The Neutralizer by Holly-Beth Kraft (a.k.a. Bunnie) ( I'd like to dedicate this story to all my friends on Prodigy in my "Sonic the Hedgehog" club. They're the ones who get me flowing with inspiration...PEACE! LOVE! RECYCLE!...and pomegranetes;> ) "All right big-guy!" Sonic cheered. Tails was outside practicing is Kung-Fu on a Robotnik dummy. "Thanks, Sonic! I've been practicing that move for weeks!" Tails smiled as he walked over to a log to get his drinking cup. "You know what, Tails? I'm gonna ask your ol' Aunt Sal if you can come with me to Robotropolis on an experimental mission." Sonic grinned. "Wow! Really?" "Sure thing, little bro! I'll even take you to see Uncle Chuck! That's if Sally approves." said Sonic. "Way cool! Let's go ask her!" Tail barked as he began to coil up his tails to fly. Sonic stopped him. "Ah-ah-ah! Your Aunt Sal's working on a special experiment! She has the original Roboticizer plans, and she's trying to build a replica." he explained. "Why?" asked Tails. "Because if it can roboticize, maybe it can de-roboticize, and do you know what that means?" Sonic asked the small fox. "Then Aunt Bunnie can get her real arm and legs back!" Tails lit up. "Not only that, Tails, we can de-roboticize Uncle Chuck and many others!" Sonic smiled. "Way past!" said Tails, slapping Sonic a high-five. * * * Inside the hut, Sally and Bunny were going over the Roboticizer plan. "When y'all expect to finish this, Sally-girl?" Bunnie asked her friend. "Well," Sally said, as she looked over the information shown on Nicole's display, "we need one more part, the Neutralizer." "The what?" "The Neutralizer. It turns the polarity to negative, which means that it will de-roboticize. When we have this replica finished, we can use it to deroboticize you, Uncle Chuck, and many more Freedom Fighters!" "My stars!" exclaimed Bunnie. Rosie called for supper, so Sally put away Nicole, and she and Bunnie went out the door to Sally's hut. When outside, they caught up with Sonic, who had Tails trailing close behind him. "Hiya sugar-hog! Hi Tails!" Bunnie welcomed the two. "Afternoon! By the way Sal, Tails and I have been meanin' to ask ya somethin'." Sonic told her. Tails lit up. * * * Bunnie, Sally, Tails, Rotor and Sonic were sitting in Sally's hut. "You want him to what?!" Sally exclaimed. "You heard me, an experimental mission to Robotropolis." Sonic replied calmly. "He's too young Sonic, we can't risk his life by going to Robotropolis, home of the Roboticizer." she informed him. "Please, Aunt Sally? I'll be with Sonic at all times! I'll be back to Knothole in a flash if anything happens! PLEEEEESE?" Tails begged. "Well, there is one mission..." Sally trailed off. "WE'LL TAKE IT!" Tails yelled. Sally giggled, "You haven't even heard what it is yet, Tails." "I wanna be a Freedom Fighter, Aunt Sally! I wanna be like you and Sonic! I wanna bust Robuttnik!" Tails explained. "Oh... all right, but you have to promise me that you'll stay with Sonic." "I will, Aunt Sally, I will!" "Alright, here's the mission. Bunnie, Rotor, and I have been making a replica of the Roboticizer. All we need to finish it is one part, the Neutralizer. The problem is, is that we don't know if these are even still around, so what you'll have to do find out if there is one, and when you find it, bring it back to Knothole." She paused and looked at Sonic, "We're counting on you Sonic." Sally smiled. "No prob, Sal! Ready, Tails?" Sonic questioned. "You bet!" Tails confirmed. "It's jelly-and-jam time!" they both said in unison as they shot off for Robotropolis. * * * Meanwhile, in Robotropolis, Robotnik was sitting in his grand chair giving orders to his crew of Swat-bots. Abruptly, Snively spoke up. "We've got a hedgehog alert in sector 7, sir." "Report, Snively." "The hedgehog is approaching Robotropolis with the small fox, sir. This could pose some threat to us, especially since the fox can fly." Robotnik watched the screen provided by the spy-eye for a second, then spoke. "You do have a point there, Snively, although the fox isn't as fast as the rodent is." Dr. Robotnik paused, "I want that fox." "Sending Stealth-bots right away sir." * * * Sonic and Tails were proceeding towards the Death Egg when they were finally attacked by the bots. "Look out, Tails!" Sonic yelled. "Already on it!" Tails assured his friend as he started to use his tails to whip a Stealth-bot into oblivion. Sonic had already conducted a super spin, tearing through one Stealth- bot and was ready for the next when he heard Tails' cry for help. "Tails!" A Stealth-bot was clutching the little fox by the tails and began to hover off. Sonic would have went after it but some Swat-bots were heading towards his way, and they were not looking for