Disclaimer- Is it really necessary to mention that I don’t own “StH”? WELL, I DON’T, OKAY?! (Sobs)

“Hey, Needlenose, observe what I just fished up from Robotnik’s Home- Entertainmen Room!” Packbell called, as he entered the Control Room.

The little lackey glanced up from his console. “Packbell, will you kindly not disturb me when I am working?” he grumbled. “This report on WorkerBot efficiency needs to be completed and turned in to Robotnik in an hour! I don’t CARE what it is you found!” He paused. “Wait a minute… I thought his personal Home-Entertainment Room was strictly off limits to anyone but himself!”

“Well, considering how I’m his “son”, not to mention his most trusted assistant, I’m simply an exception,” Packbell replied smugly.

Snively sighed, feeling a familiar twinge of jealously and frustration seep through him. “Hmm, now why doesn’t that surprise me in the least?” he muttered bitterly. He turned to face his comrade. “All right, Commander,” he said impatiently folding his arms, “make it quick.”

Packbell shoved a copy of a video in Snively’s face. “Check it out. What do you think of that?” An image of a psychopathic Overlander grinning evilly with an axe in his hands filled his sight. “The Shinning,” Snively read from the video box. “Hmm… must be one of those ancient Earth motion pictures. What about it?”

“Apparently, this is supposed to be one heck of a horror thriller from the 1980s,” Packbell was saying. “It’s supposed to be based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King… he was one of the most popular writers of horror literature down on Earth, you know!”

“So it’s a horror film, is it?” Snively asked. “One of those gory motion features which contains this monster or killer stalking some big-breasted female who can’t act, who’s always running up the stairs when she should be going out the front door. It’s insulting.” He yawned. “It’s always the same old basic, tiresome plot. Half the time, these killers don’t even seem to even have a motive for wanting to murder these people! And the victims never seem to have the slightest amount of common sense, particularly the blond cheerleader-types! In my opinion, if they’re going to go ahead and commit such foolish acts, than they deserve to die for their sheer stupidity!” He shook his head. “Pointless, tiresome rubbish…. Let me guess, I suppose you’re planning on watching that movie, aren’t you?” he added with a roll of his eyes.

“Yup!” Packbell said. He added with a knowing grin, “You know, Sniv’, you’ve been working awful hard these past few hours. I believe you could use a little break…”

Snively was shaking his head quickly. “Oh, no, Packbell! If you actually think that I’m going to immerse myself in that ridiculous movie, than you can just forget it!”

“Why not? Too scared?” Packbell smirked.

“M-me? Afraid of a mere motion picture?” Snively stammered nervously. He snorted. “Of course not, you fool! I just told you what a waste of time they really are, didn’t I? I have better things to occupy my time with! Besides, it is absolutely necessary that I finish this report.”

“Sure, Needlenose,” Packbell snickered. “You just don’t want to admit how squeamish you really are, that’s all! Well, you’re not fooling me! I already know what a pathetic little wimp you are!”

“I am NOT a wimp!” Snively snapped. “I just- I just have a very delicate constitution! Now, would you please go away and let me work, Packbell?” He impatiently turned back to his console.

Packbell shook his head. “Snively, Snively, Snively,” he sighed, making tsk-tsk sounds, “you have got to learn to have a little fun in your life! I’m serious, Sniv’, I’m really worried about you!” He grinned. “And what better way to relax and unwind than by taking in a good flick?”

“Packbell, just what on Mobius do you think you are doing?” Snively cried, as he struggled against his bonds. He was sitting on the giant sofa in Robotnik’s private Home-Entertainment Room, tightly bound from shoulder to ankle in rope. “Untie me at once! I am NOT watching that movie, and I really don’t appreciate you forcing me to watch it against my will! This is ridiculous! I have important work to complete, now would you please release me? That is not a request, that is a direct order from your superior!”

“Now, now, Snively,” Packbell said with a smirk as he casually put his feet up on the coffee table, “I’m simply doing this for your own good! You never take the time to sit back and relax, that’s your problem. Your work isn’t going to run away, you know.”

“B-but Robotnik…”

“The good doctor is asleep, Needlenose. So relax already, will you? Sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy the movie!”

“How can one be properly comfortable if they’re tied up?” Snively snapped. He paused. “Er, this isn’t going to be a terribly gory movie, is it?” He gulped nervously.

“Don’t you worry your little squeamish head about it, Snively,” Packbell said casually. “The Shinning is not one of those real gory movies. No blood, no guts, no severed body parts! It’s just packed with loads of suspense.”

