.


LEGAL STUFF: Sonic and Sally and Geoffrey all related characters belong to Sega, DIC and Archie Comics. So… yeah.








_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter I: Stolen Pride

_________________________________



Sonic was watching Geoffrey St. John from across the small campfire, laying on his side and twisted in a painful position. He'd just woken up. His head was pounding like madness.

"I wouldn't bother trying to struggle, mate."

Sonic didn't know what the hell Geoffrey was talking about. It must have shown.

"The knots," the dark skunk snickered, prodding his campfire with a branch. "I can guarantee you won't work out of 'em any time soon. I used to be a scout, you know. Taught myself rope tricks. You'd be amazed at what six months in the woods can do to a bloke's resourcefulness."

It all began to make sense as soon as the hedgehog tried to move. Geoffrey, of course, had been referring to the ropes that were securing Sonic's wrists and ankles. Even more annoying was the rag that was clenched between his teeth, knotted tightly behind his sore head. The hedgehog turned over onto his stomach, groaning.

Sonic vaguely remembered some sort of a scuffle in his hut earlier that evening. He never saw his assailant; he had been knocked unconscious before he could get a good look at the guy. He should've known it was Geoffrey. Cheap attacks in the dark seemed to fit the skunk well. Geoffrey St. John was a shameless coward.

Even so, it hardly mattered now. Sonic was his captive.

"By now, I'll bet you're wondering where we are."

Sonic stared at him angrily and said nothing… for obvious reasons.

The skunk stood up and walked to the edge of the cliff, only a few yards from their little camp. "We're on the coast, mate. Down there is the West Ocean--about a few hundred feet below us. Cold here, isn't it?"

Sonic shivered slightly, curling into a ball. He noticed that the skunk bastard was wearing a leather jacket and boots and gloves. Typical.

Geoffrey sneered. "I know what you want. You want to know *why* you're here, don't you?" He laughed coldly. "Look behind you, hedgehog. Notice anything?"

Sonic craned his neck and saw a small cargo frigate. The hovercraft was branded with the infamous factory logo of Robotropolis.

Geoffrey knelt beside Sonic, voice harsh and emotionless. "Don't jump to conclusions now. Robotnik and I aren't working together. We merely came to an agreement. He and I have something in common, you see."

The skunk spat in his face and kicked him in the gut.

"We both want you dead."

Sonic the Hedgehog--writhing, wincing--heard the crunch of boots on gravel moving in the direction of the campfire.

"Robotnik agreed to supply me with all I needed to pull everything off. No strings attached. All I have to do is kill you, and that's all he wants. He honestly believes that your death will give him an advantage."

Laughter. Soft. Cold. Wicked.

"What he doesn't know is that killing you will benefit me far more than it will ever benefit him. You have no idea how much you've stolen from me, hedgehog. You've stolen the glory of victory and refuse to share it with me. You've stolen the respect that the other Freedom Fighters once gave to me. You've stolen the princess that once loved me. You've not only stolen my life, hedgehog--you've stolen my fucking *pride*. When you're dead, maybe I'll finally be able to win back the respect and stature that I deserve. They'll forget all about you."

Sonic had often wondered if he would live to see the end of the war. He'd envisioned his death a thousand times--but never once had he thought that he would die at the hands of a traitor. It was ironic, really. Hell, it was poetic justice. It served him right for being naïve.

And yet…

Sonic had never been so scared in his life. He'd rather Robotnik killed him; at least then he would die a hero's death. Anything was better than dying like this.

Sonic ignored the rough, leather-sheathed hands that dragged him to the edge of the cliff. He could feel a chain being wrapped tightly around his ankles. He kicked and struggled. Geoffrey just pounded the shit out of him and carried on.

Ten minutes and a hundred pounds of chain later, Sonic heard Geoffrey's grim whisper. Ragged. Bitter. Determined.

"See you in Hell, hedgehog."

The next thing he knew, Sonic was over the cliff.







_______________________________





_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter II: Cold

_________________________________



The water was frigid and merciless. The hedgehog felt gravity grab hold of his ankles and pull him to the jagged, rocky ocean bottom.

Pain.

Screaming pain in his chest.

He thrashed in the water, trying to loosen his bonds.

His chest felt like it was caving in.

He bit down on his gag.

He felt tired. Dizzy. Defeated. He stopped struggling after a while.


______________________________


Geoffrey watched the dancing waves far below him, almost expecting the hedgehog to emerge. He could hardly believe it. The hedgehog was actually gone for good this time. Finished. Rubbed out. Exterminated. Old news. The little shit was out of the picture and he was never coming back.

"Thank the Goddess."

The skunk wondered how long it would take for Sonic to drown. Of all things, he found himself laughing.

Hell, it was funny.

Wasn't it?

He snuffed out the campfire. After loading his things into the hovercraft, Geoffrey proceeded to erase all the evidence of his presence that he could find.


______________________________


Cold.

Burning cold.

The world around Sonic was growing painfully dark and cold.

He thought Sally.

He thought of Tails.

He thought of Uncle Chuck and Bunnie and Rotor and Dulcy and Hershey and Lupe and even Antoine.

He was reluctant--no, *afraid*--to leave them behind. It was his duty to protect them and he'd failed. Now, thanks to that coward Geoffrey, Robotnik was closer to Knothole than ever.

The darkness was powerful. The silence was deafening.

Sonic almost didn't notice the chain loosening from his ankles.


______________________________


Geoffrey took one last glance at the tattered, moonlit ocean. Storm clouds were beginning to enshroud the nighttime sky. Thunder moaned in the distance.

The skunk smiled.

