Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ On the Road Again ❯ Piece of mind ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter 19: Piece of mind

Morning sunlight warmed the face of Sonic the Hedgehog. The RV was safely parked somewhere in Utah, near Salt Lake City and the crew slept there, hidden with trees as walls to the right and to the left. Sonic blinked his green eyes, sleepily, and he heard birds outside, singing a song to announce the morning. It was a new day, and the tired hedgehog slowly sat up in the driver's chair, yawning and stretching. He scratched his blue quills with his eyes closed, and then he heard a slurp from the passenger chair, which was next to him. It was Shadow, drinking coffee.

"Rise and shine, Sonic!" Amy called from the kitchen. "I made you some breakfast!"

"Then my nightmare has come true." Sonic murmured, and Shadow chuckled.

"Don't be a worry wart." Amy said, and she gave him a plate with hot, fresh breakfast. "Here's some eggs and toast. Your coffee is waiting for you in the green mug." Amy pointed.

Sonic stared down at his plate, still sleepy. "Thanks." He said, quietly. He took a sip of coffee first, and it was hot. He liked it that way. He saw Shadow holding a white coffee mug with red letters, and they said: 'I'm better than you, so there.' Sonic choked on his eggs when he saw it.

"Are you okay, Sonic?" Amy asked, and she hurried back to him, concerned.

"With him around, I'm beginning to wonder!" Sonic pointed to Shadow.

Then Shadow sighed. "I'm innocent, I tell you." He sniffed, sadly.

Sonic shrugged. "All right, fine. Just forget about it." He said.

"Thanks, I will." Shadow grinned, and then he finished his last sip, closing his eyes.

Sonic shook his head, and he finished eating breakfast. He heard Tails laughing outside, and then Sonic hopped out to see him. When he came outside, he saw how beautiful the RV Park was during the daylight. He remembered how they first arrived, and it was scary to see nothing but darkness and the trees were mysterious, unknown sounds were heard nearby, but now, it was very nice. Then he suddenly remembered why he came outside. He reached the side door of the RV, and there he saw Tails and Metal-2, roasting hotdogs over a campfire.

"Hey, Tails!" Sonic called, and he came to his side, smiling at the young fox.

"Good morning, Sonic." Tails greeted, and then he said, "Look, Metal-2 can cook!"

The robot nodded his head. "After trial and error, I have come to success." He said.

"Good work, guys." Sonic praised them. "But remember, today we have to keep moving on. We must get to Salt Lake City. The RV is almost empty again, so we can't stay here for long."

"Acknowledged." Tails and Metal-2 said it together, and then the friends laughed. Soon afterward, the team entered the RV and they moved on to find Salt Lake City, in Utah.

= = = = =

Meanwhile…

Inside an underground laboratory, somewhere in Utah, Dr. Eggman was sound asleep after working on a secret project all night long. Chaos quietly tiptoed through the dark hallway, holding a candlestick for light, and he heard the scientist snoring in the bedroom.

"The poor Doc." Chaos sighed. "He was up all night again, working on some new gadget. There's no way he can finish it in time, so I guess it's up to me." He nodded, taking matters into his own hands. He turned and left the hallway. Dr. Eggman continued sleeping and dreaming in bed.

"Sonic…I'll get you…" Eggman mumbled in his sleep, and then he sucked his thumb.

In the meantime, Chaos entered the workroom where Metal Sonic was standing quietly, facing the floor in deep thought. The robot lifted his head when Chaos ran passed him. Metal never thought highly of Chaos and his ideas, so he returned to his thinking.

"I got it, Metal!" Chaos said with excitement. "I know what to do!" He cheered.

"Silence, you miserable puddle." Metal said, quietly. "You'll wake up the Doctor."

"Ah, he's sleeping like a baby." Chaos shrugged. "Besides, he will be happy to see his new project ready." He smiled, and then he began to make a few adjustments on the invention.

Metal turned, and he saw Chaos working on the new invention, which was a large computer, still open with wires that were not connected. "Don't touch that!" Metal scolded, and he snatched the screwdriver away from Chaos. "You fool, how dare you ruin the project?!"

"Hey, that's my lucky screwdriver! Give it back!" Chaos whined, and he gripped the robot's hand, which held the tool. When Chaos suddenly gripped the hand, Metal fell backward, crashing against the computer screen and then a bright red light surrounded them.

In his bedroom, Dr. Eggman heard an explosion. "What was that?!" He asked himself, and then he ran to the workroom where his secret project was kept, and smoke was in there. "Chaos, did you burn breakfast again?!" He asked, coughing as he entered the room.

"No, master. I didn't even cook breakfast yet. Sorry." The voice of Chaos answered.

Eggman turned around, and then he saw Metal Sonic, standing. "Metal, where's Chaos? Did you lock him in a jar again?" He asked, and the robot scratched his head with confusion.

