>
>Sonic and Sally had lost sight of the parachute, so they kept pace with how
>Tails had been pushing it.  They heard a noise behind them and, as one, turned
>around to see an airborne ball of orange fur and pink quills heading their way.

CROW: Why is everyone DayGlo colors on this planet?

>
>"Help,

MIKE: I need somebody.

>       help,

MIKE: Not just anybody.

>             getheroffme!"

CROW: You know, Getheroffme was one of the most important leaders of the 
      Anglo-Saxon tribes in the century before Christianity was brought to
      Britain.

>                            Amy had wisely stayed away from Tails' tails, so he
>was able to steer them towards the now-smirking hedgehog and squirrel.
>
>As they neared, Amy released Tails and used her momentum to go into a cartwheel.
>She landed on Sonic's upper torso, knocking him down.

MIKE: "You didn't need that ribcage, didja?"

>                                                       "Sonic!"  Amy proceeded
>to cover his face in kisses, only missing his lips.  Unnoticed by anyone else,
>a scowl briefly darkened Sally's face at this sight.

TOM: Anyone else but who?

>
>"Hey, Amy, cut it out," Sonic laughed.

CROW: [Sonic] Wait until Sally's not around and we can--D'oh, wait...

>
>"Oh, sorry, it's just so good to see you again."  Amy stepped off of Sonic,
>beaming.
>
>"That's alright, but - hey!"  Sonic started to get up, but Sally pulled him
>upright all of a sudden.

MIKE: "Girls, girls, there's only so much hunka-hunka burnin' hedge to go
      around."

>                          She gave him a long, deep kiss that eventually made
>Sonic go limp in her arms.

CROW: [Tails] Uh, Sally? I think he ran out of air there.

>                            Tails turned his face away and covered his eyes in
>disgust.  Behind Sonic, Amy went from shock to anger to barely controlled rage.

TOM: The Random Emotions Sequencer! New, from Galoob!
MIKE: So, from shock, to anger, to anger.

>Sonic's eyes were closed, but Sally's were open just to see this.  Sally smiled
>through her kiss, which just made Amy madder.
>
>When Sally came up for air,

CROW: By that time, my lungs were-
TOM: Ahem.
CROW: Sorry.

>                            Sonic asked, "What was that for?"
>
>"Nothing, my love."
>
>Sonic straightened out at this.  "'My love'?  You've never called me that
>before."

MIKE: "Sure I have, sugar dumplin'."

>
>Tails had returned his gaze to the scene.  "That's because she's almost never
>met any of your other girlfriends before."
>
>Sally and Amy both looked to Tails.  "Other girlfriends?"
>
>"Yeah.  There's Aunt Sally, Amy Rose, Tiara Boobowski..."

MIKE: Okay, Crow, get it over with.
CROW: [Excited] 'Boob'owski! I think I know where she got *that* last name!
      Boobowski! Yes!
MIKE: Done?
CROW: [Calming down] I guess so.

>
>"Tails!"  Sonic looked around, blushed, then cleared his throat nervously.
>"Umm, T2 and I need to have a little chat.

TOM: "Now listen; quit going into the past to keep people from giving birth!
     It's annoying!"

>                                            Hedgehog to fox, you know?"
>
>Amy and Sally were glaring at each other.

MIKE: [Bitterly] "New shoes?"
TOM: [The same] "Not since Robotnik destroyed all the centers of commerce."
MIKE: "How's the family?"
TOM: "Captured. Turned into evil robots."
MIKE: "How's the lawn?"
TOM: "Dead."

>                                           Neither replied verbally, so intent
>on each other that they had barely heard Sonic.
>
>"Right.  We'll be back soon."  Sonic grabbed Tails by the arm and ran away.
>
>None of the four noticed a flock of missiles streak overhead.

CROW: I thought that ended back in the seventies?
TOM: Not exactly a Ron Chaffee in the bunch, is there?

>
>******
>
>Mighty the Armadillo

ALL: Had a very shiny nose! And if you ever saw it! You would even say it
     glows!

