them like they had grown second heads. “Are you saying you have actual, stable parental figures and don’t secretly work for the government?”

“…Yeah?” Lightning said, again like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “They’re the best. Maddie makes the best pancakes and bandages wounds like a boss, and Tom taught me how to throw a football and file a restraining order. Classic dad stuff.”

Twister nodded solemnly. “They let me build a treehouse with a zipline. I got stuck on it for half an hour. Mama got me out and brought snacks.”

Sticks yelled. “Wait, restraining order???”

“Oh, yeah,” Lightning said, casual as ever. “There was this one time I got captured by the government—long story—and they put me in this charged cage thing. They were trying to capture me because I was quote unquote ‘Dangerous’.”

Amy dropped her cup.

“…You were in a government cage?!” Sticks asked, looking a little surprised and impressed.

“I’m not with the government,” Lightning said with a shrug. “Hate it actually”

Sticks nodded sagely. “Okay, carry on,”

Sonic gawked at her. “THAT’S your line?!”

“And then there was that time the government catfished our aunt to marry a government agent so the government could spy/capture us,” Twister added, like it was just an average Tuesday.

Amy just covered her mouth. “What is your life?!”

“Awesome” Lightning replied back, “oh I have something”

Lightning reached his quills and pulled out a small, slightly worn item.

It was a locket.

Amy blinked. “Is that—”

“Picture time,” Lightning said cheerily, popping it open. Twister and Fists followed suit, each pulling their own keepsake—Twister had a tiny photo tucked inside his Tails, and Fists pulled a cleanly folded picture out from the lining of his glove like he was revealing state secrets.

“Why do all of you carry these?” Sonic asked, a little baffled.

Fists looked at him like it was the dumbest question ever asked. “Because they’re our mother and father.”

Twister nodded. “Papa always says, ‘Keep the ones you love close to your heart.’ Mama made us all keep a photo in case we got lost.”

Amy gently took one of the photos. It showed the three teens squeezed between a smiling Tom and Maddie, the sun bright in the background, all five of them in matching “Lake Day!” t-shirts and way too many band-aids on display.

“Wait... wait, they’re human,” Amy whispered.

“Yeah?” Lightning said. “Our whole world’s like that. Just humans, mostly. And technically, we’re not originally from that planet either.”

Twister tilted his head. “We came through portals.”

They looked at each other then the trio

“...You’re telling me,” Tails said slowly, trying to process, “that you’re from a different planet, ended up on a mostly-human world, got adopted by two civilians who now cook, build, and parent you like it’s totally normal?”

Fists nodded. “Mother is a veterinarian. Father is a sheriff. They handle things well.”

“Oh yeah, and they helped us fight a giant death robot once,” Twister added helpfully.

There was a long, stunned silence.

Then—

“I KNEW IT!!” Sticks suddenly screamed from down the hallway. She barreled into the room like a meteor, pointing wildly at the trio. “I KNEW IT, I WAS RIGHT! ALIENS ARE REAL!!”

“Technically we’re extraterrestrial refugees,” Twister said thoughtfully, munching on a pancake.

“I TOLD YOU!” Sticks shouted, spinning in a wild victory dance. “They all called me paranoid, but WHO’S LAUGHING NOW?!”

Knuckles raised a hand. “Wait, are we aliens too?”

“I’VE BEEN TRACKING ALIEN ACTIVITY FOR YEARS,” Sticks yelled, now standing on the couch with toast in hand like a prophet delivering breakfast gospel. “You thought my conspiracy wall was nonsense! But no! IT WAS FORESHADOWING!”

Eggman popped his head in with his hair still a mess from sleep. “Can someone explain why I just heard Sticks shout ‘Aliens, wormhole government marriage’ in my hallway?”

Lightning, looking completely unfazed, handed him a pancake. “Alien stuff.”

Eggman blinked. “That checks out.”

Finally, Sonic flopped into a chair with a dazed expression. “Okay, so just to recap… You guys are alien orphans, raised by wholesome human parents, escaped a corrupt government, and now make world-class pancakes while exposing my entire worldview as a lie?”

Lightning slid the syrup over to him with a bright grin. “Yup. Want chocolate chips in yours?”

Sonic nodded, completely done. “Please. And possibly therapy.”

And with that, Lightning stacked another pancake on the plate, Fists poured the juice, and Twister added, “You’re totally visiting once this multiverse mess is done.”

“Tom would definitely glare at Eggman,” Lightning added proudly. “And Maddie would probably adopt you all on sight.”

“…Do they have a guest room?” Amy asked faintly.

Twister nodded. “Three. And a backyard with a hammock.”

Sonic turned to Lightning and, after a long pause, asked seriously, “Do they cook?”

Lightning slid the plate onto the table. “My dad makes chili dogs that could bring a grown man to tears.”

Sonic immediately sat down. “So when are we visiting?”

Lightning laughed “One day, buddy, one day”

Notes:

Hii ya guys how are y'all!!!

I have a history test in 20 minutes so wish me luck!!!

Chapter 42: Joyrides and Unexpected Pickups

Breakfast was in full swing.

Plates were stacked, forks were flying, and knuckles was in heaven with a stack of chocolate chip pancakes bigger than his head.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” he mumbled around a mouthful. “Tell your mom she’s a legend , Lightning.”

“She already knows,” Lightning said smugly, sipping orange juice with a dramatic pinky lift.

Tails, meanwhile, had created a pancake tower engineered for structural integrity. “Five layers, syrup between each one, strawberries acting as supports. It’s beautiful.”

Fists poked it, unimpressed. “It’s wobbling, fox.”

Tails just grinned.

Amy, Sonic, and Sticks had joined the brunch brawl, with Sticks chewing loudly and dramatically whispering, “We’re breaking bread with aliens. I’m living the dream.”

“Technically, pancakes,” Eggman corrected as he strode in wearing a pink robe. “Also, technically , this is my lair, and none of you did the dishes.”

Everyone pointed at someone else.

Lightning raised a hand. “Counter-offer: you let me and my bros take your Eggmobile for a spin while they do the cleaning.”

Eggman paused. “Tempting... but my Eggmobile is a sophisticated piece of machinery—”

“I can reprogram hover-suspenders making it able to do a backflip,” Twister smiled using his baby puppy eyes.

Soon Lightning and Fist joined with their own puppy eyes, Amy just cooed at how adorable they were, and eggman finally said“…Fine. But if you break her, I’m sending a bill to your mom.”

“Cool,” Lightning chirped. “She’ll pay it in muffins.”

Sonic sighed and picked up a dish. “I can’t believe we’re doing Eggman’s chores.”

“Oh hush,” Amy said. “How could you not with those baby eyes and also you did eat nine pancakes.”

As Orbot and Cubot handed out rubber gloves and started singing a suspiciously catchy cleanup jingle, Lightning, Twister, and Fists zipped out of the room with Eggman in tow.

The villain-turned-brunch-host pressed a remote, and the lair’s garage doors rolled open to reveal the Eggmobile—upgraded with cupholders, a new paint job, and sidecar attachments.

“Whoa,” Twister said. “This looks like something out of a cartoon race.”

“It flies,” Eggman added with pride. “And it has Bluetooth .”

“I call shotgun!” Lightning yelled, flipping into the seat.

“Wait—” Eggman started, but they were already taking off to get the front seat, they got in and it was time for the ride

---

The ride was pure chaos.

Twister was hanging halfway out the sidecar yelling “Weeeee!” while trying to rewire the music system because lightning tried playing music earlier only to say “You have dubstep remixes of yourself talking??”

Eggman cackled from the pilot seat. “Of course I do! I have branding standards!”

They soared over fields and forests, leaving streaks of light in the sky as Lightning shouted, “This is the best day ever!”

And then—

Everything froze .

The sound dropped. The wind vanished.

Lightning turned. “Uh... guys?”

A split second later, the air ripped open in a pulse of black and red energy.

Shadow stepped through the distortion, very obviously here for business.

Eggman’s shades fell off. “Shadow?! What are you doing here—?”

Before he could finish, Shadow vanished and reappeared in front of the Eggmobile.

Too late.
One flash.
One pulse.

In an instant, Shadow reached forward, grabbed all three teens and teleported away .

Gone.

Just like that.

Eggman jerked the controls, skidding the Eggmobile mid-air in sheer shock. “HEY! NO ONE KIDNAPS MY GUESTS BUT ME !”

Silence.

Then the air returned, the sound resumed, and only the wind was left to scream.

---

Back in the lair, the others were halfway through dishes when they all looked up—feeling that weird shift.

Sonic squinted. “...Guys? Did you feel that?”

Amy dropped a sponge. “It probably Eggman and the trio”

---

And somewhere, far across the island…

Shadow landed silently in an unknown location—still gripping the Trio, all wide-eyed.

Lightning stared at him.

“…Okay, We have got to work on entrances, man.”

Chapter 43: Shadowy Shenanigans and a Search Party Scramble

The world settled again. Grass rustled. A breeze passed. Birds chirped.

Lightning, Twister, and Fists stood in the middle of a wooded clearing surrounded by nothing but trees, silence, and a very dramatic hedgehog in black and red.

“…Okay,” Lightning said, brushing dirt off him. “We have got to work on entrances, man.”

Fists folded his arms. 

Twister blinked and looked around. “Wait. Did we just get kidnapped ?”

Lightning turned to Shadow with a grin. “Nah, nah, he wouldn’t do that.” He stepped forward and gave Shadow a friendly jab to the shoulder. “Guys, this is Shadow. We've met before.”

Twister gave a polite wave. “Hi. You seem... intense.”

“Extremely,” Fists muttered.

Shadow ignored the commentary and crossed his arms. “You’re welcome.”

Lightning raised an eyebrow. “For what? Sudden field trip with zero warning?”

“For pulling you out of Eggman’s clutches,” Shadow said flatly. “I didn’t feel like you were safe there.”

Lightning’s whole face lit up. “ Awwwwww , you do care—”

Shadow immediately shoved him back a step. “I don’t care. I just didn’t want to leave you three buffoons unsupervised around someone like him.”

Twister tilted his head. “...Was this a safety thing or a babysitting thing?”

Lightning pinched the bridge of his nose. “Dude. We weren’t in danger. He was just letting us fly the Eggmobbile for fun.”

Fist nodded, “You should not make such an assumption hedgehog”.

Twister jumped “Yeah, we were literally just joyriding. Eggman’s surprisingly chill.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “ Joyriding ?”

“Yep,” Twister said cheerfully. “No traps. No villain monologues. He even gave us seatbelts.”

There was a long, awkward pause.

Then Shadow looked off into the distance. “...Fine. We will walk back to his lair, I won't teleport you there. You’re not my problem.”

Lightning smirked. “You sure? ‘Cause you literally teleported us across a forest for our own ‘good’. Also we have no idea where to go”

Shadow vanished and reappeared a few feet ahead. “Shut up and start walking.”

Fists sighed and started trudging after him. “Well. Guess we’re walking now.”

Lightning grinned as they followed. “Race you there.”

---

Meanwhile... back at the lair...

Eggman looked like a man spiraling.

“So there I was,” he explained dramatically, “letting them pilot my priceless Eggmobile, when suddenly— bam! Black blur, teleportation, teenage aliens gone ! One moment we’re talking, the next— poof! I’m shouting into empty air!”

