Sonic the Hedgehog XVI: Confusion Strikes, part 1 Binx sat in front of the fireplace, rubbing her hands. "I can't believe how much we've all changed since our first encounter with Robotnik." "What do you mean by that?" Tails asked, sitting beside her. "I mean, no more power rings. I think we're stronger without them." "I never got to use one, I think Sonic was afraid I would use them for something non-fighting like, like beating him in eating contests." "Yeah, and we've all changed personally. Sonic's not the comedian he used to be. Not since the church..." "Well, I think he finally realized what Robotnik could do." "Not necessarily Robotnik. Sonic X, Tails X, even Knuckles. Poor Knuckles, so confused..." "Binx, we have to go get them. But how? We can't just go, me and you." "Sally and Sonic did it, remember?" "We need some help. God knows what Robotnik did with Sonic now, probably made him ultimate Sonic." "Or Super Sonic." "Hey, cool name. Super Sonic, heh!" "I really wish we had some help now, knowing what Robotnik is capable of doing." "Man wouldn't that be great if-" Tails was interrupted by a soft knock at the door. "Who's there?" The knock was repeated, softer this time. Binx didn't want to go near the door. "What if it's Kit and when you open the door she enters you body again Tails?" Tails looked at her strangely. "Binx, why would she knock?! She can practically come through the door if she wanted to." "Tails, come on. I'm serious." "So am I." This time they could barely hear the knock. Tails grabbed the door knob but didn't open the door. "Should I Binx?" "I don't think you should." "Well, today's opposite day Binx. What if it's Sonic?" There was an eerie silence. Binx shook her head at Tails. "Open it, then." "Not if you're going to act like that!" "Tails, I don't want you to leave me too." "How about if I open the door and hide behind it?" "Good idea. Go." Tails held his breath as he opened the door. He squeezed himself against the back of the door and closed his eyes. He heard a thump, and saw the shadow of a body laying in the doorway. He saw Binx, staring wide eyed at what was laying there. `I can't move,' he thought. `I can't move...' Binx pointed at the body. "Tails....." Tails backed away from the door but didn't look at the body. He caught a glimpse of blue. `It's Sonic, oh my God, it's Sonic.' He forced himself to turn the corner. Keeping his eyes closed, he felt himself at the body's face. `Open them Tails! Open them!' "NOOOOOOOOOO!" Chapter 2 "Oh yes! Yes yes!" Tails said, seeing the figure moving. "I can't believe it!" "UNCLE CHUCK!" Binx cried, running towards him. "We thought it was Sonic!" Uncle Chuck squirmed. "S-Sonic, S-Sally, they saw me the whole time...they knew I was there." "Where Uncle Chuck?" "Behind the door, Binx. Behind my apartment door." Tails jumped up. "YOU WERE NEVER THERE THE WHOLE TIME! I KNOW! I KNOW! I WENT TO THE APARTMENT!" "Tails, please calm yourself. I too was in search of Sonic. I heard he was in town." "Who did this to you?" Binx said, taking off the ropes. "Some beautiful girl named Kit. She was so beautiful..." "We have to go get Sonic, Uncle Chuck." "Binx, do you know how long it's been since I've seen my nephew? I haven't seen him since he joined the Freedom Fighters." "Uncle Chuck, we could really use your help right now, they have Sally and Sonic." "What about Knuckles?" "He, he betrayed us." Uncle Chuck's eyes lid up. "Well then, they'll all have to pay..." Binx smiled. "Now that's the Chuck I knew!!" Uncle Chuck stood up and started to walk out the door. Binx and Tails followed close behind. "Again! Again!" Robotnik shouted, watching Knuckles raised the whip. Sonic yelped as the whip made contact with his stomach. "Please...just spare me once Robotnik..." "Shut up hedgehog!! Now you know how it feels." Robotnik grabbed the rope from Knuckles. Sonic, his face covered with blood, looked up and met his eyes. "Please..." He cracked the whip and then hit Sonic. "I don't give a hoot how it feels, hedgehog. I'm paying you back, for everything you ever," Robotnik hit Sonic again, "did," and again, "to," and again, "me!" And again. Sally was chained next to Sonic, followed by Bunnicula and Foxton. Sally tried to make Robotnik stop. "No! Stop it!" "I better not hear another word from any of you!" he said, hitting Sally. Destiny laughed, "Where's my sister when you need her? I'd love to see her see her ex-lover suffer..." "Maybe she'd enjoy it, she doesn't love him anymore!" Tails X added. "She wouldn't be watching him, she'd be staring at me," Knuckles said, posing. "Puh-lease, spare