Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Coke Conspiracy ❯ Thirst ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: Thirst

After Sonic and Tails offered for Knuckles the Echidna to go with them, he refused, so the two adventured out together, leaving Knuckles to continue watching over the Emerald. Metal Sonic was on his way to the restaurant not for a meal, but to steal. Knuckles sat alone after Sonic and Tails had gone out to eat, and Nickel sat down with him to watch the peaceful sunset.

"Knuckles?" she asked him in a whisper.

Knuckles rested his chin in his hands, watching the sunlight slowly fade. "Yes? What?"

"Will you come home for dinner tonight? You promised Keith you would be home."

"Yeah, I will," Knuckles replied. "I just wanted to make sure that everything's okay."

"Don't worry," Nickel said, smiling. "Listen, I'm taking Keith to McDonalds for a Happy Meal on the way to the post office today. I have things to mail. Why don't you come along with us?"

Knuckles sighed, and he turned to her. "I can't, not this time, but I will be home for dinner."

"Fine," Nickel said, a little sad, but she understood. She knew Knuckles had some duties to keep. "Well, I have to go before they close. Bye." She gave him a kiss, and then she left to find Keith.

Knuckles touched his cheek, and then he looked at his hand. "Wow…" he whispered.

= = = = =

Meanwhile…

"Wow!" said a voice, and it was Sonic the Hedgehog. "We made it, Tails, and just in time."

Tails looked up at the McDonald's sign. "Yeah, this is it," he said. "You ready?"

"Sure, I'm always ready to eat," Sonic said, grinning.

"Eat what, Sonic?" Tails asked him curiously.

"Food," he answered, and then the blue hedgehog ran in a burst of wind, vanishing.

"Hey, Sonic, wait for me!" Tails shouted, and he flew after him, following.

Then behind a green bush, the predator's glowing red eyes watched, stalking his prey. Actually, it was just Metal Sonic. "Wow," said the robot, stepping out in the open. "My first day out in a public area, and this red building appears to be of interest to these organic life forms." He looked, and he saw a statue of a clown named Ronald. "Does not compute…" It made Metal dizzy.

Metal shook his head to stop the annoying dizziness, and then he heard Dr. Eggman calling him through his radio. "Metal, have you reached the restaurant yet?" he asked.

"Affirmative, sir. I am in the parking space, and am proceeding to enter the building."

"Very good," Eggman said to him. "Now be sure to use the formula wisely without being seen."

"Do not worry, no one will notice me," said Metal, and then he ended the call.

"Metal!" squeaked a voice, and the robot turned his head to see. It was a small child, and his mother was holding his hand, leading him to a car. "Bye, bye, Metal!" the child waved, giggling.

Metal watched the car leave, and he shrugged. "Strange, how do others know my name?"

He pushed that question aside, and then he moved toward the restaurant without being detected. When Metal closed the backdoor, Nickel and Keith arrived, holding hands while they walked. Sonic and Tails were happy to find Sally and Bunnie inside also, and they were sitting at a table together, next to a window. Sonic tapped his foot, and the sound caught Sally's attention.

"Sonic!" she said happily with a little surprise in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Just going to eat and run," Sonic answered.

Bunnie chuckled at the hedgehog, nodding. "Yeah, we suspected that, hon, first thing."

"How are you, Tails?" Sally asked the fox, who stood with Sonic.

"I'm fine, and with a safe place like this, there's nothing to worry about." He smiled.

"Yep, no worries," Sonic said, but then, something sent a chill down his spine.

"Oh, Sonic, my hero!" It was Amy Rose, and she came into the building with joy and cheer.

"Cheer?" Sonic gasped. "I'd rather not be near!" He turned to run, but she caught him.

"You owe me an autograph on pink paper!" Amy said with pure delight.

"No, I do not," Sonic denied, and then he turned around. "Right, Tails?" he asked.

"Well, I don't know," he said, and then he quickly changed the subject. "You look thirsty."

"Yeah," Amy gasped for air, panting. She sat down to rest with Bunnie on a chair.

