Sonic threw the last of the trash from the victory celebration as he headed back to his hut. He gave a final 'Goodnight," to the Mobians who were finishing up like him. Robotnik was defeated, tomorrow they would return to Robotropolis. He reached his hut, and quickly found his bed. Whatever energy had been left over from the use of the Power Stones didn't prevent him from falling asleep. His last thoughts were of the final moments before the doomsday machine was completely destroyed, his last view of his arch nemesis, one he'd despised his whole life, one who was now gone. Then he slipped into a state of deep slumber.

A distant crunch followed by mechanical clanking awoke Tails early in the morning. Startled, he looked out the window, and saw nothing. "Heh, must've been dreaming I heard something," he said to himself as he lay back down. Then more clanking came, this time a bit closer. "All right I wasn't imagining that!" Tails leapt up from his bed and flew towards Sonic's hut. A rather short journey, but to Tails it was too long. Any second he expected a hot laser to burn him down. "Whew, I made it." Tails said as he set down in front of Sonic's hut. He opened the door and ran to Sonic. "Sonic, wake up! There's something out in the Great Forest!"

Sonic's eyes opened, blinking rapidly. "Huh?" he mumbled. "Whuzzat?"

"In the forest, something's out there!" Tails pointed urgently out the window.

Sonic moved to the window and listened carefully. "I don't hear any-" Sonic didn't complete his sentence, a loud clanking noise came from the direction Tails had been pointing. "Thanks Tails. Wait here, I'll go check it out." Without waiting for an answer, Sonic sped out of his hut and into the forest. Less than five seconds later he found a small patrol of swatbots searching the forest. "If Tails hadn't come and gotten me these bots would've found Knothole." He watched the robots carefully search each area before they moved a bit more. "And they will if I don't stop them now. No telling why they're out here, 'Botnik's gone." Sonic leapt from the cover of the trees into the middle of the patrol. "You guys looking for me? I'm the only one here."

"Hedgehog," the lead swatbot said. "Priority one, must apprehend."

"No chance," Sonic said as he zipped between the bots. Lasers flew all around him, but none touched. "Yo, swatheads, fire this way will ya?" Sonic easily dodged the blast, sending the shot into another robot. "That just leaves you ugly." Sonic pointed at the lead swatbot. He went into a triple spin and sliced right through the swatbot. "And another win for the hedgehog!" Sonic smiled then headed to the nearest lookout post. After a quick check to make sure no more patrols were nearby he headed back to knothole. "This is not good. Someone's taken over ol' Moonhead's mecha army. Sal will wanna know this quick." It didn't take him long to get back to Knothole, by that time everyone else had already awoken.

"Sonic," Sally called from behind the blue speedster. "Tails said you heard something in the woods."

"Yeah," Sonic turned towards Sally. "Some sort of swatbot patrol was looking for Knothole."

"There's no one left to control the swatbots though," Sally said. "What could've caused them to start searching like this?"

A smirk spread on Sonic's face and he snapped his fingers as an idea entered his head. "One word," he said. "Snively. I mean who else would be able to take over after Robotnik gone and kicked the ol' oil can?"

"Good point," Sally said. "We'd already planned to go into Robotropolis today, but we'd hoped it would be easy and we'd avoid any problems. But with Snively in charge now that's not going to happen."

Sonic quietly zipped forward, cautiously approaching from the junkyard. A quick scan of the surrounding area showed no one present. With a cautious wave of his hand he signaled the others forward. Sally, Antoine, Bunnie, Rotor, and Tails crept up behind him.

"This is strange," Sally said. "Not a single sign of a swatbot anywhere. No hoverbots either." A humming sound followed her words.

Sonic replied in a hushed whisper, "I think you spoke too soon." He pointed skyward. A lone hoverbot patrolled along where they had come from. "Something's up. Only one 'bot guarding where we came from?"

"We still need to get to the control room Sonic," Sally said.

"Oui, oui," Antoine said in a hushed tone. "But mayhap it is zee trap yes?"

"Oh cool it Antoine," Bunnie said.

"Yeah," Tails replied. "If it is a trap, Sonic can get us out of it."

Sonic shrugged, then turned away to hide the smirk creeping onto his face. "Sal, I'll go scout ahead while you guys stay here and take cover. I'll signal you from that building top over there if everything's cool."

"Got it Sonic," Sally said, grabbing her binoculars.

Sonic zipped off, heading slyly towards the heart of Robotropolis. "No 'bots here?" Sonic said to himself. "What is Snively doing? He's almost inviting me inside." Sonic stopped, screeching to a halt behind a nearby building. "That's it, he wants us inside, so no matter if we're seen or not he won't show his hand until we're inside." Sonic turned and ran up the building. He pulled out a small mirror and let the light flash, what little there was, flash off it for a bit. Then he waited, an unbearably long time. Finally the others showed up.

"Sonic, what's up?" Sally asked quickly.