No one would find the body--not in a million years. No one would suspect him. He would be as trusted and respected and loved by the Freedom Fighters as that helldamned hedgehog ever was.

It was perfect. It was glorious.

It was downright funny.

Geoffrey was still laughing quietly to himself as he hopped in the hovercraft and drove away into the night.

" 'Evening, mate."


______________________________


The ropes holding his ankles together were awkward, but somehow Sonic managed to wriggle free of his heavy chain and begin kicking towards the ocean surface. The pressure against his lungs burned with holocaustic rage. The shimmering moonlight above him seemed forever distant. He was starting to black out.

Too deep.

Too deep.

Too deep.

He kicked faster. *Faster*.

He released his breath into the surrounding water--a torrent of huge, desperate bubbles that lifted him to the surface.

Break.

Gasp.

Thrash.

Sonic fought to keep his head above water. The waves tossed him and dropped him and swept him away like a worthless cork. It was beginning to storm. Lightening illuminated an expanse of distant, endless ocean.

He wasn't sure how long he was struggling against the waves. When he awoke, all he knew was that he'd somehow ended up on shore. He had no idea where the hell he was or how he was even going to get home… but at least one thing could be certain.

Sonic the Hedgehog was still alive.







_______________________________





_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter III: The Spoils of Treachery

_________________________________



It had been twenty-four hours since Sonic's disappearance. Poof. Gone. No more Sonic. Princess Sally Acorn couldn't understand it. It certainly wasn't in Sonic's character to abandon his friends like that, nor was it like him to go on an unannounced solo mission into Robotropolis without a damned good reason for it.

And that was just it -- there *wasn't* a good reason for it. Come to think of it, Robotnik had been almost uncomfortably quiet lately; the Freedom Fighters' last raid on Robotropolis was probably over a week ago. It was almost as though Sonic had just… vanished.

"Maybe Sugah-hog's just clearin' his mind," Bunnie had suggested at one point. "It ain't easy bein' everybody's hero. He'll be back, Sally-girl -- don't worry!"

But two days after Sonic's disappearance, Sally was beginning to have seconds thoughts about that.

Goddess, it hurt. It was painful to have a friend run out of their lives without warning or explanation. What hurt even worse, though, was the idea that Sonic *had* run away for good -- and with no intent to return to them.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Princess," Geoffrey soothed that evening, holding her to his chest as she sobbed her pain into the open. "For all we know, he's coming back tomorrow. Bunnie has the right idea. But… well, I suppose there *is* a chance, however slim, that… well maybe he's…"

Sally put a hand over his mouth. "Don't say it," she whispered tearfully. "I can't hear it right now. I won't believe it right now. I won't believe that… that… oh, Goddess, Geoffrey…"

No, Sonic *couldn't* be dead -- and she would do everything within her emotional power to keep convincing herself of that.

Still, there was that little trace of doubt in her mind. Sonic had once sworn to her that he'd rather die than ever give up the war. Those words were her driving force for years. And now…

Damn it, she just wanted to give it all up.

"There, there, Luv -- everything'll come around."

Sally used to hate it when Geoffrey would call her that… but somehow, for once, she didn't seem to mind that much.

There was something about Geoffrey's touch, his strength, that made Sally want something further. It was crazy, really. Irrational. Even so, hunger and emptiness and outright desperation overtook her with near-trembling force, drove her deeper.

Deeper.

Geoffrey drove himself deeper as well. It was nighttime now, and Sally made a little cry and grasped his tight, powerful shoulders -- electrified, shuddering slightly. She softly lay her head upon his laboring chest, ran her fingers through the fur. She touched his neck, his face, his mouth. She closed her eyes and inhaled his thick heartbeat.

Three days after Sonic's disappearance, the other Freedom Fighters noticed that Sally wasn't acting like herself… and that Geoffrey seemed to be the happiest skunk in Knothole.



_______________________________





_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter IV: Shaking Hands with the Devil

_________________________________



Waves.

Ocean waves.

Sonic the Hedgehog usually found the coastal atmosphere soothing... but not anymore. Those waves were giving him the creeps. He'd never felt so alone in his life.

He awoke as the morning sun was beating down on him. Oddly enough, he didn't really mind the heat. If there was anything that he'd learned from his little "ordeal," it was that ocean water was colder than a bitch.

Oh, and he'd also learned never to find a place to sleep on the beach during low tide.

Stupid waves...

With nothing better to do while he was drying off, Sonic decided to roll over and comprehend the infinite stretch of beach that yawned before him. Again.

How ironic, he thought. He'd escaped death only to be marooned on some island in the middle of freaking nowhere. What a precious moment.

Sonic rubbed his wrists; they were still raw, but at least he'd managed to cut the waterlogged binds on a sharp piece of rock a couple days earlier. The hedgehog flopped onto his stomach, groaning, tossing his wet sneakers out of the way. His gloves and socks, rolled up in a sopping ball, were soon to follow. He dug his fingers and toes into the sand for the hell of it.

Now the only thing that remained was to think of a way to get back home. That was all. Simple, right?

Well, maybe he'd be able to think better after piss break. The incessant burning in his bladder somehow motivated him to rise and relocate to one of the palm trees behind him.

Tinkle, tinkle.

"Ah, *damn*."

Goddess, that felt good...

...that is, of course, until he heard a the sudden snap of twigs behind him, followed by the electric whine of a blaster pistol with the safety off.

"Surprise, Hedgehog."

The voice was notoriously nasal and grating. It could only belong to one person.

"Snively, do you *always* sneak up on people while they're takin' a leak? You scared the piss outta me."

"Turn around, Hedgehog--slowly."