"I am Chaos." He said, and it was his voice.

"Uh-oh…" Eggman gulped, and he began to sweat. "You look like Metal Sonic, but the voice is Chaos. Oh no! Something must have happened! Something went wrong here, very wrong!"

Then Chaos looked down at himself, and he saw that he was a robot hedgehog. "Boy, I lost weight! I guess Slim Fast works!" He said, and then he looked at his red shoes. "Cool."

"Then if you're here, Metal is…" Eggman trembled, and he turned when he heard someone coughing. The scientist saw the form of Chaos come out of the smoke.

"When I get my hands on that stupid waterfall, it will be painful for him!" Metal growled.

"Metal?" Eggman asked, still unsure.

"Yes, boss, it is I." Metal nodded, in the form of Chaos. Then he saw the robot.

"Hi, Metal. I am you, and you are me." Chaos tried to explain.

"Sick joke." Metal snorted, but he saw that Eggman was serious.

"Metal, look in the mirror, and face it." Eggman whispered, pointing.

"By your command." Metal obeyed, and he turned to look at a mirror. When he saw himself, he was no longer a robot hedgehog, but he was Chaos. He looked down at himself, and it was so. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

= = = = =

Later that day…

"What do they have in there? King Kong?" Knuckles the Echidna asked as they entered Salt Lake City in the RV with Sonic as the driver. At last, they had found it, and it was a great place.

"Utah is wonderful!" Amy said, happily taking photos with her camera.

Rouge turned a page of her book. "Oh, I'm on chapter nineteen already!" She said, surprised.

"Rouge, we made it to Salt Lake City, look!" Tikal pointed out the window.

Rouge looked out with the female echidna, and she shrugged. "Well, of course we made it. Did you expect a delay or something? I knew we would get here, sooner or later." She said.

Tikal nodded her head. "Yes, but Tails had trouble with his computer maps again."

"Don't start with me." Tails sighed, and he tried again to open his map files.

In the front, Sonic had to stop the RV for a red light. "We made it here, all right. But I wonder why it's so hot here." He said, and he breathed for air.

Shadow took his music headphones off his ears. "What was that you said?" He asked.

"I said it's hot here in Salt Lake City." Sonic repeated, still waiting for a green light.

Shadow shrugged. "Well, I warned you about drinking two cups of coffee instead of one."

"Do you have to keep reminding me of that?" Sonic asked through clenched teeth.

"Yes, I'm your navigator, so it's my job." Shadow said with a smile.

"Watch it," Sonic warned, "You could be looking in the classifieds of the newspaper."

"They're boring." Shadow said in a dull voice. Then he returned to his music.

Sonic shook his head, and he turned his eyes back on the road again. The light turned green, and then Sonic moved to drive the RV. The sound of honking cars was suddenly heard behind them. It was known as road rage. Sonic turned to move out of the way for the cars. He guessed that RVs were not always welcomed there in that city, so he was careful to stay out of harm's way.

"What was that all about?" Knuckles asked after they left the angry car drivers behind.

"I can't start the RV up again that quickly, you know that, but they don't." Sonic replied.

"Live and Learn." Shadow hummed, snapping his fingers to the music.

"Well, at least that's all settled." Tails said with relief. He continued working on his computer.

"Are the maps functional again?" Metal-2 asked the young fox.

"Yes, I have the Utah map right here, and now I have to bring up Salt Lake City next." Tails answered, and Metal-2 helped him with the computer while Amy looked for more film.

"Okay, guys, I'll stop to refill the RV here." Sonic told his friends. He turned and stopped next to a small building. He parked it nicely, and then the engine turned off. "There we go."

Then Shadow's eyes shot open. "Hey, we stopped!" He noticed.

"You are really so alert, Shadow." Sonic said, sarcastically.

"Thanks." Shadow winked his eye, and then everyone stepped out to rest after the long drive. Sonic and Shadow refilled the RV, and then they all settled down to have a cold drink. They all had something with different flavors and colors, sizes and shapes, straws and ice, and so on.

Sonic took a long sip of his lemonade from a green cup. "Hmm, it's cold and good."

"I like my orange juice." Tikal said, happily holding a small cup under the shade of trees.

"I'm a basic fellow. I just drink water." Knuckles said, and then he took another sip.

"Oh, chocolate milk is the best." Tails licked his lips, sitting on a tree branch.

Rouge sighed. "I said easy on ice for my ice tea." She tried it with a straw, resting under a tree.

Sonic smiled, and then he turned to the black hedgehog. "So, Shadow, you're finally drinking something cold for a change? I don't see any steam from coffee this time, and it's amazing."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am drinking something cold." Shadow nodded, answering.

This surprised everyone in the crew. "What is it?" They asked him, curiously.

"It's…Ice coffee!" Shadow laughed, and then the others sighed with disappointment.

