Sonic sped around the corner, almost skidding into the wall in his haste. "Tails!" he cried, as he saw his friend. Eggman grinned, drumming his fingers on top of the cage.
Inside, Tails shouted, "Don't do it, Sonic! It's a trap! A TRAP!" But the glass walls were soundproof, and the blue hedgehog was too angry to listen, even if he could have heard him.
"Well? Why don't you come and get him?" Eggman jeered. Sonic curled his lip, shouted, "Don't worry, I will!" And sped down the corridor. Far behind, Knuckles ran along the thin hallway, panting, "Sonic! Wait!"
Eggman reached back, and pressed the button. In the middle of the corridor floor, a large sheet of metal fell away. With an echoing cry of shock and sudden fear, Sonic plunged into darkness. "SONIC!!!!!" Tails yelled, the sound coming faintly to Eggman's ears.
The doctor laughed menacingly, and resumed tapping on the glass box. The hole in the floor lifted up again, and he waited. Silence fell. A few minutes later, Knuckles shot around the corner, breathing heavily.
"Ah, my little echidna friend. A bit late, aren't we?" Knuckles scanned the hallway quickly. There was no sign of Sonic. "What have you done to him, you creep?!" he yelled. Eggman just grinned.
Despite his short temper, Knuckles always kept a clearer head in a difficult situation. Even as he dashed forward, he caught sight of Tails pounding madly on the glass, shaking his head wildly and pointing down.
The red echidna frowned, and quickly looked down. A long burn mark showed where Sonic had started to slow down, but it stopped abruptly in the middle of the floor. How odd, he thought, before he suddenly realised.
He leaped into the air hastily, and the floor dropped away beneath him, revealing a deep pit. He stretched out into a messy glide, trying to fight the mad panic. However, the pit was long, and the glide was low. Knuckles sank down into the darkness, only metres from the end.
Tails wailed inside the box as he watched yet another friend disappear. Why couldn't Eggman ever play fair? He thumped helplessly on the thick glass, fighting down the anguish that was fast rising inside him.
Eggman laughed gleefully, forgetting to shut the pit. Over the edge, a gloved hand appeared.
Digging his knuckles into the metal, Knuckles heaved himself up. His eyes flashed dangerously as he lurched to his feet. Eggman's laughter died. He took one look at the mad echidna, and ran for it.
Knuckles dashed up to the control panel, stopping just long enough to smash his fist into the circuits. The entire block burst into a shower of sparks, and the top of the glass box unclicked.
Tails' grief had quickly turned to anger. Temporarily forgetting Sonic, he leapt from the box, and joined Knuckles in running after Eggman.
Eventually, Sonic awoke. He tried to pull himself up, head pounding. He groaned unconsciously; had a house fallen on him? He couldn't remember...maybe he'd eaten one too many chilli dogs?
Slowly he sat up, blinking in the dim light. The world had stopped spinning, and he could see; he was in a large, open rock area. Several corridors branched off, lit by unseen lights.
Where was he? Suddenly, he remembered; Tails! The pit! "It was a trick!" he murmured angrily, furious with himself. He quickly jumped to his feet, and then clutched at his side as a burning pain stabbed at him.
He winced, and waited for it to subside. Then he looked down, and saw a long gash across his side. He looked over himself; his side was cut, his wrist looked sprained, and he thought he had hit his head on the fall. It could have been much worse.
He gingerly stepped forward. Good. It didn't hurt too much. Now, how could he get out of here?
He took a closer look around the room; it was deep underground, he assumed, as he'd fallen a long way. He could hear faint dripping, but thought nothing of it. Long stalagmites and stalactites curved up and down.
He was sure Eggman didn't know about this; he doubted that the Doctor even knew where it was, just that the pit was very deep. The walls were stout rock, and four twisting corridors started on the other side. He limped up to them, and, with a shrug, picked the far left one.
Now he could see better; some sort of glowing crystal protruded from the rock. They were eerily beautiful. He walked a bit further, and suddenly stepped into water. He stepped back a little too quickly, blinking hard into the gloom.
He could see now; the floor was covered with large puddles. The continuous dripping was closer now, and he could smell faint salt on the breeze. Listening carefully, he heard a far off swish, swish. The sea!
Then a terrifying thought struck him; he looked around, noticing for the first time. Everything was soaked. Looking up, he could see a watermark line high above his head. When the tide came in...it must flood these caverns!
He stumbled back hastily, almost stepping into another puddle. He had to get out! He limped as fast as he could, back to the main cavern. After a few minutes he had checked the other tunnels; they all led to the sea.
