Sonic the Hedgehog in Project MXCER1 Part II : Nutcase With Seven Nuts

The Freedom Fighters were stunned. So easily had they been defeated by the huge monster! One minute they were against the robot, with a strong fighting chance. The next minute, they were caught in the dark throat of MX1. Worse than that, the three were wedged between MX1's throat walls, and no room to move. To top off the Freedom Fighter's problems, the gigantic robot slowly closed its throat walls, in an effort to crush the occupants.

"Don't panic, dudes! We'll get outta here, some way."

Sonic the Hedgehog tried to remain optomistic. Unfortunately, his comrades weren't even remotely close to sharing his opinion. Sally sighed.

"We won't get out of here, Sonic. Unless MX1 decides to open his throat and we'll all fall into his stomach!"

Sonic stuck his tongue out and replied,

"On second thought, I'd wanna get squished.."

Uncle Chuck added,

" It'll be imperative. (sigh) That won't be for a while. It probably intends for us to starve here."

The princess contradicted,

"Not if we're crushed, first."

Sonic thought. His brown eyes brightened.

"Maybe if we bang on this wall, it'll hurt MX1 to the point it'll open its------"

He stopped explaining, for the walls shut off his breath. With what little strength they had left, the three pounded on the obstructing metal. Nothing happened, until Sally desperately grabbed her blaster and fired at the wall repeatedly.

The deadly robot growled, at the answer to recieving a very slight annoyance in its throat, and angrily demanded,

"WHAT'S GOING ON DOWN THERE?"

Because it spoke, the large hulk opened its throat, and sent the Mobians tumbling into the depths of it's stomach. Sonic had much time to compliment his friend.

"Nice goin', Sal! But it looks that blasting our way outta here ain't gonna help!"

"No, Sonic. We have to try!"

She fired more shots, not having severe effect, only deep rumblings and threats, no tears in the thick metal. She tried again, but it had run out of energy, to her dismay. Sally tossed it away. To her friend's observation she sadly nodded.

As they fell, Uncle Chuck had the time to make an observation.

"Sally, did you notice that the innards of this robot is void of cables, gears, and anything else vital to a robot's existence? Hmm, except in the head. I saw a small part of machinery in the head. I also noticed that it was green and yellow."

The hedgehog broke in with a smile, trying to ignore the barely visible floor that they were racing towards.

"I cleaned him out. Now he's just a casing." He added in disgust, "More like a nutcasing."

Sally frowned and asked, somewhat annoyed,

"Then why is this casing moving, Sonic?"

All were silent. The princess thought. Then she snapped her fingers.

"I got it!"

"Spill, Sal!"

" Remember, it told us that its power came from Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings. Take away the power---"

Uncle Chuck caught on.

" I see what you're saying. So all we have to do is to find that source and somehow get rid of that machinery and the Emeralds and Rings."

"Well said---"

The metal floor approached quickly, and finally the FFs met it. Despite the collision, within seconds they were off the floor.

"Ooh, that was SOME landin'. Are you dudes okay?"

The princess sat up.

"I'm fine, Sonic. A little bruised, but, other than that, I'm fine. How about Uncle Chuck?"

"I dunno. He's gone! Stay there, Sal! I'll go look for 'im."

The worried hedgehog stood up and blasted off in search of his uncle.

"Yo, Unc! Where'd ya go? No time to be messin' in a bot!"

He rushed from this corner to that corner. There was no trace. He was almost ready to turn around and search the other end when he was blinded by a mixture of harsh green-and-gold light. Shielding his squinting eyes, Sonic ran towards the light. He spied a large part of machinery in which was aglow with several Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings. The shimmering objects immediately caught Sonic's interest. He thought, How could Robuttnik mine all these in one day? Where was the mine, anyway? Why did it hold so many of these things?

"Way past cool! Wonder what happens when ya take 'em out?"

He attempted this and failed. As much as he tugged, the glowing objects held fast. Suddenly, his uncle appeared, relief spreading over Sonic's face.

"Unc! I've been looking all over the bot for ya! Where'd you go?"

"I didn't mean to worry you, Sonic. I was just exploring MX1, and I noticed some very peculiar things about it. I saw six of these machines, scattered all over, not including the one that must be in the head. This must be only one of MX1's seven power sources."

The other held a finger to his chin and asked,

"If they are, how'll we get rid of 'em? I tried tugging on 'em and they won't come out."