“Huh,” Snively muttered skeptically, as Packbell dimmed the lights for the movie. “I’ll believe that when I see it.” He didn’t trust that sneaky android. Knowing Packbell, he had probably selected a real gore-show, just to terrify the life out of him.

The movie started…

Much to Snively’s surprise, Packbell had been true to his word. There was nothing too stomach-lurching about the film. In fact, it wasn’t even all that suspenseful until near the last hour, when the now-psycho-turned father/husband went after his wife and son with an axe, bent on killing them both. “Heeeere’s Johnny!” he cried, as he busted a hole through the bathroom door with his axe, where his terrified family was hiding.

After the movie, Packbell flicked the lights on and untied Snively. “Well, Sniv’, what did you think? It wasn’t that bad, now was it?”

“No…” Snively said. “Actually, Packbell, you were right. That wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Now that it’s over, would you kindly untie me so that I can get back to work?”

Packbell was grinning knowingly. There was something about that grin that Snively didn’t trust. “Oh, but we’re not finished yet, Snively,” the android said. “We still have all the rest of Robotnik’s horror movie collection to watch!” He cackled maniacally.

“WHAT?!” Snively cried, outraged. “You tricked me, Packbell! I knew you were up to something!” He struggled against his bonds. Packbell just laughed and started the next movie…

Hours later, Snively was having one heck of a time keeping his dinner down after all that he had seen on the screen that night. His face had gone beyond a deadly pale to a green, sickly color, almost matching the color of his uniform. He tried to shut his eyes, but every time he did, Packbell would force and hold them open.

“PLEASE, NO MORE, OH, STO-O-O-OP!! I’M BEGGING YOU! I CAN’T TAKE ANY MO- O-ORRRE!!” Snively cried, banging his head against the arm-rest of the sofa in agony. “I’M GOING TO BE SICK!!” Terrified sweat was also pouring down his face. Every time the victim on the movie would scream, Snively would scream right alone with them. Needless to say, Packbell was having a very enjoyable time torturing his little ‘cousin’. With a smirk, he said, “What’s the matter, Needlenose? Aren’t you enjoying this little horror movie marathon?” He grinned. “I know I am!”

Snively just continued to scream and whimper in terror.

“Oh, pipe down, Needlenose! I’m trying to hear the movie!” Packbell said, as he stuck a wad of duct tape over Snively’s mouth.

Several hours later, near the break of dawn, the movie marathon had finally come to an end. Packbell glanced over at Snively, who was lying on the couch, passed out cold. The android grinned and untied him. “Ha! What a wuss! I knew his squeamish little mind couldn’t take it!” he laughed, as he ripped the tape off his mouth. “Hmmm… I think I’ll just sneak away while he’s still unconscious. I’ll go tell Robotnik I caught him in here! What a massacre THAT would be! Haha!”

All of a sudden, the power suddenly went out and the entire Death Egg was plunged into darkness. “Arrghh! Blast those Freedom Fighters!” Packbell cried. “They must have destroyed the main generator… again!” He suddenly grinned and glanced over in Snively’s direction. “Oh well, at least I’m not going to be the one blamed for it! Guarding surveillance is your job, not mine! Besides, Robotnik never blames me, his perfect creation, for anything! He’s going to be pretty, to put it mildly, ticked when he finds out that you were in HIS private Home-Entertainment Room, watching one of HIS movies, when you should have been watching the monitors!” There was nothing more that Packbell loved than getting Snively in trouble with Robotnik.

Than, all of a sudden, from out of nowhere, there was the creepy sound of an organ note being struck, horror movie-style. Than there was the sound of creepy, maniacal giggling in the dark.

“Uh… Snively?”

There was a sudden clash of thunder and lightening from outside, briefly showing Snively slowly raise his head to face Packbell with a creepy, evil expression on his face. He giggled and cackled maniacally. As the thunder and lightening continued to clash, throwing shadows onto his evil, grinning face, there was the sudden sound of that organ chord being struck again from out of nowhere.

“Uh… Snively, quit trying to scare me with the second-rate horror movie effects already. It’s not working. Besides, now isn’t the time for games; we’ve got to capture those Freedom Fighters!” Packbell snapped both impatiently and somewhat nervously.

Snively continued to cackle and chortle in that low, creepy tone. Packbell, of course, tried not to show it, but it was really starting to creep him out. Something just didn’t seem right about this whole thing. He slowly started to back away, towards the door. Snively slowly rose to his feet and, still slowly, started to walk over towards the android, that creepy grin still painted on his face.