conversation. This delayed the hedgehog into saving his pal. By the time every last bot was gone, Sonic rushed to Uncle Chuck's hideout. He knocked on the pipe near the apparent junk heap and was pleased when his Uncle let him in. "Uncle Chuck! Bad news, man! Robotnik got Tails!" Sonic explained. "But Tails never goes out of Knothole!" Uncle Chuck informed him. Sonic then explained about the experimental mission and what had happened in the battle. "Let's check the holding cells. He's bound to be in there." Uncle Chuck told his nephew. * * * "He's not here, Unc." Sonic explained. Uncle Chuck gasped. "The Roboticizer..." * * * "Leave me alone!" cried Tails, trapped inside the Roboticizing chamber. Robotnik laughed evilly. "Don't worry, my boy. Very soon, I will leave you alone. That is, after I roboticize you!" "NO!" Tails yelled. "Snively, prepare to activate." "Activation starting in thirty seconds sir." the small man replied. "Excellent..." Suddenly, a vent burst open from the wall. From it was Sonic. "Show's over Robuttnik! Prepare to meet your worst nightmare." "Hedgehog!!" Robotnik screamed. "Hurry, Sonic, get me outta here! I don't wanna be a robot!" Tails whimpered. "Don't worry big-guy, comin' right atcha!" Sonic said pulling out a power ring from his trusty backpack, "Spin and win time!" Sonic then proceeded to do a super spin into the chamber which held Tails in, slicing it just inches over his head. Next Sonic went for Robotnik by spinning and diving under his stubby legs to perform a chain-saw attack which sent Dr. Ivo Robotnik skyrocketing to the ceiling. Tails took on Snively, who was standing in the corner watching his uncle in pain. He did the worst possible thing to Snively. He tickled him with his tails! Snively proceeded to roll on the floor, hysterically laughing. Considering that Robotnik and Snively weren't in any condition to capture the duo, they called the guards instead to finish the job. The Swat-bots fired but Sonic shot out of the way, holding Tails on his back. This went on for about fifteen seconds when suddenly Sonic shot past the bot to the vent in which he came through. "Thanks, Sonic!" Tails said, "Just promise me you won't tell Aunt Sally about this, okay?" "Sure thing big-guy. Not a word." Sonic said, as he continued to Uncle Chuck's hideout. * * * "The Neutralizer, eh?" Uncle Chuck said, rubbing his metallic chin. "Sure thing. This could mean the end of roboticization as we know it!" Sonic smiled. "Well one thing's for sure," Uncle Chuck told his nephew, "Sally was right when she said these things were rare. I think the last of these have gone off to the disassembling plant. That's where Robotnik sends his old machinery, and since you said you have the original Roboticizer plans, I think that would be your best bet to search there." "Thank you Uncle Chuck." Tails smiled. "You're welcome my boy. You be careful. Just because it's a scrap-heap, doesn't mean it isn't teeming with bots. You stay with Sonic, okay?" "Yes, sir." Tails replied. Sonic put on his pack. "Later, Unc!" he said, then bolted out with Tails right behind him. * * * At the plant, Sonic and Tails crept silently past the guards. "What are we gonna look for, Son?" Tails wondered. "I'm not sure, but I think I remember what the old Roboticizer looked like." Sonic thought. They began walking around inside the plant, looking for what resembled a Roboticizer. Sonic knew what the part looked like from a detailed description given to him by Sally. I wonder what Sal's doin now, Sonic thought to himself. It was then when Tails alerted him. "Is this it, Sonic?" the little fox said as he pointed towards a large machine with a platform in the center of it. Sonic recognized it immediately. "Good goin' little bro'! You found it!" Sonic cried. He then sped around the machine looking for the area near the platform in which he was to look. "Jackpot!" he exclaimed as he opened the rusty panel. Inside he found what he was looking for. Suddenly a siren was heard. Swat-bots! * * * "This mission has taken longer than I expected." Sally said. "Don't fret, Sally-girl. The sugar-hog'll be back soon enough." Bunnie comforted the princess. "I guess you're right. I'm going to take my mind off this." Sally turned to Nicole, "Nicole, let me see a visual of the modern Roboticizer, the one Dr. Robotnik uses today." "Accessing, Sally." said Nicole. Just then, a visual of the modern-day Roboticizer was shown. Sally had been comparing it to the replica of the old one. Something diverted her attention outside. "Preencess Sally!" Antoine whined. Sally went to the window of the hut. "What is it, Antoine?" "We happen to be out of paprika." he explained. "So?" Sally blurted. "May I be borroweeng some of yours?" "For