"Hoverbots and patrol units," Sonic laughed at his own joke. "Seriously though, Sniv is up to something. We've seen one hoverbot since we entered the city and no, I repeat no swatbots."

"Zis can be a good thing yes?" Antoine asked, a little unsure.

"Sure," Sonic said. "That is if you want to walk into a trap."

"I don't follow Sugah-Hog," Bunnie said.

Sally snapped her fingers. "It's simple. Snively wants us inside much the same way Robotnik did when we first infiltrated his Doomsday machine."

"And just like then we're gonna take Snively down," Sonic said. "C'mon, we still need to be cautious so we don't tip him off."

Antione chattered silently as they got closer and closer to Robotnik's old headquarters. They reached the building rather quickly. Although a little too slowly for Sonic.

"All right," Sally said opening up Nicole. "Nicole, give me a schematic of Robotnik's headquarters, and add the underground sewer system we found in the subter file."

"Processing," Nicole's mechanical voice said. Soon an image of the ugly black building appeared.

Sally pointed at a point underneath the building, "Here's where we go in. The main hangar. From there we can reach the brain room using the air ducts."

"Only one problem with that Sally-girl," Bunnie said. "If we're all goin in at the same point and headin' to the same place we have a better chance of gettin caught."

"Bunnie's right," Sonic said. "You guys head in from the hangar, then head to the brain room."

"And just where will you be?" Sally asked.

"I'll make my heroic entrance in from a point that Snively won't be expecting," Sonic said. The smile he planted on his face was one of extreme self confidence. "If you guys get into trouble, he won't know where I'm coming from. And if you don't get in trouble, I can hook back up with you guys in the brain room."

Sally rolled her eyes, "Fine, we'll do it your way. But Sonic-!"

It was too late, Sonic threw them a hasty "Later!" and headed off around the building.

Sally gave a grunt of annoyance, "He makes me so mad sometimes. Now we head in from this point and get into the air ducts. From there we can make it to the brain room and access everything." She got nods from everyone present and they headed down into the underground tunnels they'd discovered so long ago.

Sonic rapidly juiced over to his Uncle's spy shack, and entered. "Unc's got just what I need in here." Sonic found what he was looking for , the rolled it out and back towards the main building.

After a swift run through the sewers, the team entered the hangar portion of Robotnik's headquarters. Without meeting a single 'bot, worker or swatbot, they entered the air duct.

"Ya'll know we could jest walk right up to that there brain room," Bunnie said.

"Yeah we could," Sally said. "But then Snively would know we were on to him." With slow and deliberate caution, they worked their way up to the main control room. One by one they silently dropped down from the air duct. Sally walked over to the main control panel. A few robots were working on similar panels around the room. "Curiouser, and curiouser." Sally turned back towards the main computer and pulled out Nicole. "All right, Nicole, see what's been going on around here."

"Affirmative Sally," Nicole's monotone voice replied. She whirred for a moment then started speaking frantically, and in a tone that changed from high pitched to a deep bass. "Warning! Warning! Circuit overload imminent. Cannot disengage! I estimate five seconds before complete burnout!"

Sally yanked the cable connecting Nicole to the main computer. She received a powerful electrical shock as she did so and fell down against the floor.

Antione gasped. "My Princess! Are you all right?"

Sally nodded, then tried to turn on Nicole. All she received was a high pitched whine, and a static screen. "Oh no." She turned towards Rotor and handed him Nicole. "Think you can fix her?"

"I'll certainly try," Rotor said. "But there's no guaran-." Before he could finish laser gun emplacements appeared out of the walls and 'bots of all shapes and sizes appeared from nowhere.

"Oh my, I do declare," Bunnie said in a sarcastic tone.

"I think we need Sonic right about now," Sally said. Then the main viewer clicked on.

Snively's face appeared on it. His not-so-diabolical laughter filled the room, "I have you now Freedom Fighters. Sonic has failed to show back up, and by the time he returns you will all be dead or roboticized!"

"I wouldn't count on that Snotley," Tails said. "Sonic's on his way right now, he'll deal with you."

"You insolent little twerp," Snively said. "I'll make sure you never talk to me that way again. Swatbots, apprehend the intruders, if they resist, shoot them."

"I wouldn't do that Snively," Sonic's voice said, elongating the 'I' in Snively's name.

"What the hedgehog?" Snively said. "Where?"

"Right here," A metal clang accompanied the detachment of one 'bot's head as Sonic popped out of it.

"Get him!" Snively yelled. "Get that blasted hedgehog!" The bot's lasers turned towards Sonic, as did the emplacements on the wall.

Sonic leaped up as they fired simultaneously. "You'll need to be faster than that," he said. Then he went into a triple spin, destroying the emplacements on the walls. Sonic sliced through the main force of swatbots in the room. "Oooh, swatbots, I'm sooooo scared. Haha." Sonic laughed as he continued to rip them up.