“Uh, okay, I think you’ve finally lost it, Needlenose!” Packbell said, somewhat nervously. “Don’t you think that this little joke has gone on far enough? Or have you just lost all touch with reality?”

“Oh, but this is no joke, android,” Snively said in a low, sinister voice. “And you are the one who seems to have lost track of all reality, my friend, as you seem completely oblivious to the fact that you are in great danger right now. Perhaps your inner sensors are failing you, Packbell…”

“Uh, whatever, freakoid!” Packbell said quickly before quickly hurrying out of the room. As he hurried down the hall, he ran into Dr. Robotnik, who did not look very pleased. “Packbell, the Hedgehog and those accursed forest brats have hacked into the system and shut down both the main and back-up generators! Why did Snively not alert me and activate security immediately? Where IS that good-for-nothing little wretch?” he cried.

“Well, doctor, you’ll never believe this, but I just found him down in your Home-Entertainment Room watching one of your movies,” Packbell lied.

“WHAT?!” Robotnik roared. “He sneaked into MY private Home-Entertainment Room and watched one of MY movies, when he should have been doing his job?! Just wait until I get my hands on that lazy little sneak!” He thundered down towards the Home-Entertainment Room.

“Uh, sir, I think I had better inform you that ‘ol Needlenose is behaving in a pretty strange manner!” Packbell said, as he followed Robotnik. “I’m not really sure how to explain it, but he’s just not acting like himself at all! It’s actually quite creepy…”

Robotnik thundered into the dark Home-Entertainment Room. “SNIVELY!!” he bellowed angrily. “Forget the fact that you had the very GALL to deliberately sneak into here when you know perfectly well that it’s strictly OFF-LIMITS to you, BUT YOU ALSO LET THOSE BLASTED FREEDOM FIGHTERS DESTROY MY GENERATORS!!” He glanced around in the darkness. “Where are you, you little wretch?!” he snarled.

Just than, another clash of lightening briefly brightened the room, casting shadows everywhere. In the momentary piece of light, Robotnik and Packbell could see, much to their shock, the words, “No Respect and No Credit make Snively go Crazy” painted in blood-red all across the walls and ceiling.

“What on Mobius is this?!” Robotnik yelled. “Just what kind of sick game IS this, Snively?!”

“Oh, I’m afraid it’s no game, Julian,” Snively said, as he suddenly appeared in the center of the room, holding an axe. “Unless, of course, you’re referring to the game entitled, ‘GUESS HOW I’M GOING TO DIE’!!” He chuckled evilly. “Yes… that’s right. You heard me. Why am I doing this, you ask? Am I going crazy, you wonder? Well, it is not I who am crazy… it is I who am MAD!!” He laughed maniacally. “Didn’t you hear ‘em?! Didn’t you see the CROWDS?!” His lips curved into a crazy, twisted grin. “Well, we all go a little mad sometimes, don’t we?” he said in an evil, low tone, imitating Anthony Perkins from ‘Psycho’. Suddenly, and without warning, he swung around and smashed a huge hole in the wall, causing Robotnik and Packbell to jump back, startled. Than he turned to face them, his face masked with all the characteristics of a homicidal maniac. “I’m tired of always being treated like slime and being kicked around like an overworked dog,” he growled. “And do you know what happens to a dog that always gets kicked around, after a certain period of time, Julian?” There was a loud clash of lightening, as Snively narrowed his eyes. “It will eventually turn on it’s master and everybody else.” He started to slowly walk towards the two, axe raised in hand. “I’m tired of never getting any bloody respect or credit around here, Julian,” he hissed, as he slowly started to come towards them. “And after all these years, I’m finally going to have my long- awaited revenge! Because you know what, Julian? This may come as a great shock to you, but no respect and no credit makes Snively…” He paused, grinning evilly. “Can either of you guess the rest? Go on… guess!”

“Uh… go crazy?” Packbell nervously suggested.

“Don’t mind if I do!!” Snively cried. He started laughing like a maniac and destroying everything in sight with the axe, from the walls, to lamps, to tables, to chairs, to the couch, to the movie theater-sized screen. Than he started running towards Packbell and Robotnik, axe raised high above his head, screaming bloody murder.

Robotnik and Packbell ran down the hall for their lives. “Quick, Packbell, to the Control Room!” Robotnik cried. Since the Control Room was located down on the main floor, they had to run down several flights of stairs, as well as down several maze-like hallways to reach their destination of sanctuary.