"I don't think you want me to do that. I'm not quite finished yet."

"Well... hurry up and get done."

Ordinarily, Sonic would be amused at the predicament, thinking of some clever way to embarrass Snively and thereupon escape. Today, however, Sonic simply wasn't in the mood for games. The situation was far too serious for that.

"Alright, Needlenose, I'm finished."

"Turn around, then."

Moments later, Sonic noted that Snively didn't seem to too enthusiastic about this encounter, either. The human looked downright grim, actually: not even a hint of the wiry glee that would be expected from an enemy who held Sonic's life in his hands.

"So, you're here to finish the job, huh?" Sonic muttered, stepping closer. "Let's get it over with, then. Just aim for my head, if you could; I'm not really in the mood for anymore pain."

Snively gritted his teeth. "I'm not here to kill you, Hedgehog. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have bothered to rescue you."

Sonic blinked.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"That night when you went over the cliff," Snively said, nodding in the direction of the ocean. "I was waiting at the ocean bottom in a submersible. What did you *think* was the reason those chains came loose? The underwater current? Like hell."

Sonic only furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure I'm understanding this. You mean... *you* saved my life...?"

The human managed a slight smirk. "Right on the money, Hedgehog."

"*Why*?"

"It was in my best interest really," Snively said with a sigh. "You know as well as I do that your death would mean that I've outlived my usefulness to Robotnik. As much as I hate you and your putrid Freedom Movement, the last thing I want to see is Robotnik winning this war." He grinned. "If *anybody* is going to take over this planet, it's going to be me. Unfortunately, for that to happen, your life must be prolonged--if only for a little bit. We must become temporary allies, in other words, for our mutual survival."

At that point, Snively's tone became considerably darker.

"Robotnik is planning to conquer the Freedom Movement once and for all. He has big plans, and with you... well, dead... he now has the perfect opportunity to exterminate your friends."

"Hold the phone, Sniv... 'Buttnik doesn't know where Knothole is. Does he...?"

"No." Snively sat down on a flat, sunwarmed rock and put his blaster back in its holster. "Not yet, anyway."

Sonic stepped closer. "What do you mean?"

"Geoffrey St. John made a deal with Robotnik--one what involved your death. You know that much, I'm sure." Sonic nodded. "Well," Snively continued, "one of the stipulations of St. John's side of the deal was that Robotnik would be obligated provide him with all of the equipment necessary for your capture and subsequent murder. St. John also demanded that he should be allowed to keep that equipment. Perhaps the skunk thought it might be handy during your Freedom Movement or something; he never said. Nevertheless, Robotnik agreed."

Snively shifted slightly, looking to the distant waves. "Robotnik is by no means a stupid man, and it is foolish to assume otherwise. You see, the hovercraft that he gave to St. John was fitted with a tracking device."

"But Rotor made us this doohickey that's supposed to find those things. You can't tell me that Stinky was stupid enough to take a cargo ship out of Robotropolis without checking for bugs."

"Oh, of course not. St. John scanned every corner of the craft with his... er... 'doohickey.' He found nothing, of course. The tracking device was not programmed to activate until exactly one hundred hours after it left the Robotropolis city limits, rendering it untraceable until that time."

"Why one hundred hours? That seems like an awful long time."

"That's exactly how Robotnik planned it. He wanted your disappearance to have a profound effect on your friends, while at the same time giving St. John enough time to get comfortable and... well, put the incident out of his mind. We presumed that he would bring the craft back to Knothole or leave it somewhere in the proximity for future use."

Sonic clenched his fists. "Damn it, this can't be happening..."

"Relax, Hedgehog. The tracking device hasn't been activated yet." Snively looked to his watch. "As of now, you have thirteen hours and fourty-seven minutes to find that hovercraft and move it as far away from your precious Knothole as possible. Here's the deal: I will be your ticket off this island, so to speak, and I will drop you off at a location just outside of Robotropolis. In return for everything I've done for you, you shall find that hovercraft and use any means of your choosing to ensure that Robotnik won't be lead anywhere *near* your fleabitten friends. What do you say, Hedgehog?"

Sonic wasn't so quick to agree. "What if this is a trap? What if you're lying and you're gonna just give me to 'Buttnik?"

"Then I guess we'll just have to learn to trust each other, won't we?"

"I guess I don't have much of a choice."

"No." Snively was grinning. "You don't. Is it a deal, then?"

Sonic returned the grin. "Deal."

And they shook hands.







_______________________________




_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter V: Broken

_________________________________



It was their secret place--where they could escape from the rest of the gang when they felt like being alone. They would just talk, most of the time. Sometimes they'd share a kiss. And once…

A faint smile formed on Sally's lips as she sat down underneath her special tree. No, *their* special tree: a massive oak with open branches and beautiful, glistening turquoise leaves. It was where Sonic and Sally had made love for the first time.

She fought back tears.

"Never again, Sally," she told herself quietly. "Never again."

Her fingers traced the contours of Sonic's etching in the bark of the tree--the words "Sonic + Sally" with a jagged heart around them. It took all she had to keep from carving a spiteful X over the top of it.

Quietly, she folded the piece of paper that she held in her hand and placed it at the base of the tree. A stone on top secured the note for the time being.

If Sonic was indeed alive, he'd surely come here to look for her. He'd find the note. He'd know where she was going and what she was planning to do.

Only by then it would probably be too late... and that's exactly how she wanted it.

Damn it, Sally hated herself. She was weak and she let Geoffrey take advantage of her. She betrayed Sonic. Not only that, but her drive to see the War through was swiftly and dangerously wanning; she wanted to give up the whole damn thing, toss in the towel, put up her hands and SURRENDER. She was sick of the War, she was sick of life, she was sick of *everything*.

