Princess Sally Acorn gave a soft moan as she pushed herself off of the metal floor of her cell. pushing herself to a sitting position, the ground squirrel held her head as her vision cleared. getting up, Sally reached out and touched one of the pulsing bars of energy around her."OUCH!" Sally cried, yanking her hand back as a painful hot shock ran from her finger up her forearm. "Oh, cheer up Princess." came Robotniks voice as the viewscreen across from Sally came to life. "I've sent you a visitor." Robotnik added, grinning.
"Hi." Sally's mouth fell open as...Sally walked in the room? The Princess blinked and stared at her robot dopleganger. "I'm Sally." the robot continued cheerfully, approaching the real Sally's prison. "Oh, dont get up." the Sally-bot continued "I am a princess, but..." the robot then turned around and examined her psudeo fingernails. "Out in the Great Forest titles are meaningless" the Robot crooned, crossing its arms and smiling at the real Sally. The Princess could only gasp in horror.
A moss green hoverunit quietly passed through the barren polluted streets of Robotropolis. shortly after the hover unit left, a deep blue hedgehog and a light blue hedgehog peered over the abandoned vent. as Sonic checked the street infront of them, Tristina's eye caught sight of some scrap metal moving. reaching one hand over her wheelchair arm, Tristina tapped Sonics arm to get his attention. "huh?" Sonic asked, turning to see what Tristina saw.
a simple light grey camera had risen out of the junk pile, its lens pointed right at the two hedgehogs. Sonic froze for a moment, his body tense incase the camera packed anything more than a simple black lens. Meanwhile, in Robotnik's headquarters, Robotnik watched as Sonic picked up a small brown stone and hurled it at the camera. "Activate all exterior hedgehog traps" Robotnik ordered shortly after the screen went black. "But I thought you wanted them to get in." said Snivley, putting his left hand to his mouth in puzzlement. "Yes." hissed Robotnik, a cunning smile flowing over his lips. "But..." Robotnik continued, steepling his hands. "We cant make it too easy"
Back in the streets of Robotropolis, Sonic and Tristina swiftly dodged laser fire from a persuing hover unit. Sonic ducked behind a wall, Tristina wheeling after him, in a attempt to lose thier persuer. Tristina let go of her wheelchair wheels briefly and ducked debris from a barely missed laser blast. When she finally stopped, she noticed what Sonic already had: the alley was a dead end. "any ideas?" Tristina muttered as they turned to face the hover unit (which was still firing at them).
"Go up!" Sonic cried, revving up his legs and running up the wall. Tristina jammed her finger down on a winged button on her wheelchair. as her wheelchair buttons snapped beneath and behind her chair, Tristina felt herself begin to hover. Letting out a shriek, Tristina pressed a red button on her joystick. the hedgehog shot upwards, and her heart slid back down from her throat.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Tristina turned her hoverchair around with a quick semicircle motion of the joystick. looking upwards, Tristina spotted a deep blue blur continuing to run up the side of Robotnik's headquarters. Nethier hedgehog noticed a small gray camera emerge from the side of the building and point in thier direction. Robotnik watched with a smile as Sonic slid into a open hatch on the side of the building, and Tristina lowered in after him. As the hatch door closed, Robotnik pressed a button on his command chair.
Snivley's face soon appeared on the mini screen on Robotnik's chair. "Recall all swatbots" Ordered Robotnik, holding out the palm of his hand towards the screen. "Let the hedgehogs in" Robotnik finished softly, smiling to himself
"Huh. must be our lucky day." said Sonic, rising out of the escape hatch. "I dont like this, Sonic." said Tristina, rising out of the hatch and reverting her wheelchair to ground mode. "Aw come on, Tiff! No swatbutts on patrol. lets take advantage of this and get Sal outta here!" Tristina sighed, shook her head, then wheeled after Sonic as he rushed down the hall.