"Rats, I knew it was too good to be true." Knuckles said, annoyed, and Sonic nodded.

Then Amy stood up with her glass of cold milk, and she came to Metal-2, who was watching over the RV. "Metal-2, aren't you thirsty?" She asked the robot.

"No, I do not require it, thanks." Metal-2 answered, quietly.

"Well, just pretend this time, and have a sip of milk." Amy kindly offered, and before Metal-2 could move, Amy lifted the cup to his mouth. When Amy lowered the cup down, Metal-2 was seen with a white milk mustache on his robotic muzzle. Sonic and his crew laughed out loud when they saw it. Metal-2 did not quite understand the humor, but he stood with them.

= = = = =

Meanwhile…

Nearby, the eyes of Dr. Eggman spied on the hedgehog and his friends while they rested under the trees. He focused his spyglass until he saw the RV clearly. "Aha!" He said, pointing. "There it is, but it won't be for long. Metal, Chaos, get down there, and get that RV!" He commanded.

"Okay, master. I'll get it, and Metal will, too. Right, Metal?" Chaos asked him.

Metal groaned. "I want my body back. With this, I have big hands, big feet, but such a tiny brain, and it feels hollow. What a miserable existence!" He held his head, shaking it with despair.

"You get used to it." Chaos shrugged. "But don't worry, the Doc will fix the gadget up to make us back to normal again in no time at all. Now, let's go get that RV, as we were told."

"Since when do I follow orders from you?" Metal asked, growling.

"Well, remember, I'm you and you're me, so it's your turn to follow, waterfall." He chuckled.

"You pest!" Metal yelled, and he slapped Chaos on the face, but he forgot it was a robot he hit. "Ouch!" He yelped, holding his hand and he blew on it. "You rock head!" He pointed.

"Hey, it's your head, not mine, and be more careful with my hand." Chaos reminded him.

"Never mind…if you have a mind. Let's go." Metal said, after his hand recovered.

"Okay, I'll use my…I mean your rocket thing here." Chaos said, and then he leaped into the air. When the rocket was activated, Chaos went around and around Metal in circles, backward. "HELP! I'm flying and I can't stop! I'm going backwards!" He screamed.

"That's because your brain is on backwards, you idiot! Now, reverse it!" Metal said.

"How am I suppose to do that?!" Chaos asked, still flying backward in circles.

"You just do it!" Metal said, and he took hold of the robot's leg. Then Chaos flew forward into the air with Metal hanging on. "This is SO humiliating!" Metal said to himself.

Back to the RV crew, Sonic finished his cold drink, and he closed his eyes, relaxing himself under the tree with his friends. His moment of rest was suddenly shattered when he heard Chaos screaming. Sonic opened an eye to look, and then he saw Metal and Chaos crash land. Chaos, who looked like Metal, fell and rolled until he crashed against a tree, right next to Sonic.

"Metal!" Sonic yelled in surprise, and he jumped to his feet, away from the intruder.

Chaos was on his head, and then he rolled over until he sat up. "Ouch! My first landing!" He said, and the crew was surprised that it was the voice of Chaos, but what they saw was Metal.

"What is going on around here?" Knuckles asked, standing with his arms crossed.

"I will answer that!" The voice of Metal said, and the crew saw the form of Chaos. Metal stepped toward Chaos, and he lifted him to his feet. Then he faced the RV crew. "Don't laugh!" Metal said, but that was just what Sonic and the others did, not knowing what else to do.

"I don't believe it! Metal?!" Sonic laughed. "They--they switched places! HA! Oh, my!"

Metal growled, very angrily. "This is getting on my nerves, now that I have them!"

"Hey, Metal, remember our important mission." Chaos said, "We must get the RV."

"It cannot be allowed!" Metal-2 said, arming his blasters. "Prepare for termination!"

"YIKES!" Chaos screamed in fright, and he ran, leaving Metal to face the robot.

"I have nothing more to say to you." Metal whispered, angrily.

"So be it." Metal-2 said, and then he fired, but Metal escaped in a puddle.

Meanwhile, Knuckles chased Chaos around the RV. "Come back here, Metal, and fight!"

"I am NOT Metal, and you better not hurt me! I'm only renting this!" Chaos yelped. He turned to escape, and then Metal appeared out of the puddle, blocking the way of Chaos.

"It is useless to go on this way!" Metal said to him, "We must retreat."

Chaos gulped when he saw Metal-2 with his blasters ready to fire on him. "Good idea." Chaos agreed, and he flew with the robot's rocket, escaping with Metal, and they were gone.

"That was the strangest thing I ever saw!" Sonic said, still stunned at the thought.

"Hey, what about my ice coffee? Stranger than that?" Shadow asked, taking his last sip.

"Well, I'll have to think really hard about that one." Sonic said, and they all laughed. After the attack, Sonic and his friends stood together safely, but now they knew they were being followed.