Sally turned from the tree and headed for the dark skies of Robotropolis. She'd march up to the overlord and flat-out ask him what the hell happened to her lover. Obviously, there were two possible scenarios: either that Robotnik *had* indeed killed Sonic, or that he'd had nothing to do with the hedgehog's disappearance at all.

Either way, Princess Sally Acorn knew she was going to end up dead.

But at least she'd find out the truth.



____________________________

 

_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter VI: Interlude

_________________________________



Snively stepped into the control room quietly to avoid waking his sleeping uncle.

Only Ivo Robotnik wasn't sleeping. In fact, the overlord was quite awake--and very, very pissed. He spun around in his green rotating chair and glared at his nephew.

"Where the hell have you *been*, Snively?"

The needlenosed minion stopped in his tracks and gulped. "Er… 'been,' sir…?"

"Yes, 'BEEN,' Snively," Ivo roared, gripping his armrests. "I've been paging you for the last hour and a half, and you haven't answered."

Ah, that was an easy enough excuse to improvise. "I must have turned my beeper off accidentally," Snively said, feigning an apologetic tone. He took out his beeper. "Oh look! It *is* off!" he lied. "How silly of me, I'm so terribly sorr…"

A series of pulsing beeps suddenly erupted from the little device.

"Certainly doesn't *sound* like it's off," Robotnik seethed, his thumb on the button of his own beeper.

"Um…" Sniv could think of little else than to hit the device against his palm repeatedly. "Well, SHIT, I *knew* there was something wrong with this thing… piece of crap…"

"I even called you over the intercom, Snively," Robotnik continued. "You still didn't answer. Where *were* you?"

"Well, I-I-I was simply checking up on areas around the factory, sir… sometimes I'm deep in concentration… and well, I went to the bathroom once, and it has very thick walls so maybe I didn't hear you when you were…"

"Snively, spare me the excuses."

Sniv braced himself for what was coming next. Uncle finally caught him this time. Should've known he was going to get caught plotting against him sooner or later… shit, he was a dead man. Goodbye cruel world. Hasta la vista, assholes. Caio. Okayhaveanicedaybuhbye.

"If I *ever* catch you slacking off again, I'll shove a spybot so far up your ass that you'll be your own surveillance system. In the meantime, you will wait at your computer terminal and alert me the very second that our little tracking device goes off. Now sit."

Snively was speechless. "Is that... all... sir...?"

Robotnik frowned. "What the hell do you mean 'is that all'? Was I not threatening enough for you?"

"Nonono, it's just that... I was expecting you to... oh, nevermind."

Whew! The fat man *wasn't* suspicious after all. Snively wanted to kiss the sky…! Well, if it weren't so polluted, anyway. Instead, he danced a little jig and hopped into his seat.

"Get busy, Snively, before I'm tempted to retrieve my golf clubs."

"Anything you say, sir!" Sniv proclaimed happily. "I'm at your service! I'm ready for anything! Those putrid Freedom Fighters won't know wha--"

"Snively, shut the fuck up and work."

"Yes, of course, sir."



_______________________________





_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter VII: Bunnie

_________________________________



Sonic stood uneasily at the doorway to Bunnie’s hut. It was dark, and everyone was asleep now. That was exactly how he wanted it, too--nice and quiet. It was easier to get to the bottom of things that way, right?

He knocked softly on the pine door.

“Bunnie...”

His voice was an urgent whisper.

She answered the door, looking like she’d just woken up. Probably had. In any case, she didn’t react at first.

“Hey, Bunnie.”

Suddenly her eyes widened.

“Sugah-hog!” she cried, hopping out of her hut and clamping around him. “You’re back! You’re alive!”

“Shh shh shh,” Sonic soothed, returning the hug, “don’t wake anybody up. We want to keep this quiet for now, okay?”

Her expression composed. “What for?”

“It’s… something that I don’t have time to get into right now, but it’s dangerous. I need to know where Sally is. She wasn’t in her hut.”

“Well, th' last Ah heard from ‘er, Sally-girl tol’ me she was goin’ for a walk. You know, to clear her poor li’l mind. She’s missed you somethin’ fierce, Sugah-hog.”

The tree, Sonic knew. She was at the tree…

“I’d better get going, then,” he said to Bunnie, and he turned to leave. “Thanks, Bunnie.”

“Wait! What should Ah tell the othehs?”

“Nothing. Not until we get this thing sorted out.”

“Are you comin’ back?” She sounded almost panicked.

Sonic flashed a confident smile--his trademark cool. “Of course.”

He winked.

And then he was outta there.







_______________________________




_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter VIII: Restless Sleeper

_________________________________



Geoffrey lay awake in his bed with an uneasy feeling--almost as though someone’s eyes were upon him. He grunted it off (he was in no mood for the bogeyman at this hour anyway) and turned over onto his stomach, glancing at the clock on the wall. Almost midnight. With a hand on his mildly-aching forehead, tossing himself into yet another not-quite-comfortable position, he found himself wondering when the hell he was ever going to get to sl--

“ACK!!!”

A splash of ice-cold water hit him in the face without warning.

“Wake up, asshole,” said a familiar voice. “I want some answers, and I want them NOW.”

Rough hands shoved him onto the floor. Somehow he had the audacity to look up at his aggressor.

No. It couldn’t be.

“You’re dead,” Geoffrey choked.

Sonic the Hedgehog yanked Geoff to his feet and socked him in the mouth.

“Boo.”

