"No!" Sonic groaned squirming in the bed, "Go away!" he cried thrusting his hands out as if pushing away an invisible force, "Leave me alone!"
"Sonic!?" The robot's voice finally jolted the hedgehog awake panting and still frantic his quills sticking in all directions. "You're okay, you were having a bad dream is all."
"A-A dream?" Sonic panted looking around and relaxing once he began to realize he was safe.
"That's right." the silver bot nodded.
Eggman came in through the door, "Sonic! Ol' boy how're you feeling this morning, did you sleep well?"
"Uh well I had...this dream..." Sonic bowed his head the lingering images flashing through his mind, "but it felt so real."
"What? Why don't you come down for breakfast and tell me all about it!" Eggman smiled a glint gleaming off his shades.
After grooming his quills back Sonic had finally made it to the large table set with a fresh hot breakfast and juice to drink.
"Tell me about this dream Sonic.." Eggman said again waiting for the hedgehog to clear his mouth stuffed with the biscuits and bacon.
"Huh? Oh yeah! Well I started out in a field, it was pretty peaceful until a dark cloud came hovering over me. Then there was a rain of fire and this other guy... I think I've seen him before. He didn't have any feet, and had three eyes. There was another hedgehog by his side and we got in a fight, but he was strong, I couldn't beat him so i decided to get help and I ran but he was chasing me... then we ended up on some space ship that was about to explode. I was trying to get off before it went up in flames but that other hedgehog was there too. He kept calling my name and cornered me... then I woke up.."
"Perfect!" Eggman cheered, "Er I mean that must have been terrifying!"
"Yeah." Sonic nodded, "Thanks for helping Prez. Is there anything I can do to pay ya back?"
"Oh Sonic it's no problem at all!" Eggman smiled, "Oh you really don't have to but... well there is one tiny thing you could do.. Hehe.."
"Sure, anything to help since you've done so much for me, letting me stay here and all." Sonic's tail wagged happily.
"Wonderful! You're a really big help Sonic. I have these emeralds that I've been meaning to give to a friend only you'll never believe what happened; it was a terrible mistake on my part I-I'm even too embarrassed to let the public know." He his his face behind his hands pretending to be shy on speaking what his evil 'favor' was.
"What happened? You can tell me, I'll help honest and I won't tell anyone else I promise." Sonic eagerly pressed for the information to help out his new 'friend'.
"Well I accidentally mixed up them up with the box to be put in a museum and now they're heavily guarded and if I go to get them, they're going to crowd the media with false accusation of how I'm 'taking away historic icons'! I can't let that happen! You have to help me Sonic please!"
Eggman began to sweat slightly hoping this pieced together lie would work; he knew it left open way too many holes or made no sense at all but if Sonic truly didn't remember anything and was as ditzy as he leads on to believe, then he'd blindly accept all in efforts to 'help a friend'.
"No problem I'll do it!" Sonic agreed.
He bought it! Eggman sighed both relieved and in triumph, "Wonderful! I'll give you everything you need to grab them safely."
--Back in town--
"I've got it." Amy stated staring into the hot coffee in her cup.
"Huh?" Tails looked up from his breakfast of pancakes and sausage before looking at Shadow's plate seeing the single slice of toast and an egg, "that's all you're eating Shadow, lunch won't be for a while and we've got another day of searching ahead of us."
"I said I got it, I know where Sonic is!" Amy said again looking at the both of them, ,they waited for her answer. "He's got to be in the White House."
"The White House?" They both questioned.
"Yeah! He's not anywhere we looked, he's well hidden like government kind of hidden- Shadow you should know right!? Someone on the run like this isn't so well hidden on their own with amnesia he's got to be having some kind of government help!"
"A good theory Amy," Shadow sighed heavy with annoyance, the fact he hadn't slept that night and wasn't feeling hungry and burdened by the plate of toast and an egg in front of him, "but I think you're forgetting that the government wants to track him down and keep him in custody for his own safety. Damn..." he hit his head on the table after shoving the plate to the side, "I should've let Commander Towers take him while I still had him in arms reach."
"Hey" tails put a hand on his back, "It didn't help he came armed with a tank and stuff, he pretty much frightened him away."
