Sonic, me and Amy are lounging under an umbrella. Nearby, Knuckles and Sticks are playing volleyball.
"There's nothing like a lazy day on the beach." Sonic says. I hum in agreement.
The volleyball bounces near Amy. She picks it up and throws it back to Sticks.
"It's nice to breathe in that beautiful saltwater air and relax. For the first time, I feel totally stress-free." Sticks sighs happily.
"Hey, guys!"
"Agh!"
Sticks shrieks and drops into her alert stance. Tails arrives, pushing something covered by a cloth bag.
"I just perfected my most brilliant invention yet. Meet UT, the Universal Translator. Designed to translate any language into our own." Tails says.
Tails uncovers Universal Translator. Sonic, Amy, and Sticks look at it, seemingly unimpressed.
"Allow me to demonstrate."
Tails directs everyone's attention to a mother bird feeding her babies nearby. Universal Translator watches them for a while, then turns around.
"The fact that you pre-chew my food is repulsive."
"Hey-ey-ey! It works!" Knuckles exclaims.
"Didn't see that one coming."
"Um... it's still talking?" Knuckles asks confused.
"I thought this thing just translated birds."
"Since what you're saying doesn't need to be translated, UT is translating it into what you really mean!" Tails explains.
"I didn't intend for it to do that, but I will gladly accept full credit."
"That's great, Tails!" Amy says with a false smile.
"Pretty lame."
"That's not what I was thinking at all." Amy defends.
"Man, I am totally busted."
"Tails? I think it needs some more work." Amy says nervously.
"If that thing doesn't shut its metal trap, I think I might die."
"Well I think it's great Tails." I smile.
"Come on. Lay off him Amy."
"Wait... this thing reads minds?" Sticks asks.
"Wait. This thing reads minds."
"GET IT OUT OF MY HEAD!" Sticks screams.
"Get it out of my head."
Sticks pulls out her boomerang and is about to attack UT, but Knuckles restrains her.
"Now, now! Calm down, Sticks!" Knuckles grunts.
"Take it easy, whack-job."
"Hey!" Sticks growls.
"I am displeased."
"Don't be offended, Sticks. Knuckles didn't mean to think that." Sonic says.
"He's not the sharpest tool in the shed."
Knuckles growls.
"Tails, I think it's best if you shut that thing off. We don't want it to reveal anything too... sensitive." Amy says nervously.
"I agree." I say.
"Don't want anyone to know what I write in my diary before bed."
I gasp and growl at the robot. Sonic just catches my eye and smirks. I turn away and blush in embarrassment.
"Tails. I really think you should shut UT of now!" Amy says desperately.
"Shut that thing up before it tells Sonic that I--" Tails shuts UT off. "looooo..."
"Uh, what was he saying?" Sonic scratches his head.
"Nothing! Nothing important!" Amy chuckles nervously.
Though, little did we know, a ways away, a drone in the shape of a bug was recording the scene.
(Time Skip)
Sonic, Knuckles, me and Amy are lounging under the umbrella while Sticks is bouncing a volleyball to herself. Sticks sees Tails coming with "UT" and looks annoyed.
"Okay, I know things got off on the wrong foot yesterday, but I--" Tails is cut off.
"Tails, I think it would be best if you turned UT off." Sonic interrupts rudely.
"Shut up Sonic! Give him a chance!" I snap.
"Fine..." Sonic crosses his arms expectantly.
"Amy Rose is a big dope."
"Oh! So now that's what you're thinking?" Amy glares at Sonic.
"Wh-what? No, not even close!" Sonic defends.
"And her hair stinks! What does she shampoo with yogurt from the back of the fridge?"
"Why would you even say that?!" Amy cries, hurt evident in her voice.
"But I didn't say that! He did!" Sonic tries again.
"Sure, you didn't." Knuckles says sarcastically. I jab him in the ribs.
"I'm stupid."
"Hey! I'm not stupid!" Knuckles glares at the robot.
"And... um... I'm ugly too, but not as ugly as Sticks."
"Hey!" Sticks growls and tackles Knuckles.
"Wh--ow! Get offa me!" Knuckles tries to pry Sticks off him.
"Sonic the Hedgehog, I can't believe you think those awful things!" Amy yells in his face.
"So now you're gonna trust some bucket of bolts over me?" Sonic says, his turn to sound hurt.
"HEY! CUT IT OUT!" I yell, dragging the two apart.
"Malaika, don't get yourself involved. I can handle this." Sonic says.
"She just human. I don't need her help anyway. She should have never come here."
I gasp, tears starting to my eyes.
After everything I've done for this hedgehog this is what he thinks of me?
"So, wait. Who called me stupid? I called me stupid?" Knuckles scratches his head.
"Don't you see? This is what it wants us to do! The roboapocalypse is nigh!" Sticks yells.
Amy, Me and Sonic stare blankly at Sticks for a moment.
"After everything I do for you, you don't appreciate me?! Why am I even here?" I cry.
"Malaika, it was UT not me!" he says desperately.
"Do you know? DO YOU KNOW WHY I CAME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!?" I yell. Everyone stares at me, stunned. I carry on my rant.
" I WAS NEVER LOVED! NEVER APPRECIATED! I thought after I met the gang, you especially, Sonic, I'd get the love and friendship I've wanted all my life! I guess I'll go back to my stupid Island then!" I ran into the forest and Sonic ran after me.