The skunk collapsed to his knees, spat blood. Sonic delivered a swift kick to his stomach--flooring him.

“Let’s just say that I *am* dead, for the hell of it. What does that make you, then?”

Kick.

Geoffrey doubled over.

“Come on, Stinky. It a simple question. If I’m *dead* that makes you a… what is it? I’ll give you a hint; it starts with ‘m’.”

The skunk gritted his teeth and glared back up at him. “Go fuck yourself, Hedgehog.”

Kick.

“Not quite the answer I was looking for, Geoff. Try again.”

“Eat me.”

Kick.

“Fine. New question, then.” In the dim moonlight that shone through the window behind him, Geoffrey could see the hedgehog hold up a smallish scrap of paper. “What the hell does *this* mean?”

“What is it?”

“A letter from Sally. Here.” Sonic threw the note in the skunk’s general direction. Geoff snatched it in midair and brought it into clearer moonlight.



Sonic,

You’ve been gone for three days. I can only hope you’re missing me as much as I miss you.

If you are reading this, I hope that you can find it within yourself to forgive me for what I’ve done in your absence, and also for what I’m going to do right now. By the time you get this letter, it’ll probably be too late, so don’t bother to try and find me.

And if you *are* dead, Sonic Hedgehog, we’ll probably be together soon.

I love you. I’ll always love you. Don’t ever let Geoffrey tell you otherwise.

Forever yours,

Sally.




In spite of himself, in spite of the letter, and in spite of Sonic… Geoffrey began to laugh. He couldn’t stop.

“What’s funny?”

“Her,” he managed to sneer within his fit of gaffaws. “All this time I believed…believed that… that she…”

The laughing eventually died down. His face was twisted into a sneering, bitter grin.

“And I thought that *bitch* loved me,” he half-chuckled, spitting more blood onto the floor of his hut. “I guess I should've known better, eh?”

Just then Sonic’s fist collided into his face.

“That’s what you wanted all along, wasn’t it?” the hedgehog hissed, headbutting him. “This wasn’t about killing me. It was about getting to HER.”

He shoved the skunk up against the wall and backhanded him. Geoff collapsed to the floor. He was still grinning.

“I even had her, Hedgehog. I screwed her luv’ly little heart out. She enjoyed it, too.”

It felt so good to say those words to the hedgehog, Geoffrey almost didn’t notice the rain of anger that Sonic began beating into him.

“WHERE IS SHE?!” Sonic screamed after long, agonizing minutes, hitting him in the face.

“How the devil should I know?”

Geoffrey prepared himself for another wave of assault… but none came. Relieved, he let himself crumple to the floor. He watched Sonic walk to the far end of the room.

“Robotropolis…”

The single word spilled out of Sonic’s mouth like poison, echoing distantly as Geoffrey felt himself fading.

He suddenly saw the hedgehog looking down at him.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook just yet, asshole. That cargo ship you took…”

“What…about it…?”

“There’s a tracking device on it that’s gonna go off in about five hours, and then everybody in ‘Buttnikville is gonna know where we are. Tell me where it is.”

“It’s… I… left...... it…”

Fading.

Fading…

Sonic backhanded him. “Tell me NOW, Geoffrey.”

“I… I……”

Slap.

“NOW!”

“It’s… just… south of here. On the lip of the Great Forest…” He rubbed his head, slumping to one side. His speech was slurred. “…I think.”

Sonic smiled darkly. “That’s good enough for now. I’ll just throw you in the ring pool if I need anything else from you.”

“Greeeeeaaaaaat…”

“Oh, and by the way--you’re coming with me.”

“Wha…?”

Fist.

Black.

It was the best sleep Geoffrey could ever remember.


_______________________________


_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter IX: Merely Business

_________________________________



Robotropolis was even colder than Sally remembered. Not that it mattered, of course. Cold was cold, no matter how you sliced it. Cold was trivial now.

She didn't bother to watch the armed swarm of SWATbots that was escorting her into the belly of Hell--nor did she bother to hang her head in shame. The princess took her paces evenly and proudly, staring ahead with as much confidence as she could collect. This was her hour of emancipation, and she’d be damned if she was going to rush into it weak or afraid.

The innards of the interrogation chamber bloomed from the darkness as her eyes were adjusting. Distant, standing in the center of the room, was Ivo Robotnik.

“A pleasure as always, Princess,” he said with a dark grin, “albeit an unexpected one. We did, however, raise an eyebrow when we couldn’t find any of your fuzzy friends on the security cameras. Without a doubt, you have planned something of a trap. And *you’re* the bait, yes?”

“I came alone,” Sally said flatly. From Robotnik's expression, she could tell that her tone registered to him as honest. He looked as though he was unsure of how to handle the situation.

“Interesting, indeed,” he said gravely to Snively, who was standing beside him. “You've come for what purpose, then?”

“Sonic.”

Ivo’s expression flickered.

“Where *is* he, Robotnik?”

She watched the corners of his mouth move up just slightly. “Ah. Wouldn’t *you* like to know?”

He glanced again at Snively, who remained expressionless, and then back to Sally--eyes witholding precious evidence that she was so desperate to obtain.

“Tell me,” she demanded--rigid, tense. “It’s the least I deserve.”

Silence.

The SWATbots' weapons remained fixed on their target.

“Well, Princess,” Robotnik said at last, expression serious, “it just so happens that you have a traitor in your midst.”

Sally trembled angrily. “You don’t expect me to believe that Sonic--”

Robotnik was moving almost uncomfortably closer. “No. Not Sonic. Someone else. Think long and hard for a moment.” He was right beside her now--his breath upon her ear. “Open your eyes, Princess. It’s always who you’d least suspect.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to brainwash me into thinking, Robotnik, but I don’t know *anybody* in our forces who would sacrifice our cause for--”

“Geoffrey St. John, perhaps?”