"We could have done something, put him back to sleep and hand him over-"
"Hey!!" Amy spoke up, "Stop blaming yourself, it happened the way it did there's nothing we can do but go to that white house and look around!"
"He's not at the White House Amy." Shadow grumbled face down on the table his lack of sleep catching up to him.
"Excuse you? You brought me along so I can track him, did you not?"
Tail's ears jetted back as his eyes tracked the argument back and forth.
"I did but I don't need you making accusations like this. What if he isn't there, we try the museum next?"
"Fine! You keep aimlessly searching but I'm going to check out the White House myself!" She took the last swig from her cup and slammed it down jumping from her seat and walked out.
"Shadow should we go after her?" Tails looked between them.
He looked up exhausted at the last of Amy moving out through the door, "She's serious... ugh fine, but we'll need to play it safe. C'mon Tails.." he got up from his seat.
-White House-
"Eggman!! I know you're in there!!" Amy screamed from the gates being held back by security.
"Stay low Sonic, she's with the people trying to harm you. She's very dangerous!" Eggman snatched Sonic away from the window before he made the mistake of revealing himself overtaken by curiosity.
"How do they know I'm here?!" Sonic curled in a ball hiding behind Eggman.
"Don't worry Sonic, I'll throw them off your trail. These people are ruthless and will stop at nothing so you can't trust them, no one but me. Understand Sonic?"
"Yeah." Sonic nodded.
"Let me go you perv! Don't put your hand there! I'll sue you!" Amy squirmed in the guards hold as they pushed and shoved her back from the gate.
"Ma'am I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises or we'll use force."
"You already put your hands on me, what more force do you need?!" She shoved their hands off, "I wasn't doing anything I just need to talk to the fat man in there!"
"Do you have an appointment?"
"Appointment?! No! He's keeping Sonic hostage in there and I need to get him out!"
"I'm sorry but unless you have an appointment or a search warrant you're not stepping past these gates missy."
"Wha- listen mister I--" she stopped to the roar of a loud motor and large breaks squeaking as a large green military Jeep pulled up the white 'G' painted on the side gave confirmation of who it was.
"Stand down." The security guard told his men being approached by Commander Towers himself. "Commander Towers sir." He saluted quickly.
"Listen son we've got reason to believe the president is hiding something valuable with malicious intent."
"Uh yes sir but as I told this young woman here, we can't let you through without a-"
"A search warrant? Tell you what son I wish I could zip past the supreme courts on this one, they don't just give out search warrants for the White House like they're lollipops at a doctor's office, but you know what I do have? A tank." He put his arm around the guard with a chuckle and looked back as the big war tank rolled up besides the Jeep. "Ain't that just the beautifulest sight? We call her Warrant; that stands for authority and what nots. Unfortunately we haven't used her yet but I'd love to see what she's capable of."
"B-but sir--"
"Yeah you and I can both get fired, but I'm old enough I think I'm ready for retirement." Commander's smile didn't fade as he gazed at the standing tank. "Now we're gonna play this on the technical term, now you know my beloved's name; Son do I have a warrant?"
The guard looked at the tank and at the Commander and back at his small group of guards, "U-uh yes sir.." he nodded.
"Very good. Shadow you've got the all clear, watch out for in home security." He radioed the Hedgehog that popped out from the tank followed by Tails that was wide eyed in amazement from the whole situation, being inside a massive tank, and actually forcing their way past the gates of the White House. His mouth open as they passed the guards and met with Amy whose expression almost matched his before turning into a sly smirk.
"So you decided to listen after all." She smiled walking next to Shadow as they entered past the gates.
"Feel very flattered, you have no idea the trouble this is getting us all into. So he better be here." Shadow growled wielding a chaos spear as the in home security held up their guns ordering for them to stop.
-inside the house-
"Remind me to fire my entire security and replace them with motion tracking laser beams!" Eggman grumbles as he guided Sonic down a secret passage with his robots.
"I'll mark it in your calendar- should I reschedule your appointment with the Canadian Prime Minister to free up some mechanic time for you?" Deco asked going into scheduling mode.