"We should all get a nice cold drink," Sally said, and Bunnie nodded in agreement.

"That sounds good to me," Amy agreed with the idea.

"Me, too," Tails said, and he sat down with the blue hedgehog, his best friend.

"Me three," Sonic said, and he was free from the girl hedgehog.

Just then, Nickel the Echidna and Keith entered the building together, and they stood in line. Sonic let Nickel go first, and she thanked him before ordering Keith's meal and drink. Behind the coke machine, Metal Sonic held an empty glass bottle, letting out a robotic snicker.

"Drink to your doom, heroes," Metal said, and then he departed, undetected.

= = = = =

Later…

Knuckles the Echidna returned home when it was dark. Night had come, and it was calm, peaceful, a perfect time to leave worries behind for a little while. But the echidna was unaware of the danger that awaited him. He came home, but no one was there. It was very strange.

"Nickel!" Knuckles called, "Hey, Nick, where are you? Keith? Anybody home?"

No one answered. Confused, Knuckles scratched his head. He wondered if maybe, they were over at Billy's place. He shrugged, and leaving the empty house behind, he left to go see if it was so. Knuckles came to the house, and it was dark also. The door was slightly opened, and he stepped inside. The door creaked ever so slightly, but it was enough to send a scary chill to send fear.

"Not for me," Knuckles whispered, walking very quietly. "It takes a lot to scare me…"

"Knuckles!" shouted a voice, and the red echidna yelped, jumping up to the ceiling fan.

"You-you crazy scientist!" Knuckles shouted at the darkness, hanging on.

"Pardon me," Billy said, and he switched on a flashlight. "We are currently undergoing a blackout, sadly due to my latest experiment with electricity, and solar power in the--"

"Hush up!" Knuckles said, and then he lost his grip, falling from the ceiling to the floor.

Billy shook his head. "My goodness, Knuckles, you should have been more careful."

"You should have been a doctor, or something else that's earthly," Knuckles mumbled.

"Here, allow me," Billy offered a hand of help, but Knuckles stood up on his own.

"All right, Bill, is Nickel here? Have you seen Keith?" Knuckles asked, brushing away dust.

"I'm sorry, but the truthful answer is no to both of your questions," Billy replied.

"This is so weird," Knuckles said quietly, almost to himself. "I…I thought…."

Billy offered some help, in his own special way. "Perhaps I could find them with--"

"No!" Knuckles interrupted. "Don't use your wacky gadgets to find them! Who knows, you could blow a giant crater in California, or worse, you'll have a flying pig on the loose! No thank you!"

"Wacky? Flying pig?" Billy asked in a whisper, sweating. "That sounds…Illogical."

Zack 505 entered the room, holding a mini flashlight. "Power will be online in four minutes."

"Excellent!" Billy said happily. "Then I shall finally complete my project. It will be interesting."

Knuckles rolled his eyes, and then he turned to leave. His mind was wandering in so many places at once. "Look, Billy, I have to go. I've got to find Nickel. Bye." He closed the door, and he left.

Billy sighed, and then he waved his hand goodbye. "Farewell, Knuckles."

"Sayonara," Zack added, and then he came to Billy's side. "Bill Nine, penny for your thoughts."

"Well," said Billy, turning to his little helpful robot. "I'm actually thinking of windmills."

Zack slightly shook his head, surprised. "Mammals…"

"No, really," Billy said, stepping over to a blackboard. "It will be a quite helpful alternative."

"Of course," Zack said, nodding. "Like the microwave is an alternative of the toaster."

Billy's brown eyes widened, and then he shook his head before he began to study in peace.

= = = = =

Knuckles ran until he reached a certain place, and this area was the home of Sonic the Hedgehog. Maybe Sonic knew where Nickel was, Knuckles thought, or maybe Keith was with Tails. He had to find out, and so, under the stars of the night sky, the echidna ran with searching eyes.

"Hey, that rhymed," Knuckles said, and he came to a sudden stop in night stillness. "Sonic!" Knuckles called, walking toward Tails' workshop. "Hey, Sonic! Tails, are you home?"

