Sonic grinned as the last robot collapsed onto the ground, its head in his hand. "Is that the best you can do, Eggman? I'm disappointed." He jeered.

"Curse you, Sonic!" Eggman shouted, his Egg-Mobile sputtering as he left the scene of the battle.

"Yeah. Right." Sonic turned to where his best friend was overlooking a robot. "Tails?"

"Hmm...a Hyper-Reaction Core..." Tails observed, "...Eggman's stepping up his game."

"Yeah! A game is all it is!" Sonic laughed. "Come on, it's almost lunchtime, and I'm famished!"

Tails shook his head, "You never take these things seriously, do you?"

"When Eggman starts acting like a legit villain, then I'll take it seriously. Which is when Shadow convinces me that he's faster than me!"

Tails sighed, then followed Sonic to the Tornado. "You gonna drive?"

"Nah! It's your plane, Tails!"

Tails shrugged, then got into the seat and started the plane. "Do you think we should clean it up a little?"

"When have we ever done that?"

"Well... you did clean up Station Square a little after Chaos..."

Sonic groaned, Chaos... and what bothered him the most was how proud Chaos had looked when he was done, like the whole thing had been a test!
He waved his hand. "Let GUN clean it up, they always do."

Tails sighed, then the plane slowly pulled into the sky.

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

The open air was chilly that night, though the shape outside the house didn't seem to notice.
He'd been watching him, never wavering in his guard for anything. Because there might come a day when he would abandon his post, and return to find his charge gone.

He couldn't let that happen.

The darkness hid him well, though if one were to look closely enough, you could see his eyes peering through the leaves.

His charge was asleep right now, unaware that he was being watched.

Suddenly there came a sound from behind, and he whipped around to face them...a tiny chao.
His tension eased as the little creature came towards him. "I told you not to follow." He whispered. "It is a dangerous world, and your keeper would have my head if she knew you were out fighting."

"Chao..."

"Yes, I know... I can't keep him safe much longer... not without telling him." He sighed. "Go. I'll come get you when the time is right."

The chao chattered softly, then took off into the trees once more.

He looked back at the sleeping youth. "Soon... Soon, we will have to move."