"No no never mind that keep going! Take Sonic down and out through the underground you remember where my old base is correct?"
"Right! Getting directions to Egggbase." Boco switched to GPS.
"Good, now lay low and don't do anything until I come and get you personally-" the loud shock wave of a chaos spear hitting the front door shook the entire house. "Go! Run!" He shoved them forward and closed the bookshelf disguised door behind him.
"Sonic!!?" Amy called, "Don't be afraid! We're here to protect you! The president is a bad man! He'll tell you anything to confuse you! Sonic!! It's me Amy!! Where are you!?" Amy ran through the halls calling out his name with Shadow and Tails. "C'mon Tails help me out!" She nudged him.
"Oh uh, Sonic!? Sonic it's me your best friend! I know you don't remember but it's okay! Sonic!?"
"What in chaos' name!?" Eggman shouted, "What do you all think you're doing!?"
"There he is!" Amy stomped up to him, "Where are you hiding him!?"
"Him? Him WHO!?- Are those my curtains on the floor!? You've came in and ransacked the place!" Eggman pretended to be horrified.
"Cut the crap Eggman." Amy growled, "No one can deny my Sonic sensing intuition! You know I can find him wherever he is!"
"Then why didn't you find him while he was lost in space all these years?" Eggman smirked hoping to play in her emotions.
"Shut up! It's not like I own a spaceship or can buy one with the rings in my back pocket! He's here now and I know you're keeping him!"
"What proof do you have?! Just a 'feeling'? No one can take that as hard evidence. You can't prove anything! Not saying I do have him... in fact you're more than welcome to look around every room you can before I have you all arrested, thrown in jail for the rest of your lives and YOU Shadow the Hedgehog; I'll have you put to sleep for another 50 years! And Tails you're a young child still, so how about we try the foster care system for you, I'll find you a proper family to be raised in." His shades reflected the light with an evil smirk.
"Commander, you got my back up on this?" Shadow radioed in, but no one answered. Commander Towers had problems of his own at the moment, the police already swarming the area and had him in custody.
"Damn it, where the hell is Rouge?!"
Shadow hissed, "alright Amy, Tails split up and keep searching that should buy us some time." Shadow ordered and they each took off in a different direction.
--Eggbase--
The old base seemed tidy for not being used since Eggman had been in office. But the electricity still worked on an off grid power source and things were quite.
"We should go back." Sonic paced around.
"He told us to stay here until he comes." Deco reminded.
"He's in trouble! They brought a TANK! I shouldn't have come here I should have found a place far away from everybody that way no one would get hurt- what do those people want with me!? What did I do?!" Sonic paced faster and began to worry himself into a head ache.
"Hey don't worry, let's turn on the tv." The screen turned on to the news. From a bird's eye view the White House surrounded by police and news reporters.
"We have word that a team of three broke into the White House claiming the long lost Sonic the Hedgehog was being held inside. No evidence has been found, and we now believe those who have suffered the long trauma of his absents have finally gone criminally insane. One being Commander Towers of the G.U.N bringing a tank to the front lawn of the president's home. Agent Shadow was seen leading two inside and injuring security guards but the whereabouts and condition of the president are unknown. A retrieval team is going on now; up dates are on the way."
"The trauma of my absence?" Sonic tilted his head.
"Woops! Wrong channel!" The robot scrambled for the remote, "How about we watch uh something else..." they changed the channels quickly.
"What do they mean?" Sonic pushed for answers.
"How should I know? I don't write the news. You don't look so good, why don't you lay down." Boco suggested pushing the blue hedgehog in the couch and covered him with an old blanket. "Tv maybe not the best after what we just came from.. Eggman will be here soon and everything will be okay."
Hesitantly Sonic relaxed into the couch but couldn't sleep. A pain in his heart ached with the thought of someone in trouble and being held back from helping them. The news report played in his head over and over, but even as he tried to think of some tactic of going back to help or get answers nothing came to mind, just fear and worry which made him feel sick and helpless. The only thought that made him feel better, was the president coming to assure him that all was well again. So he waited, still and quiet, worried, and afraid and feeling utterly not like himself at all.