The Speed of Sound

Escape

        Boom! Boom!

        Explosions echo down the hall of Doctor Eggman's base. You sit wide-eyed, staring at the great metal door that keeps you locked in. You are frightened that you can't run away, that you might get hurt. Loud thumps cause the ground to vibrate. They get closer and closer, until eventually they seem to stop right outside the room. A few tense seconds pass as you wait for something to happen. All of a sudden a deafening roar fills the dungeon and you feel singeing heat as the metal sliding door bursts from the wall. Fire and molten metal fly about the room, causing you to flinch and cover your head with your arms.

        "(Y/n)!" you hear above the sound of sizzling metal. Quick footsteps race into the room as you uncover your head and look up. With a gallant smile and emerald eyes shining; Sonic stands past the bars, here to rescue you. "Didn't think we forgot about you, huh?" the blue hedgehog jokes. Movement from the destroyed doorway catches you eye, and you see a walking, silver jet enter the room. The Hurricane! In an instant you get to your feet and grip the bars of your cell.

        "Careful (Y/n), you might want to stand back just a little," Tails says from inside his machine. Taking just a few steps back, your eyes begin to water with gratefulness. Sonic gives you a thumbs up and a wink as robotic arms slide from inside the Hurricane and wrap themselves around the cell bars. You are so happy when the bars are pulled out of the ground with a slight screech.

        "Time to go!" Sonic leaps through the gaps and takes your arm, tugging you out of your prison. From inside the Hurricane Tails pushes a button, and the roof of the machine opens up. With haste Sonic jumps onto the side and drops you into a seat behind Tails. He then plops himself in the very back seat as the roof begins to close. Looking over his shoulder, you watch as Tails flicks multiple switches on his dashboard.

        "Okay guys, hold tight." The fox pushes a lever forward and the Hurricane begins to advance toward the blown doorway. It turns right down the hallway, but stops. "Oh no!" Tails exclaims. There are many strange-looking robots blocking the hall, and they are all quickly approaching.

        "Left! Turn left!" you hear from behind as Sonic grips your headrest in fright.

        With a determined nod Tails rotates his machine with a control toggle and thumps down the hallway in the opposite direction of the pursuing robots. Once the robots are a safe distance away Tails aims the Hurricane up, and a missile is launched from the side, blowing a massive hole into the ceiling. You clutch onto the armrests with all your might as you feel yourself rising into the air. Glancing up you see the hole in the ceiling getting closer and closer, and eventually you pass through it to the next floor up. The moment the Hurricane has fully risen from the jagged opening, it is met with an unexpected jolt after the sound of an explosion.

        "Eggman!" Sonic shouts in anger.

        You gasp upon hearing an insane cackling coming from outside. Craning your neck back you take a peek out of the window and see the fat scientist hovering in a round, silver machine. Accompanying him are the figures of a silver and a gold robot.

        "You think you can just break into my base and leave without a scratch? WELL YOU ARE WRONG." Doctor Eggman's beautiful moustache flows past his face from a swift breeze as he pushes down a large button. A red-hot laser appears from his Eggmobile, flashing over the Hurricane and leaving a scorch mark across its entire body. Using his quick reflexes, Tails turns his invention to face Eggman, and he lets off his own stream of weapons. Eggman gives a startled grunt and dodges the explosions in mid-air.

        "We'll help Doctor!" Bocoe and Decoe yell, slamming random buttons on the Eggmobile's control panel as the doctor continues to dodge Tails' attacks.

        Eggman grinds his teeth together in anger and glares at the two robots. "Will you two stop that!" However, he is a bit too late.

        "SELF-DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED."

        The message blasted throughout the base, causing everyone to jump in surprise. Tails turns around in his seat to give you and Sonic a wide-eyed gape. You can hear as Doctor Eggman shrieks at the top of his lungs to his cronies. "No, you fools! TURN IT OFF!"

        "There's no way to shut off self-destruction, Doctor!" Decoe says with a worried look.

        "Then we'll just have to get out of here and leave everything behind," the man growls. Without a glance at you, Tails, and Sonic, Doctor Eggman flies his Eggmobile up, blasting a hole into the ceiling and escaping from view.

        Sonic shouts at Tails to wake the fox from his panic. "Tails, we gotta get out of here!"

        You can tell his hands are numb with fright as Tails fiddles with his controls to get the Hurricane into the air. Luckily he regains confidence and steers the machine through the multiple levels of Eggman's base to break free out into the jungle. With a flustered squeak Tails flicks a switch and the Hurricane transforms into a jet, sliding its three robot legs back into the bottom. The three of you fly away just as the underground base explodes.

        You are thrilled to have escaped the mad scientist's underground lair, and even more so since it has become totally annihilated. Tails and Sonic cheer with fists punched high into the air, and you can even feel as the hedgehog behind you starts to dance within his seat. After taking an amused glance at Sonic, you gaze out the window at the millions of metal and stone pieces raining down. Your (e/c) eyes widen in awe as you see hurling debris fly past the Hurricane with fire and smoke trailing behind. Tapping Tails' shoulder, you are about to warn him about the possible danger of being hit...when suddenly the jet lurches forward in the air.

        "We're hit! We're hit!" Tails wildly screams as a buzzing alarm goes off. Your heart rate increases in panic as you watch the young pilot flick many switches and press many buttons. From behind Sonic grasps your headrest and leans over it to get closer to his friend. You have to duck to avoid being rammed by his face. However, the tips of your ears brush his tan chest, leaving you grimacing in embarrassment.

         "What's going on buddy? Will we make it?" Sonic asks. You see as Tails brings a hand to his face, possibly wiping off the accumulating sweat from his forehead.

        "A scrap of debris collided into the fuel tank and ripped a hole in it," he explains without taking his eyes off the dashboard. "As for your other question," the fox hesitates, "we won't make it back home." Everyone's ears flop down in sadness as this revelation. Luckily Sonic is an optimistic guy!

        "Maybe we can make it to town! Cream's house isn't too far away."

        You see Tails' head bob up and down as he contemplates this idea. Turning around to face the two of you, "Hey! That might just work Sonic. We'll be running on fumes, but perhaps we can make it!" Tails' face reddens as he then spots you cowering under the figure of his blue friend. Your face reddens as well and the two boys give awkward chuckles as Sonic returns back to his seat.