How long did he have? How long had he been unconscious? He stumbled around the main chamber a bit longer, looking for a way out. The pit he had fallen from was a large fissure, high in the ceiling.
The swishing was louder now. He entered the first tunnel, and the puddles were spreading a little. He had no choice but to continue, and had to wade through to reach the end.
He emerged, soaked...on a cliff face! The rock stretched high over him, and the heaving ocean was only a metre below him, spray bursting up and drenching him further. He dashed back; one of the tunnels had to lead out, one had to lead out!
Behind him, the sea started to spread over the edge of the tunnel.
Eggman ran as swiftly as he could, unfortunately not very fast. He emerged from the door of the base, onto a large flat plateau with a cliff on one side. Agonisingly close was a small launch pad, with his trademark flying craft perched, ready.
He was breathing heavily, but the hover machine was close. He dashed and threw himself into it, hearing his pursuers shouting behind him; he had temporarily lost them in the small base.
He somehow managed to get upright, and started the machine. It lifted into the air, soaring up into the sky. Below, Tails dashed from an entrance, Knuckles close behind. The fox immediately located the hovering dot, and whirled his tails, mad with anger.
Eggman stabbed at the keys, and a small rocket engine hissed out of the back. It started in a burst, causing the craft to leap across the sky, leaving the pursuing animal in a cloud of smoke.
Despite his rage, Tails could only fly for so long, and not incredibly fast. His energy soon wore out and he dropped back down, tails limp, fur sooty, and eyes defeated.
He landed in a heap next to the dusty cliff edge, despair crushing down on him. Sonic was gone...who knew where that pit led? Probably a bed of spikes, if he knew Eggman. Tears welled up in his eyes, then started to spill.
A comforting hand dropped onto his shoulder. He looked up at Knuckles, tears cutting lines down his dusty face. The echidna tried to steady himself...he had never been good with tears.
He took a deep breath; he had to try. He crouched down next to the fox, and said softly, "Hey, it's ok. Don't give up already...would Sonic want that? He's probably waiting for us to find him."
Tails nodded, sniffing. Knuckles was right. He pushed himself up, and turned towards the small metal building. He was filled with new determination; Sonic WAS alive. They WOULD find him. And if he wasn't...well, they could at least find him.
He paced briskly towards the low-set structure. Knuckles smiled in relief, and strode after him. Far below them, the sea crashed against the rocks. The tide was halfway in.
The water had risen to his ankles, and the blue hedgehog was in a state of wild panic. He limped back and forth, desperate to find a way out. Back in the main chamber he finally stopped, shoulders heaving.
The water rose several inches higher before he started again, this time looking more carefully. Fear was tearing at him...water was his worst enemy. But he had to remain calm...he looked more carefully at the back wall, and noticed a faint gap.
Excitement rose inside him, and he tried to squeeze through. He could just make it, but the close-set walls scraped at him painfully. Finally he staggered into the next chamber. The water was at his knees, swirling around his feet.
He had to find higher ground; he couldn't rest now. He stumbled on, forgetting about the pain in his side as the salt water stung him, forgetting his scratched hands as he felt his way along the wall, the crystals' dim light barely penetrating the cavern.
When he reached the other side, the wall wasn't as sheer. Though he felt dead on his feet, the water was at his shoulders. It surged around him like a wild animal, threatening to unbalance him and send him into the cold depths.
He automatically pulled himself up the wall, inch by painful inch, feet scrabbling, gloves torn. Below him the water roared angrily as it swept around the rocks.
Finally he reached a high ledge, safe. He flopped in a heap, shivering uncontrollably, before his eyes slid shut.
By the time the pair reached the pit room, the evening was drawing on. Tails blinked at the smashed controls for a few minutes, and then grabbed two wires and touched them together.
Knuckles, sure the fox would be electrocuted, leapt back, but nothing happened. Behind him, the metal cover fell away. He looked with new admiration at the fox, before turning to the darkness.
He felt a shudder just looking at it, but stepped to the edge. He hopped neatly over, performing a half-twist to face the wall. For a second he was falling, falling into nothing!...but then instinct kicked in.
He automatically shot out both hands, spiked knuckles spearing the wall. His descent came to a sharp stop, and he hung for a minute, breathing a bit faster than he should have.
Tails looked quickly over the edge, a sudden fear leaping at him. Knuckles smiled reassuringly at him, before descending, hand by hand, into the dark. Tails waited, irrationally scared.
He paced back and forth nervously, counting the minutes. 1...2...3...4...
...35...36...37...his eyelids were drooping without him even noticing, and then a tiny splash and a sharp, far-off cry wrenched him awake. He sped to the edge, leaning over, and shouted, "Knuckles? Knuckles!"