“Never.”

Ivo’s voice became a smooth, chilling whisper. “Oh, think again, Princess. As a matter of fact, he’s the very creature responsible for the Sonic’s *murder*.”

“You're lying.”

“Am I? You tell me, Princess.”

Goddess, he was so close--close enough to smell his breath, to taste it, hot and sweet almost like peppermint. It frightened her beyond words. Evil, fragrant breath. A disguise. She wanted to believe that his words were a disguise, too.

And yet, there was something in his voice... something frigid, brutally honest, which promised that every word he'd just said was horrifyingly true.

Sally stopped fighting. She let the tears flow freely now.

“No…”

Her voice was soft and hollow.

Terrified.

“*No*…”

“It was merely business, I’m afraid,” Robotnik continued, turning away, “and I’m a shrewd businessman as you well know. Quite simply, St. John had the unyielding desire to end the hedgehog’s life, and I had the resources to make it possible. At last, after nearly a decade of wanting nothing more than for that wretched blue rodent to suffer and die, I *finally* had the means before me to accomplish it. So we made a deal.” He smiled. “Only that deal may have proven more weighted to my benefit than he thinks.”

Sally had collapsed to her knees--choking on angry, desperate sobs.

“Gone...

“*Gone*…

“I can’t believe he’s gone…”

“There, there, Princess.” Robotnik's tone was now as cheap and shameless as his smile. “It would have happened sooner or later, I’m afraid. You see, in a matter of hours, I will know the very location of Knothole.”

She gasped. “No…”

“You can thank St. John for that, by the way--in a manner of speaking. In the meantime, I have an army of SWATbots assembling at the moment, so my time with you is running a bit short. Is there anything else you require of me?”

Sally felt numb. Paralyzed. She wasn’t even looking at him.

“Yes.”

She spoke through bitter tears and clenched teeth.

“Kill me.”

Her voice, however quiet, commanded a power that echoed from every wall and into silence.

Robotnik shifted slightly, glancing at his SWATbots. “That would be slightly inconvenient for me, I’m afraid. You see, my SWATbots’ weapons are still set for stun. I was planning to roboticize you.”

Sally didn't speak.

“It’s nothing personal, really. Oh, alright, maybe just a tiny bit. Nevertheless, there is little that would bring me greater pleasure than to watch you lead my army into Knothole to kill everybody you’ve ever loved. The roboticizer is warming up right now, in fact.”

Sally ignored the gun that now pressed into her shoulderblade.

“Now,” Robotnik said to the SWATbot.

Sally didn’t bother to scream.




_______________________________



_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Chapter X: The Roboticizer

_________________________________



When she awoke, Sally wasn’t quite sure where she was. The strange, distorted curvature of her surroundings at first suggested that she was merely dreaming.

No. As she slowly collected herself--hands erratic, fingers sliding over fused circuits and wires and solid, chilling glass--she knew this was no dream, but a nightmare.

An hideous face was suddenly grinning at her through the glass.

“Sleep well?” Sally said nothing; Robotnik snickered. “You look refreshed.”

She watched him in silence as he moved to the control panel some distance away. “As you may or may not know, Princess, the roboticizer beam can be applied to its victims at any number of graduating degrees. I’m a man who enjoys a spot of entertainment now and again, in which case I’ve set the roboticizer to the slowest setting possible. Is that alright with you? I knew you’d understand. But enough shilly-shally; let us draw the curtain…!” He gripped a sizable red lever on the electronic board before him. “…Bravo, Sally Acorn. It’s been a jolly good show. Alas, here’s to the warriors who *almost* defeated Lord Ivo Ro--”

A dreadful, ear-shattering avalanche of concrete and debris was suddenly bulldozed into the Roboticization Chamber--hoverexhaust grinding machinery and SWATbots undertread into twisted scraps of oblivion. It looked to Sally like it was one of Robotnik’s own cargo frigates…

The craft came to a stop only inches before the overlord and his precious roboticization equipment. The top hatch opened, and the craft’s driver emerged.

Sally’s world was a frozen blur. She gasped.

“Sonic…”

Hands pressed against her cylindrical glass enclosure, she felt herself trembling uncontrollably. She inhaled slow, shallow breaths, chest and throat tightening.

She also noticed that Robotnik’s eyes were burning with a hatred and frustration beyond anything that she had ever seen in him before--and that was saying something.

“*Impossible*,” he spat.

At this the hedgehog only snickered, patting one side of the craft. “I think this is yours, Ro-Buttnik.”

Sonic had aged somehow since the last time she’d seen him. He seemed harsher-looking--more severe. Even his usual, trademark bravado seemed almost forced now.

And then Sally noticed the small device that he held in his left hand.

“Let’s make a deal,” Sonic said, lobbing the device back and forth between hands. “Let’s say you let Sally out of the toaster… and then I put this way.”

Robotnik didn’t look like he was in the mood for games. “What is it?”

Sonic yawned. “Oh, nothing. Just a little toy that our pal Rotor cooked up in his lab a while back. It’s not that powerful, I understand. The blast’ll probably only destroy a building or two… but it’s sure as hell enough to kill everybody in *here*.”

“You’re bluffing. You don’t have it within you to kill *yourself*, much less your lovely Princess over there.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I’m already dead, remember?”

Ivo, tensing, said absolutely nothing.

“So what’s it gonna be, Ro-Buttnik?”

The overlord grinned.

