Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ Coke Conspiracy ❯ Clue Hunt ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: Clue Hunt

The next day, it was cloudy with some sunlight fighting to get through. Perhaps it was a sign of rain. The area needed rain, because it was dry. The land was thirsty, and so was Knuckles the Echidna, but he was cautious about drinks. He worried that the water supply was infected like the coke was, with whatever Eggman made. Knuckles was unsure what to think of it, but he knew something was very wrong. Searching for clues, Knuckles traveled alone into town. In this friendly, peaceful village, there was a cyborg police officer. He was on duty that day.

"My friends call me Murphy," he said. "You call me Robocop." And that is who he is.

Strange thing to find in the echidna world, but this police officer knew Knuckles. How is that so, you ask? They were neighbors, but Knuckles is a loner, and Robocop respected that. Still, the officer tried to be helpful, to serve and protect, and at this moment, is it noontime. Many people were out having lunch, and there was a place called H-E-B. Robocop entered the building, and he noticed that almost everyone was drinking coke. He did not give it much thought, because he did not know the danger behind it, like Knuckles already found out. Robocop came into the deli to pick up his lunch, a small box of chicken. The cook reached in for the pieces, and by mistake, he almost selected a spicy piece of chicken. Now, Robocop disliked that. Upon seeing this, he took his handgun, and the sight of it alone made the cook frozen with fear, with hands shakily raised.

"Don't!" Robocop commanded, and just then, a second cook came to help.

"Hi, Officer!" Ed greeted him, and he was a friendly man, dark with bright eyes.

Robocop put his gun away. "Hey, Ed," he said. "The usual, please."

"Anything for you, Murphy. Excuse him, he's new." Ed pointed to his young partner.

"No problem," Robocop said, and the cook was glad for that.

Ed gave him a box of lunch, and then he asked him, "Murphy, have you noticed?"

"Noticed what?" Robocop asked.

"Well, everyone has been acting strange in this town, and they drink coke like candy."

"That is not a crime," Robocop said. "But I'll keep my alertness up where it belongs."

"I'll do the same with you, Murphy. See ya around," Ed wished him farewell, waving his hand.

Robocop said goodbye for now, and then he left the deli, thinking. Meanwhile, on top of the building, Knuckles looked down at the streets with his trusty binoculars, trying to learn how to reverse the coke formula, but he had no helpful clues yet. He wondered how many had become infected with the unknown threat. Then suddenly, he felt someone tap on his shoulder.

Knuckles jumped up, startled, and he turned to see his visitor. "Robocop?!"

"Greetings, Mister Knuckles," said Robocop. "May I ask what are you doing up here?"

"First answer my question, which is extremely serious. It's very, very important!"

Of course, Robocop agreed. "Okay, ask away."

"Did you drink any coke recently?" Knuckles asked, and there was a pause.

"No, I did not," Robocop answered in truth. "But I had coffee this morning."

Knuckles snorted. "Almost just as bad for someone like you," he said quietly.

"Why do you ask?" Robocop wondered, confused in the midst of this time.

"Because, look around," Knuckles said, spreading his arms. "It's a Coke Conspiracy!"

"Hmm…sounds like a serious case," Robocop said. He wrote notes in his notebook.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Knuckles asked the officer.

"A good cop is a good writer," he said. "I always keep written records of crime reports."

"Whatever," Knuckles sighed. "I just want things to be normal again…"

"What do you consider to be normal?" Robocop asked.

Knuckles sighed again, and then he began. "I wake up in the morning, trip over Keith's toy trucks to fetch the newspaper, Tails comes by and pops the paper on my head, Muttski drools on everything, Sonic shows up to annoy me, I have breakfast, guard the Emerald and live my life!"

"I…see…" Robocop said carefully, and he wrote a few more notes down in his book.

"I also wonder how many are like this, crazy when drinking coke, and Bill-Oh, Billy!" Knuckles just remembered, and he ran for his house, leaving a confused police officer.

