Chaos Born

Escaping In Under 5 Minutes

"...I... Knuckles I... I don't..." She coughed again.

"Just breathe. Here." Knuckles lay her down for a moment to rub her back and he pressed his lips to the top of her head. For a moment, neither said anything. "Guess you've been feeling a little left out..." he said. "...Is that why you came?"

"...I'm one of the Allies too, you know," Rouge murmured, breathing a little better now.

"I do know, it's just..."

"I know. I was being stupid. Thought I could do more than I actually can."

"No, you weren't being stupid." Knuckles picked her up again to move on. "Don't know why I thought you'd want to take things easy even with... you know." Rouge leant against his chest again. "It's just... believe it or not, you're important to me. And, I'm not gonna lie, the thought of being a dad was... It was great. I couldn't figure out if you weren't happy about it or not so I didn't say anything but I- I just wanted you both safe."

Rouge released another hot tear. "Now I've probably gone and lost it..."

"You don't know that..." Knuckles told her firmly. "Come on... Let's get you outta here."

- - - - - 

Marine saw them coming first.

"Hey Clacker! Get a move on!" she called to Knuckles. 

"Where's Shadow?" Knuckles called out as he ran. Shadow appeared in the door to the helicoptor - the rotors were spinning quickly now and it was hard to hear above the noise. Knuckles saw him instantly. "Shadow! Take care of her."

The dark hedgehog took one look at Rouge and leapt to help, Omega a quick second behind him.

"Where's Sonic?" he asked as Knuckles reluctantly handed his wife over to her faithful teammates.

"I'm about to find out," Knuckles replied, checking to see if the other Allies were all on board.

They were.

"You can't go back there by yourself!" Shade shouted from her seat, watching as Knuckles turned away.

"We have the Tornado," he explained. "Get Rouge to a hospital and get out of here!"

Christmas Isle was going to be history.

- - - - -

COUNTDOWN TIL SELF-DESTRUCT - 2 MINUTES 17 SECONDS

.

It was odd to see Amy standing on the wing of the Tornado where Sonic traditionally stood but, with Sonic being made to take refuge in the safe passenger seat, there was nowhere else for her to ride.

"Come on Knux, where are you?" Tails mumbled to himself, firing up the Tornado's engines and turning towards freedom.

In the distance, he heard the motors of the helicopter and, a second later, the aircraft was seen rising into the air. The Babylon Rogues were long gone and the G.U.N helicopters were all gone too, evacuating people to safety.

The tiltrotor climbed higher into the sky and Tails felt pleased to know that they were all safe and he watched it turn and fly off towards the mainland.

The four friends were the last ones on the island now. That was when Amy gave a shout; Knuckles was dashing up the hill towards them.

1 MINUTE 5 SECONDS

"Taxi!" he called, leaping at the wings of the Tornado and scrabbling up clumsily, mentally apologising to Tails for the dents he was causing.

"Mind the gap!" Tails announced, pushing his plane to move along the dew-drenched grass.

Amy gripped the other side of the plane wing with her legs and gave Sonic one final check.

The blue hedgehog was staring balefully over at the island, at the hamlet down below and its merry little cottages and then at the factory.

The burning factory.

He had been born here, on this island, once. Maybe in one of those merry little cottages. Maybe in another merry little cottage.

Maybe he hadn't been born at all.

10 SECONDS

"Goodbye," Sonic murmured as the plane lifted off.

- - - - -

The factory blew.

The island was ripped apart.

Sea water claimed the land.

Down went Christmas Isle.

It belonged to the ocean now.

All the old robots that were kept inside.

They belonged to the ocean now.

Had E-102 Gamma been there?

If he did, he belonged to the ocean now.

...

...

...

"But not I. I do not belong to the ocean."

...

...

...

Sonic's eyes widened.

Far away, Metal Sonic hovered in midair watching the Tornado fly away.

At his side stood Metal Knuckles.

On his shoulder sat the Tails Doll.

"Until next time," Metal called out telepathically. "My friends and I will be waiting."