(Time skip)
I ran into the forest. My lungs were burning but I didn't care. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me until I collasped to the ground in tears. I then heard a familiar buzzing sound and didn't even have to look up to now who it was.
Sonic.
I saw red shoes stop in front of me but I didn't move.
"Malaika.."
"What do you want?!" I snapped.
He crouched down beside me and I turned away.
"Do you really believe I said that about you?" he asks. I don't answer. He shifts so he's facing me.
"Come on Malaika. Answer me."
I just cover my my face with my hands and sob. He looks down for a moment as if thinking. I suddenly feel myself being picked up and the wind begins to rush through my hair. A few minutes later we stop at a lake. I look at Sonic who sits on the ground, staring thoughtfully at the water. Noticing my stare, he pats the space next to him and I sit down.
"What's the matter?" he asks.
"Everything that UT said. It was true." I say as I gaze down sadly.
"Of course not! What makes you think that?" he raises a brow in confusion.
"Back home. No-one liked me. I had no friends. Only my mom and dad. I just couldn't stand life anymore so I left them a note a ran away here.... It just..... brought back bad memories..."
Sonic looks thoughtful for a second. A question pops into my head.
"Do you think I'm weird or different to you or the gang?" I ask.
"No. Why'd you say that?" Sonic asks confused.
"Just because I'm human an-" I start but is interrupted.
"I don't care if your human. You're my friend."
At those words I started to cry again. I hugged Sonic tightly. When I pulled away I asked him,
"So, if none of us said those things, then what was going on with UT?"
"How about we find out."
Sonic picks me up again and we head back to the gang.
(Time skip)
As we arrive back, Amy spots me first.
"Oh my gosh! Malaika are you ok?" she hugs me. I manage a weak smile.
"I'm fine Amy. Where's Tails?"
"Oh, he went to get UT back. Turns out the other was a fake and Eggman was speaking through it." Knuckles explains.
"AND NONE OF YOU HAD THE DECENCY TO GO WITH HIM?!" I yell. They just sweat drop. I run towards the lair, the gang following.
(Time skip)
Eggman is working on a smashed Bee Bot.
"Tails, be a doll and plug my drill into that outlet over there?" Eggman says.
The outlet in question is sparking wildly.
"Uh... that doesn't look very safe." Tails hesitates.
"Yeah, I know. That's why I'm having you do it." Eggman replies.
Tails gulps but goes to do so.
"It's nice having an assistant."
An alarm suddenly starts blaring. A monitor pops down, revealing Sonic and the others have arrived. Sonic smashes a Bee Bot. Amy hammers a Crab Bot. I crush a motobug that was racing towards Amy from behind. Everyone stares at me in shock.
"What? I know how to fight!" I say. They just shrug.
Sticks dodges blasts from another Bee Bot until it is crushed by Knuckles. A Motobug races by, only to be smashed by Sonic. UT tries to translate this, but fails. Amy and Sticks crush a third Bee Bot between them by kicking it at the same time. A door opens behind them, revealing Eggman and Tails.
"We're here to save our friend from your evil clutches." Sonic says.
"Wait, what? No! Tails and I have a contract!"
"Here's the lab assistant contract! Ready to be signed!" Orbot says.
Tails just laughs and walks over to Sonic and the others.
"Fine. Lucky thing I always have a Plan B."
Eggman pushes buttons on his wrist controller, summoning the Mega. Tails and Knuckles are attacked by more Bee Bots. Me and Amy give each other a nod and try to attack the Mega, but it then tries to crush us.
"Amy, Malaika, look out!"
Sonic races up, getting us out of the way just in time. They stop a safe distance away.
"That was close." Sonic says.
"I care about your well-being."
"Aww." Amy smiles. I just smirk at him.
Sonic gives us a grin, then runs back to attack the Mega. His spindash, however, bounces harmlessly off the Mega's shoulder. The Mega's counterattack knocks Sonic away. Knuckles punches at the Mega, to no avail, and growls. He then tries to grab it, but also to no avail.
"Man...!"
Sticks lets out a feral yell and leaps at the Mega, whacking harmlessly at it with her boomerang. It knocks her away with a flick of its finger.
"Tails! Deploy the photon bombs!" Eggman orders.
Tails dodges a blast from a Bee Bot, then gives Eggman a look.
" ...Oh, right." Eggman realises.
Eggman activates them himself. Three photon bombs circle around Sonic and his friends. One lands near Tails, blowing up the Bee Bot attack him and sending Tails flying. UT "catches" Tails and stops him from flying off the cliff, though. The second one explodes near Knuckles, Amy and me, driving Knuckles and Amy back a bit and blasting me into Sonic's arms.
"Sticks! Set Knuckles up!" Sonic says, still holding me for some reason.
Sticks hits the third bomb into the air with her boomerang. Knuckles leaps up, and does a volleyball spike to drive the bomb into the Mega's eye. The bomb explodes, sending the Mega backwards to topple over the cliff and plunge into the ocean.
"No! Daaah...!"
Eggman retreats into his lair, which seals up.
"Thanks for the rescue, guys." Tails smiles.
"Hey, we couldn't have done it without UT." Knuckles praises.
"I think we'll be going on lots more adventures with UT from now on." Sonic states, placing me on my feet.
"I agree." Sticks says.
"I'm going to destroy that stupid robot."
Sticks grabs UT and throws it into the ocean. Tails glares at her.
"Sorry, Tails. Had to be done."