me." Robotnik continued to have fun with Sonic. "What color did you used to be? Blue? No way, red is definitely your color!" "STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Sally shouted. "You're going too far Robotnik," Bunnicula said, trying to break off her chains. "You're supposed to be my robot." "Not anymore." "YOU WILL BE MY ROBOT, FOR NOW AND FOREVER!!" "Don't tell me what to do." "I can erase as easily as I created you." "You didn't create Foxton and me..." "Shut up you stupid piece of metal!" Sally looked at Bunnicula suspiciously. "What?" "Robotnik, tell them the truth, tell them who created us." "No! It'll blow the whole plan!" "Plan?" Sally whispered. "Tell them." "Should I Sonic X?" Sonic X laughed. "Don't look at me you bloated fish." "Tell them." Robotnik threw down the whip. "NO! THEY'LL FIND OUT SOON ENOUGH..." "What are you talking about?" Sally asked. "I said you'll find out soon enough dumb girl!" "Robotnik, tell me now!" All of the sudden the door to the control room burst open. Uncle Chuck, Binx and Tails ran in. "Sonic! Oh poor Sonic...," Binx said, seeing Sonic's bloody face. Sonic looked up and choked up blood. "You have to make him stop...now...." Binx grabbed his head. "Don't worry Sonic, we'll get you out, Uncle Chuck's here." "Uncle....Chuck, help me..." Uncle Chuck didn't look at Sonic. "Give us the hedgehog Robotnik." " Oh, like I would just give him up!" Binx and Tails moved next to Uncle Chuck. "Let's get this done!" Tails yelled. Binx and Tails charged Robotnik. Uncle Chuck ran ahead. "Never trust me again, Fighters..." He tripped them. Binx looked up. "Don't tell me it's true, PLEASE!!!!" "Never trust me again, Fighters..." Chapter 3 "No, you didn't..." "Yes Binx I did. I joined Robotnik." Sonic managed to raise his head. "Where have you been?" "Kit tied me behind the door. Luckily, Tails X here came to save me." "I can't believe you, I can't believe I ever TRUSTED YOU!" "Sonic, how were you supposed to know I would do this?" Sonic lowered his head. "I would have known, I just didn't look close enough." Binx and Tails backed into the corner. "Tails, how are we going to get them back?" "Don't worry Binx." Tails turned to Uncle Chuck. "What can we give you to get Sally and Sonic back?" "We need some peace and quiet." Binx looked at Uncle Chuck awkwardly. "Sure..." "Good, that's all I need. Set them free." "WHAT CHUCK? I MAKE THE RULES AROUND HEAR YOU KNOW!" Robotnik screamed, standing up. "Robotnik, that is all I need, them out of here. Now set them free and I'll tell you what I'm up to." "NO!" "Then I be like Kit and Sonic X, an independent." Robotnik motioned to Destiny. "Set them free." "What? No way Robotnik, I ain't touching them. You can do it." Robotnik sighed and walked over to Sonic and Sally. He told Bunnicula and Foxton that they were staying. Robotnik ripped off the chains and pushed them at the door. "Now if you two don't mind I have some business to attend to. Binx and Tails, you get out too. Everyone...out!!!" "HUH?" Knuckles said, frowning. "Everyone good....out!!!" "What?" Foxton asked, astonished. "EVERYONE WHO'S GOOD AND WHO WASN'T MADE BY ME OUT!!!! NOW!!!!" Tails, Binx, Sonic, and Sally ran out the door. "Now Chuck, I believe we have a little business to attend to," Robotnik said, sitting down at his new circular table and folding his hands. Uncle Chuck sat down across from him. The table was not very big since Robotnik's main room was already cluttered with inventions that had failed and electronics. Knuckles, Tails X and Destiny stood behind Robotnik. Sonic X, not at all fascinated with any of Robotnik's plans, sat in the computer chair, his feet on the desk, and rested his eyes. "I must tell you Robotnik, this plan will guarantee the final fight of the Freedom Fighters." "Go on go on, and how must we go about doing this?" Uncle Chuck pulled a tube out of his pocket. "Watch and learn." Chapter 4 Sonic and Binx walked silently, hand in hand, through the forest. Sally and Tails sat on the rocks at the dried up lake. "What did I do you to you Binx?" Sonic said, turning towards her. She stopped walking. "Sonic, I haven't been completely honest with you." "What do you mean?" "I, I, I really like you and all..." "Oh no, please. If this is going to be something about you cheating on me, tell me now." "No no Sonic, not at all. I just..." "Binx, you can tell me, please." Binx turned and looked into Sonic's eyes. "I don't love you anymore." "Oh..." "Sonic, I've never had feelings for you." Tears formed in Sonic's eyes. "Then why do you do it? Why do you marry me?" "Pressure." "Pressure?! Binx, those