= = = = =

Later that day…

Careful not to be seen, Knuckles ran with the wind, climbed trees, cliffs, and a mountain.

"That was a hill, not a mountain!" Knuckles said, and he made it to the top of the hill. "Well, as crazy as Billy is, I still worry about him. I've got to warn him before it's too late!"

And so, Knuckles ran again, down the hill to reach the other side, where his neighborhood stood. It was quiet and peaceful there, but Knuckles still felt uneasy. Something was not right. He came to his brother's house, uncertain what he would possibly find, and he went inside, carefully.

"B-Billy!" Knuckles called, stepping into the silent house. "Why is it so quiet?" he asked.

Just then, a loud noise was heard. It was an explosion, coming from the basement.

"Oh no!!" Knuckles cried, and he ran for the stairs, fearing the worst. "Billy?!"

There was silence, and when the smoke cleared, he saw what was left of a machine on the floor of the room. Suddenly, a piece moved slightly, and then a gloved hand reached out for air. Knuckles ran to the hand, pulled, and Billy came out of the machine rubble. His white coat was torn from the sudden, unexpected explosion, his glasses were damaged, but he appeared to be unharmed.

"Bill, how many lives do you have?!" Knuckles asked in surprise.

Billy coughed, and then he spoke. "Cats have nine lives, but I only have one."

"You look as if you lost a few dozen along the way," Knuckles said.

"Oh, isn't it exciting?!" Billy said, turning to the rubble. "I am another step closer!"

Knuckles took Billy by the hand, turning him away from the machine. "Look, Bill, there's something very serious going on around here lately. I must ask you an important question."

"Very well, Knuckles, proceed and ask," Billy said, curiously waiting for the question.

"Do you have any coke?" Knuckles asked him in a whisper.

Billy chuckled at the question, and he stepped over to a little icebox. "I might have," he said, and he opened the door to it, looking. He pulled out a cherry coke bottle. "Is this what you need?"

"NO!" Knuckles shouted, and overwhelmed, he threw the glass bottle, and it shattered on the wall. Then all the sudden, an alarm was heard, and Zack 505 quickly came into the room.

"Mess alert!" he said with a pail of soap water and a mop. "Mess alert! Mess alert!"

"Oh!" Knuckles gasped, jumping out of the little busy robot's path. "I don't understand!"

"There is no need for confusion, Knuckles," said Billy. "Ah, I suspect there is a conspiracy!"

"Like duh!" Knuckles said, and then Zack rushed passed him, leaving. And so, after things were somewhat quiet, Knuckles told Billy what happened. The scientist was amazed with interest.

"Fascinating!" Billy said, and he ran for a closet, seeking for something, but for what?

"Don't ask," Knuckles whispered to the viewers and readers out there.

"Ah, excellent!" Billy shouted, and he jumped out of the closet, holding a…

"What? An umbrella?!" Knuckles said, surprised. "Bill, you're-you're-I don't know!"

Billy blinked his brown eyes, chuckling. "Let the journey begin, in the name of science!"

"Oh no," Knuckles groaned, covering his face, and then Billy ran out of the basement.

Having little choice, Knuckles ran out after his brother, daring to follow him. Billy ran passed the kitchen, across the living room, hopped over the sofa, and he reached the outdoors. Knuckles went after him, and he came outside of the house. Billy suddenly stopped at his mailbox.

"What's inside?" Knuckles asked him.

Billy opened it, reached it, and then he pulled out a coke can. "Oh, dear…"

"No! Not coke again!" Knuckles shouted, and then Billy opened the can of drink.

"I shall study it," Billy said, and he knelt down with a microscope. "Aha, I thought so!"

"What?" Knuckles asked.

Billy looked up at him, opened his mouth to answer, but then he shrugged. "I don't know."

"Oh, great," Knuckles said, disappointed. "We're stuck in peanut butter for sure."