>                     was as happy to see Amy leave as Knuckles was.  "Sheez,

MIKE: "Amy and her 'Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?'"

>just because she saves your hide means that you gotta risk this entire island?"
>
>"Well excuse me, mon, but I be da

TOM: [Knuckles] Silly talkin' weirdo.

>                                  Guardian o' the Chaos Emeralds.  I'm the one
>who determines where dis island floats to.  I promised her anything I could do,
>and what does that crazy girl ask for?"

MIKE: A refrigerator carton. I don't know why.

>                                         Knuckles shook his head.  "Next time,
>you get the supplies - you can't be tricked into makin' dat kind of promise.
>Besides, what's Packbell gonna do to us way up here?  Try to shoot us down?"
>
>Mighty pointed.  "Sure looks like it."
>
>Knuckles turned around just in time to see two missiles incoming.  He ducked,

MIKE: ...then goosed
TOM: Yup, that'll keep your island from shattering.

>                                                                              as
>did Mighty, letting the missiles fly overhead.
>
>"Only two?"

MIKE: He's awfully relaxed about coming within half a degree of gyroscopic
      tolerance of becoming remains.

>
>"Packbell must be goin' after us, not de island.  Here they come again!"
>
>Sure enough, the missiles had turned around.

CROW: They got scared of the island, and ran away.

>                                              Each had been programmed with the
>visible image of their target, its infrared signature, and data for every other
>sensor Packbell could cheaply include;

TOM: Just because he's going for total annihilation is no reason not to be
     frugal.

>                                       one missile had been launched for each
>known inhabitant of the Floating Island.
>
>Knuckles ran ahead of his missile,

[Mike and Crow look at each other in silence.]

>                                   summoning the speed that he had once used to
>race Sonic.
>
>Mighty was not as quick.

MIKE: In fact, he just stood there drooling in his own world.
CROW: "Duhh, what's a missile?"

>
>"MIGHTY!"  Knuckles saw the missile detonate directly in front of Mighty.  The
>warhead's explosion, tinged an odd green instead of the usual bright orange,

MIKE: Oh, that means he's not dead *permanently*.

>swallowed his friend up before Knuckles' eyes.  "You will pay for that, android.
>By the Emeralds, if he does not live, neither will you."

TOM: If you buy the Random Emotions Sequencer, you will also receive a
     coupon for the Random Accent Device!

>                                                          He knew his threat was
>wasted on the missile since Packbell would not bother to monitor its camera, so
>Knuckles made a mental note to repeat his vow when he saw Packbell again...if he
>lived that long.  As he ran, explosions elsewhere on the Floating Island showed
>Knuckles that the other missiles had all found their marks.
>
>******

CROW: See? All six of them, right there!

>
>The quiet that followed Sonic's departure was so charged that a robot could have
>run itself on it, and recharged its batteries at the same time.
>
>Eventually, Amy broke the silence.  "How DARE you kiss my Sonic."

TOM: "You're supposed to kiss the visitor's Sonic, out in the linen closet."

>
>Sally was just as angry as Amy, and she let it show.  "Your Sonic?  We went
>through this last time you were here.

CROW: Please, don't go into a flashback on our account.

>                                       That hedgehog is royal property.

MIKE: He's not her hero! He's her slave!

>                                                                         Keep
>your hands, and lips, off."
>
>"You don't own him.  He can choose who he wants to love."

TOM: "And I'm gonna make him choose to love me."

>                                                           Amy's voice froze to
>the point that Sally thought she saw icicles on her breath.  "And he will choose
>me."
>
>"Sonic deserves far better than you."  Sally smirked as she taunted Amy.

MIKE: "He deserves a hormonal, taunting jerk like me."

>"You're just a peasant."
>
>"At least I'd have time for him.  After all, unlike a certain princess..."  Amy
>jabbed a finger at Sally as if to toss it like a dagger.

CROW: Like that would do any good on a gloved hand, anyway.

>                                                          "...I'm not so busy
>running everything that I'd ignore Sonic.  Besides, you're a squirrel, and Sonic
>is a hedgehog.

MIKE: "He'd love a racist fathead like me."