The rest of the crew stared at him like he’d grown a second mustache.

“You lost them?” Sonic asked, eyes wide.”They have already been kidnapped 3 times in the past 2 day”

“They were literally in your vehicle ,” Amy added.

“Did they crash it?” Tails asked, already halfway toward panic.

Eggman clutched his head. “No, no, the Eggmobile is fine! This wasn’t their doing—it was Shadow.”

Orbot floated by with a mop. “The dramatic one?”

“Yup,” Eggman said, hands in the air. “Just popped in yoinked them! And then disappeared!”

Sonic facepalmed. “Why do we even try to have normal mornings?”

“I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN!” Sticks yelled, now wearing three backpacks and a helmet. “I felt a disturbance in the government’s interstellar snack protocols!”

“Okay, okay,” Amy said, clapping her hands. “Let’s not panic. Tails, can you track their communicators?”

“I can try,” Tails said, pulling out a tablet. “

Knuckles cracked his knuckles. “And if he did kidnap them—”

“He didn’t,” Eggman huffed. “Trust me, I know kidnapping. This was more like... a forceful field trip.”

“That’s still kidnapping,” Amy muttered.

Sticks already had a grappling hook. “I’m bringing snacks and alien repellant!”

Tails glanced at his screen. “Got a faint signal to the northwest. Might be them!”

“Let’s go,” Amy said, grabbing her hammer.

And with that, the group stormed out, Orbot and Cubot bringing up the rear, still singing the cleanup song.

“♪ We cleaned the floors, we cleaned the plates... but now we’re chasing teenage fates... ♪”

---

Meanwhile, deep in the forest...

Lightning, Twister, and Fists were halfway through their hike, casually arguing over who’d win in a hotdog-eating contest. Shadow was walking ahead of them like he didn’t hear—though he absolutely did.

Fist glanced back. “Should we tell one of the other hedgehogs?”

Lightning shrugged. “Nah. Let’s just make a dramatic entrance when we get back.”

Twister nodded. “Maybe say something mysterious. Like, ‘We have returned from the void.’”

Lightning grinned. “Even better—‘We saw the edge of the universe. It owes us five bucks.’”

Shadow groaned audibly. this was gonna be one heck of a day

Notes:

HIIII HOW ARE YALLL

Hope you like this chap!!

Chapter 44: The Band That Never Was (But Kinda Is)

Lightning balanced on a mossy log as they wandered through the forest trail, arms stretched out wide like airplane wings, tail twitching with energy. “I’m just saying,” he called over his shoulder to Twister and Fists, “if we do get lost, I say we form a band. I call drums. Obviously.”

“You can’t even keep rhythm,” Fists grunted, casually stepping over a fallen branch. “You just hit things and yell.”

“Exactly! That’s called passion, thank you very much.”

“That’s called a headache,” Twister muttered as he ducked under a low-hanging pine branch. “For literally everyone around you.”

Several feet ahead of them, Shadow walked in near silence, hands clasped behind his back like some grumpy, brooding babysitter stuck with the loudest children in the forest. He could’ve teleported back to the lair ten minutes ago. Probably even before they started arguing about which instrument was cooler.

But he didn’t.

Instead, he walked. Quietly. Listening. Pretending he wasn’t.

Twister jogged to catch up, “um excuse me Shadow sir. Quick question.”

Shadow exhaled, already regretting acknowledging him. “What.”

“If you had to be in a band with us, would you be the bassist or the guy who stands in the back being mysterious until it’s time for a guitar solo?”

“I’d be the one who quit the band on day one.”

“He’s too broody to be a drummer,” Lightning added from behind. “Drummers are chaotic. Shadow’s just… meh.”

“I could see him doing backup vocals,” Twister mused.

“Or monologues between songs,” Lightning chimed in. “Stuff like, ‘This next song goes out to the crushing weight of fate and the eternal void of loneliness.’”

Twister snorted. “And then it’s just you screaming ‘WAFFLE PANIC’ into the chorus.”

Lightning jumped off the log and caught up with a twirl, landing in front of them with all the flair of a spotlight-hogging frontman. “Okay, but what would our band name even be?”

“Not this again,” Shadow groaned. That sounded dangerously like the start of another fifteen minutes of nonsense.

Twister’s eyes lit up. “Ooh! What about Emotional Damage Control?”

“Too obvious,” Fists replied.

“Fine. How about… Mystery Misery and the Side Quests?”

“That’s not a band name, that’s a cry for help.”

“Ooh, ooh—wait for it—Scarfs Suck.” Lightning said with a smirk.

“You guys are lucky Sonic isn’t here,” Fists added. “He’d be offended.”

“Please,” Lightning scoffed, flipping his hands dramatically. “ Sonic would sue us for copyright then cry when we outsell him. ‘You’re ruining my brand,’ he’d say. Like his brand wasn’t already horrible scarfs and self-delusion.”

That was the moment.

A sound. A small one. Quick and unguarded.

A low huff. The briefest chuckle. A real one. Not a scoff or a sigh—but an actual laugh.

Lightning immediately skidded to a halt and whipped around like he’d just heard a unicorn sneeze glitter. “I HEARD THAT.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“I did so!”

“Delusional.”

“Say it again. Come on. Laugh at Sonic. It’s fun. Therapeutic, even.”

Shadow didn’t respond.

But his shoulders weren’t so tense anymore. And there was a twitch at the corner of his mouth. Just a flicker. Barely there. But definitely real.

Lightning, still high on victory, climbed onto a tree stump and threw his arms wide. “That's it, Mr. Broody has approved the name. Now we need to name our first album, how about Jump Into the Hurricane. No wait—Live and Yell. Or Spin Till You Fall.”

Lightning spun dramatically on the stump like a stage performer mid-solo… and predictably lost balance. “WOO—oh no—”

He stumbled, missed his footing, and fell directly into a bush with a loud thwomp.

There was a beat of silence.

From within the shrubbery, Lightning gave a muffled thumbs-up. “Stage dive successful. That’s showbiz, baby.”

Fists sighed and moved to yank him out again, like he had done far too many times before. Lightning grinned as he was pulled out, face covered in leaves.

“Nailed it”

They all started walking again, this time with Lightning trailing behind lyrics under his breath.

“Live and yell… hanging on the edge of braincell…”

Shadow didn’t say anything.

He didn’t teleport away in a puff of chaos energy. He didn’t roll his eyes (too dramatically). He didn’t vanish to avoid them.

And when he paused at a fork in the trail, he didn’t take the shorter path back to the lair.

He took the longer one. The one that wound gently uphill beneath tall pine trees and sunlight-dappled moss. A scenic route. One with more space. More time.

Just because.

No reason.

Coincidence.

Obviously.

Twister noticed it too but didn’t say anything. Not out loud. He just nudged Lightning and pointed quietly.

Lightning blinked, then broke into a wide grin.

“He likes us,” he stage-whispered.

“I do not,” Shadow said instantly.

“You totally do.”

“Incorrect.”

“You took the long path.”

“I miscalculated the route.”

“You laughed at our band name and clowning sonic.”

“It was… involuntary.”

“You’re still walking with us.”

Shadow paused.

“…Chaos Control is a finite resource.”

Fist speed up to shadows pace, elbowing him. “You mustn't lie to yourself, hedgehog.”

An hour later lightning gasped like he remembered a huge secret. He speed up to shadows paces an jumped next to him “Yo, Edgelord,” Lightning called out, “I completely forgot to tell you about the actual horror show I lived through.”

Shadow gave him a sideways glance. “You survived. Clearly it wasn’t that bad.”

Lightning held up a shaking finger. “Correction: I barely survived. Also? I think I now have a pathological fear of glitter glue.”

That earned a barely-there twitch of Shadow’s eyebrow.

Lightning quickened his pace to walk beside him, groaning theatrically. “So, story time. You remember how I snuck out to come find you that one night?”

“I don’t care,” Shadow said, monotone.

“Cool, I’m telling you anyway.”

Fists crossed her arms behind them, muttering, “Of course he is.”

Lightning continued like he hadn’t heard. “Okay, so there I was, being maximum stealth ninja, ready to slap my sparkling personality all over your stone wall of a face. And then BAM! Tranq dart. Lights out. Kidnapped.”

Shadow glanced at him again, slower this time. “You were kidnapped?”

“By a tapir in a Sonic hoodie,” Lightning declared, eyes wide with lingering horror. “A hoodie. Covered. In. Sonic patches.”

Twister gagged dramatically. “I still see them when I close my eyes.”

“…Go on,” Shadow muttered.

“I woke up in this freaky Sonic-themed dungeon, burrito-wrapped in a fleece blanket like some knockoff Baby Yoda. And this guy—Mark—he’s all, ‘Ooooh, you’re Sonic’s kid!’ and I’m like, ‘WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!’ Then he pulls out a binder. Full. Of. Fanfiction.”

Shadow blinked in surprise.

“I thought I was gonna die surrounded by chili-dog candles and a plushie shrine,” Lightning said flatly. “He made a pillow shaped like Sonic’s head. It watched me.”

“It blinked,” Twister added, still not okay.

Fists cracked her knuckles. “We showed up right before he started trying to take ‘family photos.”

Shadow slowly asked “Did you kill him”

Lightning shook his head. “Twister and Fists exploded the wall like the Kool-Aid Man with anger issues. Soo close enough”

Fists scoffed.

“Also, he tried to put me on his blog,” Lightning muttered. “SonicFamCentral. I think I have internet trauma now.”

Shadow, quiet for a moment, finally spoke. “…You’re lucky you didn’t end up on a milk carton.”

Lightning shivered. “Don’t. Even. Joke.”

Then, surprisingly, Shadow offered, “You did well. Escaping.”

Lightning blinked. “Wow. That was almost a compliment.”

Shadow stood straighter and turned away. “Don’t let it happen again.”

Lightning grinned. “Love you too, bro.”

“I will leave you here.”

Fists clapped Lightning on the back. “That’s your cue to shut up.”

But when they finally turned to walk again, his footsteps stayed in time with theirs.

Not rushed.

Not leaving.

Just there.

No reason.

Obviously.

It was because he was tired not but because he liked the company of the trio.

well…

That was nobody’s business.

Notes:

HEYYY THERE GUYS

Ok so I won’t be posting anything for 2 days, but I will be back on Thursday!!!!

Chapter 45: The Return of Chaos (and Chaos Control)

The walk back had been weirdly peaceful.

Well, peaceful by their standards—meaning Lightning had only tried to climb two trees, Twister didn’t trip over more than three rocks, and Shadow only threatened to leave them behind once.

Which, honestly? A new record.

The sun had dipped lower behind the treetops by the time Eggman’s lair came into view, its clunky mechanical silhouette rising against the horizon like an ugly sci-fi mansion. Twister jogged ahead, skidding slightly on the gravel path, and slapped the comically large red button next to the door.

BZZZT
DOORBELL ACTIVATED.

The door creaked open with a loud hydraulic hiss—and there stood Sonic. One brow arched, arms crossed, attitude at full power.

Then as he opened his mouth—

POW.

Shadow punched him in the face.

Not hard enough to break anything. Just hard enough to be satisfying.

Sonic stumbled back, clutching his nose. “OW?! WHAT THE HECK—?!”

Shadow scoffed, adjusted his gloves, and muttered, “Worth it.”