years were the best years of my life, and you did it because of pressure?" "I'm sorry." "Sorry? You're sorry??!!" "What can I tell you?" Sonic grabbed her shoulders and squeezed them tightly. "Tell me what kind of pressure I put on you." "I said I was sorry Sonic." "That's not what I said." Binx pushed him away. "I heard what you said." "Why?" "Leave me alone Sonic the Hedgehog. There's someone knew in my life, and I don't need you to interfere with him." "Who? Who Binx??!!" Binx walked away. "None of your business." The plan was perfect to Robotnik. "Are you sure this is going to work?" Uncle Chuck smiled. "I've never been so sure in my life." "I don't think it's going to work," Sonic X said, not opening his eyes. "They're too smart, we've had better plans." "Name one," Robotnik demanded. "Those 50 Super Sonics." "Failed!" "Hey, did I say they beat them? No, they were a good plan." "Another?" "Well," he said laughing and looking at Robotnik, "I'd have to say my plan was the best. You know, where I had explosives under my jacket and then threatened them. Hey, I killed Rotor, Bunny, Antoine, and that pesky Sonette, that's more than anyone has combined. Oh, and Binx's friends." Robotnik thought. "Yeah, and that puts Kit second with Miles. That means I, Dr. Robotnik, is in last!" "You got to get some deaths on the record." Knuckles looked puzzled. "Whoa, hold up. What really killed Binx's friends? Do you know?" "Mind your on business Knuckles." "You're hiding something from me." Sonic X pointed at Knuckles, getting up. "Listen bud, before you were my enemy. And never forget you still are. I will never, ever tell any of my secrets to you as long as you are alive." "That'll be pretty hard when he's dead Sonic X," Tails X said, looking at Sonic X puzzled. "Shut up airhead, if you had a brain maybe you could figure out what I meant." Sonic X heard something outside and looked out to see Binx. "Now you wasted my time. Binx is outside, and she's probably come for me." "You? What in the world makes you think that see didn't come to see me?" Knuckles asked. "Knuckles, she's here to see me." "Don't seem too sure now Sonic X. She may be here to become bad again." Sonic X got up and walked towards the door. "You don't know the story Knuckles, go play by yourself, I'm outta here." He walked out the door and saw Binx smiling at him. "Binx, I'm sorry I'm late. Those pea-brained idiots in there think they have a plan, but they don't." Binx gave him a kiss. "Can you....tell me?" Sonic X cringed. "Oooo, bad idea. I have a pledge I wouldn't say a word of any plans." "Your an independent." "Binx, I can't." Binx smiled mysteriously. "Tell me..." Sonic X heard a noise in the bushes. "Who's there?" No one answered. "It's no one Sonic," Binx said, looking at the bushes. Sonic X stopped and looked at her. "What did you just say?" "Huh? Oh, I said it's no one." He shook his head. "No, You called me Sonic." "Did I? I'm sorry!" she said, playfully shoving him. He pushed her away. "I got the drift Binx." He looked at the bushes. "Sonic! You can come on out now!" No one answered him. He began to think that he had imagined the noise, but when he heard a silent cry of, `Binx' he discontinued that idea. "COME OUT!" Binx laughed. "Sonic, you're going crazy." He pointed at her. "See, you just did it again!" "What?" "Stop Binx, stop calling me Sonic." Sonic jumped out of the bushes. "Gotcha Sonic X! The jokes on you!" He began to laugh. Sonic X smiled. "No my friend..." he turned Binx around and ripped a piece of metal off of her. Millions of wires were exposed. "the jokes on you." Chapter 5 Binx walked silently through the forest, kicking a stone away from her path. "I was right, there is someone new in my life, I just haven't figured out who. Although I am taking a liking to Sonic X, if he wasn't so bad I might try to start something with him." She turned around and made sure no one was listening to her. "Why did I say anything to Sonic?" She suddenly stopped. "I can't believe I said I married him because of pressure. I can't believe I said I never loved him." She sat on a rock and held her head in her hands. "I can't believe...." she looked at the castle. "I did this to him." "Sonic? Binx? Where are you guys?!" Tails yelled. He stepped over Ummagumma's grave. "Guys, this isn't funny!" Sally walked behind him a good distance away. "I hope they're okay." "They're fine, perfectly fine," he said, flashing her a dirty look. "Calm down hun, I'm not trying to get down your throat about this." "Real real funny Sally, let's just find the guys and get out of here