>                Who do you think he would fit best with?"

CROW: I'm not saying, but I have caught him looking at dirty pictures of
      gerbils on the Internet.

>                                                           She smiled, retracted
>her hand into a fist, and extended its thumb towards her chest.

TOM: "Yup. Me. The head cheese. Marcus Junius Brutus himself."
CROW: Unfortunately, she jabbed herself a little too hard and suffered
      severe internal injuries. She died early the next day.

>
>Sally's fur seemed to turn red,

MIKE: Used some dyes on it.
CROW: Princess Dye! Yuk yuk.

>                                but then Amy realized that the red was from
>Sally's skin.  "How dare you!  I have known Sonic for far longer than you have.
>You only noticed him after he...after WE started fighting Robotnik.  I know he
>loves me, even if he rarely says it.  What does he say to you?"
>
>Amy only growled in reply.
>
>"Ooh, that much, eh?"  Sally was starting to lighten up, having, in her mind,
>won the discussion.  "Well, let me tell you what my Sonic and I..."

TOM: I'm getting some "Pod People" flashbacks.

>
>Sally's retort was interrupted by a massive explosion that rocked the Floating
>Island, shaking it to a point that was visible even from the ground far below.

MIKE: [Marvin Martian] Resulting in an earth-shattering KABOOM.

>
>******
>
>Oblivious to the both the chase far above and the arguement he had left behind,
>Sonic came to a halt far out of hearing range of his duelling girlfriends.
>
>Tails had been flying just above the ground as he was dragged along.  When Sonic
>stopped, Tails landed rather than spend the energy to stay airborne.  "What'd
>you do that for?"
>
>"'Cause it ain't nice to make Sal and Amy jealous like that."

CROW: Well, it's entertaining to emotionally torment the adults around you,
      but it's still not *nice*.

>
>"What do you mean?  They asked a question, so I answered with the truth."  Tails
>cocked his head.  "Wasn't that right?"

TOM: Now I'm getting "Bobby's World" flashbacks.

>
>"Well, umm," Sonic started, but was at a loss for words.

CROW: [Sonic] Hey, you're right! Emotional deception and petty squabbles are
      pointless wastes of precious energy and time! Thanks, Tails, you're
      the best therapist I've ever seen!

>                                                          "Look," he eventually
>said, "girls are a bit different, you know...

MIKE: [Sonic] See, you lie to them, and tell each of 'em they're the only
      one for you. That way you can have all the girlfriends you want!

>                                             sometimes it's better not to tell
>them everything in detail, or they might get upset."

CROW: "Yeah, 'cause girls are dumb."

>
>"So that's why you never told Amy that you love Aunt Sally?"
>
>Sonic winced at the memory.  A long time ago, the blue hedgehog had been on a
>routine mission in the Great Unknown, when he and Amy accidentally met.  For
>her, it was love at first sight.  Amy was nice and friendly, and Sonic liked
>having her around, but his love already belonged to Sally.

TOM: It was kept in a mayonnaise jar at Funk & Wagnal's since noon today.

>                                                            Not realizing the
>true reason for Amy's affection, he did not tell her about his relationship, and
>Amy never asked.  She was just happy to be with him.  So, when Sonic returned to
>Knothole, Amy learned of Sally the hard way.

CROW: By reading the special "Sonic Really Loves Sally" four-issue
      mini-series from Archie Comics.

>                                              He still vividly remembered the
>shocked expression on Amy's face when Sally rushed up and gave him a long, deep
>welcoming kiss.

TOM: "There goes his nose!"
CROW: And he couldn't forget the look on Amy's face when she walked in on
      him and Sally...

>                 For weeks, Sally and Amy vied for Sonic's love, neither one
>recognizing that Sonic had already chosen Sally.  Eventually, Amy left Knothole,
>but she never forgot him.  Her love only grew while they were apart.
>
>"Look, Sonic...I'm sorry."
>
>Sonic got on one knee so he could make his eye level even with Tails', then put
>a hand on his friend's shoulder.  "It's ok, big guy.  I just hope they don't
>fight again."