Packbell quickly glanced behind him and gasped. “Dr. Robotnik!” he cried. “That crazy little psychopath is gaining on us! He’s right behind us!” Packbell was having a far easier time running away from his psychotic comrade’s wrath than Robotnik. Since Robotnik was extremely overweight, his great obesity slowed him down a considerable amount. But even though the android could run pretty fast, Snively was still catching up fast. He was quite fast, for a little guy.

“Oh, no you don’t, you foolish cretins!” Snively howled gleefully, as he chased after them, axe raised high above his head. “You can run, fools, but you cannot hide! Escape is futile! FUTILE, I SAY! AAAAAHAHAHAHA!!” He sang, “Run, run, run, as fast as you can, you can’t escape me, I’m the Candyman!”

Just than, the door-way entrance to the Control Room came into sight. Packbell quickly opened up the doors, using the button-panel on the side. They hurried inside, doors automatically closing shut behind them, barely missing Snively’s axe.

Robotnik quickly hurried over to the computer and began typing in some commands. “Security,” he cried, “come in! Seek out and capture Snively immediately, no questions asked! Stun him, shoot him, I don’t care! Anything it takes to stop him!”

Suddenly the connection cut right off. “SWATBots! Are you there? Come in! Repeat, come in!” Robotnik cried desperately. He turned to Packbell. “Packbell, the communication system has been cut off! What happened?”

“Well, sir,” Packbell gulped, “it’s either from the Hedgehog and those Freedom Fighters… or it’s…” His eyes widened in fear. “Sir, you don’t think…”

Suddenly, the intercom system clicked on. “Hello, my friends!” Snively’s voice hissed through the speakers. “Are you having fun yet? I know I am!” His voice sounded… different, somehow. Still nasal and accented, but it sounded deeper and more vicious, like the killers in ‘Scream’, Billy and Stu, did when they were using that voice mechanism to disguise their voices over the phone.

“Snively? Is that you?” Packbell cried.

“The question isn’t “who am I?” The question is “where am I?”” Snively hissed.

“Where are you, you little back-stabbing mutant?!” Robotnik howled.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” Snively said. “And, Julian, I wouldn’t bother trying to contact any more SWATBots, if I were you. You see, I’m afraid they’re all… off-line at the moment.”

“How did you know what I was doing?” Robotnik demanded.

“Because… “Big Brother” is watching, Julian,” Snively said in a sinister tone. “I can see you…” he sang out in an eerily-playful tone. There was a pause. “Look over there on the console,” he ordered.

Robotnik looked over by the console. There was an envelope. Hands shaking, he slowly tore open the envelope and looked inside. There was a note. It read in blood-red letters, “I know what you did last summer!”

“Remember that bird you hit in your Hovercraft last summer, Julian? Remember how it bounced off your windshield and plummeted to the ground?” Snively cackled, enjoying his little game.

“That was an accident! And what does that have to do with anything?” Robotnik cried. He paused. “Wait a minute… how did you know about that? You were in here observing the surveillance monitors while I was gone that day!”

“True… but you can pick up many interesting things on these monitors, now can’t you?” Snively snickered. “Hey, Julian… where’s your precious pet can- opener, Cluck? Why don’t you look in that bag over on your chair?”

Shakily bracing himself, Robotnik looked into the bag. To his horror, Cluck was lying in there all right… dismantled into several pieces. “CLUCK!! NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!” he cried.

“Hey, Packbell, do you like scary movies?” Snively asked with sinister pleasure, really enjoying this. “What’s your favorite scary movie? Let’s play a little game, shall we? It’s an easy category- Movie Trivia! Here’s how we play… I ask a question, and if you get it right, you live. I’ll even give you a warm-up question: Name the killer in “Scream”!”

“SHUT UP, YOU SICK FREAK!” Packbell screamed.

“I’m sorry! That’s the wrong answer!” Snively said gleefully. “Oh, well… your call…”

All of a sudden, a huge hole was chopped through the door of the Control Room with an axe. Snively poked his head through the door. He was wearing that Ghostface costume from ‘Scream’. He ripped the mask off and cried, “Heeeere’s Snively!” Than he vanished back around the corner. A few seconds later, he appeared in the doorway wearing a hockey mask. In one hand he bore a chainsaw, while on his other hand he was wearing a pair of finger hedge-clippers. “Sorry, Jack… Snively’s back!” he yelled gleefully. He sang out, “I’m baaa-ack!” Suddenly, his head slowly spun right around on his body.

“Oh, ye GODS!” Packbell cried. “Maybe he really has been possessed! Do you think we should call an exorcist, Dr. Robotnik?”