Just as Sonic was about to round another corner, Tristina grabbed him and pulled him back. "Hold up, blue." she breathed in his ear. moments later, a spy orb floated into view. "Let me handle this." Tristina whispered. still holding onto Sonic's arm with her right hand, Tristina raised her left palm and closed her eyes.
suddenly, Tristina's eyes snapped open to reveal pure white pupiless orbs. a 'keypad' made of pure light formed at her left palm, and her fingers 'typing' at the keys. the Spy orb shuddered a moment then rolled as its lens zoomed in and out. "Got it." Tristina whispered in a monotone voice. "So you can use that orb head to find Sal?" Sonic asked, tapping his foot. Tristina nodded, then the orb floated back down the hallway it had just come from.
after a few tense minutes, Tristina shot up. "found her." she whispered, staring at Sally courtesy of the possessed spy orb. "Level 2, cell 54." Tristina reported, detonating the spy orb before returning to her own mind. "Any swatbutts?" Sonic asked as he jogged to a treadmill that acted as a escelator. Tristina and Sonic easily slid down the belt, then peeked around a corner.
sure enough, along a row of cells. Tristina tapped Sonic's arm, then pointed at a tray of food sitting in a glass case. the doors slid open, and Sonic grabbed the glass of water. dumping it on the floor, Sonic lifted it to his mouth and spoke. "Attention Swatbots, This is Doctor Robotnik." said Sonic in a low voice. Tristina gave a thumbs up to let Sonic know it was convincing. "Report to the war room immidately." Sonic finished, immitating Robotniks voice. the two swatbots immidately lifted thier weapons and jogged out of sight. Sonic and Tristina smiled to one another, then ran and wheeled down the hall. looking left and right, the two continued to search the cells for thier quarry. Near the end of the row stood a beige and brown ground squirrel, smiling happily at them. "Yo Sal." said Sonic, smiling in relief at seeing the princess. "We're gonna blow this pop stand." Sonic finished before jogging over to the control panel next to Sally's cell. "Open cell number fifty four." said Sonic, lifting the metal cup to his mouth and lowering his voice. "Voice print approved, hand print necessary for certification." came a robotic voice from the control panel. "Open up this cell or I'll rip out your electronic brains!" Sonic yelled, smiling as Tristina stifled a giggle by clamping her hand over her mouth. "Certification unnecessary." the robotic voice amended hastily as the hand print flashed red. Sally's cell door then slid open as Tristina backed her wheel chair away from Sonic. "You...are...Robotnik" the robotic voice finished as Sonic and Sally embraced. Sonic then picked up Sally and ran off with Tristina trailing behind. "Ah, True love." Robotnik crooned as the two hedgehogs left nothing but a empty cell and a trail of dust behind. "Hurry home, little hedgehogs." Robotnik muttered, stroking his pet chickens comb. "Hurry Home..." he half purred, half growled, a wicked smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Hang tight Sal, clear juicin ahead." Sonic said softly while he easily ran over the many cables and tubes strewn across Robotropolis. Tristina followed shortly, her wheelchair in hover mode to avoid the cables. soon, the trio arrived at a abandoned house near Robotnik's headquarters. Sonic peered out of the window, then dove to the floor with Sally as Tristina backed her wheelchair against a far wall. The two hedgehogs waited untill the hover unit had passed, then peeked out once again. "You okay?" Sonic asked Sally as Tristina kept watch. "Fine." said Sally scooting against the same wall Sonic was leaning against. "Coming back to rescue me was very brave Sonic." said Sally, rubbing Sonic's arm. "Hey, no biggie." said Sonic, standing up. "Its in the hero's job description." "You know, Princess." chimed in Tristina. "Thwarting the bad guy, saving the day, and rescuing the Princess when needed." "Very amusing, Tiff." said Sonic. Tristina merely grinned. Ignoring Tristina, Sally yanked on Sonics arm to pull him closer, then kissed him on the cheek. Sonic touched his cheek a moment, then helped Sally up and walked with her over to Tristina. "Coast seems clear. legs go." said Tristing, revving up her arms. Sonic picked up Sally and cradeled her in his arms. Tristina took off, and Sonic revved up his legs and soon followed. Looking back, Tristina swore. a green and black hover unit appeared out of no where and began to follow them. "I thought you said the coast was clear!" Sonic cried as they ran. "I said it seemed clear! seemed!" Tristina called back defensively. "Hang tight Sal," said Sonic, reaching in his backpack. "time to light it up!" Sonic added, pulling out a power ring. Tristina quickly tapped a button with a picture of a power ring on her wheel chair.