Tails noticed one of the arms lying on the ground. "I'll help ya Sonic." He grabbed the arm and pointed it at the first swatbot, then he fired the laser catching the bot in the middle. The bot flew backwards and hit another one, who's shot then missed it's intended target and hit another bot. The other Freedom Fighters got the idea and grabbed weapons, and helped Sonic finish mopping up the rest of the bots.

Sonic stopped in between where his friends had moved to and the main viewer. "You're all washed up," Sonic said. "Watcha gonna do now?"

"It doesn't matter Hedgehog," Snively said as he laughed again. "You haven't faced my most lethal robot yet. And I've sealed you into the room, locking down even the air ducts you so cleverly came in through."

"Vicious killer robot eh?' Sonic laughed, the smirk on his lips revealing just how scared he was. "Where is he?" They watched Snively hit a button off screen, then a wall began to retract. Sonic saw a robot appear from behind the door. "Oh." His gut twisted as he saw the sight before him.

Snively laughed even harder. "What's the matter little blue boy? Dog got your tongue? Muttski, sic that hedgehog, bring him to me either alive or dead!"

Sonic dove out of the way as his beloved friend charged at him. Teeth clamping shut right where the hedgehog had been mere seconds before. "Muttski stop! It's me Sonic."

Muttski turned, lights flashed in his eyes. Unfortunately they weren't too friendly. He lunged again. Sonic backed up, unfortunately not far enough. Muttski rammed him, knocking the power ring out of Sonic's pack. Sonic leapt up, and back-flipped away from his dog.

"Stop it Muttski!" Sonic yelled as he leapt from another charge. "I can't hurt you."

"Sonic," it was Sally's voice. "You have to stop him! Use the power ring!"

Sonic shook his head as Sally prepared to throw him the ring. He dodged another blow. "I can't hurt him Sal! He's important to me." Sonic's voice was straining, straining against his need to yell at this cruelty and his need to keep his friends from being injured.

Snively laughed. "Oohoo, Sonic can't even beat a dog! Oh this is delightful. Your Uncle may be freed from his mindlessness, but your dog belongs to me."

The mention of his uncle started the wheels in Sonic's mind turning. He dodged another lunge. Gotta free Muttski's mind. Even if I can only do it for a little while. Sonic leapt backward, but Muttski changed his tactics and leapt towards where Sonic was heading. He knocked Sonic down and growled over him. That's it! "Sally throw me the ring!" Pain still racked Sonic's voice, not from the damage inflicted by his dog, but by the fact that it was HIS dog, a dog he might have to injure or destroy.

Sally threw the ring, its sailed through the air straight towards Sonic's hand. Sonic reached for it, then Muttski leaped up and caught the power source between his teeth. The dog landed and rolled, his eyes, flickered for a moment, fading to less bright, then shining bright again. "C'mon, c'mon," Sonic said to himself as he got ready for another attack by the dog. "Fight it Muttski, c'mon fight it."

The dog dropped the ring then sat down. "Bark, bark," Muttski barked in a robotic voice. Sonic gave a sigh of relief, then leaned forward and hugged his dog.

"What?!" Snively stared in disbelief. "Muttski I order you to dismember that hedgehog this instant!"

While Snively continued to rant and rave over Muttski, Sonic's friends gathered around him. "It's going to be okay Muttski," Sonic said. "Just fight it. When the power rings wears off fight it." Muttski barked, a happy bark and just sat there and panted for a second. "Goodboy, I know you can do it." Sonic sat staring at his beloved dog, then he heard Snively behind him. "C'mon boy, show us the way out."

"Muttski," Snively said. "This is your master speaking. Kill Sonic and his friends, don't let them escape. Muttski!!!" Snively continued to yell as Muttski lead them outside.

"Good boy Muttski, good boy," Sonic said as his beloved dog led them out. They reached the junk heap and that's where Muttski's eyes began to brighten then fade again. "Oh no you don't!" Sonic knelt in front of Muttski. "Muttski, listen to me. This is Sonic. Fight against it! Stay Muttski! You don't have to be a killer robot! C'mon, Uncle Chuck is back in Knothole. You can come with us. We can get some chili dogs when we get back home."

Muttski's head started to move, sometimes his eyes would start to glow then he would growl. Then they'd fade back and his tail would wag. Back and forth they switched as Sonic tried to coax him back, and Muttski fought against the pull against his mind. Then Muttski won out, his eyes turned dimmer, and stayed that way.

"Muttski!" Sonic said as he threw his arms around his dog again. "Yes! I knew you could do it boy. C'mon let's go home."

"All right Sugar-hog," Bunnie said. "You got 'im back."

"Ces magnific," Antoine said. "Now we head home yes?"

Sonic nodded, then he walked with his dog back into the hover-unit they had and flew back to Knothole. As triumphant as he felt when they'd defeated Robotnik.

Episode 28-

When the ring machine is destroyed, Sonic is faced with a major dilemma. He can either use his last power ring to save his friends, or lose it in the hopes of fixing the ring machine. His only hope to restore his source for this legendary talisman lies in the hands of its creator, his uncle, and another friend who's mechanical talent and intellect is just beginning to grow.