He started to walk in the opposite direction to fetch Sally.

"I really have no idea, Sonic. The only thing I know about it is that the weapons seem to have been strengthened with a strong magnetic attraction to that kind of----"

His explanation was interrupted by a great rumbling, and the chamber plus the one behind that inclosed them rose slowly upward, then descended with a thunderous clanging noise. All this din was followed my an echoing mechanical laughter. The same thing happened with the opposite chambers. It's occupants were rolled and tossed and very turbulently moved. In one instance when the two Mobians were able to sit still, Uncle Chuck exclaimed, very distressed,

"The robot is mobile! He'll at some point reach the borders of Robotropolis, and then Mobius will be doomed!"

Sonic showed an air of defiance.

"Not if I can help it!"

At that point the princess struggled up the floor, for MX1 was continuing to walk, slowly, but surely. Its great mass prevented for any quick movement except for the long slender tail.

Sally finally rejoined her companions, sadly explaining,

"Nicole doesn't have any way to destroy the Emeralds and Rings. According to the ancients, she said, Chaos Emerald power is completely unlimited and it is indestructable. And to our knowledge, the Power Ring is likewise, except for the energy being limited!"

A determined Sonic frowned and argued,

"I don't care what Nicole or any ancient dude says. We gotta stop MX1 from getting outta Robotropolis, no matter what happens!"

"You're right, Sonic, but how on Mobius will we do it without having to destroy the robot's power sources?"

Both the hedgehog and his uncle shrugged their shoulders, and the former replied,

"If we can't get rid of the green and gold, we can get rid of that weird machine thingy no prob! Then we can use 'em against this bot!"

Unfortunately, it wasn't that simple. The machine that the Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings were stuck in was made of the same metal as Swatbots, and thus, hard to pierce. After many futile attempts of the Super Sonic Spin, and all the turbulence of being inside the mobile machine, Sonic and company were forced to give up that attempt. They were soon set to thinking once more. After three more grueling minutes, the robotic hedgehog produced an idea.

"If we can't use the energy to our advantage, or destroy it, we can at least deplete it somehow."

"Cool, Unc! What'd you think?"

"I'm thinking that---the thought hasn't come to me yet. It's on the tip of my mind, I just can't think of it."

Sonic and Sally thought hard. How could they deplete the energy? All of a sudden, the hog had the answer.

"Power Rings use up easy. Maybe I can use its juice, and all that'll be left are Emeralds. Right, Unc?"

The other smiled, and clamped a hand on his head.

"You took the words right out of my memory files."

Sonic immediately ran toward the nearest glow of green and gold. He grabbed one of the Rings and held fast. The object's glow transformed from a simple glow to a shine, then a spark, engulfing its holder in golden light and a burst of energy. After a few short seconds, the Power Ring lost its energy. He repeated this process with the second hoop imbedded in the metal. As he was draining energy out of the second one, MX1 spoke.

"HOW DARE YOU TAMPER WITH THE ULTIMATE IN POWER! FEEL MY WRATH!"

The hedgehog smiled and retorted,

"How dare ya mess with the Energy Draining Service! Remember, we take every last drop of juice, and every last cent you own! You owe us--------------"

At this, internal cannons exposed themselves, aiming their deadly laser fire towards the direction that Uncle Chuck and Sally tottered, desperately trying keep their balnce on the rising floor.

"Sal! Unc! Duck!"

To his great relief, the cannons belched out their fire, missing their targets, but ricocheting against the solid wall, creating a tremendous explosion when coming in contact with their firers.

The effect was nearly to be expected.

"AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!! FOR THAT TAMPERING, MOBIUS WILL SUFFER EVEN MORE!!! HMM, YOU SEEM TO ENJOY TESTING MY PATIENCE, RODENT. I'LL DO LIKEWISE FOR YOU. DON'T RESIST."

"I'll be happy to resist, chrome-dome!"

"I DON'T THINK SO."

A great panel opened in MX1's left leg, and a mechanical claw reached in that opening and with much effort, plucked its intended target out of the chamber. Sonic was flung out of the robot's leg, and before his companions could leap out to save him, the panel was sealed.

"Oh, no! He'll be killed by this monster, and all we can do is to wait here!"

"It's possible, Sally. We don't know. Hopefully he'll use his brain as well as his legs. The only thing we'll be able to do right now is to continue what he was doing earlier. Sally, give me Nicole. I think I know how to drain the energy without Sonic."