Then, without a word, he vanished in a swirl of red and black.

“SHAAAADOOOOW!!” Sonic shouted after the empty space where he’d stood. “YOU CAN’T JUST PUNCH PEOPLE AND TELEPORT OUT—WHO DOES THAT?!”

Twister leaned in. “Apparently, Shadow.”

“I hate him,” Sonic grumbled, rubbing his face.

Lightning snorted, brushing leaves off his shoulders. “Hey, at least he didn’t punch us. That’s love.”

“Get inside before I change my mind,” Sonic growled, flinging the door wide open like an angry sitcom mom. “You’ve been gone all day. We thought you got eaten by a rogue Badnik or fell into a volcano or got adopted by woodland cryptids!”

“Why would we be adopted by woodland cryptids?” Fists asked.

“I DON’T KNOW, YOU GUYS DO WEIRD THINGS.”

Inside the lair, alarms were still blinking from earlier attempts to track their signals. Tails was hunched over a console with Eggman peering over his shoulder, both looking deeply stressed. Amy was pacing with a frying pan.

The second the kids walked in, all three swiveled toward them.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!” Amy shrieked, swinging the frying pan up like she was ready to make a point. Or pancakes. Or both.

Eggman’s mustache twitched. “I would be dead if you guys didn't show up in half an hour.”

Tails looked like he was about five minutes from short-circuiting. “Do you know how many pings I got trying to trace you?! Too many! There’s a limit on the system! There’s a cool-down bar! I didn’t even KNOW that was a thing!”

Then he launched forward and wrapped Twister in a hug.

“Do not ever vanish without checking in again,” Tails mumbled into his shoulder. “I lost seven years of my life and at least half a gear in my brain.”

Twister patted Tails’ back gently. “Okay, okay. Breathe, genius. We’re fine.”

“You nearly gave me a full reboot,” Tails muttered.

Fists folded his arms. “We weren’t in danger.”

“You never are,” Sonic groaned. “But somehow, we are, just trying to keep up with your chaos.”

Eggman piped up “what the heck even happen after shadow took you ”

Lightning sprung up , bouncing on his heels, arms already moving wildly as he launched into the tale with the energy of someone retelling a mythic saga.

“Okay, picture this —we’re walking through the woods to go back to the lair, I’m balancing on a log—obviously—and I say: ‘If we get lost, we form a band.’ Fists said I can’t keep rhythm, I said that’s called passion . Then we start assigning roles—Twister says Shadow would be the mysterious guy in the back until a solo, and I was like, nah , he’d do monologues between songs. You know, super dramatic, ‘This next one goes out to the eternal void’ kind of thing.”

He paced like a performer on stage, caught up in the retelling. “Then we start tossing around band names— Emotional Damage Control , Scarfs Suck —you know, total gold. We made fun of Sonic a little—”

“You what ?” Sonic blinked, betrayed.

“We roasted you lovingly , don’t interrupt—anyway, we’re being gremlins and then … he laughed. Like, a real laugh. Not a fake grunt. Not a ‘Hmph, you fools.’ A laugh . This is the second time he laughed in front of me.”

The room went quiet.

Tails stared. Amy looked stunned. Eggman choked slightly on his cocoa.

 

Amy pulled Lightning. “What do you mean you were forming a band in the forest?!”

“Shadow hates everything, ” Eggman deadpanned. “If he didn’t actively destroy your musical dreams, that is a weird show of approval.”

“Wait, hold on.” Sonic raised a hand. “He… laughed ?”

Fists smirked.

“Shadow… laughed ?!” Sonic repeated, horrified. “He never laughs, not even in my jokes”

“Maybe because your jokes suck,” Knuckles added.

“Yeah,” Sticks said, tossing popcorn into her mouth. “Or maybe you’re not chaotic enough. The kids got the right frequency.”

“Oh, because you two are contributing to a stable environment, ” Amy snapped.

Knuckles looked completely unbothered. “We’re on popcorn duty.”

“Yeah, we’re the live audience,” Sticks added, kicking her feet up. “10 outta 10 comedy. I give Lightning’s tree-dive a standing ovation.”

Lightning bowed. “Thank you, thank you. I’m here all week.”

Lightning shrugged. “ and hey, Shadow’s probably writing emo lyrics in a tree right now.”

Amy pinched the bridge of her nose.

Eggman slumped into a chair with a sigh.

And Knuckles popped another handful of popcorn. “Hey, what’s the name of your band again?”

Lightning lit up. “ Scarfs Suck. ”

Sonic yelled something unintelligible and dramatic into the ceiling while everyone else simultaneously burst into chaotic chatter, laughter, and more yelling.

Twister looked around at the scene—at their weird little group of rebels, weirdos, and former enemies now yelling about GPS and band merch.

He grinned.

Totally worth it.

Notes:

HEY THERE GUYS

Alrighty, time for a lil’ update from your friendly neighborhood writer. So here’s the deal: I’ll be posting updates for this fic until May 31st. After that… I unfortunately have to be a responsible student (Boo!!) and dive headfirst into the fiery pit of final projects and exams.

(For context: I’m in High School Which means teachers have collectively decided to launch every possible assignment, test, and soul-draining task at me all at once. Yay education.)

BUT! And this is a big but (heh)—I’m not abandoning this fic. Absolutely not. I’m way too hyperfixated and emotionally attached to this story and these characters to just vanish. You’re stuck with me. Forever. Sorry, not sorry.

All I’m doing is taking a small break—like, a month-ish—so I can study, panic, cry over math, write a 10-page essay I forgot about until the night before, and try to not explode from caffeine consumption. You know, the usual.

So if things go quiet for a bit, don’t worry! I’ll be back as soon as I survive the academic apocalypse. Thank you so much for reading, commenting, and being awesome. Y’all seriously make my day every time you interact with this fic. 💕

See you soon—probably slightly sleep-deprived and twitchy, but I'll be back! ✌️📝🔥

Chapter 46: Chaos in C Minor (a.k.a. Mark Gets Absolutely Walloped)

It didn’t happen right away.

No, Shadow had a plan.

The moment he vanished from the lair in a swirl of red and black, he wasn’t going home. He wasn’t grabbing a protein shake. He wasn’t checking emails or cleaning his boots or emotionally repressing anything.

He was tracking a man down.

A very specific man.

A very unfortunate man.

Mark.

Mark, the Sonic hoodie-wearing, glitter-glue-wielding, adult fanboy disaster who had dared to harm a child.

There was a special place in Shadow’s internal hierarchy of enemies, and Mark had just leapfrogged Eggman, Sonic, and traffic. Right to the top.

It took all of seven minutes to find him.

The guy was holed up in a sad little house at the edge of town. Probably thought he was safe. Probably thought he was clever.

He was not.

---

Inside Mark’s House

Mark was sitting on the floor in a Sonic onesie, eating chili dogs, and updating his blog.

“Just had a spiritual encounter with Sonic’s actual child. Best. Day. Ever. #SonicFamCentral #Blessed #GlitterHeals #GotBeatUpForIt”

He clicked “post” and was mid-giggle when the lights flickered.

The air went cold.

His Sonic lava lamp exploded.

The smell of chaos energy and pure rage filled the room like someone had microwaved a thunderstorm.

Then—

BANG!

Shadow burst through the ceiling.

Not the door.

Not the window.

The. Ceiling.

“ MARK, ” he intoned, like a final boss and the Grim Reaper had decided to collab on an audiobook.

Mark shrieked and threw a plushie at him.

Shadow caught it. Crushed it. Let the stuffing fall like snow.

“W-why are you here?!” Mark wheezed. “I didn’t do anything!”

Shadow cracked his knuckles slowly. “You tranquilized a child.”

“It was for his own good—!”

CRASH.

Mark went flying across the room into a bookshelf. Most of it collapsed on top of him. Shadow walked over with the casual pace of someone on a vengeance-fueled spa day.

“Lightning is a child,” he said coldly, grabbing Mark by the collar and lifting him like a squeaky chew toy. “A reckless, hyperactive, chaos-infected menace. But still a child.”

Mark blinked.

Shadow stared at him.

Mark blinked again.

Shadow spun around and German suplexed him through the wall.

The wall led to the kitchen. A Sonic-themed kitchen. Everything was blue. The toaster had a “Gotta Toast Fast” decal. The fridge had hedgehog ears.

Shadow opened the fridge. It was full of chili dogs.

He closed the fridge.

He turned and threw Mark into it. With spite.

Then he picked him up and did it again. Just to make a point.

Mark slid down the fridge like a cartoon character and hit the floor in a heap.

“Ow… Okay—wait—maybe we can just—talk about our feelings?”

Shadow stared at him in disgust.

Then he grabbed a chili dog and slapped him across the face with it.

“Did you just chili-slap me?!”

Shadow did it again.

Twice.

Rapid fire.

Mark was now covered in chili. And shame.

“P-please!” Mark wheezed, crawling across the floor, leaving behind a glitter-and-condiment trail. “You wouldn’t kill me! Lightning wouldn’t want you to—he’d say something like, like—‘Violence isn’t the answer!’”

Shadow cracked his neck. “He would also say ‘WAFFLE PANIC’ and dive off furniture.”

Mark paused. “…Is that a no?”

Shadow stomped on a Sonic cookie jar so hard it shattered like porcelain regret.

“It’s a maybe.”

He lifted Mark by the back of his onesie and launched him into a beanbag chair so hard it bounced, hit the wall, and came back like a dodgeball.

Mark groaned and rolled off it, face down on the floor. Shadow loomed above him like a very fed-up demigod.

“Consider this,” Shadow said coolly, “me showing restraint.”

“R-restraint?” Mark croaked.

“I haven’t torn apart your spine yet. ”

“…Oh.”

Shadow raised a brow. “Oh?”

Then he turned around and looked at the bookshelf .

Mark’s eyes went wide. “Wait, wait, WAIT—!”

CRASH.

Shadow dropkicked it into oblivion. Books, posters,it all went airborne in a glittery rain of shame.

Mark reached out in despair, like a man watching his soul float away.

Shadow looked at the window in the room then looked at mark

And then yeeted Mark through it.

Mark flew through the window screaming, hit his own front yard, rolled across a garden gnome, and landed in a kiddie pool.

“ Ahh my ankle! My pride! My gnome! ”

Shadow leaned out the window. “You so much as breathe near the kid or his brothers again,” he said, voice low and lethal, “I will kill you without a second thought.”

Then, with a flare of red chaos energy and a swish of righteous fury, Shadow vanished into the night.

---

Back at the Lair

Lightning, wrapped in a blanket and sipping juice, blinked.

“Huh. Anyone else feel that?”

Knuckles raised a brow. “Feel what?”

“Like someone just got punched through chili and bad decisions.”

Amy sipped tea. “So Shadow found him.”

“Yeah.” Lightning nodded solemnly. “Justice smells like burnt glitter.”

Chapter 47: The Sticks Conspiracy (a.k.a. Lightning Realizes She’s This Worlds Crazy Carl)

It started with juice.

Lightning was finally, finally allowed to sit. His tail was still twitchy, his head was still full of chaos energy static, and he’d been scolded more than four times for trying to climb the fridge.