“No, Packbell… that won’t be necessary!” Robotnik said. “He may be armed and dangerous, but he is still nothing but a mere little weakling! We are far stronger than he is! Together, we can overpower him and put an end to his homicidal antics once-and-for-all!” Quickly, Robotnik grabbed his laser pointer from his belt and aimed a blast at Snively’s hands, zapping the sharp weapons from his hands. Than he and Packbell both charged at him, tackling him to the ground and firmly pinning him. Snively struggled, but eventually collapsed in a faint.

Snively slowly opened his eyes a few seconds later. “Is it over yet, Packbell?” he groaned in a groggy voice. “Is the movie marathon over yet? Please don’t make me watch any more! I just can’t take it!” Slowly, he sat up and glanced around his surroundings, blinking in confusion. “What the… what am I doing in the Control Room? How did I get here? What’s going on?”

“You mean you don’t remember anything, Snively?” Packbell cried.

“Remember what? What are you talking about?” Snively asked, confused. “The last thing I recall was being up in the Home-Entertainment Room, sitting through a bloody movie marathon- literally- and…”

“AHA! So you admit that you sneaked into my private Home-Entertainment Room!” Robotnik shouted, grabbing him by the collar of his green Turtle Neck shirt.

“But, sir, I swear, Packbell was practically holding me hostage in there, forcing me to watch every one of your horror videos against my will!” Snively cried. “I was in the middle of typing up those reports you requested when he…”

But Robotnik wasn’t listening. “And than you go off playing games, taking on all these false roles of various horror movie killers, pretending to try to kill us, scaring the living daylights out of us… AND THAN YOU HAVE THE GALL TO DENY YOUR ACTIONS?!” He shook his nephew violently. “WHAT ON MOBIUS IS THE MATTER WITH YOU, SNIVELY?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR PUNY LITTLE MIND?!”

“But, sir, I really don’t know what you’re talking about, I swear!” Snively cried, terrified, not to mention confused beyond all reason. “I would never do any such thing! I never did any such thing! That is, I certainly don’t recall doing anything of the sort…” He gulped, as he braced himself for a fist-load of pain. ‘Oh, I hate that depraved android!’ Snively thought to himself. ‘This is all his fault!’

The following night…

Snively decided to show that android a thing or two. He had been making fun of him all day because of how he had gotten in trouble with Robotnik, not to mention how he was freaking out when he was watching those horror movies. Well, he would prove to him that he could stomach these kinds of movies! He would conquer his fears, once-and-for-all! He would watch the Granddaddy thriller of them all… “The scariest movie of all time”… ‘The Exorcist’!

After Robotnik had gone to bed for the night, Snively sneaked into the Home-Entertainment Center, turned off the lights, and popped ‘The Exorcist’ into the VCR…

A couple hours later…

The movie was finally over. Snively was quite proud of himself. He had finally conquered his fear of scary movies! It wasn’t nearly as bad watching ‘The Exorcist’ a second time around because now he knew what to expect.

Snively suddenly felt a strange feeling wash over him. He had felt the same weird feeling last night too, right before he had passed out. But this feeling wasn’t that of fear or sickness at all… it was something else… something unexplainable…

Snively suddenly went unconscious.

At that moment, Robotnik just happened to enter the room. He couldn’t sleep, and so he had decided to watch one of his videos to pass away the rest of the night.

It was than that he noticed his nephew, passed out on the couch. “WHAAAT?! YOU SNEAKED IN HERE AGAIN?! HOW… DARE YOU?!” Robotnik bellowed in outrage.

Suddenly, there was a loud clash of thunder and lightening from outside. From out of nowhere, the eerie, yet familiar sound of an organ note was heard, sending chills down Robotnik’s spine. Snively slowly sat up, an evil grin plastered on his face. Suddenly, and without warning, he puked green slime all over Robotnik. “Keep away! The sow is mine!” he cried out in a possessed voice.

“WHAT IS THIS?! SNIVELY!!” Robotnik screamed in shock and outrage.

“I am not Snively…” the little Overlander hissed in that demon-possessed voice, as his head slowly spun around on his body…

DUN, DUN, DUNNN!!

THE END??

I would like to apologize to anybody who is offended by the movie, ‘The Exorcist’. Please do not take this whole thing seriously. It’s all in good fun, remember!

Well, that’s all for now! Don’t worry though… “I’LL BE RIGHT BACK!”

(Readers gasp)

Randy: (From ‘Scream’) You see? You push the laws, and you end up dead! Okay, I’ll see you in the kitchen with a knife!”

This has been a Shychick Production!