Inside, Tails shouted, "Don't do it, Sonic! It's a trap! A TRAP!" But the glass walls were soundproof, and the blue hedgehog was too angry to listen, even if he could have heard him.
"Well? Why don't you come and get him?" Eggman jeered. Sonic curled his lip, shouted, "Don't worry, I will!" And sped down the corridor. Far behind, Knuckles ran along the thin hallway, panting, "Sonic! Wait!"
Eggman reached back, and pressed the button. In the middle of the corridor floor, a large sheet of metal fell away. With an echoing cry of shock and sudden fear, Sonic plunged into darkness. "SONIC!!!!!" Tails yelled, the sound coming faintly to Eggman's ears.
The doctor laughed menacingly, and resumed tapping on the glass box. The hole in the floor lifted up again, and he waited. Silence fell. A few minutes later, Knuckles shot around the corner, breathing heavily.
"Ah, my little echidna friend. A bit late, aren't we?" Knuckles scanned the hallway quickly. There was no sign of Sonic. "What have you done to him, you creep?!" he yelled. Eggman just grinned.
Despite his short temper, Knuckles always kept a clearer head in a difficult situation. Even as he dashed forward, he caught sight of Tails pounding madly on the glass, shaking his head wildly and pointing down.
The red echidna frowned, and quickly looked down. A long burn mark showed where Sonic had started to slow down, but it stopped abruptly in the middle of the floor. How odd, he thought, before he suddenly realised.
He leaped into the air hastily, and the floor dropped away beneath him, revealing a deep pit. He stretched out into a messy glide, trying to fight the mad panic. However, the pit was long, and the glide was low. Knuckles sank down into the darkness, only metres from the end.
Tails wailed inside the box as he watched yet another friend disappear. Why couldn't Eggman ever play fair? He thumped helplessly on the thick glass, fighting down the anguish that was fast rising inside him.
Eggman laughed gleefully, forgetting to shut the pit. Over the edge, a gloved hand appeared.
Digging his knuckles into the metal, Knuckles heaved himself up. His eyes flashed dangerously as he lurched to his feet. Eggman's laughter died. He took one look at the mad echidna, and ran for it.
Knuckles dashed up to the control panel, stopping just long enough to smash his fist into the circuits. The entire block burst into a shower of sparks, and the top of the glass box unclicked.
Tails' grief had quickly turned to anger. Temporarily forgetting Sonic, he leapt from the box, and joined Knuckles in running after Eggman.
Eventually, Sonic awoke. He tried to pull himself up, head pounding. He groaned unconsciously; had a house fallen on him? He couldn't remember...maybe he'd eaten one too many chilli dogs?
Slowly he sat up, blinking in the dim light. The world had stopped spinning, and he could see; he was in a large, open rock area. Several corridors branched off, lit by unseen lights.
Where was he? Suddenly, he remembered; Tails! The pit! "It was a trick!" he murmured angrily, furious with himself. He quickly jumped to his feet, and then clutched at his side as a burning pain stabbed at him.
He winced, and waited for it to subside. Then he looked down, and saw a long gash across his side. He looked over himself; his side was cut, his wrist looked sprained, and he thought he had hit his head on the fall. It could have been much worse.
He gingerly stepped forward. Good. It didn't hurt too much. Now, how could he get out of here?
He took a closer look around the room; it was deep underground, he assumed, as he'd fallen a long way. He could hear faint dripping, but thought nothing of it. Long stalagmites and stalactites curved up and down.
He was sure Eggman didn't know about this; he doubted that the Doctor even knew where it was, just that the pit was very deep. The walls were stout rock, and four twisting corridors started on the other side. He limped up to them, and, with a shrug, picked the far left one.
Now he could see better; some sort of glowing crystal protruded from the rock. They were eerily beautiful. He walked a bit further, and suddenly stepped into water. He stepped back a little too quickly, blinking hard into the gloom.
He could see now; the floor was covered with large puddles. The continuous dripping was closer now, and he could smell faint salt on the breeze. Listening carefully, he heard a far off swish, swish. The sea!
Then a terrifying thought struck him; he looked around, noticing for the first time. Everything was soaked. Looking up, he could see a watermark line high above his head. When the tide came in...it must flood these caverns!
He stumbled back hastily, almost stepping into another puddle. He had to get out! He limped as fast as he could, back to the main cavern. After a few minutes he had checked the other tunnels; they all led to the sea.
How long did he have? How long had he been unconscious? He stumbled around the main chamber a bit longer, looking for a way out. The pit he had fallen from was a large fissure, high in the ceiling.