MIKE: After all, you've just thrown two passionate people together, riled up
      their emotions, and left them without supervision. What could happen?

>
>"Maybe we should..."

CROW: [Tails] Split them between us!

>
>Tails' suggestion was interrupted by a rumbling from above.

MIKE: Winnie the Pooh's flying and he's got a rumbly in his tumbly!

>                                                             As Sonic and Tails
>looked up, they saw seven colored points of light streak away from the Floating
>Island.

TOM: Aw, no, our subplot just blew up!

>
>******
>
>Knuckles tried the old trick of stopping in front of a wall, waiting, and
>dashing out of the way just before the missile hit.  Unfortunately, the missile
>turned too quickly.  No matter what he did, the echnida could not

CROW: Get the authors to spell his species right.

>                                                                  shake his
>pursuer, so he headed for the one thing that could save him: the Chaos Emeralds.
>
>Knuckles raced for the Chaos Chamber, located deep under the surface of the
>island.  Just as he was about to leap into the tunnel leading to the chamber,
>Knuckles tripped over a rock and landed flat on his face, heavily dazed.

MIKE: He picked the wrong day to start wearing high heels.

>                                                                          The
>missile tried to change course, but before it could, it had flown into the
>narrow tunnel.  Having lost its target, the missile hurtled downwards.

CROW: Try as he might, he can't get away from the missile. When he acts
      stupid, it misses him. What message is this trying to convey?

>
>A loud explosion, which shook the whole island, was the last thing Knuckles
>heard before he passed out completely.
>
>******
>
>Instinctively, Sally plucked her minicomputer from its usual boot holster, and
>flipped it open.  "Nicole: what caused that explosion?"

MIKE: "Where in the world are the Chaos Emeralds?"

>
>"WORKING..."

TOM: I'm going to go out on a limb and say 'explosives.'

>
>Sonic and Tails raced up just as Nicole finished its computation.
>
>"EXPLOSION TYPE: STUN EXPLOSIVE - ANTIPERSONELL MISSILE WARHEAD.  EXPLOSIVE
>FORCE INCREASED BY UNKNOWN METHOD, EXPLOSION LOCATION SUGGESTS CHAOS EMERALD
>INFLUENCE LIKELY."
>
>Amy stopped scanning the skies.  "Was that Packbell's missile, or..."

CROW: Are you just happy to see me?

>
>Nicole interrupted, "WARNING:

MIKE: "DO NOT TAKE SHAMPOO ORALLY."

>                              KNOTHOLE VILLAGE IN DANGER.  CHAOS EMERALDS HAVE
>BEEN EJECTED FROM FLOATING ISLAND BY EXPLOSION.  REMOVAL OF CHAOS EMERALDS
>DISALLOWS MOVEMENT OF FLOATING ISLAND.  LACK OF CHAOS ENERGY WILL CAUSE FLOATING
>ISLAND TO FALL IN TEN HOURS."
>
>Sally's face mirrored her quick comprehension.  "And it's right over Knothole."

TOM: [Nicole] I JUST SAID THAT, YOU DINGBAT.

>
>"ANALYSIS INDICATES DESTRUCTION OF ALL BUILDINGS AND CREATURES IN KNOTHOLE TEN
>HOURS FROM NOW UNLESS ALL CHAOS EMERALDS ARE IN PHYSICAL CONTANCT WITH THE
>FLOATING ISLAND SIMULTANEOUSLY BEFORE THEN."

CROW: Duh. That's what you'd expect to happen when a huge chunk of land
      falls out of the sky and lands on a village.

>
>"Nicole, where are the Chaos Emeralds?"
>
>"STILL AIRBORNE FROM EXPLOSION.  COMPUTING PROBABLE LANDING SITES..."

TOM: So it blows a cave sky high but no rubble lands on the village.

>
>A holographic map of the nearby portion of Mobius popped up, with seven dots

MIKE: And a yakko.

>distributed in a rough circle.  Each dot was colored to match the emerald that
>it stood for.
>
>Sonic snapped

CROW: And became an ax murderer.