Speaking of the Freedom Fighter, he looked up at his gigantic adversary, that he was doomed to face again. The ugly creature stared down at him, red eyes flashing death. Despite its horrifying appearance, Sonic was still able to crack a joke.

"What happened, MX? Did ya kiss the wrong princess today? Or are ya made of leftover scrap iron lost underwater for a year?"

The other's answer came in the form of a particularly powerful laser blast. It exited from its optic-units and formed an overwhelming crater in the floor. Sonic was on the other side of the room before the blast was even fired, but the crater stretched almost to that point.

Its opponent hardly flinched at the wide opening.

"A big hole leadin' to an elevator shaft? You're gonna have to do better than that, ya rusty steel wheel!"

"I WILL, RODENT. ALL SWAT-UNITS, REPORT TO SECTOR 160, QUADRANT 22. REPEAT, SECTOR 160, QUADRANT 22. OH, AND I'M NOT A WHEEL, AND I'M FAR FROM RUSTING. ALSO, I AM BUILT FROM A COMBINATION OF IRON, COPPER, TIN, ALUMINUM, STEEL, AND VARIOUS OTHER SUBSTANCES."

Sonic tapped his foot, waiting for the reinforcements, and for MX1's blabber to end. Then they entered the room, and, instead of them falling into the gaping crater, they stopped at MX1's command. This was interesting. It seemed that Dr. Robotnik had appointed a robotic leader to much of Robotropolis, and it seemed to be succeeding.

"How does Robuttnik know that he can trust you?"

"THE MASTER CREATED THE CHIP AS POWERFUL AS HE INTENDED IT TO BE, SO I ONLY OBEY MY PROGRAMMING, AND NOT GO BEYOND THAT. OF COURSE, I WILL PROVE IT TO YOU. SWATBOTS, FIRE!"

"Uh-oh. I gotta juice it loose!"

Sonic stormed up the walls, barely missing the constant lasers. He was slowly pursued and yet the shots flew like a forest fire. Fortunately for Sonic, his agility and speed left the automations creating disturbances only in the steel walls. Finally, MX1 decided that was enough. It ordered the attack be ceased.

The hedgehog thought he was safe and brushed his hand across his head.

"Phew!"

Without warning, the robot's tongue lashed out with the quickness of lightning and had Sonic prisoner wrapped in its merciless tongue. The long metallic object tightened and prevented the hedgehog to comment. MX1 laughed evilly.

Meanwhile, Uncle Chuck had carried out his seemingly simple plan. He attached wires to Nicole and connected them to the Power Rings and Chaos Emeralds. To prevent overload, the energy was absorbed slowly. The task was tedious for all of them, though, for they had to supervise each absorbation. As an added grievance, both were always thinking about what happened to the other member of the team.

Interestingly, Sonic was performing that mental task for his friends, too. In fact, for all of Mobius.

Somehow, he would have to free himself. MX1 was already outside of Robotnik's main center. Fortunately for the Freedom Fighters, the robot gradually slowed down, due to the internal sabotage. It noticed this often and would bellow with rage.

"WHATEVER IS GOING ON DOWN THERE, IF IT DOESN'T CEASE SOON, I'LL HAVE TO RESORT USING ALL MY WEAPONS SYSTEMS."

And the Mobians within it would reply triumphantly,

"Go ahead, then! In a few days, half of your energy will be gone!"

"HA, HA, HA! BY THAT TIME, MOBIUS WILL BE NOTHING WORTH LIVING ON."

And when his captor exclaimed this, Sonic would work overtime trying to find a way out of his predicament, namely by futile attempts to spin into the metal of MX1's tongue or trying distractions. Each time poor Sonic tried this, he would meet with failure and a loss of time. The hedgehog thought for an alternative. Then he saw his only chance. He yelled as loud as he could to a passing Swatbot,

"Yo, chrome-dome! Who're you chasin', air?"

The provoked machine started to pursue Sonic, yelling,

"HEDGEHOG ALERT!!! ATTEMPTING TO ESCAPE FROM VICINITY. PURSUE AND APPREHEND!"

Now, according to the programming of Sonic's captor, that Swatbot was leaving the city, and without direct orders from Robotnik, was not usually permitted. It uncoiled the long tongue, releasing Sonic, and allowing the hedgehog to run right back into its mouth. To his advantage, the robot was so busy in wrapping the unfortunate Swatbot and flinging it back into the heart of Robotropolis, that Sonic's escape was barely noticed.