(“For the last time,” Amy yelled, “ there are no cookies up there! ”)

So now, under strict supervision, he was tucked into a beanbag chair with a juice box and a coloring book titled “You’re Not in Charge, and That’s Okay!” —a self-soothing project Sonic probably stole from therapy and slapped a smiling hedgehog sticker on.

Things were calm.

For ten seconds.

Then came Sticks .

She kicked open the door like she was being chased by ghost weasels. Probably was.

“ IT’S HAPPENING. ”

Everyone in the room flinched.

Lightning choked on his juice.

Knuckles dropped his dumbbell on his foot.

Sonic just groaned. “Oh no. What now , Sticks?”

She didn’t answer. She threw a dead raccoon plushie onto the table , pointed at it like it owed her money, and yelled:

“ HE’S THE LEADER OF THE COUNCIL OF LIES. ”

“…What?” Amy blinked.

“Don’t look at me like I’m nuts,” Sticks snapped. “That’s exactly what they want.”

Lightning just stared at her, sipping his juice slowly.

Something was clicking in his brain.

He glanced at the others. Then back at Sticks, who was now taping forks to the ceiling for “anti-drone defense.”

A lightbulb flickered.

“…Oh my Chaos,” Lightning whispered. “She’s this worlds Crazy Carl .”.

“Who?” Amy asked.

Lightning pointed. “ Crazy Carl. The only one who knew I existed before Tom and Maddie, he screamed about the ‘blue devil’ and made traps out of lawn chairs.”

Twister, who had just walked in with a bowl of popcorn, paused mid-crunch. “Wait… waitwaitwait— she IS. She even has the same wild eyes!”

Fist walked in next, holding a juice pouch, looked at Sticks balancing upside down on a laundry basket yelling about “the Mole People,” and said:

“The fox and the hedgehog are right, they do act the same.”

Meanwhile, Lightning was watching her like she was a wild animal on Animal Planet.

“She’s like a chaos raccoon mixed with crazy Carl, and a Doomsday Prepper,” he whispered to Twister. “She makes zero sense, but somehow she’s always right when it matters.”

“She’s like if you put every conspiracy YouTuber into a blender and gave it legs,” Twister muttered back.

“And then gave her coffee,” Fist added grimly.

Fist glanced at the duct tape shrine she was building out of spoons and asked the real question:

“…So, do we help her or stop her?”

Lightning leaned back, sipping his juice. “ We observe. From a safe distance. Possibly behind a lead wall. ”

And from above, Sticks screeched:

“ I’M NOT PARANOID IF I’M RIGHT. ”

Notes:

Sorry if this was a lill late then usual!

Chapter 48: Rocket Science and Reckless Chaos

“Okay, final adjustments made—Twister, gimme the wrench.”

“You said that ten minutes ago.”

“I meant it this time.”

Twister rolled his eyes but passed Tails the requested tool anyway. The two of them were crouched under what looked suspiciously like a pair of shadow’s air shoes.

Above them, Lightning perched on the lab table, legs swinging and attention barely half on the chaos below.

“Are they done yet?” he whined for the seventh time.

“They’re almost done,” Tails muttered, tightening a bolt with laser precision. “We just need a reliable power source strong enough to maintain propulsion”

Lightning made a noise halfway between a gasp and a scoff. “Can you guys take any longer?”

Twister snorted. “He’s being sarcastic.”

“Only a little.”

Tails scowled and was about to retort when Lightning, plucked a quill from behind his ear and flicked it to Twister.

“Here. Use that.”

Tails caught it midair instinctively. “Wait, what—?! Lightning, this is one of your quills. There is no way this could power the shoes at all!”

Twister, already sliding the quill into the energy port they’d rigged, grinned like a gremlin. “It’s fine. One of these suckers could power a city for, like, 50 years. I ran tests with one of Fist’s, do you remember what happened, lightning?”

Lighting smiled “yup”

Tails froze. “…You what ?”

Lightning just smirked. “He did. Blew a hole in a mountain. It was sick.”

“You blew up a mountain ?!”

Twister shrugged. “Half a mountain. Maybe a third. It’s kind of hard to measure when everything’s on fire.”

Lightning beamed. “See? Perfect power source.”

Tails stared between them, brain short-circuiting like a toaster in the ocean. “Do you realize what this means ? You—your body is basically walking nuclear fusion! No wonder your Eggman was obsessed with you.”

“I know , right?” Lightning said proudly. “I’m irresistible.”

“More like terrifying,” Tails corrected, examining the humming quill now lighting up their prototype like a Christmas tree on caffeine.

But the skates worked. Perfect propulsion, stable control (theoretically), and enough kick to break the sound barrier twice if Lightning decided to be a little dramatic—which, of course, he would.

Ten minutes later, Lightning picked up the shoes, and both foxs and zipped out the base like a lightning bolt with attitude (Leaving a note to make sure the others won’t get worried).

He ran until he found a familiar figure.

He found Shadow standing in a clearing, brooding.

Lightning skidded to a stop beside him, wind ruffling Shadow’s quills. “Shadow! Look!”

Shadow blinked. “…What?”

Lightning posed dramatically, one hand holding the rocket shoes, gleaming with pulsing energy. “We match! ”

Shadow glanced down at his hover skates. Then at Lightning’s. Then back at Lightning’s extremely punchable, grinning face.

“…You built knockoff rocket shoes.”

“ Upgraded, ” Lightning corrected. “Mine go faster. Probably. Maybe. We’ll find out.”

Shadow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why must you be like this?”

“Genetics and spite.”

“…Fair.”

Tails stared at Lightning running around shadow, still unable to comprehend how one quill out of an electric hedgehog could rival an entire grid of a city. “Should we be worried”

Twister just shrugged, munching a granola bar lightning gave him. “It's nothing to worry about, anyway do you think they are going to race”

“Probably…”

The moment Tails said that Lightning face-planted on the floor, the moment he got his rocket shoes

“Once he gets the hang of the shoes first.”

Notes:

HEYY HOW ARE YA GUYS

I completely forgot to post a chap yesterday so I will post 2 chapters today!

Chapter 49: Racing Lessons (with Extra Concern and Denial)

“Okay! You ready to lose?” Lightning bounced in place on his new rocket skates, sparks of energy trailing behind his feet like excited fireflies.

Shadow crossed his arms. “You can barely stay upright.”

Lightning huffed, nearly toppling over as the skates tried to drift without his input. “That’s a strategic wobble. I’m throwing off your rhythm.”

“You’re throwing off physics. ”

Still, Shadow stepped into position beside him. Hover skates humming quietly beneath his feet, he waited, gaze steady and unimpressed.

Lightning crouched into a racing stance that would’ve looked cooler if he hadn’t immediately lost balance and yelped, flailing like a fledgling duck on rollerblades.

Shadow caught his arm before he could hit the dirt.

“…You’re not ready,” Shadow muttered.

Lightning brushed him off, cheeks pink. “Yes, I am!”

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am!!”

Shadow gave him a flat look, then turned and casually demonstrated a perfect pivot, heels lifted, gliding backwards like gravity had nothing to say about it.

Lightning scowled. “Okay, okay, you’ve had practice. Gimme a break.”

“No breaks,” Shadow said, skidding to a stop in front of him. “If we race now, you’ll break your ankle.”

Lightning snorted. “That rhymed.”

“Focus.”

A long pause.

“…You’re gonna teach me, aren’t you?”

“No.”

Lightning gave him a look.

“…Fine.”

Training was… frustrating.

Hover skates weren’t built for chaotic leg twitchers with zero patience. Lightning either took corners too hard and spun out, or didn’t lean enough and coasted into fences.

Shadow didn’t yell. He didn’t mock him either.

But he did hover behind him constantly like a very aggressive safety instructor, correcting his stance, catching him when he tipped too far, and grumbling instructions like:

“Lean with your chest, not your ego.”

“Center of gravity is not a suggestion.”

“Stop kicking, this isn’t a river dance!”

At one point, Lightning tried to do a mid-air flip. He ended up skidding across the asphalt on his butt, leaving a glowing blue trail behind him.

Shadow was at his side before the sparks had even faded.

“Are you hurt?”

“I’m—ow—I’m fine.”

“…That was idiotic.”

“I was trying to express myself! ”

“Try expressing yourself without friction burns.”

Eventually—after way too many failed attempts and exactly one instance of Lightning trying to grind the edge of a dumpster—he finally started getting the hang of it.

He zipped down the strip in a wide arc, turned on a dime, and launched himself into a neat little lift, landing with a surprised yelp but still upright.

Shadow nodded once. “Better.”

Lightning puffed up, breathless but proud. “That looked cool, right?”

“…Moderately.”

Which, from Shadow, was practically a standing ovation.

They didn’t race.

Instead, they kept gliding side by side, Lightning still grinning like a kid with a new toy and Shadow making sure—very subtly—that he didn’t fall again.

“I'm not that bad, y’know,” Lightning said.

“You’re worse.”

“But I’m learning!”

Shadow smirked. “Yeah. You are.”

Notes:

if your wondering what the tails are doing they are nerding out and setting up the race somewhere

Chapter 50: Broody vs. Blue Blur

“Okay, now I’m ready.”

Lightning grinned, bouncing on his heels at the starting line, skates humming with barely-contained energy. Sparks flickered beneath them, itching to burst free.

Shadow stood beside him, arms crossed, crimson eyes scanning the track ahead. It was the same cracked strip of tarmac, cleared of debris, stretched long and flat into the horizon. The perfect place to test just how fast a couple of chaos-fueled skates could really go.

“You’re sure?” Shadow asked without looking over.

Lightning cracked his knuckles dramatically. “Confidence: 100%. Style: 300%. Control: …eh, we’re hovering around 60, but climbing.”

Shadow finally turned to face him. “Last chance to back out.”

“Please. You’re gonna be eating my dust.”

“You don’t generate dust. You generate static cling and bad decisions.”

“Wow,” Lightning said, placing a hand over his heart. “You’ve been saving that one, haven’t you?”

Shadow said nothing. But his smirk was there, just faintly.

The others were watching from a safe distance— Tails with a notepad and protective goggles, Twister crouched on a fold-out lawn chair with binoculars made from soup cans and spite, and both of them where sharing a bucket of popcorn and zero faith in physics.

“Alright,” Tails called out. “Skates are stabilized, quill energy is balanced—Light, your left booster might overheat if you lean too hard on the turns, so keep it smooth.”

“Copy that!” Lightning saluted dramatically.

Twister gave a thumbs up. “Break a leg!—No wait, don’t break a leg. I need that leg.”

“On your mark…” Tails raised a hand.

“Get set…”

The skates powered up—Lightning’s humming bright blue, Shadow’s pulsing red.

“GO!”

They exploded forward.

In a blur of color and light, they vanished from the line like twin comets.

“WOOOHOOO!” Lightning hollered, the wind whipping his voice away.

Shadow leaned in, silent, precise, skating with a control honed over years of Chaos-infused practice.

But Lightning was no slouch.

He skated like he lived—reckless, joyful, and just a little unhinged. He swerved ahead with a sharp turn that nearly launched him into a rock, recovered mid-spin, and shot forward with a trail of laughing static.

Shadow grit his teeth. “You’re going to burn out your left booster.”

“You worried about me?” Lightning called over his shoulder.

“I’m worried you’ll make me win by default.”

“Oh, you are so full of it—”

Suddenly, the wind shifted. Lightning tilted too sharply. His foot slipped—

Shadow was already beside him, hand catching Lightning’s elbow mid-skid. They both skidded, stumbled—but stayed upright.