goodness' sake, Antoine! Can't y'all see we're busy in here?" Bunnie remarked, sticking her head out of the window. "Zees is vary important!" Antoine exclaimed. Sally took her head from out of the window for a moment, and returned holding a jar in her hand. "Here you go, Antoine. Now leave!" she said throwing the jar at him as gently as she could. He barely caught it. * * * The Swat-bots this time had caught both Sonic and Tails, and had them waiting in a holding cell. "Lemme outta here you metal-heads!" Sonic shouted as he held on to the bars of the cell. It was then when Robotnik showed up, followed by a pair of bots, and behind them, Snively. "What's the deal, moon-head?" Sonic shot. "Oh. An insult. I do think that was uncalled for," Robotnik smiled his worst grin, "but seeing where you're going, I won't worry about it." "You're never gonna get through with this, Robotnik!" shouted Tails, "You will never win this battle." Suddenly Tails flew to the front of the cell to stand right in front of Robotnik. "You're going down, you mutant doorknob." Robotnik wasn't very impressed. "You will be taken to the Roboticizer first, you little upstart," he turned to face Sonic, "and as for you, rodent, I will be holding a little party just for you. I have built a special Roboticizer just for you. The walls of this machine are fully indestructible, hedgehog-proof. Try to escape, just try. You never will." "We'll see about that, chrome-dome." Sonic said, taking a ring from his pack. Grabbing Tails, he shot off towards the plant again, leaving Robotnik furious. They passed the Roboticizer, and Sonic wished he had Sally with him so she could get the newer plans. This trip was turning into a real headache. Sonic soon found the part he was looking for, grabbed it, and sped off. It was too late, Swat-bots were moving in. He and Tails dashed left-to-right, looking for an opening. He was suddenly torn out of his train of thought as a Swat-bot had shot the Neutralizer out of his hand. "No!" Sonic yelled as he watched it fall to the ground, burnt. He grabbed for it just in the nick of time, because a second later, and he would have been fried. He shoved the burnt part into his backpack and performed a super cyclone and hurled the bots into the side of the Death Egg. It was then when Tails landed, grabbed onto Sonic's shoulder and the both of them sped off towards Knothole. * * * "How's it look, Sal?" Sonic said as he watched over the princesses shoulder as she examined the Neutralizer. "Unsalvageable Sonic." she sighed. Sally looked down. "Aw, it's alright, Sal! We'll find a way, just you wait." "I know, I know, but it's just that...that...I wanted to be able to help Bunnie, and the many others who are fully roboticized. I've taken their hopes up, and now I've let them down." Sally sniffled. "That is not true, Sal. Don't blame yourself. We'll find a way, I promise." Sonic comforted her. "I guess you're right." Abruptly, Antoine entered Sally's hut holding a ceramic bowl. "Heer I am, my beauteeful preencess!" Antoine said. "What is that Antoine?" Sally asked him. "Eet's my famos 'Soup de Antoine'. I am making zis for everyone for supper tonight, in honor of Tails' first meesion as a Freedom Fightare." "Why that's sweet of you Antoine." Sally said. "Nice goin' Ant! I think the little guy will love this!" Sonic smiled. "Hurry! Deener is starteeng!" Antoine said, rushing the two out. * * * "In honor of Miles "Tails" Prower, we dedicate this meal to on his first Freedom Fighter expedition." Sonic smiled. Under the setting sun, everyone began to eat the soup. Tails who was sitting at the head of the table started first. He took one taste of the soup and smiled. "This is good Tony!" Dulcy exclaimed as she began to eat. "Sure is hot though." replied Rotor. Sally and Bunnie shared a smile. As soon as everyone was finished with the dessert cakes, Tails had gone into his hut to get something out for Sonic. It was a pair of socks with the name "Sonic" embroidered on the rim. He then ran outside. "Sonic!" he yelled, as he ran towards his friend, who happened to be chatting with Bunnie. "Hi sweet-tails!" Bunnie welcomed the litle fox. "Hi little bro'!" said Sonic. "I got something for ya, Sonic. I made 'em myself." Tails said as he handed his friend the gift. "Wow!" Sonic exclaimed, "The old sneaks'll be glad to see these babies!...Thanks, Tails" "Thank you, too." Tails said, and he ran off to play with the other children. Sally had walked over and heard the whole conversation. "You're wonderful, Sonic." she said, and kissed him on the cheek. "Yeah, well, you know..." Sonic grinned, "C'mon ladies," he said taking Bunnie and Sally by the hands., "Let's go see if Rosie has seconds for dessert." The End =>