Having returned to the innards of MX1, a relieved Sonic blasted down into the stomach, where again he could rejoin Sally and his uncle, who were still slowly absorbing energy. When they saw Sonic, they ran over to him with concern filling thier eyes.

"Sonic, you're alive! We thought you died at the claws of that beast!"

"No way, Unc! I think he can't trash prisoners."

"Hmm, why not?"

"I'm blank, and wne don't have time! MX reached robo-city's end!"

"What?!" They exclaimed in unison. There was no time to waste. Sonic continued depleting the energy of the Power Rings, which formed an increased burden on the robot.

"MASTER WEAPONS SYSTEMS CHARGING. CHARGING TIME---THREE HOURS. WAIT A MINUTE. THREE HOURS?! SOMEONE IS-----(BZZT)"

Robotnik also watched the matter in his main quarters, his frown becoming more definable on his face. All of his plans were ruined---partially because of him. He had programmed MX1 to take prisoners if it could, and keep them. In other words, the monster was unable to rid itself of the burdens on the inside of its casing.

Then a thought entered his twisted mind. What if he could reprogram MX1 to destroy anything a threat to its existence? It would take a long time, perhaps two- and- a-half hours, but if there was even the most remote chance for his lethal automation to stay operational, he would do it.

Back in the depths of Robotnik's weakening machine, the three Freedom Fighters feverishly worked. Sally, Uncle Chuck, and Nicole on one set of Power Rings, Sonic on another. Finally, after two hours and ten minutes, four sets of Rings had been drained. Unfortunately, they wouldn't have had time to drain the other three sets. The situation seemed hopeless. Plus, unknown to them, Dr. Robotnik was working on reprogramming MX1, so the FFs in truth only had twenty short minutes to defeat the gargantuan machine.

Though it looked bleak, as usual someone, with the help of other suggestions, produced a good idea.

"Sonic, you take care of all of the Rings. We'll do the Chaos Emeralds."

"Won't that overload Nicole?"

"There is a high possibility, Uncle Chuck, so we'll absorb even slower than before. So, Sonic, you'll have to drain the Rings as fast as you can possibly can."

"Don't need to tell me that twice, Sal!"

With that he started on the next Ring. In five minutes he drained that source. Only two more to go, one of which was in the ever-lashing tail, and the last in the head, beyond the crushing throat. The spiny Freedom Fighter had his work cut out for him, and bolted for MX1's tail.

While this was happening, the doctor was laboring over a control panel. Just 400 more codes to enter and the robot would be reprogrammed. Now the Freedom Fighters only had 10 minutes left, for Robotnik could enter codes efficiently and quickly.

Sonic finished draining the Rings in the tail, and his only price was extreme nausea at the tossing and spinning. while trying to stand stationary.

"Six down, one more to (ugh) go!"

He streaked across the floor to the throat entrance, looking up. The long, dark passageway thinned and widened. The hedgehog hesitated no longer, and sped up the steep road, using his Super Spin. Rushing between the walls enabled Sonic to slip by undetected, and therefore, unharmed by the great throat walls. He began his work on the last emaining set of Power Rings. He finally completed the drainage, with five minutes later. He glowed with pride.

"All right, MX, shut down! We beat ya fair and-----Huh?"

To his surprise and horror, the giant didn't oblige him. Instead, its eyes flickered, crackling and sparking. It leaned its head over, seemingly to deactivate, but it didn't. The internal structure of MX1 was aglow with green. It was a firey light that was blinding, so being right next to the gem of chaos Sonic sheilded his eyes and rejoined his comrades on the floor, very confused. He saw Nicole sparking because of the chaos energy and removed her from Sally's grasp, scanning for oddities that weren't already there. The princess sighed, amazed that her friend could find amusement in even the direst of situations.

"I don't get it, Unc! It lost enough juice by now, right?"

The latter shook his head.

"Apparently not, Sonic. My only explanation is that Power Rings were main systems, and Chaos Emeralds are emergency backup ones."

The mechanical creature's voice suddenly rang out, startling the group.

"NEW INSTRUCTIONS ADDED TO PROGRAMMING: ELIMINATE ANY PRISONER THAT IS POTENTIALLY HARMFUL TO EXISTENCE OF THIS MODEL. ALTERATION OF PROGRAMMING EXCEPTED. ELIMINATE SUBJECTS: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, SIR CHARLES HEDGEHOG, PRINCESS SALLY ACORN."