Then Lightning grinned.

Shadow let go.

And they raced.

It was neck and neck the entire way. Around rusted obstacles, across cracked pavement, weaving through the derelict skeleton of an old aircraft hangar—

Shadow gained speed on the straightaways. Lightning dominated the curves. They were perfectly mismatched, equally matched

They hit the final stretch

Twister stood at the finish line, arms waving frantically. “GO GO GO—!!”

They crossed the line in a brilliant burst of light.

Silence.

Then—

“WHO WON!?” Lightning gasped, skidding to a dramatic stop, immediately wobbling and landing on his butt. “Tell me it was me! I’ll believe anything!”

Tails stared down at his stopwatch, wide-eyed.

Twister squinted at the line. “They—uh—”

Tails appeared beside them with a pop of blue. “Dead tie.”

Lightning’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Frame by frame. You hit it at the exact same time. You guys synced your finish like it was scripted.”

Shadow exhaled through his nose. “Hmph.”

Lightning flopped back in the grass, panting, arms spread wide. “Okay. That was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.”

Shadow crossed his arms and turned away.

“…It was acceptable.”

Lightning grinned up at him. “You mean you had fun.”

“I said it was acceptable.”

“You’re smiling.”

“No, I’m not.”

“You totally are!”

Shadow didn’t respond.

But he didn’t deny it, either.

Notes:

Y’ALL. CHAPTER. 50.
That’s right. FIFTY. F-I-F-T-Y. Fifty whole chapters of emotional damage, feral gremlins, rogue rocket shoes, and Shadow’s slow descent into Big Brother Mode™.
And somehow, you’re still here?? Voluntarily??? Reading this unhinged fever dream???

I LOVE YOU. THANK YOU. BLESS YOU. 🫶🌀💥

Seriously though—I started this story thinking, “Hehe, this’ll be silly fun,” and then proceeded to unleash utter chaos on an almost basis. You all ate it up. And encouraged me. You enablers. You delightful, wonderful, slightly unhinged enablers.

So Thanks for joining me on this ridiculous ride.

Let’s keep the chaos coming. I am nowhere near done with these characters. 😇🔥

Chapter 51: Mint Condition

“Okay, but hear me out—mints,” Twister said, mid-step, holding up a tin like it contained sacred treasure.

Tails, who already had his own tin open and was chewing two at once, didn’t even pause. “Been eating them since we crossed the finish line.”

Twister gasped in delighted betrayal. “You’ve been minting without me?!”

Lightning blinked between them as the two foxes fell into a rapid-fire exchange, practically sprinting through the ruined street while eating like it was a snack run.

“I had to recharge!” Tails said defensively. “Mint boost counts as legitimate after-race fuel!”

“I invented mint boost,” Twister countered, popping three into his mouth and chewing obnoxiously loud. “I ate five tins during a 3D printer calibration once. My soul is 90% peppermint.”

Lightning looked back at Shadow. “Is this what friendship looks like?”

“Ignore them,” Shadow muttered. “They’ll burn out their taste buds eventually.”

Twister opened a second tin, handed it to Lightning, and said, “Celebrate your win like a champion.”

“We tied,” shadow corrected. “It was a tie.”

“Which means we both won,” Lightning declared, crunching into a mint and doing a messy cartwheel down the path. “Victory mints for all!”

Shadow skated behind them “The boosters stuttered during your third pass,” he said after a beat. “Left side. You lost 0.8 seconds correcting.”

Twister immediately snapped out of mint mode. “Wait, really? I thought something felt off.”

“I felt it too,” Tails added, flipping open a notepad from his toolbelt mid-walk. “I was gonna mention it but then Lightning almost faceplanted.”

Lightning, from five feet ahead: “Hey! That was part of the flair!”

Shadow crossed his arms. “It wasn’t enough of a challenge. Your cornering is sloppy. The skates are good, but they aren’t tuned for tight reactive turns. Fix that.”

Twister grinned. “Someone wants a rematch already.”

“I want an actual race next time,” Shadow said simply.

Lightning skated back beside him with a smug grin. “Aww. You’re just mad I kept up with you.”

“I’m annoyed it wasn’t harder.”

Tails muttered, “He says that but he was definitely breathing heavy afterward.”

“I was not.”

“You were so breathing heavy,” Twister laughed. “Bro was one step away from leaning on a wall dramatically.”

“I was adjusting to wind resistance.”

Lightning mimicked Shadow’s voice with a dramatic swoop. “‘Adjusting to wind resistance,’ he says, while gasping like a grounded jet engine.”

Shadow said nothing, which was just him losing by default.

By the time they reached eggmans lair island, the sun had dipped behind the trees, leaving long, golden beams stretching through the forest canopy. The ruined road quieted behind them.

Twister was now three tins in, Tails two and a half. Their conversation had evolved into a debate over whether cinnamon mints counted as “real mints” (they don’t, according to Tails) and whether spearmint was a superior flavor profile to peppermint (they both argued yes and no at the same time).

Lightning, head full of half-baked hover skate improvements, threw in, “What if you made a version that only goes faster the more mints you eat?”

Twister gasped. “YES. Mint-fueled tech!”

Tails actually stopped walking. “Wait, wait—don’t joke about that. I can make a flavor-sensor chip. If I hardwire it into the booster algorithm—”

Twister: “—it accelerates based on flavor intensity—”

Both foxes, in perfect sync: “—WE COULD WEAPONIZE PEPPERMINT.”

Lightning burst out laughing, falling backward dramatically.

Shadow, who had finally caught up, sighed. “I regret letting any of you live.”

“Too late,” Lightning grinned, tossing a mint into his mouth. “You’re stuck with us.”

Twister offered Shadow a tin.

Shadow stared at it, eyes narrowed. “…Fine.”

He took one. Just one.

Twister and Tails shared a look of awe.

“He’s warming up to us,” Lightning whispered.

“I will end you if you say that out loud,” Shadow deadpanned.

Lightning held up a finger. “Too late.”

“I’ll start drafting upgrade plans tonight,” Tails said, already calculating hover friction values in his head.

“Same,” Twister said, popping his fifth tin open. “Also: mint nap.”

“You’re gonna knock yourself out with mint fumes,” Lightning told him.

“That’s how I sleep,” Twister replied with full confidence.

Shadow leaned against a tree, arms crossed. “I expect an actual challenge next time.”

“Oh, you’ll get one,” Lightning promised with a grin. “Just don’t blame us when we mint-condition your record.”

Tails looked him dead in the eyes “No.”

Twister popped up from behind “YES.”

 

Chapter 52: SPA DAYYY (with stories)

It started, as many things did these days, with a note .

Scrawled on a napkin in Lightning’s handwriting—chaotic and slightly slanted—were the words:

“Gone training! With foxes. Skates. Invention stuff. Don’t wait up. Probably not dead. ~Lightning”

Fists, having just entered the hallway in search of protein (or possibly a boulder to punch), found it tacked to the fridge with a fork.

He stared at it, rubbed his chin and walked over to Amy, who was lounging with a clipboard, halfway through writing a to-do list titled “Things I Deserve Because I Keep Everyone Alive.”

“The hedgehog has vanished,” Fists announced solemnly. “He has left with the two foxes.”

Amy blinked, then laughed. “Ah. That’ll be Tails and Twister’s latest chaos project. As long as Tails is there, they’re not likely to explode completely .”

Fists nodded solemnly. “That seems accurate.”

She dropped the clipboard on the table. “Well, I was about to head out anyway. I’m cashing in my day off for a full-on spa run. Face masks. Foot soak. Zero stress. You in?”

He stood tall, puffed out his chest. “My body is a temple—but even temples must be maintained.”

She considered that, then shrugged. “Alright. Mud masks it is.”

They were halfway through gathering supplies when Amy poked her head into Sticks’s little corner den.

“Hey, Sticks. Spa day. You in?”

“No,” came the instant reply, muffled from under a pile of suspiciously shaped animal skulls.

Amy raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t even hear what I was offering.”

“I did , and I don’t trust cucumbers. They’ve been watching me ever since the fridge incident.”

“…I don’t even want to know.”

“Come with us,” he said. “If you do, I’ll tell you about every single one of my fights. Even the volcano brawl.”

There was silence. Then:

“… All of them?”

“Yep.”

“Even the one where you ripped that robot tank in half using only your glutes?”

Amy choked. “Wait, what ?”

Fists smirked. “Especially that one.”

There was a long pause.

Then Sticks emerged from her pile like a gremlin warrior summoned by curiosity and mild bribes.

“…Fine. But I pick the playlist. And if anyone comes at me with a cucumber, I will throw hands.”

Amy nodded. “Deal.”

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them sat in mud masks and robes, Amy sipping her tea like a queen, Fists sitting cross-legged with his arms over his chest like a stoic war monk, and Sticks threatening the scented candles with a spoon.

“You know,” Amy said, watching the steam rise from a hot cloth, “this is kind of nice.”

Fists closed his eyes, nodding. “Even warriors must pause to breathe.”

Sticks didn’t respond, mouth full of cucumber slices—none of which were on her eyes, as intended.

“…You’re supposed to wear those,” Amy said.

“I am wearing them. On the inside ,” Sticks replied ominously.

Fists sipped tea and began, “It was a moonless night when I first wrestled a shadow bot with my bare hands—”

Sticks gasped. “Is this the one with the collapsing bridge and the fake meteor?”

“Oh, yes .”

Amy sighed contentedly as they launched into storytime, fully aware this might be the weirdest yet most effective spa day ever assembled.

Somewhere far off, a hedgehog was probably zooming into a tree.

But for now?

Pure bliss.

Chapter 53: Chaos with a peppermint phone

They were glowing.

Amy was still humming happily as they stepped through the lairs doors, Sticks was carrying a half-empty bag of complimentary face masks and muttering to herself about converting them into tracking paint. And Fists had his quills tied back in a surprisingly neat ponytail.

It bounced a little when he walked. 

“It is quite strategic if you ask me,” he said as Amy smirked at him. “I also like the airflow.”

She snorted. “Didn’t say a word.”

They stepped into the base, expecting some quiet.

What they got was this:

“TA-DA!” Twister shouted, nearly falling off the workbench. “THE WORLD’S FIRST—AND POSSIBLY LAST—MINT-POWERED SMARTPHONE!”

Tails held up the very homemade-looking device, which was currently vibrating with the force of a thousand bees. A suspiciously empty tin of mints clattered to the floor beside it.

“I added a cooling system so it doesn’t combust immediately,” Tails said proudly.

“‘Immediately,’ huh?” Sticks muttered.

Amy eyed the phone. “Why does it smell like peppermint and ozone?”

“Because it’s revolutionary!” Twister said. “Also because I spilled mouthwash in the battery chamber.”

Before anyone could react, Eggman strolled in like he’d just heard the words “stupid idea” whispered in the wind.

“Did someone say ‘unregulated energy source’?” he grinned. “Move over. I wanna see this.”

Amy raised a brow. “You’re just gonna help them?”

Eggman waved her off. “I’m bored, over-caffeinated, and my villain license is suspended for a day. Let me build a mint-reactor. It’ll be fun.”

Sticks looked at Amy. “Do we stop him?”