“I think I’ll let fate decide.”

His hand, Sally noticed, was still on the red lever… and a moment later, the roboticizer was surging with electric life.

________________________



There just wasn’t time to think.

Tucking the explosive under his arm, Sonic simply grabbed for the little dufflebag at his feet and dove from the hatch--somersaulting down the length of the craft and behind a barricade of busted machinery.

A sexless digital voice spoke out above the chaos: “_ROBOTICIZER BEAM CHARGING: SIXTY SECONDS REMAINING._”

“No pressure,” he laughed to himself nervously, thrusting his hand into the duffel, “no pressure at all, Hedgehog.” He pulled out two smoke grenades.

“FIND HIM!!!” he heard Robotnik scream to whatever SWATbots were left uncrushed in the cargo frigate’s wake, “AND *KILL* HIM!!!!” An endless spray of laserfire ensued from every angle and direction thinkable.

Sonic pulled out the grenade pins with his teeth and chucked the shells over the barricade.

If he remembered correctly (as he’d had this conversation with Rotor weeks ago), the grenades emitted certain gaseous chemicals that were corrosive to silicon--which, theoretically, would destroy the SWATbots’ internal computer systems upon contact. The only problem was that these grenades had
never been used in actual battle before. Nobody was sure how long it would be until the chemicals took effect.

Ironically enough… the laserfire behind him did not cease.

________________________



“_ROBOTICIZER BEAM CHARGING: THIRTY SECONDS REMAINING._”

Snively was hardly at ease--even as he hid within his nice, safe alcove of computer hardware. The fact of the matter was that bolts of plasma were streaking above him blindly, and they were damned deadly.

Oh, and now there was smoke stinging his eyes from whatever the hell the hedgehog threw out into the attack swarm.

Lovely day.

“Um… sir…” he managed to croak.

But Robotnik wasn’t paying attention. “Units Z12, N39 and X27: SURROUND THE ROBOTICIZER!!! BLAST ANYTHING THAT COMES NEAR!!!”

“…sir…”

“Not now, Snively, can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Well, sir, I *would* like to suggest that we…”

“KEEP FIRING, DAMN YOU!!!” Robotnik bellowed to his forces. “DON’T STOP UNTIL HE’S *DEAD*!!!”

There was a collective whirr of machinery as the SWATbots processed these orders and continued blasting away--followed by an awkward silence.

.........

*SILENCE?!!!*

Flummoxed, Snively peeked out from his hiding place. Indeed, he could see the entire army of synthetic warriors with their guns pointed at Sonic’s barricade… frozen in place.

Without warning, about half of them simply collapsed where they were standing. The rest of them, one at a time, were randomly twitching.

What the hell was this? Some kind of mechanical union shit fit?

“Sir,” Snively said after a moment, “as I had started to say--perhaps it would be in our benefit for us to, you know, relocate to a safer location?”

Robotnik’s eyes, fixed on the dying SWATbots, were glazed with disbelief.

“Yes, Snively… that’s… actually not a bad idea…”

________________________


“_ROBOTICIZER BEAM CHARGING: TEN SECONDS REMAINING._

“_NINE._

“_EIGHT._”

Sally gasped as Sonic rushed to the roboticizer and slapped his epoxy-lathered explosive device to the outside of the glass. She scrambled away from the bomb, clawing at her glass prison.

“No…!”

But Sonic, wearing a worn but familiarly comfortable expression of cool, winked as though to say, “Trust me.”

“_SEVEN._”

“_SIX._”

“_FIVE._”

“_FOUR--_”

And the bomb detonated: not in fire and shrapnel as Sally had expected, but in thin, blue threads of electricity that coursed through the glass and pulverized it in a brilliant, 180-degree explosion of diamond dust.

The last thing she remembered was falling into Sonic’s arms…

________________________



From the safety of his control room, Ivo Robotnik watched the security vid-screens with an almost obsessive fascination. He laughed victoriously as Sonic, carrying an unconscious Sally, plainly boarded the very cargo frigate from which he came and piloted the craft to his escape.

“That fool,” the madman sneered. “The tracking device on that craft will lead us right to him!”

“Indeed,” said Snively, who didn’t sound remarkably enthused.

Robotnik, however, was already heading for the door. “Let us board my personal hovercraft, Snively. Those fleabitten vermin won’t escape from us THIS time.”

________________________



“Autopilot engaged,” droned the cargo frigate’s onboard computer system. “Input destination.”

Sonic snickered.

Minutes later, the rear hatch was open, and he gathered Sally into his arms and raced into the deep of the Great Forest.




_______________________________



AUTHOR'S NOTE:

It’s here at long last -- the final chapter to “Betrayal is a Beautiful Game.” For a time, I actually convinced myself that I probably wasn’t going to finish this one. Ninety-nine percent of the time I know how a story is going to end before I even start writing it, and with this one… I didn’t. I knew vaguely the direction I wanted to take it, but beyond that, I was stumped.

Well, it’s been five months since I began the story. It’s finished now and (while this is hardly my best Sonic fic) I'm not at all displeased with the final product.

Um.

Oh, forget this, I suppose there’s no point in stalling any longer. The REAL point of this author's note is to tell you all that I’m officially retiring from fanfiction.

Before anybody gets the wrong idea, let me explain. Don't think that this is a statement on my part that I've grown tired of the fandom or the work I've put into it or both, or that (even worse) this is some cheap bid for attention. I've been a fanfiction author for over two years now, and I can honestly say that I've had a BLAST. Perhaps, though, this is why I have to retire -- because I enjoy it so much that it's starting to get in the way of other things that are more important. Not only have I just begun my freshman year of college (can we say, "yikes"?), but my original writing is at last beginning to get on its feet in the published sense (small as those publications may be at this point in my young, would-be career -- but hey, it's a start). As fun as fanfiction is, I'm sure you understand that I feel it's time to focus on achieving my dream.