Large cannons were once again inserted inside. They fired repeatedly, narrowly missing the Freedom Fighters and destroying the metal structure in the left leg that held the Chaos Emeralds. At the same time, MX1 charged its weapons systems, boding destruction for Mobius. It aimed a large external blaster straight at the Great Forest. Its voice rang out its intention, alerting the Freedom Fighters.

"TARGET ACQUIRED: GREAT FOREST. WEAPONS SYSTEMS CHARGED NEARLY TO MAXIMUM."

Sonic and the rest knew that they couldn't dawdle for more than a second, and he held up the few Chaos Emeralds he had and buried into the monster. To his terror, there was no effect. Then an idea rushed into his brain. He remembered how he acquired the jewels in the first place. Sonic blasted off for one of the sets of Emeralds, contained in the right leg. MX1 stopped charging its sustems and fired at Sonic, who jumped, and the laser made contact with the metal holding the second set of green jewels. Seeing its mistake, the robot tried to reattain the Emeralds with the deadly mechanical arm. Its adversary proved too quick. Sonic repeated the same lure with the set in the tail, yet that was a narrow escape, due to the low ceiling.

Without power in its legs, the robot ceased to walk and lash its tail. Sally and Uncle Chuck noticed this change, while handling the jewels in the back legs.

"We're doing it! Oh, if only we could stop it from destroying the Great Forest," Sally cried.

Unfortunately, MX1 spoke.

"3, 2, 1, FIRE!!!"

A sickening pain shot through the Freedom Fighters. Nevertheless, even thought the deed had been performed, they persisted in helping MX1 destroy itself. Finally, the Emeralds in the far part of the stomach were captured by a combined effort of Sonic and Uncle Chuck and Sally. As a result of this, the deadly laser fire escaped from the blasters as a weak spark.

"All right! Now to finish 'im off!" Sonic exclaimed. He spun his way between the throat walls, and cannons fired, missed their target, and destroyed the seventh part of machinery. The blue hedgehog grabbed the Chaos Emeralds, and MX1 ceased moving once more, yet continuing to talk, a rotten nutcase, with all seven nuts cracked. Sonic quickly stormed down the walls, helped Sonic and Sally out of the mouth, and then hopped out himself, bursting with pride.

"You're gone, chrome-dome! And there's nothin' you can do about that!"

Within minutes, Sonic had quickly reduced MX1, now an empty shell, to the usual fate of robots : scrap metal. To make sure that MX1 would never return, the rest of the Freedom Fighters gathered the pieces and carried them back to Knothole.

"Now, what to do with the Chaos Emeralds." Sally announced. Some had very strong opinions on the fate of the gems, these green, unfamiliar jewels that nearly destroyed all of Mobius, and at the same time, saved it.

The village was deeply divided whether the Freedom Fighters should keep the mysterious assets, or place them in a foreign part of Mobius where no one would ever find them or use them again. Some were even as ignorant to say,

"Useless stones. Give them back to Robotnik."

At this, Sally would harshly chide them.

Eventually, no one ever did do anything with them. At least from Knothole.

Sally had placed the Chaos Emeralds under lock and key safely in her hut. They remained untouched for three days, until one cold, moonless night, a shadow crossed the village, found its way into the princess's hut, and left. The next day, Knothole was awakened when Sally screamed,

"THEY'RE GONE!!!"

An extensive search was held, until Sonic discovered a slovenly written letter, and the author was never exactly affirmed by the villagers. This read,

" Your Royal Highness,

I'm sorry if I made trouble. But those Emeralds were once mine, they somehow got stuck in a mine 'cause of the weirdness of my ancestors. I hope you'll understand, and I heard about that robot. Sorry if my stones made THAT much mess. I didn't know that Robotnik got a hold of them again. Oh, and thank your hog friend for getting back my Chaos Emeralds. It'll really help me in the future.

K.T.E.

P.S. So there's no hard feelings, I don't write my name. Do me another favor, will you? DON'T TRY AND FIND OUT WHO IT WAS."

THE END

Wow. That was the most stupid two-parter in the history of fanfiction. Oh, well. And also too short. I just can't make two-parters. AAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH! Thank you.

e-mail adress: Blue9Tiger@aol.com