Billy raised an eyebrow, and then he looked at the coke again, through his microscope. "Hmm, there appears to be an unknown formula, which was added to the drink," said Billy. "It seems to be so strong, that the slightest drop will cause some type of mind control on the victim."

"The only person who would do something this terrible is Robotnik!" Knuckles realized.

"Your theory very well could be correct, Knuckles." Billy agreed. "We must find a reverse."

"You mean, there's a cure for this-whatever it is?" Knuckles asked, hoping.

"Precisely," Billy answered, standing up. "My teacher said, there is a cure for everything."

"Is that so?" Knuckles whispered, and then suddenly, someone took hold of his arm. "Hey!" Knuckles shouted, and when he looked to see who did this, it was Sonic the Hedgehog. "Let me go!" Knuckles cried, and he struggled to get free. Billy helped him out of the hedgehog's grip.

"Come, we must hurry!" Billy called, turning to run, but then Tails and Amy stood in his path.

"Surrender," Tails said, stepping toward the two echidnas.

"Join us, thirsty ones," Amy said, and then she caught Billy.

"Pardon me, young lady, but I really must be going," Billy said, freeing himself.

"You're not going anywhere," Bunnie said, and she stood in his way of escape.

"Billy!" Knuckles called, and before he could reach him, Sonic and Sally stopped him.

"No, I won't give in! Never!" Knuckles yelled when he saw Nickel and Keith approaching.

"Hold him," Nickel ordered, and Sonic held the red echidna, and so did Sally.

Before Nickel could come too close, someone fired a water pistol. The water splashed, hitting Sonic and Sally's face. Knuckles was free, and he hurried to Billy's side, breathless.

"Take that, you mindless drones!" Zack said, and he was holding a red plastic pistol.

"Zack, run away!" Knuckles warned him when the infected ones glared at the robot.

"One problem: I do not have any legs!" Zack said, pointing down to his wheels.

"Then wheel away, just go!" Knuckles shouted, and then Zack barely escaped capture.

"Yikes!" Zack said in surprise, and at amazing speed, he turned, leading them away.

Knuckles turned to his brother, and they were alone, unharmed. "Will Zack make it?"

"Most assuredly," Billy replied. "Zack is quite capable of handling this unusual situation."

Knuckles sighed. "Well, at least that's over. Nothing can go wrong now."

But then, all the sudden, it began to rain with thunder and lightning after it.

"Rain!!" Knuckles shouted, and he jumped. "Thunder, lightning, death!"

Billy raised a curious eyebrow, and he opened his green umbrella. "Stunning!" he said.

"Rain!" Knuckles said again, and then Billy caught him, and he pulled him near.

"Your highly emotional reaction is most illogical," Billy said, winking an eye.

"You don't know what I've been through," Knuckles mumbled. "No one knows…"

Billy smiled, and he wrapped an arm around him. "I know," he whispered gently.

"Billy…I…" Knuckles stopped, and then he finished in a whisper. "I'm sorry."

Billy closed his eyes. "No," he whispered. "Don't be sorry. We'll think of something."

= = = = =

Meanwhile…

The rain continued to fall, and Eggman watched the window, thinking. His plan was working as he hoped, and the news reporters and police officers were under his control, drinking coke. In his chair, the mad scientist laughed, quite proud of himself. This plan, this idea was victorious.

"Ha! Like taking candy from a baby," said Eggman. "Soon, I will have my Eggman Empire!" He grinned, and then he reached for his cup of water, but it was empty. "Metal!" he called.

In the next room, Metal was busy playing Ping-Pong with Silver Sonic. Metal was too fast for the older, slower robot hedgehog, and so victory belonged to him. "I win again, old man," he said.

"Aw, applesauce," Silver said, placing the paddle down, and then Eggman called again.

"Duty calls," Metal said, and then he left the room, where Eggman held his cup.

"Metal, it's empty, so fill it up," the man commanded, pointing to the emptiness.

Silent, Metal did so, but he did not like that command. Thirst was a powerful weapon.