I hate-" Tails stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you hate Tails? Cemeteries??" Sally laughed. Tails stood silent, staring at the ground. "Tails, what's wrong?" She said running to him. She screamed. They stared at the dug-up graves of their friends. Sonic X dragged Sonic up the stairs of the castle. "I got you this time Sonic." "You know you can't win Sonic X, just face it. We always win." "Who's we? I believe you're the only one I'm carrying up the stairs." "They'll be here, don't get your hopes up." "Who's they?" Sonic X said, chuckling. "Funny, real funny." Sonic X threw Sonic and the shut door. "Listen hedgehog, You've given me a lot of crap these past few years, and this time I'm going to make sure I shut you up once and for all. All by my self, no Robotnik, no Destiny, no Tails X. No Knuckles. Just me and you. No Sally, no Tails, no...Binx. You hear that hedgehog?" Sonic put his hand to his face. He looked at it and saw blood coming from his lip. "There are worst things for you to worry about than a bloody lip hedgehog." "How could you have done this...." he whispered. "How could you have tricked me like this, how?" "Listen, you got what was coming to you, I've waited sooo long to do something like that." "What are you going to do to me now?" Sonic X smiled. "I'm taking you in, but first you have to stay out here." "Why?" He grabbed Sonic at the neck. "Don't question me now hedgehog, I ain't in the mood." Sonic pushed him away and tried to stop his lip from bleeding. "Close doors and lock," Sonic X told the motion detector just outside the door. The entrance gate and door shut and locked. "You stay out here hedgehog, there ain't no where to run now." He ran into the main room. Sonic looked around the narrow staircase. "A way to escape, a way to escape..." But he found no way to escape disaster. "How in the heck did I get myself into this? Oh man Sonic, you've really got yourself in deep this time." He looked at the walls and saw some fresh writing on the walls. "Some math terms, I can't understand." He looked up and down the walls, but stopped at a piece of readable writing just near the main door room: DoomsDay Project written by Dr. Lucifer Robotnik and Chuck Randoff Date started: June 16, 1996 Expected Knothole Doomsday: undetermined JDSHFIUEHKLJADHSKJHASIUFEJHLKJHFIUHEKHFKJHIUFEN VNDOMCNBHGAGWYIEUIRONBXHJGUEWRIEHFKJNBDCN AHGEBRENFDNASFYGEUNFAOINFIYDGNBIUFEAOEWQOPNEUFN BDIUABFDIWAYEPQIEU9432Y5N0EIDHFIUNHEWIUQBH387BNKJEN QROENU94NNENFUNQERMQPMRIUQPOU83MEMOIRUMNOIQN UURNREUNREQYIR83NMEOPOIRUQNOINUEOINUQOIUOIREUQN OIEUQILOVEERICADJLKJFIFAJLK;JEIJAIHIEO;AIJE;I;J;AOIJHIFDO HAOIJHDOIUAIOUFDKJKHAIUFY398AHOIDUAOIUDOIAUOIIDIDD Chapter 6 "The rest is some type of secret code, how can they read this? I see no type of pattern at all." He tried many different ways to decode it, associating letters with numbers and so on. "Uncle Chuck taught me how to decode, how come I can't crack this one?" He kept trying until an idea popped into his head. "Uncle Chuck made this code this way so I couldn't crack it! What a slimball, what has come over him? What has come over everyone?" Sonic X returned, holding bracelets. "Here hedgehog, come to papa!" "I ain't going, no way you can make me!" "Think that over again, hedgehog, no where to go..." Sonic knocked the bracelets out of Sonic X's hand. They flew down the stairs and crashed against the door. "GO AND GET THEM!" "Make me." "YOU BETTER GET THOSE BRACELETS NOW." "Why? It's not like I want them, I'd rather die than have to be under your command." Sonic X slapped Sonic. "Snap out of it hedgehog and get those bracelets before I have to physically take you down there to get them." "Are those...your brackets or Robotnik's?" "Robotnik's." Sonic acted surprised. "Oh, but I thought you were neutral!" "Hey, can we stop the chit-chat?" Sonic nodded and walked down the staircase to get the bracelets. He came back up, smiling. "Here you are Sonic X." "Thank you hedgehog, at least you've done something without an attitude," he said, putting his hands out to get the bracelets. "GOT YOU!" Sonic said, fastening the bracelets on Sonic X. He screamed and tried to get them off. "Now there's no question what you are!" "NO! NO! NO!" He screamed, trying to get them off. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE HEDGEHOG??!