Sonic Boom!

Designated Heroes

Penny stared at Shadow, her eyes wide. "S-Shadow!" She began with a gulp, backing up a bit. "How have you been?"

Shadow frowned, closing his eyes and staring at Penny. "Tell me...how did you run into those dolts in the first place?"

Penny stuttered. "I-I was just trying to find a new home to stay! I ran into Tails and he took me to meet Sonic... and now he's been helping me."

Shadow frowned. "I'm just saying that I didn't think you should be hanging out with those dolts."

"What else was I supposed to do?!" Penny snapped at him. "You're the one who ran out on me!"

"That's because I had other things to do!"

"Like what?"

Shadow frowned. "You've got a lot of nerve," He told her dismissively. "Farewell." He glanced at her one more time before teleporting away.

Penny glanced down at the ground, hurt flowing inside her chest. That did not go as well as she thought it would.

....................................................................................

Shadow's words still ran around her head as she stood next to Sonic and the gang, who were preparing their battle with Eggman. Eggman was raiding a toy factory for some weird reason.

"Not so fast, Egghead!" Sonic snapped.

"What? Hold on, let me turn this thing off!" He yelled. He turned off his machine and turned to Orbot and Cubot. "I told you your shouting would attract attention. Ball Bots, attack!"

Penny readied her bo staff and poked it in the eye of one of the balls, while Sonic used a racket to bat it away.

"I think the viewers will agree there is nothing like watching a contest between two evenly matched competitors... one of whom always loses to the other." Orbot said. He and Cubot were sitting at a desk together, talking about the fight. Cubot nodded. "That's right, Orbot. So. What is Eggman's strategy? We talked with him earlier."

"I told you talking bedpans already! By robbing the Village of any source of fun, the citizens will become sad, dry husks; and will pay huge fees to enjoy my new amusement park." Eggman said on a pop-up screen. He scowled angrily. " Now get that camera out of my face!"

The screen disappeared and Amy knocked one of the balls into Eggman's chest. Orbot winced. " Ooh! Let's see that again in slow motion."

He pressed a button and the scene repeated itself in slow motion.

Sticks jumped a rope and chanted a song. "I can do a polka. I can do a split. I can catch a Ball Bot just like this." She made a net out of some ropes and caught a swarm of the balls and tossed the net to Knuckles, who threw the net to the ground and punched the balls.

"Oh... You hate to see that happen to promising young Ball Bots." Orbot said.

Knuckles threw a ball at Orbot and Cubot, and they let out terrified yells and tried to move away, but they were hit pretty easily. Penny quickly smashed a ball away with her bo. And Tails stepped up holding a bat, and soon it became a game of baseball. "Batter up!" The Kitsune said with a smirk.

The balls launched at him, and Tails swung his bat and missed.

Orbot winced. "Swing and a miss."

Tails missed again.

"Swing and a miss."

Tails missed again.

"Swing and a miss."