>              his fingers.  "If Packbell's using stun warheads, he's probably
>gonna try to take the Floating Island.  It'll be hard to return the emeralds
>with his 'bots all over the place.

CROW: Us? What've we got to do with this?
TOM: Our involvement in this fanfic is fictional.
CROW: Aargh!

>                                    We'd better juice back and get the others.
>Grab on."

CROW: [Sonic] Amy! Not there!

>
>Sally and Amy both hugged Sonic quickly.  Sally shifted around to try to
>"accidentally" knock Amy off,

MIKE: She's jealous enough to stoop to MURDER?

>                              but Amy lightly pressed her quills into Sally's
>stomach to ward off the attempt.  Sonic and Tails took off

CROW: Sally and Amy's heads so they'd quit jabbering.

>                                                          , faster than either
>Sally or Amy could travel alone, and returned to Knothole in a matter of
>seconds.

TOM: The future of commuting.

>
>At the village, most of Knothole was already discussing what the Floating
>Island's presence could mean.  They had assembled to wait for Sally, Tails, and
>Sonic to return with whatever had dropped; their reaction to Amy was mixed.
>More than a few were concerned that she meant bad news for Sally, but most just
>welcomed the child as a long-gone friend.

MIKE: Despite having never met her before.

>
>Sally waited for the reaction to die down before addressing the crowd.

TOM: So she waited 5000 years? See, 'reaction', and nuclear, and plutonium's 
     half life... oh, forget it.

>                                                                        She
>pointed to two Mobians, then to herself.  On her gesture, Bunnie and Antoine
>came forwards.

MIKE: Do you, Bunnie, take this Supporting Character to be your lawfully 
      designated Second Banana?

>
>Bunnie was one of those acting friendly towards Amy Rose.

CROW: But she was only acting. She was secretly plotting a way to take out
      both Amy and Sally at once so she could have Sonic all to herself.

>                                                           She smiled, reached
>over, and mussed up Amy's head quills

MIKE: And sliced her hand up.

>                                      as she asked, "What're you doin' back
>heah, you rascal?"
>
>Sally responded before Amy could.  "We have a problem.  The Floating Island will
>fall in ten hours unless we can get the Chaos Emeralds back.  And it looks like
>Packbell may attempt to take the Floating Island in that time.  Can we evacuate
>Knothole before then, while still keeping Packbell off the island so we can
>safely return the emeralds?"
>
>Anotoine shook his head.  "Zat would be empossible, my prinzess.

CROW: "Well, what if we just evacuate the popular people?"

>                                                                  Ahur most
>recent attack on Robotropolis resulted in many wounded; without vehicles, eet
>would take twelve hours to move zem far enough away.  Zat eis if we abandon all
>of ahur heavy equipment,

TOM: [Antoine] Like zees accent.

>                         and do not even try to defend ze island."

MIKE: So it turns out all this time their defensive strategy is 'hope
      Robotnik is too stupid to find us.'

>
>"Then we have no choice: we must recover the emeralds.  Nicole: display map."

TOM: [Nicole] I'M AFRAID I CAN'T DO THAT, DAVE.

>The same holographic map appeared.   Sally pointed to the appropriate parts of
>it as she continued.

CROW: "This is the Toobular Boobular region, and over here's the Tushital
      Crackular."

>                      "We need everyone to help evacuate Knothole and defend the
>island, so I can only assign a few to search for the emeralds."

MIKE: Even though we just established that was impossible for us to do.

>                                                                 She looked
>around.

TOM: Quick, everybody take notes.
[Mike pulls out a pad of paper and begins writing, while Tom reads the fic
to him.]

>         "Sonic, you get the blue and grey emeralds, then return here."

TOM: Okay, Sonic is going for the blue and gray emeralds...
MIKE: [muttering and scribbling] Sonic...blue...gray...

>
>Sonic saluted.

CROW: "Ow! I forgot I had no forehead."

>                "Right away."  And was gone, leaving only a sudden breeze to
>mark his passage.

CROW: [Sally] You will of course need your Omni and this new Voyagers
      History Book to help you correct the course of...oh, he's gone...