Amy shrugged. “As long as he doesn’t blow up the fridge again, I don’t care.”

Meanwhile, on the far side of the room, Sonic and Lightning were crouched dramatically at a table, locked in an intense thumb war.

“ONE TWO THREE FOUR,” Sonic declared, “I DECLARE A THUMB WAR!”

Their fingers clashed with the speed and intensity of a minor supernova.

“You're holding back,” Lightning accused.

“You wish,” Sonic grinned.

“You’re shaking.”

“I'm vibrating with power.”

Lightning growled, “Don’t make me call the lightning.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

Back on the mint-powered science bench, the phone began to glow green.

“…Is it supposed to be doing that?” Amy asked.

Twister blinked. “Not unless it’s about to enter ‘supermint mode.’”

Eggman gasped. “You gave it a transformation sequence?!”

“No,” Tails said slowly, “but now I want to.”

Sticks put down her gear bag and pointed to the corner. “I’m going to stand over there with the fire extinguisher and a survival blanket.”

Fists watched the whole scene unfold with his arms crossed .

“Is this what peace looks like?” Amy asked no one in particular.

Lightning yelled from behind. “It’s peaceful enough for us.”

A small pop sounded from the phone, followed by a puff of minty steam.

Lightning yelled across the room, still locked in the thumb war. “If that explodes and I don’t get to see it, I’ll sue.”

Sonic growled. “Not before I win this war, you don’t!”

Twister proudly lifted the phone again. “Okay, so… next test: Can we use this mint-core to power a hoverboard?”

Eggman cracked his knuckles. “Only one way to find out.”

Tails grinned. “This is either going to change the world or violate several energy safety regulations.”

"Probably both!"

Notes:

HEY THERE GUYS

Alrighty, time for a lil’ update from your friendly neighborhood writer. So here’s the deal: I’ll be posting updates for this fic until May 31st. After that… I unfortunately have to be a responsible student (Boo!!) and dive headfirst into the fiery pit of final projects and exams.

(For context: I’m in High School Which means teachers have collectively decided to launch every possible assignment, test, and soul-draining task at me all at once. Yay education.)

BUT! And this is a big but (heh)—I’m not abandoning this fic. Absolutely not. I’m way too hyperfixated and emotionally attached to this story and these characters to just vanish. You’re stuck with me. Forever. Sorry, not sorry.

All I’m doing is taking a small break—like, a month-ish—so I can study, panic, cry over math, write a 10-page essay I forgot about until the night before, and try to not explode from caffeine consumption. You know, the usual.

So if things go quiet for a bit, don’t worry! I’ll be back as soon as I survive the academic apocalypse. Thank you so much for reading, commenting, and being awesome. Y’all seriously make my day every time you interact with this fic. 💕

See you soon—probably slightly sleep-deprived and twitchy, but I'll be back! ✌️📝🔥

Chapter 54: Mint to Be (or Not to Be)

The mint-powered phone exploded.

Not in a big, dangerous way. It didn’t shoot fire or blast through the ceiling or open a dimensional rift. But it did burst like a fizzy soda can, launching peppermint-scented foam across the workbench and right into Twister’s face.

“IT WORKS!” he yelled, dripping in green goop. “IT WORKS TOO WELL!”

Tails wiped mint suds from his goggles, blinking rapidly. “We’re gonna need better containment.”

Eggman leaned in, absolutely thrilled. “OR—we don’t, and we weaponize the fizz.”

“Okay but hear me out,” Twister said, his hair standing on end. “Mint-powered grappling gauntlets.”

Tails gasped. “Yes. Yes.”

Fists, sitting nearby with his ponytail tied even tighter than before, crossed his arms and watched the madness unfold. “The smell is burning my soul.”

Amy walked by, a cup of tea in her hand. “You’re just mad they didn’t let you build one.”

“…That’s not true,” Fists grumbled, clearly lying.

Meanwhile, in the far corner of the lab, Lightning and Sonic were still at it.

Their thumbs locked in a death grip, their free hands shaking with the strain, they were locked in an unending battle of wills and reflexes.

“I think my arm’s going numb,” Lightning muttered.

“Pain is weakness leaving the body,” Sonic replied solemnly.

“You stole that from a T-shirt.”

“Doesn’t make it less true.”

Sticks passed behind them carrying a blanket, three mints, and a hammer. “If they’re still stuck by sundown, I’m separating them with force.”

No one questioned her.

Back at the bench, Eggman had pulled out blueprints that looked like they'd been drawn on the back of an old pizza box.

“Mint-Powered gloves,” he declared. “But with thrusters.”

Twister slammed both hands down on the table. “Can we add a mode where the mints come out of the gloves like confetti?”

“Only if it glows,” Tails added.

“I like the way you two think,” Eggman said, suspiciously impressed. “You’re reckless. Irrational. Borderline combustible. I’m proud.”

Amy took a sip of tea. “Should I be stopping this?”

Fists glanced at the glowing phone remains and the literal mint reactor Eggman was assembling out of a blender. “…Probably.”

“You gonna?”

“…No.”

Suddenly, Lightning screamed, “AH-HA! GOTCHA!”

Sonic’s thumb twitched beneath his.

“No—no way—”

“Three out of five, baby!” Lightning whooped, pointing at him with his free hand.

“I demand a rematch,” Sonic grumbled.

“Weak thumb, weak soul,” Lightning teased.

Back at the bench, a low hum began to emit from the new mint reactor.

Eggman leaned in. “Okay. Slight problem. The blender’s vibrating.”

“It’s heating up,” Tails said, stepping back.

Amy sighed. “Here we go again.”

Sticks pulled a lever, opening the emergency lab vents.

The blender-turned-reactor glowed bright mint-green for one glorious second, and then—

BOOM.

Not destructive. Just… spectacularly loud. The room filled with the smell of mint, the sound of Eggman cackling, and enough foam to power a parade.

Twister wiped his eyes and screamed, “WORTH IT!”

Eggman did a small victory dance in the foam.

Tails grinned. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”

Amy stood, brushing foam off her arms. “If you maniacs build one more mint bomb, I swear I’m gonna—”

“Build a better one?” Knuckles guessed.

“…Yeah, probably.”

They all laughed—foamy, pepperminty chaos swirling around them—and in the middle of it all, Sonic and Lightning locked thumbs again, grinning like idiots.

“Round six?” Lightning said.

“Let’s go.”

Notes:

HIIII EVERYONE — I’M BACK, BABY!!
And guess what? I’m back with a whole bunch of new chapters ready to go!!

First off, I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who sent me good vibes, sweet messages, and wished me luck during my exam season. You have no idea how much that meant to me. Seriously, you guys kept me going when I wanted to throw my notes out the window and dramatically walk into the sunset.

Now let’s talk exams. MOST of them? Not too bad! I mean, sure, I was clinging to my sanity like it was a floaty in the middle of a storm, but I made it through!
BUT THEN… HISTORY.

Y’all. My history exam came straight out of the underworld. They made us write 18 PARAGRAPHS. EIGHTEEN. That’s basically three essays duct-taped together and launched at me like a missile. My hand was shaking. My soul left my body around paragraph nine. I think I became a ghost briefly. 👻
It was BRUTAL.

BUT GUESS WHAT? I SURVIVED. I CONQUERED. I HAVE ESCAPED.
SCHOOL IS OVER!! I’M FREE!!
At least for the next couple of months, I am officially out of high school jail. No more alarms. No more homework. Just me, snacks, chaos, and writing

So yeah. I missed you all so much, and I’m SO ready to jump back in. Updates are coming, chaos is brewing, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the new chapters I’ve got lined up!

Chapter 55: Eat First, Villainy Later

After the third mint-powered prototype exploded (this time with less foam and more glitter), Amy threw her hands in the air.

“Okay! That’s enough science for one day! We are covered in sugar and regret, and I haven’t eaten since the spa.”

Twister had mint stuck to his eyelashes. “I could eat.”

“I second that,” Tails said, looking dangerously close to licking one of the leftover test mints.

Lightning popped out of a pile of foam with tails goggles (that he stole) on upside down. “FOOD TRIP?!”

Sonic casually leaned on a flipped-over bench. “Only if it’s Meh Burger.”

Eggman raised a finger. “What if we build a portable kitchen that—”

“No,” everyone said in unison.

Meh Burger

As the crew marched in, still glowing faintly from the mint-fizz blast. the usual faint scent of fried everything welcomed them, along with a suspicious sizzling sound from behind the counter.

Then they saw him.

Dave the Intern.

Wearing a cardboard crown. Holding a zap-gun made of duct tape and what looked like Tails’ scrapped parts. His apron was slightly singed, and he was standing on a box for height.

“I HAVE RISEN!” Dave declared, aiming his DIY contraption at the menu board. “I AM NO LONGER DAVE THE INTERN! I AM DAVE… THE DEVASTATOR! ”

Sonic didn’t even stop walking. “That’s cute. Lemme know when you go full apocalypse.”

Twister whispered, “Is that one of our mint packs taped to a flashlight?”

Tails squinted. “...Yep. That’s mine.”

Lightning gasped and flung out his arms. “HEY DAVE. DAAAAVE. HI. IT’S ME. THE GUY THAT LIKED THE FOOD!”

Dave blinked. His whole expression crumbled. “That’s… that’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about this place.”

Everyone paused.

Then Dave shook his head, pulled his cardboard crown tighter, and said, “NO. No! I still have to prove myself! Tremble before me or—”

WHAM.

Sonic casually spindashed through Dave’s invention. It exploded in a puff of glitter and shame. Dave hit the floor like a sack of burnt fries, arms sprawled, dignity lost.

Sonic dusted off his hands. “Yeah, I’ll take a chili dog, no mustard. And maybe, I dunno, a working circuit board next time?”

Dave groaned from the floor, rolling onto his side. “Fine… I’ll go make your order…”

“Thanks, Dave!” Lightning called cheerfully, giving him a thumbs-up.

“Devastated…” Dave muttered, crawling toward the kitchen.

Fists raised an eyebrow. “Should we be worried about him?”

“He’s been trying to be a villain for five years, ” Amy said, checking her nails. “This is… very on brand.”

“He actually tried being my villain intern, was not a good experience” Eggman said as he grabbed a seat

Twister leaned over to Tails. “You think if I offer to properly help him build a villain gadget, he’ll let me name it?”

“You want to name Dave’s villain tech?”

“‘Twist-O-Matic Boom Blaster 9000.’”

“…I hate how much I want to build that now.”

Lightning climbed onto a bar stool, face full of anticipation. “This is gonna be the best worst meal of the week.”

Dave returned five minutes later with their orders, still wearing the crown, but looking emotionally defeated.

“I forgot your extra napkins,” he muttered.

Lightning beamed. “You remembered the sauce though, so its ok !”

Dave sniffled. “Stop being nice to me. It’s confusing.”

Notes:

HIIII

how are y'all so I posted a couple of one shot yesterday so I am gonna dump them here!

So for all you avenger fans:

- Who Brings the God of Mischief to a Camping Trip?! (Peter Parker thats who):
https://archiveofourown.org/works/66803677

And for all of The Amazing Digital Circus fans:
- What Happened to Ribbit:
https://archiveofourown.org/works/66805765

 

I hope you like them!

Chapter 56

It all started when Sonic said, “We are not taking any weird side quests today.”