Besides, the last thing I want is for this little hobby to get old and stale, for me to leave the fandom bitterly and want to forget the experience altogether. Consider this a “fond farewell” of sorts. My experience as a fanfic writer was fun while it lasted. Now it's time to move on. No biggie, right?

Before we ensue with our regularly scheduled chapter, I’d like to thank a few people. (Just humor me, for god's sake!).



PandaBear007, Inquitor 'Dirty' Harry Eastwood, Jesika Starwatcher, Cere Knight, Cirrus Varant, R.LemurGurl, Amy Rose, Rashum, Lissa, The Tengwar Tribe, Vegeta777, Laerupeth, P-chan, Purrkat, Someone Who Doesn't Give Their Name Out On The Internet!, Ztarlight, yoshi, Kamll, Storm Spotter, Kurisuta J.A.D.E, and Falconess:

ALL of you left such encouraging reviews for "Betrayal is a Beautiful Game"! You guys rule, and you really kept me going with this thing. I can't thank you enough for your support.



Orion Gecko and Master Li:

You guys managed to stay with this thing from the begining, irregular chapter updates and all! Your feedback was especially appreciated.



A. Fleury:

Truly, you have always been one of my very favorite fanfiction authors, and your feedback was always an inspiration to me. Keep writing!!



Vincent Valentine and Sean Catlett:

What would I have done without your help on this story? You two played especially pivital roles in keeping me driven to finish this thing, and I'm eternally grateful. We've become more than simply fellow fanfic writers since we first met, and I can't express how much that means to me. You rock.



BUT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!! This is not the end.

While "Betrayal is a Beautiful Game" will be my final solo effort in the Sonic fandom, I'm still finishing up one last little (okay, BIG) project: David Macintyre and Sean Catlett and I are currently cowriting a sequel to Macintyre's awesome "The Final Step" -- entitled "The Day After -- which will be released here on ff.neet sometime this winter. This work is a collective showcase of what I believe to be our strongest work in the fandom thusfar, and I hope you'll read it. In the meantime, you can visit our homepage at http://tdaproject.tripod.com.

Anyway, shameless plugs aside... it's been a blast, guys. To everybody who is reading right now: this one's for you.

Latersville.


~SJZ




_________________________________

Stephen Zacharus
BETRAYAL IS A BEAUTIFUL GAME

Epilogue

_________________________________



Sally’s eyes fluttered open and the universe poured inside. The first thing that she noticed were the wide, thick, beautiful branches of the oak tree above her, suspended in a blanket of soothing shade… and then a soft hand against her cheek.

“Sal.”

A kiss--gentle, affectionate.

Strong arms lifted her from the grass and pulled her into a warm embrace.

“Whatever happened,” Sonic whispered into her ear, lightly rocking her back and forth, “it’s forgotten. It’s behind us. Let’s move on.”

Sally hugged him tighter.

“I love you, Sal.”

“No. I love *you*.”

They grinned.

Suddenly, going back to Knothole didn’t seem so important anymore.

________________________


“We’re almost there, sir.”

“We can’t be.”

“That’s what the radar says.”

“We’re nearing the coast, Snively. Knothole isn’t on the coast. Knothole is in the Great Forest.”

Snively sensed a tension in his uncle’s voice that warned him to keep quiet.

“Just keep driving, Snively. We’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough.”

As the hovercraft rounded an outcrop of barnacle-encrusted rock, the needle-nosed human could see their cargo frigate at last. It had come to a stop at the edge of a jutting escarpment that hung a fair distance above the ocean.

Robotnik was seething. “Why don’t I see anybody here, Snively? Nothing to indicate any kind of settlement whatsoever.”

Gulp.

“I… wouldn’t know, sir.”

Ivo turned to address the SWATbots that were escorting their craft. “All units, surround that cargo frigate. Blast anything that tries to run.”

The overlord drew his own weapon--a sizeable K-44 handblaster. Probably compensation for something else, Snively thought.

“You never can be too careful, Snively,” Ivo said, patting his gun.

Sniv bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Of course not, sir…”

They approached the frigate cautiously, allowing the SWATbots to move in ahead of them. From where Snively stood, it appeared that the rear hatch was open.

Robotnik cleared his throat. “Hedgehog, if you’re in there, I suggest that you surrender yourself or I’ll have my forces blast you into the next world.”

He paused.

"...That was a good one, eh Snively?"

"Very awe-inspiring, sir."

"Nothing less."

However, the air was silent--save for the crashing waves at the base of the cliff.

“Move in,” he ordered his units.

Moments later, the SWATbots emerged from the frigate’s belly with none other than Geoffrey St. John. The skunk was in pathetic condition: bound, gagged and looking as though somebody threw him down a flight of stairs. Robotnik stood furiously silent, motionless.

Snively, on the other hand, couldn’t help but snicker. “What shall we do with him, sir?”

A low, simmering growl.

“Roboticization is a punishment too merciful for this incompetent fool. Throw him back in the frigate. Program the autopilot to drive off the cliff.” He turned and stalked towards his hovercraft.

“I’ll see to it personally, sir,” Snively called, grinning. At last, after watching the angry, dismal form on the sand straining against his bonds, he knelt to the skunk’s level.

“Betrayal is a beautiful game, St. John.”

He winked.

At the base of the cliff, the cold, violent waves were wailing into a pre-evening sky.