>
>Sally's fur was ruffled,

CROW: "Bunnie, quit going around ruffling *everyone's* fur!"

>                         but she did no bother to smooth it.  "Antoine, you go
>for the yellow emerald, then work your way around.

TOM: ...and Antoine's getting the yellow one...
MIKE: [muttering and scribbling] Antoine...yellow...

>                                                    You think you can do it?"

CROW: Only at the humiliating cost seeing Antoine in a scene relevant to
	the plot.

>
>"But my prinzess," Antoine began, his knees starting to tremble.

CROW: "I am turning into Colonel Klink!"

>                                                                  "Wouldn't it
>bee better if I stayed here and helped ze others with the evacuation?"
>
>"Ah, stuff it, Ant," Bunnie interrupted,  "Ah'll get that gem!"

TOM: No, wait, scratch that. Bunnie's getting it.
MIKE: Oh, okay. [Erase, erase, scribble, scribble.]

>
>"I'm afraid not," Sally said to Bunnie.

TOM: Wait, Bunnie's *not* going for it.
MIKE: D'rrrgh. [Erase, erase, scribble, scribble.]

>                                         "I need you to coordinate the defense
>of the Floating Island.

CROW: "Uh...shoot at stuff moving up that isn't us?"

>                         I think Packbell's already knocked out the inhabitants;
>you'll have to wake them up.  If we don't return in six hours,

CROW: We'll be back later.

>                                                               evacuate as
>many people as you can."  She sighed.  "If we take that long, you can assume we
>won't be coming back."
>
>"W-won't be coming back?"

CROW: "Well, okay, coming back right at the climactic moment of the plot,
      then."

>                           Antoine's face turned pale, making him look like he
>would faint any second.  "Um, my prinzess, perhaps we should not be going
>unaccompanified?"
>
>"I'll go with him!" Tails piped up, pleased of the opportunity to finally go on
>an adventure.

CROW: And botch it instantly.

>               Before Antoine could react, Tails grabbed hold of his arm and was
>ready to speed off.

TOM: OK, Antoine and Tails together are going for the yellow...
MIKE: Sure this time?
TOM: Yes.
[Mike scribbles some more.]

>
>Sally looked a bit worried, but finally nodded in agreement.  After all, Tails
>was old enough to be a Freedom Fighter, and because of his flying abilities he
>was probably the best one she could find for this task.

CROW: Yeah, flying is much better than experience in stealth, orienteering,
      search operations, and personal combat.

>                                                         "All right, but be
>careful.  I will go for the remaining gems."

TOM: ...and Sally's getting the rest.
ALL: [double take] HUH?!
CROW: The hero of the series and the one most able to defend himself only
      gets two of the emeralds, it takes the sidekick and a minor character
      together just to get one, and the lesser-powered love interest is
      going for three?!

>
>"All right!"  Tails smiled broadly, then took off in the opposite direction with
>Antoine in tow,

CROW: "Quit draggeeng me! OW! Zare was a brokeen bottle zare!"

>                leaving just as much wind as Sonic did.  The breeze ruffled
>Sally's fur again, exactly countering what Sonic's wind had done.

TOM: [Butt-head] Huh huh huh, Sonic farted!

>
>"I want to come too!"
>
>Sally turned around to find herself face to face with Amy, whom she had
>completely forgotten about.

MIKE: [Sally] Gaaah! Don't *do* that!

>
>"No.  You stay here and help the others," Sally replied, with a sharp edge to
>her voice.
>
>"I have as much right to go as you have!  I made Knuckles bring the island here
>in the first place; it's my fault that he's in trouble now."
>
>Bunnie looked from Sally to Amy, then back to Sally.

CROW: Then Amy, Sally, and Amy. It really didn't lead to anything.

>                                                      "Are y'all sure you two
>should be workin' togethah?"
>
>Sally thought for a moment, then grinned.  "Yes.  And after all, we have...

TOM: The chance to murder one another.