And then they got lost.

To be fair, Eggman’s lair was supposed to be five minutes away. But between the food coma, Lightning skipping ahead, and Twister taking “just one shortcut,” they were now very, very not five minutes away.

And very, very standing in the middle of the Gogoba Village.

Tails paled instantly. “Oh no.”

Sonic’s ears dropped. “Nope. Nuh-uh. No thank you. Last time I helped them, I ended up building a windmill out of guilt while the Chief told me he was so sorry for how tired I looked.”

Twister blinked. “They seem nice.”

“They’re too nice,” Tails muttered. “They’re weaponized nice. Don’t take anything from them. Don’t touch anything. Don’t compliment anything.”

“Don’t breathe,” Sonic added. “They’ll guilt you into fixing their entire irrigation system.”

Lightning, meanwhile, was already waving. “Hi, village dudes!”

A chorus of murmurs rose instantly. The Gogobas peeked out of huts and bushes, expressions dripping with humble agony.

“Oh, visitors!” said one with trembling hands. “We’re so sorry for existing in your path.”

“We would never dream of asking anything from such heroic and surely busy strangers—” another added.

“Except, maybe, if you find time—if your legs aren’t too sore—the fields do need watering…”

“Only if it’s not too much for your gentle, overworked souls,” the Chief added, dramatically wiping a tear.

Lightning, Twister, and Fists exchanged looks grined.

Then—

“Oh my gosh,” Twister gasped, clasping his hands. “We’re SO sorry for showing up unannounced! You must be exhausted from all your hard work maintaining such a beautiful village!”

Twister stepped forward, already juggling a shovel, “We’d never take advantage of your hospitality!”

Fists, looking dead serious “If you insist on feeding us, at least let us carry the baskets ourselves so your spines remain intact.”

The Gogobas froze.

The guilt tide had turned.

Then it escalated.

Lightning refilled the entire well.

Twister finished the fieldwork and repaired a random fence.

Fists carried three old Gogobas back to their huts because “your knees shouldn’t suffer more than they already have.”

There rest of the group stood off to the side, watching with stunned horror.

“This is… this is worse than the last time,” Sonic whispered.

“They’re winning the guilt-off,” Tails murmured.

Finally, the Chief fell to his knees, weeping into a handkerchief made of leaves. “Please—please stop. You’ve… out-guilted us. We can’t compete.”

He shoved a large woven basket into Lightning’s arms. “Take this. Food. Trinkets. Organic soap. Whatever. You’ve made us feel something we said we couldn’t—shame. You’ve destroyed us.”

“Thanks!” Lightning beamed "Also do you guys know where this guys lair is" he said pointing thumb to the scientist

A dozen Gogobas all pointed in the same direction with trembling fingers.

“That way. Eggman’s lair. Just go.”

Twister waved as they left. “Bye! This was so fun!”

Fists nodded solemnly. “Next time, we’ll clean your whole village.”

The Chief choked on a sob.

As they walked into the trees,

Tails dragged a hand down his face. “I want to go home.”

Sonic groaned, holding the basket. “You guys did that on purpose”

twister nodded "Yup"

Lightning peeked into the basket. “Hey, mints!”

Twister gasped. “MINTS?!”

Tails lunged to snatch them. “No! We need more prototype fuel! We’ve talked about this!”

And the forest echoed with bickering and laughter as the crew vanished into the trees.

Notes:

HIII

I completely forgot to post this yesterday

SORRY!

Chapter 57

They got back to Eggman’s lair with minimal screaming, minimal detours, and only one brief incident where Twister tried to skateboard on the Gogoba fruit basket (it didn’t go well).

Once inside, everyone scattered.

Tails zoomed straight to the lab yelling something about "hydraulic mint testing." Lightning grabbed snacks. Twister cartwheeled directly into the couch.

Fists flopped into a beanbag and scrolled through his tablet before freezing. “Wait. Where are the other hedgehogs?”

Eggman wandered past, sipping from a “#1 Evil Genius” mug. “Sonic said something about ‘thumb war vengeance’ and vanished into the back hall. and Amy said she had better thing to do”

Lightning pointed at the door. “Right. Classic.”

Tails’ head popped out from behind a curtain. “Hey, Eggman? You still have archived footage from your old security feeds?”

Eggman blinked. “Of course. I legally record everything in this town.”

Twister perked up. “Can we watch?”

“Please say yes,” Lightning added. “I wanna see the Boom Team in their natural disaster habitat.”

Eggman rolled his eyes. “Fine. Knock yourselves out. Just don’t break anything.”

Cut to: Five minutes later, the trio squished together on the couch while Fists scrolled through video files at light speed.

“Boom battles, Boom battles…AH—wait, wait, what’s this one?” Twister said, tapping on a poorly labeled file: ‘BB_093-JustinBeaver_Crisis.mp4’

“…What the hell is a Justin Beaver?” Fists said.

Twister hit play.

Static.

Then—

A title card: BEAVER FEVER - A PUBLIC SAFETY ALERT.

Lightning squinted. “...What the—”

On-screen, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Sticks, and a few villagers were gathered around a news report hosted by Soar the Eagle, who looked like someone shoved caffeine and ego into a blazer. He was yelling about a pop star named Justin Beaver.

Lightning’s eyes went wide. “WAIT A DAMN MINUTE.”

“Is that—” Twister gasped, pointing.

“—supposed to be Justin Bieber?” Fists finished.

Eggman walked in with popcorn. “No, no. That’s Justin Beaver. Entirely different. Completely original. Very litigious.”

“…You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

The video kept playing.

Amy was talking about how Justin’s music “spoke to her soul.” Then she played a song that sounded like if boy bands and hypnotic mosquito drones had a baby.

Lightning physically recoiled. “WHAT is that sound?! Is that dubstep played on a kazoo?!”

“Why does it sound like it’s trying to romance my eardrums and steal my wallet?” Twister muttered.

Then Sticks showed up with a shrine. A literal Justin Beaver shrine. Posters, cardboard cutouts, glittered mugs.

“I hate this,” Fists whispered.

Eggman grinned. “Oh, it gets worse.”

It did.

The girls sprinted to the village to meet Justin. The villagers were feral. Merch flying. Salty guarding the store. Then—

“Oh my Chaos,” Tails muttered, pointing at the screen. “Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles made a boy band.”

Onscreen, they were choreographing moves in total, horrifying sync.

Lightning’s jaw dropped. “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.”

They were called Dreamboat Express.

Twister wheezed. “That’s the worst name since—oh wait, never mind, it’s the worst name ever.”

Then the music cut again, and they heard the villain’s plan: use Justin Beaver’s music to brainwash girls into buying endless merch and turn them into mindless consumer zombies.

Fists blinked. “That’s… dark.”

“Capitalism is the real villain,” Twister whispered.

Then came the showdown: Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles challenged Justin to a sing-off. Amy and Sticks swooned. Dreamboat Express transformed mid-performance into—

“DUDE-ITUDE,” Lightning screamed, pointing at the TV like it owed him money. “THEY ACTUALLY PICKED KNuckles’ NAME.”

On-screen, Sonic shredded on guitar so hard it launched Justin backwards, shattered the mind control, and ended the whole concert.

The video ended with Justin announcing he was quitting music to start a reality TV show.

The screen went black.

Silence.

Twister clutched his stomach. “I feel like I watched the downfall of an empire and a boy band in the same breath.”

Lightning blinked slowly. “There is a Keanu Reeves in this world, right?”

Eggman shrugged. “Somewhere. He probably runs a soup kitchen or is secretly a ninja.”

Fists leaned back. “I have to sit down.”

“You are sitting down,” Tails reminded him.

“I need to sit down more.”

Twister groaned. “I need a mint. A whole tin. For my sanity.”

Eggman tossed him one. “Here. It’s Justin Beaver-branded.”

Twister threw it across the room.

Notes:

HIII

sorry if this one is late!!!

Chapter 58

It started the same way everything did these days.

With a video file and a lot of yelling.

Lightning had barely recovered from the trauma of Justin Beaver when Twister shoved another labeled clip into the playlist. “Okay, but you have to see this one. It’s titled ‘Fruitcake Warfare and Bowling Drama.’”

He hit play.

—

The footage opened on a chaotic scene: flaming fruitcakes being catapulted into the village by none other than Dave the Intern, the Tree Spy, Willy Walrus, and some weird rat-weasel guy.

The Lightning Bolt Society.

Sonic (on-screen) stared as a fruitcake cratered the road.

“Why is it so dense?” Lightning muttered. “Is that even legal to bake?!”

Fists popped a mint into his mouth. “Only if you’re trying to commit dessert-based assault.”

On screen, Team Sonic casually took a tea break during the attack. Knuckles declared the villains “not a threat.” Amy ended the entire attack with one hammer quake that sent the ballista flying.

Twister wheezed. “Okay, this is art. That was their eighty-first loss in a row.”

“They counted?!” Lightning cried.

Cut to the villains regrouping.

They were now… bowlers.

“No. Absolutely not. I refuse,” Tails said, deadpan.

“They’re the Lightning Bowler Society now,” Lighting whispered reverently. “Respect the rebrand.”

As the video continued, the Lightning Bowlers actually started winning. They destroyed the One-Percenters. Got their own menu item at Meh Burger. Gained fans.

Lightning paused the video. “Hold up—so these guys can’t win a battle, but give ‘em some slippery shoes and balls and suddenly they’re unstoppable?!”

“They’ve got a villain arc and a sports anime arc,” Twister grinned.

Eggman wandered into the room again, sipping soda. “Oh, you’re on the bowling episode. Classic.”

“Wait,” Twister said suddenly. “Is that—did he just say his real name is The Chameleon?”

Fists rewound. “Yup. His secret identity was ‘Tree Spy,’ but his true name… is THE CHAMELEON.”

Lightning nearly fell off the couch laughing. “Bro was hiding in a tree and now he’s got a girlfriend and a fan club.”

Cut to: The Lightning Bowlers arguing like it was a reality show reunion special.

Dave yelling about fast food endorsements. The Weasel screaming about stolen bowling balls. Willy claiming it was all his “charisma.”

Twister shoved another mint into his mouth. “Why does this feel like a breakup arc?”

It was.

Staci showed up, caused drama, and convinced The Chameleon to go solo.

“STACI, NO,” Lightning yelled at the screen.

Then, in a completely derailed twist, Sonic forced his team to train obsessively because he couldn’t handle losing at bowling.

“You okay, man?” Twister muttered as Tails entered the room.

Tails winced. “This is what happens when Sonic isn’t fast enough emotionally.”

They watched as Sonic went full gremlin, dragging Tails, Knuckles, and Amy to a late-night bowling boot camp.

Then came the rematch.

Or not.

Because Staci and The Chameleon showed up to announce the team had broken up.

Lightning launched off the couch. “I AM LOSING MY MIND. THIS IS PEAK TELEVISION.”

Then Eggman appeared to remind everyone he was the actual villain.

He launched his Mega robot while Sonic was mid-emotional meltdown, and everyone scrambled.

Lightning cheered when the Lightning Bowlers got back together (for like two seconds), only to ruin everything again by trying to fight Team Sonic and failing immediately.

Eggman was defeated. Again.

Twister paused the video, face blank.

Then he turned dramatically to the room.

“I want to bowl,” he whispered.