Hearing no answer, Knuckles ran up the stairs, and when he came to firm ground, he saw Tails' workshop clearly in the moonlight, and then he saw something else. It was a serious danger…

"A coke can?" Knuckles asked, picking it up, and then he shook it. The can was empty. "Big deal," Knuckles said, and he tossed the coke can into a wastebasket. "Now where is…?"

He stopped when he saw Sonic and Tails next to the workshop. They were sitting down, each holding a can of coke with a straw, drinking without blinking. They did not notice Knuckles.

Knuckles stepped over to the two, unaware of the situation. "Hey, Sonic, it's me!" he said.

Sonic stopped drinking from the straw, and he looked at him. He was silent, strangely. Then Tails leaned over to the hedgehog, and he whispered, "He is thirsty, very thirsty."

"Look, guys," Knuckles said, "I just need to know if you've seen Nickel. Have you?"

Sonic stood up, and as he did, he took a can of coke from an ice cooler. "Wanna coke?"

"No thanks," Knuckles said, lifting a hand, and then Tails shook his head.

"He thinks he's not thirsty, Sonic. But look, he needs it," Tails said, and Sonic nodded.

"You're very thirsty, Knuckles. Take it," Sonic said, approaching, and Knuckles backed away.

"I said, No!" Knuckles said, a little louder. "I must find Nickel, okay? Maybe some other time…"

"Now!" Sonic shouted, and then Knuckles had to quickly jump to avoid the hedgehog's spin.

"Sonic, have you lost your mind?!" Knuckles asked, and then Tails took his arm.

"Take it," Tails said forcefully, and then Knuckles broke free, escaping.

The red echidna ran into the darkness of the trees, and he did not stop, no, not even to catch his breath. Knuckles tripped over a rock, and he fell flat on his back, on the moist, green grass. When he was able to focus, he saw Dr. Robotnik in his ship, flying over the treetops, leaving the area.

"Something is very wrong…" Knuckles sat up, rubbing his head. "But what is it?"

Before he could begin to think of a possible answer to the growing problem, he remembered what he was outside for. Knuckles stood up, brushed the dust away, and then he ran once again. At a loss for any other place to go, Knuckles returned home to see if Nickel was there. He opened the door, stepped inside the dark living room, switched on a lamp to see, and he looked around.

"Nickel?" Knuckles called, but not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

Knuckles shrugged, and then he turned to the front door, and when he did, he saw Nickel close it. Nickel locked the door, and she looked at Knuckles, holding something behind her back.

"Nickel, there you are," Knuckles said with gladness. "I wondered where you were. You okay?"

Silent, Nickel looked at him, not blinking, and she held a bottle of coke in her hand.

"Nickel, what's wrong?" Knuckles asked, feeling rather nervous about this.

"It's your turn, Knuckles. Take it," Nickel said, stepping toward him with the drink.

"Hey, wait a minute," Knuckles said, backing away from her. "What's going on here?!"

Nickel continued to approach, Keith stood nearby, and Knuckles was cornered.

"Is-is this a joke?!" Knuckles desperately asked, sweating.

Nickel did not answer his question, but she took his arm in an unfriendly way, forcing him to stand against the wall. Just then, Knuckles had a strange theory. The first time he saw someone act like this, was when he went to go see Sonic and Tails, and Dr. Robotnik was nearby.

"A Coke Conspiracy?" Knuckles asked himself. "Never!" Then he heard the coke bottle hiss when Nickel opened it. "Then again…" Knuckles gulped. "Anything is possible these days!"

Knuckles kept Nickel's hand away, and he eased himself out of the corner. He broke free from Nickel's grip, and then he ran toward the door, but Keith blocked it, so he turned to a window. One was open, and he made a daring jump for it, out into the night. He escaped from danger.

"Somebody's gonna pay for all this!" Knuckles said, as he ran from harm.

Without quite knowing what he was up against, Knuckles promised himself to find a way.