>unfinished buisiness to take care of.  Why not take care of it at the same
>time?"  Before Bunnie could object, Sally grabbed Amy and ran off.
>
>******
>
>Packbell studied the pattern of seven dots that had been superimposed on the
>satellite's picture.  "Attention, SWATbot batallions two through seven:

MIKE: You're first up for the Three-Legged-Robot Race.

>                                                                        prepare
>to intercept the Chaos Emeralds.  Coordinates will be provided shortly.  Your
>orders are to harrass the Freedom Fighters,

TOM: "Call them names like 'pootie-pants' if you must."

>                                            and capture them if you can.  The
>Chaos Emeralds themselves are a secondary objective.  If there are no Freedom
>Fighters present when you arrive, secure the emerald and wait.

CROW: Remember to use the buddy system when crossing the street.

>                                                                Hoverbot
>squadrons Beta,

TOM: Alpha, Gamma...

>                Foxtrot,

TOM: Garfield, Peanuts...

>                         and Dino:

TOM: Hoppy, Bam-bam.

>                                   attempt to secure the Floating Island.
>Hoverbot Alpha, prepare to launch."  At the flick of a switch, the room shut
>down,

MIKE: "Oops."

>      and Packbell ran to leave it.
>
>"I wonder where he's going in such a hurry?"  Snively crawled out of the shaft

TOM: Can ya dig it?

>once Packbell had left, turned the room back on, and studied a map of

MIKE: DOOM.
CROW: [Snively] Hmm, imps around that corner, go here for the red key...

>Robotropolis.  "And using hoverbot Alpha, too...Robotnik's old craft."  He
>looked around to make sure he was alone, then started typing away.

TOM: PLZ SEN MEE NOOD BUNNY PIX THNX.

>                                                                    "Good thing
>he thinks I'm dead, or he'd have better security.

CROW: "Using 'packbell' for a password! Ha!"

>                                                   Like he could lock me out of
>Robotropolis's computers.  I designed them for Robotnik, and even he could not
>have locked me out entirely."
>
>After finishing his typing, Snively turned the room off again.

MIKE: Ugh!
CROW: Please. Put your shirt back on.

>                                                                He cackled as
>he headed for SWATbot batallion two, "Now the robots shall deliver the emeralds
>to me.  With the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Packbell and the Freedom Fighters
>shall all be my slaves.

TOM: No, wait, that's the power of Greyskull I'm thinking of.

>                         And even if I only get one, I can still come out
>ahead."
>
>******
>
>"Owww...mon, dat hurt."  Knuckles woke up in front of a smoking tunnel, covered
>with dirt and rubble.  "Now where's..."  He froze as his telepathic call to the
>Chaos Emeralds went unanswered.

MIKE: [Knuckles] Mon, I can't believe it takes four rings for da machine ta
      pick up.

>                                 Looking around, he realized what had just
>happened.  "Uh, oh...this is not good."
>
>Within minutes, Knuckles was kneeling besides Mighty,

CROW: "Will you marry me?"

>                                                      checking for a pulse.
>"C'mon, Mighty, you can't die on me..."

TOM: C'mon, Mighty, we know you can! Can't die on me, you're the gingerbread
     man!

>                                         As if in response to Knuckles' command,
>Mighty's pulse beat once under Knuckles' finger.

CROW: [Groucho Marx] Either this armadillo's dead or my watch has stopped.

>                                                  Pressing a bit harder,
>Knuckles felt a weak sign of his friend's survival.

MIKE: And pressing harder still, he snuffed out his friend's tentative hold
      on life.

>                                                     Almost at the same time, a
>scent drifted into Knuckles' nose.

TOM: [Knuckles] Ah mon, that Sonic musta farted again.

>                                    "Wait...I know that smell.

CROW: No accent...

>                                                                Dat be stun
>gas."

CROW: Accent!

>       Knuckles inspected a nearby shard of the missile that had taken down
>Mighty.  "Packbell wanted us alive.

MIKE: For absolutely no reason other than to let them defeat him later on.

>                                     Well, he won't get us."  He removed his
>hand from his friend.  "Wait here, mon.  Knuckles be right back with da
>emeralds.  Everything's gonna be ok."
>
>Near the center of the Floating Island,

CROW: There's cream filling.

