Phantom

III

If it was one thing Rouge the Bat he learnt, it was that things could be twisted.

So while everyone else mourned their hero's death, she wondered if something else was up.

She did her research, working with Knuckles to place cameras around Sunset City, watching Eggman's attacks.

Her skillful eyes didn't miss a thing.

"Hey Rouge," Her work partner, Topaz walked in, placing a coffee cup in front of her, "You've been overworking again, haven't y-"

"They're taking prisoners, Topaz." The bat addressed.
"Yeah, well... obviously" the officer held an eyebrow up. What's she onto this time?

"Well, where are they being kept? Knuckles' forces have successfully infiltrated many Robotnik Bases, yet they have not found one single prisoner," Rouge explained, Topaz getting it.

"So," she continued, "Where are they? Well, look at this symbol," she zoomed into a freeze-frame of one of the videos, zoning into a plaque on one of the mad man's ships.

An engraving of a round ship, with what appeared to be two large eyes and a rather oversized mustache.

Topaz rolled her eyes, "So, Robotnik has terrible taste, so what?"

"You don't understand," Rouge sighed, grabbed her hand, pulling her outside into the night

***

In the prison rows on the Death Egg, rows and rows of captured humans, möbians, and critters all sat glumly.
It had felt like years since any of them had been home.

They all yearned to be back, back with their friends, families, children, partners, siblings, parents.

But a lone purple cat lay to the side.
He didn't really have anything worldly, just himself, his guitar, and his frog.
Fortunately, he had all three of those with him.
(And his fishing rod but that's not much use in a prison cell really)

Big the Cat was easy going, and would often laze around.
So, to him, sitting in a cell with other inmates meant two things:
New friends, and cat naps.

But this night was different.

Tonight, he lay awake, listening intently.
He could hear crying.

It wasn't from this row, it couldn't be. It sounded too far away.
The cat's unusually large ears could hear a lot more then an average Möbian, meaning he was the only one who could hear the gut-wenching cries, screams, and calls for help from the one hidden from them all.

He would often hear the one known as Zavok tell the voice to 'be quiet or they'll hear," followed by the mystery masked one saying

And then the voice would sometimes die down, and the cat feared the worst for them.
Sometimes the voice would be quite for up to three days.

And the worst thing was, Big knew exactly who the 'mystery prisoner' was.

***

This is it Sonic laid alone, bleeding out yet again, I actually think this is it this time. I can't even... he closes his eyes, unsure if they would ever open again.

He hadn't seen Orbot and Cubot for a good while now, and he doubted they would show up now.
He was beat pretty bad, to the point he could barely move, he just laid there in a useless heap, slowly dying from the abuse.