"...Finally, the research is finally giving its results", Professor Gerald said with a smile, feeling proud of himself of being nearby to create something that it’ll change the world.  "What is that professor?",a certain  blue hedgehog said, with all the curiosity of the world, while looking at the capsule containing a black hedgehog. "Ah, Sonic, dear assistant... It's finally done the research. I'm making an ultimate life form to stop my dear granddaughter's loneliness, along with the cure. I know and trust that you can be a good friend and protect her, but your disease is more advanced that I expected, and mostly of the time you helped me to find a cure to your and Maria's. Alas, who knows if your disease attacks at any instant and put you in an eternal slumber? Let's pray for that to never happen, but, we're not able to control time."

Sonic was meditating about the professor's words. Yes, he and Maria were the only special cases of advanced NIDS, but Sonic's was more advanced that no one could ever imagine... But that didn't stopped him to be a hero and the world's fastest hedgehog. His relation with Maria was stupendous (a brother-sister alike), not because of the illness, no. It was because even their limitations, they were able to be happy and go through it. Maybe they were disconnected with the exterior, yet that doesn't matter.

Sonic nodded silently towards the doctor, gave a thumbs up, and yawned. Professor Gerald chuckled and said: "Maybe you should get a rest."

"Are you sure professor?" Sonic asked, yawning again.

"Don't worry about me. Go on, go to sleep." he replied, with a warm smile.

"...OK." Replied the hedgehog, scratching his right ear, and he went off the Doctor’s presence.

"Oh, I almost forgot: Can you please tell Maria to go to bed, please?" asked the professor.

"Okie dokie!"

[...]

Before he was going to the hallway, he saw Maria gazing to the Earth. He joined her in no time, saying: "Hey there pal."

"Oh, hi Sonic,"she replied, putting all of her attention to him, with a sweet smile. "The professor said we need to go to bed, but do you want to stay here?"- he asked. "Um well, yeah... Just 5 more minutes, OK?" she begged.

The blue hedgehog chuckled and nodded. They stayed seeing the beauty of the planet. She sighed and said, "I've always wanted to know how's like the wind stroking your face without being excluded due to an illness..." She put  her dreamy face of hoping that one day she can be outside and feel the air, see the trees and the birds, and feel the sun heat her skin gently. "Hey... Don't worry. The professor said that he's almost finding a cure... Tell you what: I'll promise that tomorrow  we'll go to Earth OK? " Sonic replied, with a smile. Maria couldn't help but smile either, saying: "A promise?" showing her pinky. "Yeah. A promise"- replied Sonic, both  making a pinky promise.

After five minutes, Sonic yawned again, so did Maria. "He he, seems that we're on the same boat,eh?"

Maria couldn't help and chuckled and said:"Yeah... I guess so...".

Sonic stretched out and helped Maria to stand up to go to bed. When they entered the room, they went to their respective beds ( That was one to each other)

"Night Sonic."- Said Maria.

"Good night Maria."Said Sonic and turned of the light, without knowing that would be their last night...

[...]

Suddenly, after three hours, a strange alarm wook Sonic up. The alarm that was set was one he recognized that they were in danger... But what was happening? Without wasting any second, he stood up, wook up Maria shaking her softly and gently, whispering: "Maria, wake up!" . The girl suddenly wook up, seeing his friend worried and at the time hearing the alarm. "I think we should go", suggested the hedgehog. She simply nodded and stood up from the bed... But when she opened the door, 3 soldiers of the G.U.N were there.

"Freeze!", one of the soldiers said, pointing his gun towards Maria. The other 2 soldiers were pointing out towards Sonic. Sonic just growled and like if was an instinct,  knocked out the soldiers spin-dashing in a blink of an eye. He grabbed Maria's hand, and ran on the metal hallway. Their running footsteps could be heard on the cold echo of the hollow hallway. Their heavy breathing could be heard too; Heart pumping adrenaline on every vein was reaching through their bodies.

Between huffs and  puffs, Maria asked, "Where....are we going?"

Between pants Sonic responded, "To find the professor and... Escape from here!"

Other G.U.N soldiers were pursuing them. Maria looked back, while running in the echoing hallway, she saw that they were pursued, she warned to Sonic, " Sonic... They're following us!!"

'Crud...' he thought. 'We gotta get to the professor fast!!!'

Then he got an idea; "Maria, hold on," he said while grabbing Maria bridal style, increasing his speed to make the G.U.N. soldiers lose them of their sights. Sonic's idea actually worked, so he hid on a dark corner with Maria. He was panting and breathing heavily, he got covered himself from sweat. The G.U.N. soldiers passed by, running at unison speed. Sonic, after knowing that they were safe, at least for now, he started coughing  roughly , and some blood spouted out from his mouth.

Maria got concerned, seeing that Sonic was developing the symptoms.Luckily for him, Maria remembered that she  had her inhalator on her pocket, so she looked for it to see if it was still there. "Here, you need it more than me", she said, handing to him the inhalator.

"...Thanks." he replied, still breathing heavily.

He quickly inhaled the inhalator and felt much better. It made his chest less compressed that how he was without using any drugs like this one. "You know you shouldn't overdo it Sonic, you almost worried me sick..." Maria said, looking really worried. Sonic petted her silky blonde hair, saying "Sorry" with a 'could you forgive me?' face.  

"...Okay, but don't do it again, OK?" she replied. "Alright.. Sorry for worrying you that much...". Maria shook her head, saying "It's alright... But why does G.U.N. want us?"

Sonic was thinking that too 'Yeah... Why does G.U.N. want us anyways? What's with them?'  and shook his head. "Whatever they want, we should escape. Let's get the professor and get out as fast as possible." Maria nodded. Sonic lifted up a little his head to see if they were still there.

[...]

Nothing. There was nobody. "Great. Let's go Maria." He said, making a sign to go.

The azure hedgehog and the young girl sneaked out of the soldier’s sights into the lab room. They entered the room, and saw that Professor Gerald was lying on the floor unconscious, with a heavy contusion on his head. Both Maria and Sonic gasped silently, and rushed to Prof. Gerald’s aid.

“Grandfather!” cried Maria, shaking him gently yet continuously. “Grandfather please, wake up!” “Wait-let’s check if he’s still have pulse” Sonic interfered.

His gloved hand touched slightly the neck of Prof. Gerald, checking for pulse. Thankfully, there was a steady regular pulse. Sonic sighed in relief. “Thank God… He’s OK.”  Maria sighed too, on relief, knowing that he was in a stable condition.  

Who was the responsible?

Who could do such thing?

Lying on the shadows, the answer was there… A dark human shadow was approaching them, getting away from his hiding spot. That person is Alex, second commander of the G.U.N. organization. A man with old yet young factions, possibly on his late forties. Holding the trigger handle, he stepped forward towards the azure’s back. Sonic felt an instinct, a feeling that somebody was behind him, holding something. His instincts were true. He saw a human shadow, holding something that kinda looked like a gun, so he decided to look back.

“Huh? What-?!”

“Goodbye forever, so called hero,” Alex said, hitting the fatal blow that lead our hero into unconsciousness. The only things he could remember was Maria shouting his name “SONIC!” and somewhat another name, accompained with some whimpers of fear of the girl.

… Oh no… I left Maria in danger...

That's all he could remember.