>                                        a shaft

TOM: Can ya dig it?

>                                                had been drilled to allow access
>to the island's vast interior.  A corkscrew ramp ran around the shaft's

TOM: Can ya dig it?

>perimeter, terminating at a pit opening at the surface and a hidden cave opening
>on the bottom.  As Knuckles ran down this path, he mused that the same chaos
>energy that had magnified the warhead's explosive power had also lessened its
>stun power.

ALL: HUH?
CROW: The Return of the Son of the Fanfic Luck.

>             The emeralds seemed to delight in chaos, even though they
>supposedly only possessed enough of a mind for telepathy, and certainly not
>enough to experience happiness.

MIKE: Because intelligent rocks would make mocking the show too easy.

>                                 As he got to the bottom, he noted that a few
>treetops were just below the shaft's

TOM: Can ya dig it?

>                                     exit, as they were when he had parked the
>island to drop Amy off.

MIKE: So Amy's endless fall turned out to be about 27 feet, then?

>                         He leapt down to a tree, climbed to the ground, and
>once again tried to contact the emeralds telepathically.  He only sensed one, so
>Knuckles took off towards it.  As he ran, he yelled,

TOM: "Run, Forrest!"

>                                                     "Packbell!  You messed with
>my friends, you messed with my gems...now, android, you mess with ME."

CROW: And with that cliché note, we're out of here.
[All leave]

[...safe...2...3...4...5...6...klunk-shunk]

[Mike, Tom, and Crow are present.]

MIKE: So... Knuckles and the Amazing Technicolor Emeralds, eh?
TOM: Yup.
CROW: Yup.
[Suddenly, the ship shakes violently as a loud crash is heard.]
MIKE: WHOA! Cambot, Rocket #9!

[R#9. It seems that Knuckles' Floating Island has risen so high it collided
with the SOL, which is now atop the island.]

[Cut to a forested area of the island where Mike and the `bots have already
exited the ship. They're walking around a tad confused when Mighty comes in
with a high voice.]

MIGHTY: De plane! De plane!
[Knuckles walks in, and he too has a high voice.]
KNUCKLES: Hello, and welcome to da Floating Island. I ahm de silly talkin'
          dude of dis here place, an-
MIKE: Hey, wait, whoa-whoa-whoa. What has happened here?
CROW: Yeah, mind providing any exposition?
KNUCKLES: Yes, certainly... dude.
CROW: Dude, yes.
TOM: Yeah.
KNUCKLES: You see, without my emeralds, I've been forced to keep my island
          in de skies by keeping it full of nitrogen.
M&TB: WAUGH!
KNUCKLES: Dah! I mean helium. Of course.
M&TB: Phew.
TOM: So what the hell is [voice suddenly becomes high] with your voices?
     You sound absolutely ridiculous! I mean your voices are so stupid now,
     tha-.......... Hey! Wait!
MIKE: [High voice] Heh. Cool.
TOM: Oh, shut up, Nelson.
CROW: [High voice, singing] We represent the lollipop guild...
TOM: Stop!
CROW & MIKE: [Singing] The lollipop guild...
TOM: No!
ALL BUT TOM: [Singing] The lollipop guild!
             Weeeee represent the lollipop guillllllllllllllld...
TOM: SHUT UP!
MIKE: Oh, alright.
MIGHTY: Jeez, what a grouch.
MIKE: Hey, uh, Knucksy? You do realize that you may have used too much,
      haven't you?
KNUCKLES: How so... mon?
MIKE: Well, there's obviously a leak somewhere.
KNUCKLES: Yeah?
MIKE: And, well, you're in space.
KNUCKLES: WHAT?
MIKE: And, well, you're in space.
KNUCKLES: WHAT????!!!
MIKE: And, well, you're in space.
KNUCKLES: Oh no!
MIGHTY: Space is a vacuum! A vacuum!
CROW: So?!
MIGHTY: If stay outside in space, we'll bl-
[All spontaneously combust. Odd pause.]

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