My head began to clear as the echoing of bullets ringing in my ears. I sat up suddenly. Ayanna was still standing with me.

“Take it easy, girl!” she exclaimed, “You took a pretty nasty hit to the head!”

“I can’t take it easy when those freaks are blowing up the whole town!” I snapped. 

I peeked over the counter. I saw flashes of Sonic appeared to and fro, then sonic-balling into the robots, causing them to explode. 

“There has to be something I can do!” I hissed.

“No way! Sonic’s a freaking advanced creature from a fantasy island! He can take it! You have no chance-!” Ayanna objected.

“I can’t sit here and do nothing!” I insisted.

.

Suddenly, I saw a frightened child a few feet from us, hiding behind a car, alone, covered in soot and crying.

“I may not be able to help Sonic, but I can help the people!” I decided. 

I jumped out of my hiding place and rushed towards the kid. I heard Ayanna screaming behind me, but I ignored her. I covered my head as I heard lasers fly past my head. I ducked behind the car and knelt down next to the child.

“Where’s your mommy?” I asked, calmly as I could.

“I don’t know!” the kid sobbed. exclaimed. 

“Don’t be scared,” I cooed.

I peeked above the car. The police were there securing the people and standing outside the businesses with bars and guns. I noticed a small gap in front of the post office. 

“Lets get inside the mail shop, okay?” 

The boy sniffed then nodded. He took my hand. Slowly, we crept from behind the car. The boy screamed as a crumpled robot fly over us and hit the ground with a loud thud.

“It’s okay. Sonic’s beating up the bad guys!” I assured.

.

At last, after navigating through the battlefield, we made it to the post office. 

“Hold your fire! I have a kid here!”

The police pushed us inside. 

“Mommy!” The boy suddenly exclaimed.

A black haired woman with a bleeding wound on her cheek, burst from the crowd and scooped up the child in her arms.

“John! John!” she sobbed.

I sighed in relief.

.

Suddenly, something smashed through the window. The townspeople screeched and huddled as far as they could away from the windows, I ducked and covered my head, praying to avoid any glass jab into my arm.

I was growing tired. They didn’t stop coming! Two choppers hovered overhead, kicking up and debris. Suddenly, as I was coming toward one of the robots, it swung its metal arm, jamming me in the stomach. I soared into a shop and smashed into the glass. I hit someone and we were sent tumbling. I winced and slowly rolled over on my back. There was Luana. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to me.

“Sonic! You okay!?” she cried.

I grunted.

“Fine…Just fine…”

But I didn’t feel fine. I pulled myself up, and whobbled a little. Boy that robot knocked the wind out of me! Luana helped me stabilize. 

.

Suddenly, a giant, white drone came barreling in to the shop. Its beady red eye targeted Luana, and pointed its guns at her. She froze.

“Luana!”

I grabbed her just before the drone fired. I ran. Suddenly, another robot emerged. This one was bigger, and dark purple. Before I could pull the brakes, it let out some kind of sonic pulse. I lost grip of Luana and we flew forward.

.

My senses were scattered and my vision blurred. I pulled my head up and looked around for Luana. I found her a few feet from me. She slowly rolled over, and tried to sit up. I struggled, but I got on my feet. I planned to run, swoop in, scoop her up, and get out. I was guilty that she would have to leave her home. But it was the only way she could be safe now. 

.

Soldiers flooded the road. Two of them suddenly grabbed Luana’s arms and pulled her into their ranks. She yelled and kicked. They restrained her and pulled her back.

“SONIC!”

“LUANA!” I screamed.

.

The commander emerged from the sea of black suits.

“So, you truly are the Blue Blur. It is an honor to meet you at last,” he greeted slyly, “Although, I didn’t expect you to be so reckless.”

“I’m no hero,” I corrected, “I’m just a guy with a need for speed. 

“So I’ve heard.”

The soldiers closed in. The sun had gone down, and the floodlights of the helicopters above blinded me.

“You are persistent. But you know you can’t stop all of this; and you won’t be able to save your friend.”

I gritted my teeth. 

“What do you know about me? All you guys were ever concerned about was what you could get out of me!”

“We merely helped you survive, being the last of your kind.”

“It’s your fault that I’m the last! My friends died because of you!”

I felt power surge through me, and the crackle of electricity. My eyes turned bright blue.

“I couldn’t save them because of you!” 

“Things change, Blue Blur. Even the plates of this very planet crumble at some point. South Island fell into the sea like the tragedy of Atlantis.”

.

Suddenly, a gun was pointed at Luana’s head. She winced. She shut her eyes, terrified. I halted.

“NO-!”

“We can do this the easy way, or the hard way” said the commander. “Your kind may have perished, but that doesn’t mean your girlfriend has to share their fate. You know this.”

I glared. My fists tightened. 

“If you come with us, the people of Lorhen County will be spared. We will leave this town peacefully, and will not return.”

“Don’t do it, Sonic!” Luana cried, through flowing tears.

The soldier pushed the barrel harder into her head. But she didn’t stop.

“NO! DON’T LISTEN TO THEM! JUST RUN! RUN! PLEASE!”

But I didn’t move. 

.

My eyes glued onto her. I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t want to be caged again. I wanted to be free. I could’ve run. But I’d be lying to myself if I said I had something to lose. My eyes returned to normal. I straightened, and relaxed my arms to my sides. 

“Fine” I said quietly. 

.

Once the commander gave them the all clear, the soldiers lowered their weapons. Soon I was closed in. Cuffs were latched onto my legs and wrists. As I was forcefully pushed towards an open van, I glanced at Luana again. The barrel had been pulled away from her head. She stared at me, quietly sobbing. I frowned. In that moment, I wish I could’ve told her how much she meant to me; and that this was worth it. I couldn’t run, not when someone was going to be hurt.  

.

Suddenly, I heard a struggle. I whirled around to see Luana fighting for one of the soldier’s guns. Then, another slammed her in the head with the stock of his firearm. She fell to the ground, limp. My eyes widened. 

“LUANA!” I screamed.

She didn’t move. Her arms were restrained. I started to fight back. But because my limbs were clasped shut, I wasn’t flexible enough to get past the soldier’s grips. I looked at the commander, enraged. 

“YOU SAID YOU WOULDN’T HURT HER! YOU SAID YOU WOULD LEAVE HER ALONE!” 

“I said I would spare her,” the commander rebuttled, calmly, “I didn’t say she wouldn’t be harmed.”

He turned to a soldier next to him. 

“Put her in a truck. She’s coming with us.”

“NO!”

.

Before I could do anything else, I felt something stick into my back. Instantly I felt woozy. I struggled to see. I caught one last look at my friend loaded into another truck. Then I blacked out.