The swishing was louder now. He entered the first tunnel, and the puddles were spreading a little. He had no choice but to continue, and had to wade through to reach the end.
He emerged, soaked...on a cliff face! The rock stretched high over him, and the heaving ocean was only a metre below him, spray bursting up and drenching him further. He dashed back; one of the tunnels had to lead out, one had to lead out!
Behind him, the sea started to spread over the edge of the tunnel.
Eggman ran as swiftly as he could, unfortunately not very fast. He emerged from the door of the base, onto a large flat plateau with a cliff on one side. Agonisingly close was a small launch pad, with his trademark flying craft perched, ready.
He was breathing heavily, but the hover machine was close. He dashed and threw himself into it, hearing his pursuers shouting behind him; he had temporarily lost them in the small base.
He somehow managed to get upright, and started the machine. It lifted into the air, soaring up into the sky. Below, Tails dashed from an entrance, Knuckles close behind. The fox immediately located the hovering dot, and whirled his tails, mad with anger.
Eggman stabbed at the keys, and a small rocket engine hissed out of the back. It started in a burst, causing the craft to leap across the sky, leaving the pursuing animal in a cloud of smoke.
Despite his rage, Tails could only fly for so long, and not incredibly fast. His energy soon wore out and he dropped back down, tails limp, fur sooty, and eyes defeated.
He landed in a heap next to the dusty cliff edge, despair crushing down on him. Sonic was gone...who knew where that pit led? Probably a bed of spikes, if he knew Eggman. Tears welled up in his eyes, then started to spill.
A comforting hand dropped onto his shoulder. He looked up at Knuckles, tears cutting lines down his dusty face. The echidna tried to steady himself...he had never been good with tears.
He took a deep breath; he had to try. He crouched down next to the fox, and said softly, "Hey, it's ok. Don't give up already...would Sonic want that? He's probably waiting for us to find him."
Tails nodded, sniffing. Knuckles was right. He pushed himself up, and turned towards the small metal building. He was filled with new determination; Sonic WAS alive. They WOULD find him. And if he wasn't...well, they could at least find him.
He paced briskly towards the low-set structure. Knuckles smiled in relief, and strode after him. Far below them, the sea crashed against the rocks. The tide was halfway in.
The water had risen to his ankles, and the blue hedgehog was in a state of wild panic. He limped back and forth, desperate to find a way out. Back in the main chamber he finally stopped, shoulders heaving.
The water rose several inches higher before he started again, this time looking more carefully. Fear was tearing at him...water was his worst enemy. But he had to remain calm...he looked more carefully at the back wall, and noticed a faint gap.
Excitement rose inside him, and he tried to squeeze through. He could just make it, but the close-set walls scraped at him painfully. Finally he staggered into the next chamber. The water was at his knees, swirling around his feet.
He had to find higher ground; he couldn't rest now. He stumbled on, forgetting about the pain in his side as the salt water stung him, forgetting his scratched hands as he felt his way along the wall, the crystals' dim light barely penetrating the cavern.
When he reached the other side, the wall wasn't as sheer. Though he felt dead on his feet, the water was at his shoulders. It surged around him like a wild animal, threatening to unbalance him and send him into the cold depths.
He automatically pulled himself up the wall, inch by painful inch, feet scrabbling, gloves torn. Below him the water roared angrily as it swept around the rocks.
Finally he reached a high ledge, safe. He flopped in a heap, shivering uncontrollably, before his eyes slid shut.
By the time the pair reached the pit room, the evening was drawing on. Tails blinked at the smashed controls for a few minutes, and then grabbed two wires and touched them together.
Knuckles, sure the fox would be electrocuted, leapt back, but nothing happened. Behind him, the metal cover fell away. He looked with new admiration at the fox, before turning to the darkness.
He felt a shudder just looking at it, but stepped to the edge. He hopped neatly over, performing a half-twist to face the wall. For a second he was falling, falling into nothing!...but then instinct kicked in.
He automatically shot out both hands, spiked knuckles spearing the wall. His descent came to a sharp stop, and he hung for a minute, breathing a bit faster than he should have.
Tails looked quickly over the edge, a sudden fear leaping at him. Knuckles smiled reassuringly at him, before descending, hand by hand, into the dark. Tails waited, irrationally scared.
He paced back and forth nervously, counting the minutes. 1...2...3...4...
...35...36...37...his eyelids were drooping without him even noticing, and then a tiny splash and a sharp, far-off cry wrenched him awake. He sped to the edge, leaning over, and shouted, "Knuckles? Knuckles!"