Fists nodded solemnly. “We’re forming a team.”

Lightning threw his hands up. “Let’s goooo! Team Mint Condition.”

Tails blinked. “That’s actually… not a terrible name.”

Eggman frowned. “You’re naming a bowling team after mints?”

Twister held up an empty tin. “Sir, these powered the soul of this episode.”

Lightning pointed at the TV. “They lost at villainy but won at bowling. We’re gonna do both.”

“Lightning,” Tails said slowly, “you cannot be a pro bowler and a chaos gremlin at the same time.”

“Watch me.”

Chapter 59: Bowling Blitzkrieg and the Legend of Uncle Wade

Notes:

HEEEYYYYY!!! I’m finally back!!! 💖✨

Thank you all so, so much for being so patient with me while I was on my little hiatus. Honestly, it means the world that you guys stuck around and kept supporting me even when I had to step away for a bit. I’ve missed sharing these silly adventures with you, and I’m super excited to dive back in and keep the fun going!!

Your support, comments, and excitement always brighten my day, and I can’t wait to share everything I’ve been cooking up while I was gone. 💕

P.S. I’d recommend going back to the previous chapter, because I replaced the hiatus message with an actual new chapter—so make sure you don’t miss it!

“Okay,” Sonic said, arms crossed, “what’s the emergency?”

“You dragged us in here like the world was ending,” Amy added, her eyes narrowing at the trio sitting smugly around a projector, a chalkboard, and a line of neon-colored bowling pins.

Lightning grinned. “Correction: the world isn’t ending. Your bowling streak, however…”

“...is about to,” Twister finished, tossing a mint into his mouth and pointing dramatically to a handmade sign that read:
TEAM MINT CONDITION CHALLENGES YOU TO MORTAL PIN COMBAT.

“...What is wrong with you,” Sticks said flatly.

Fists stepped forward, solemn and serious. “We call upon your team for an ancient duel. A battle of precision. Power. Discipline. One that Uncle Whipple passed down to us through the sacred medium… of bowling.”

Lightning nodded with reverence. “Uncle Wade. The Gutter Ghost. The Strike Whisperer. The Sultan of Spin. He taught us everything.”

Twister was already setting up the scoreboard. “Taught us how to get the perfect spin on our shot. Taught us how to nail a 7-10 split.”

“He’s the best bowler ever!” Lightning added proudly.

“Best uncle!” Twister said.

“And,” he whispered, “the strongest warrior of the sport bowling…”

“Oh, it’s on,” Sonic growled, grabbing a bowling ball. “You’re going down, junior league.”

“Bring it, grandpa,” Twister grinned.

The Match:

Things started off strong.

For Team Mint Condition.

Lightning launched the first ball with chaotic flair—it ricocheted off the gutter and somehow curved into a strike.

Twister followed with a perfect curve shot that clipped the 7-10 split like he planned it from birth.

Fists didn’t even aim—he palmed the ball and sent it flying like a cannonball, exploding all ten pins in a single, terrifying BOOM.

“...Is that legal?” Tails asked, stunned.

“Only if you fear nothing,” Fists replied solemnly.

Sonic stepped up, muttering, “Okay, they got lucky. Time to show them how it’s done.”

Gutterball.

“…No one saw that,” Sonic said too quickly.

Amy smashed nine pins, then angrily clobbered the last one with her hammer. “Technically a spare.”

Tails did okay—until he started over-calculating angles and accidentally launched the ball into the drink cooler.

Sticks claimed the bowling balls were “tracker orbs from the government” and threw hers out the window.

And then… there was Knuckles.

Knuckles grabbed his ball, didn’t even look at the lane, and rolled it backwards.

Strike.

Everyone stared.

Still, Team Mint Condition dominated. The scoreboard looked like a sports movie montage: STRIKE, STRIKE, SPARE, STRIKE, TURKEY, STRIKE AGAIN.

Twister fist-pumped after his final frame. “That’s a win, baby!”

Final Score:
Team Mint Condition – 271
Boom Team – 108 (92 of which were Knuckles)

Sonic fell onto the bench dramatically. “How… how did we lose?! I’m the fastest thing alive!”

“Not in the alley, bro,” Lightning chirped, handing him a tissue.

Amy crossed her arms. “Okay, real talk—who even is this Wade guy?”

“He is like out uncle, works at the police station with dad back in Green Hills,” Lightning said with a grin. “He’s kind, slightly chaotic, always knows what food we are craving .”

Twister nodded. “Legend says he once bowled a perfect game using nothing but muscle memory and half a coffee.”

“And socks,” Fists added. “No shoes. Only socks.”

Tails stared. “That sounds extremely unsafe.”

“That’s the point,” Lightning beamed.

Sonic, now low-key invested, glanced at the scoreboard. “Okay… so when’s the rematch?”

Lightning leaned on his ball, cocky smirk in full force. “Anytime.”

Knuckles cracked his knuckles. “...I will train. I will become the bowling warrior Whipple would respect.”

Sonic groaned into his hands. “Great. Now he’s calling him that.”

Twister tossed another mint. “All hail Whipple.”

“Whipple forever,” Lightning echoed.

“Whipple is eternal,” Fists concluded.

Eggman walked by the lane, blinked at the chaos, and said, “I don’t want to know.”

Notes:

:)

also I reacently watched Lego Monkie Kid and OMG I loved it, I highly recommend watching it!!

Chapter 60: Shadow the Bowling Menace (But Not Really)

Shadow had been tailing the chaos trio ever since the Mark the Tapir incident. He wouldn’t admit it, but Lightning’s knockoff airshoes stunt still had him mildly impressed. Mildly. Enough to keep an eye on them, anyway.

So when he followed the trail of mint wrappers into the makeshift bowling alley and found Sonic sulking over a tissue, Shadow knew he was about to witness something stupid.

“...What are you doing?” Shadow asked flatly, arms crossed.

Sonic jumped. “Nothing!” He tried to casually shove the tissue box behind his back.

Lightning leaned over the counter. “Oh hey, it’s the edgy Boi! You missed it, dude—we destroyed them in bowling.”

“Bowling,” Shadow repeated, deadpan.

Twister nodded, eyes sparkling. “Uncle Wade taught us. Best spin, best precision, best uncle.”

“Whipple is the strongest warrior of bowling,” Fists added reverently.

Shadow blinked. Then, slowly—too slowly—a smirk crept across his face.
“You mean to tell me,” he drawled, “you were defeated… at bowling?”

Sonic’s ears went red. “Shut up.”

Shadow chuckled. Actually chuckled. “Pathetic.”

Knuckels leaned in, whispering to Sticks, “Yo, is this the first time he’s smiled in like, ever?”

Amy clapped her hands. “Oh, if you think it’s so easy, you try!”

Sonic’s smirk flipped instantly. “Yeah, good idea, Amy! Let’s see Mr. Ultimate Lifeform over here throw a strike!”

Shadow raised a brow. “Fine. I’ll humor you.”

He picked up the heaviest ball he could find—23 pounds, bright pink with glitter swirls. He rolled it down the lane with all the grace of a military op.

Thunk.

The ball stopped halfway and just… sat there.

“…Huh.” Shadow blinked, betrayed.

Sonic howled with laughter. “Oh, this is gold. Hey, Shadow! You gonna Chaos Control it down the lane, or do you want me to grab you some bumpers?”

Shadow’s eye twitched. “I don’t need assistance.”

Next attempt—he hurled the ball so hard it ricocheted into the next lane, knocking over mountain of boxes

Shadow exhaled slowly, like a man contemplating violence.

By the end of the round, Shadow’s score was—no exaggeration—lower than Sticks’s, and she had spent most of her turns throwing balls out the window “to free them from surveillance.”

Sonic leaned back smugly. “What was that about pathetic?”

“...I despise you,” Shadow muttered.

Lightning slid up with a phone. “Smile, dude! We’re sending this to Uncle Wade.”

Twister already had a bowling pin Sharpie-signed: For Shadow, the Edgiest Gutterball.

Fists bowed solemnly. “Welcome, new disciple. Whipple humbles us all.”

Shadow glared. Sonic grinned ear to ear.

And from that day on, Shadow never spoke of bowling again.

Notes:

WE ON CHAPTER 60 BABYYY!!! 🎉💥 Like… what??? I still can’t believe we actually made it this far. When I first started this fic, my original plan was literally just 12 chapters. That’s it. A short lil chaos ride. But then you guys came in with all the love, the comments, the memes, energy — and I couldn’t stop writing more because you made it so much fun.

Seriously, thank you so, so much for sticking with me through all of this. Whether you’ve been here since the early chapters or just hopped in recently, every single comment, kudos, and read has kept me going. You guys are the reason this fic grew into the wild, unhinged, bowling-filled multiverse mess that it is today 😂

Now, I need your help deciding something important: how many more chapters should I write before this fic wraps up? 👀 Do we want a neat, clean finish soon? Do we want me to keep the chaos train rolling for a bit longer? because I want to make sure we give this fic the ending it deserves.

THANK YOUUU AGAIN!!! Here’s to 60 chapters, and maybe more to come 🫶

Chapter 61: Just a Guy, Just a Mess

Shadow’s pink glitter gutterball was still fresh in everyone’s minds when he vanished in a crack of Chaos Control, leaving only the faint smell of ozone and pure embarrassment behind.

“...He totally bailed,” Lightning said, blinking.

Sonic smirked, arms crossed. “Guess the Ultimate Lifeform couldn’t handle ultimate humiliation.”

Before Sonic could retort, Lightning had already flopped onto the couch, remote in hand. “Next episode night, let’s gooo!”

The trio scrolled until a title popped up: Just a Guy Incident.

“Wait, wait, this one’s gold,” Lightning grinned. “Sonic versus Mike the Ox.”

Half an hour later, the living room was chaos.

“What the actual heck?!” Lightning screeched, practically falling off the couch. “All this because you said he was ‘just a guy’?! He is just a guy!”

Twister’s face was red with indignation. “The townspeople gasped like you committed war crimes! They gasped, Sonic!”

Fists folded his arms, glaring at the screen. “Unforgivable. They took you for granted. Again.”

Sonic groaned, dragging a pillow over his face. “Don’t remind me. That whole week was the worst. Amy’s stupid seminar, Mike and his picnic blanket—”

Lightning was pacing now, hands in the air. “Nah, nah, nuh-uh. This isn’t just dumb, this is personal.”

Twister’s grin turned sly. “...So we prank them.”

Fists nodded like a general approving a battle plan. “The town deserves guilt. The kind only we could condone.”

Sonic peeked out from under the pillow. “Wait, wait—you guys are seriously gonna prank an entire village? Like, all of them?”

Lightning shot finger guns. “Yup.”

“Every last gasper,” Twister added.

Fists cracked his knuckles. “A guilt-trip they will never recover from.”

Sonic blinked. Then, slowly, a grin crept over his face.
“…Okay, you know what? Yeah. Do it. I’ll even help.”

Lightning whipped out a notebook already titled Operation Just-a-Prank.

Notes:

Hey there, guys!!!!

School has finally started for me, and I believe school has started up for some of you guys too, soo how's everyone's first week/day of school!!!!

also, I have this Lego Monkie Kid Coraline Au fic, should I post it? Let me know!!!!

Notes:

HIII how are y'all!!

I hope you like this and there will be more chapters in the future!!!