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" "Neutral?! Neutral?! Now you're a part of Dr. Robotnik again!" Sonic X began to calm down. "It's not that bad. No, it could be better though. You'll get through it fine...I just need to find a saw!" He turned around and saw Sonic trying to open the front door. "Where do you think you're going hedgehog? I'm not done with you!" "There's no point in keeping me here, Tails, Sally, and Binx will be here!" "Oh don't get your hopes up, they have better things to do." "Nothing is more important than saving me!" Sonic X gasped. "Oh, are you saying that you should be there number one priority? Hedgehog, hedgehog, hedgehog! How conceded you are!" "I didn't mean it to put it that way!" "Oh, it most certainly sounded like you don't even care about your stupid friends!" "What do you care about my private life?" He smiled. "Bad things happen to good people hedgehog....and I love playing mind games." Sonic tackled Sonic X and the top of the stairs. He pushed Sonic X against the wall. "I hate you! I've hated you! I will always hate you! You've ruined my life!!" "Hey hey hey hedgehog, you make all this racket and the gang's gonna come out!" Sonic's eyes widen. He let go of Sonic X, but it was too late. The door opened and he was staring at Robotnik and Uncle Chuck. "HEDGEHOG, YOU'RE TIME IS UP," Robotnik yelled, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him into the main room. Sonic X walked in and turned around to face the staircase. "I'm getting smarter by the minute!" he whispered. Chapter 7 "The graves are gone, no way," Tails said as he knelt next to Sonette's grave. "They must have done this." Sally played with the dirt. "They as in Robotnik, or they as in Kit and Sonic X?" "No, Kit Panther and Sonic X working on the same team doesn't sit right with me, it has to be Robotnik and Sonic X." "Sonic X would have to have something to do with these graves now, wouldn't he? I knew something like this would happen, he just has to keep ruining our lives." Tails looked at Sally. "Chuck, Chuck, Uncle Chuck! Not Sonic X! Uncle Chuck and Robotnik! Why else would Chuck make us leave?" "Good point, but what now? We still haven't found Sonic or Binx." "Keep looking, they should be around here somewhere!" Tails and Sally stood up and continued their search. "Should I go to the castle? No, that would be defeating the whole purpose. He made me go there, saying I would be fine." Binx looked at the castle. "HEY SONIC...I WASN'T FINE! THEY HURT ME, THEY HURT ME BAD! ARE THEY DOING THAT TO YOU??" She could feel the angry tears filling her eyes. "I shouldn't have done this, he was only protecting Knothole. I wanted to get him back, telling him that things aren't always peachy at the Robotnik castle. Maybe I should see what's up." She stood up and walked towards the castle in a determined manner. `I have to get out of here,' Sonic said to himself, standing in his usual chained-up spot. `Where's Binx? What are Sally and Tails doing?' "HEDGEHOG, LOOKIE WHO'S ON THERE WAY HERE!!" Robotnik shouted, standing by the window. "Tails and Sally, I knew they would be here." "BINX!" Sonic X laughed. "The master of the plan." "What?" Sonic said, surprised. "Sonic, this was all her idea, her way of getting you back for turning her in, when Knuckles threatened to blow-up Knothole. I wouldn't be surprised if she's coming to get her official Bad Guy license!!!" "No, you're lying, I know it. She would never do that to me!" The door to the main room opened, and Binx walked in. "Hello Robotnik, hello Sonic X. What do you want me do to now?" Robotnik smiled. "Take the hedgehog and bring him to the window. I want to see him die...but we can honestly say we didn't do it this time!" Binx did as she was told. She grabbed Sonic and began to walk towards the window. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to Robotnik. "Robotnik, aren't you just dying to see the look on his face when he comes in contact with the ground?" "Yes, I want to see his face, when he realizes that I, Dr. Lucifer Robotnik have finally won!!" he said, smiling. Binx dragged Sonic to the window, and Robotnik walked to her side. "Robotnik, on the count of three..." "Go Binx, I'm sick of seeing his face..." "One......" "LET ME GO BINX! LET ME GO NOW!" Sonic screamed, trying to wiggle away from her grasp. "Two......." Sonic X raised an eyebrow at Binx. He saw her reached her hand behind Robotnik. He stood up. "No! Don't!!" Robotnik glanced at Sonic X. "Don't let him bother you my dear." "Thr-" Sonic X lunged at Robotnik, grabbing his legs so Binx couldn't push him out of the window. Binx gasped. "My plan is ruined! Sonic run!" Sonic stood up and started to run towards the door. Just as he reached it, Uncle Chuck blocked the doorway. "No way hedgehog." To be continued.... Stay tuned for Sonic XVII: Confusing Strikes, part 2