Sonic Series Fan Fiction ❯ On the Road Again ❯ Mile High City ( Chapter 16 )

Chapter 16: Mile High City

In the city of Denver, Colorado, the RV drove on, through many new places that Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends had never been before. It was hard to decide where and when to stop, because there was so much to see, so many things to be found and explored with curious eyes, willing to learn and live in a moment. Founded in 1859 as a gold mining camp, Denver is America's youngest city, and one of the most exciting. Today, this booming metropolis has a population of 2.4 million, and it's the largest city in a 600-mile radius, truly amazing. Yes, Denver is a city of surprises. Sonic and his crew found it to be fun, and surely worth the journey.

"Hey, Tails, did you find any cool facts about this city with your computer?" Sonic asked.

"Yes," Tails nodded. "I've got a list of them right here, and it's really great. Listen, Denver receives 300 days of sunshine a year, more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami Beach."

"Yeah, but why do they call it a Mile High City?" Knuckles asked him.

"Because Denver really is a mile high. There's a spot on the west steps of the State Capitol building that is exactly 5,280 feet above sea level." Tails then continued reading.

"Wow!" Amy said in surprise. "That is amazing! When are we going to stop?" She asked.

"Soon, but I'll have to find a good place to park the RV, where it will be out of the way." Sonic said, and he kept driving them through the city. He finally found a safe place to stop.

"Well, that was quite a ride," Shadow said. "Now where do we go from here?" He asked.

"What do you say, guys? What would you like to see here?" Sonic asked his crew.

"The Colorado State Capitol would be a start." Rouge said, and Tikal nodded her head, yes.

"What can you tell us about that place, Tails?" Amy asked him, sitting beside him.

Tails looked at his laptop computer screen, and then he read: "The Colorado State Capitol stands a mile above sea level with a plaque on the 15th step to mark the spot that is 5,280 feet high. The dome is covered with 200 ounces of pure gold and offers a beautiful view from the rotunda of the entire Front Range, from Pikes Peak, all the way north to the Wyoming border, a distance of over 150 miles. Free tours on weekdays of the beautiful rooms. And that's about it." He finished.

Sonic smiled. "Looks like we dropped by just in time." Then he hopped outside.

"Hey, wait for us!" Knuckles called, and then he opened the door for the crew.

"Thirty seconds is my limit…times up!" Sonic laughed, and then he ran for a race.

"We're off!" Amy cheered, and she happily followed the speeding blue hedgehog.

"How will we ever keep up with him?" Tikal asked, panting as she ran with Amy. Before Tikal could hear an answer, Metal-2 gave both her and Amy a lift, carrying them.

"This should help, am I correct?" Metal-2 asked, and the girls nodded, holding on.

"Yahoo! This is fun!" Amy giggled, closing her eyes at the burst of wind.

Tikal gasped, closing her eyes also. "Hold on tight!" She swallowed.

"Hey, guys, wait up! I've got the Denver map!" Tails called, running after them.

Then Shadow climbed outside with Freeway in his red backpack. "Here we go again." He sighed. "That blue hedgehog always wants a head start, but he underestimates me." He grinned.

Freeway blinked her eyes, curiously, and then she hid herself inside the backpack as Shadow began to run after the crew. Knuckles locked the RV, and then he began to glide with Rouge the Bat following. Sonic the Hedgehog was ahead of them all, leading his friends to the Colorado State Capitol. He wanted to race there, on foot. He loved running better than driving or flying. They were having a really great time, racing in Denver, and Sonic seemed to have the most enjoyment to be first. The crew followed until he disappeared from sight all the sudden. They stopped, all of them breathing for air, except for Metal-2.

"Sonic!" Tails called, "Sonic, where are you?" He listened, but no answer was heard.

"Where is he?" Knuckles asked, and Rouge shrugged her shoulders. No one knew.

"But I know," Shadow said as he pointed to himself.

"Where?" Amy asked, "Do you think he was taken, did he get lost, or is he making fun?"

"That racer is still among us, but he is hiding." Shadow replied, annoyed in his voice.

"I'm a treasure hunter, so I can find him easily!" Knuckles said, and Rouge nodded.

"If he is hiding, what is the reason?" Rouge asked, wondering what the actions meant.

"Could it be he wants us to follow him?" Tikal added a question.

"But how can we follow him if he is unseen?" Tails wondered, closing his eyes in thought.

"This is most unusual for him." Metal-2 said, but Shadow shook his head, no.

"Ha! He always acts this way, and if not, he's worse." Shadow snorted, and Freeway chuckled.

"Hey, team, I'm right here!" The voice of Sonic called them.

"Where?" The crew asked, and they looked around, but no blue hedgehog was seen.

"Look up!" Sonic called, and then his friends looked to see him on top of a small building.

"Hey, guys, let's play again!" Sonic playfully challenged them, grinning.

Shadow growled. "Come down from there, or else, I'll…" He stopped for a short moment, and then he finished. "Come down this instant, or I'll tickle you until you cry!"

"I'd like to see you try, IF you can catch me!" Sonic said, and then he turned, waving his hand goodbye before he disappeared again, and Shadow accepted the challenge.

Shadow took off his backpack, and he gave it to Tails, because it carried little Freeway. The baby deer peeked out, looking at the black hedgehog. "I'll be back." He said, "Uncle Shadow has some business to take care of. You guys, head toward the Colorado State Capitol. We'll meet you there." Shadow instructed the crew, and then he ran in the direction Sonic had gone.

= = = = =

Location: Somewhere in Denver…

Sonic the Hedgehog was feeling rather proud of himself, able to keep to himself, running like the wind as he raced for the Colorado State Capitol. He wondered if Shadow was serious, and if in fact he was following him. The thoughts made him slow down until he finally stopped. The strange feeling of being followed creped over him, like a cold chill in the night.

"It's probably nothing." Sonic shrugged at the feeling, and he remained calm. That all changed when Shadow suddenly appeared, standing in front of him. "Shadow!" Sonic gasped.

"Play time is over, now run for your life!" Shadow said, going along in the game.

"That's always worth running for!" Sonic yelped, and then he ran away from him.

Shadow ran after him, and through the city streets, they ran, sometimes up front, sometimes behind, and sometimes off on side trips of their own. Sonic ran like the blue blur he was, but Shadow was always near him, racing like a strong burst of night wind.

"Whoa!" Sonic yelled when Shadow suddenly landed in front of him, blocking his path. Sonic thought quickly, and then he escaped again, running another way. The black hedgehog playfully followed him, but then Sonic froze when he heard a crash behind him. He stopped, turned around and looked, but Shadow was gone. This made Sonic worried for him.

"Shadow!" Sonic called, but no answer came. "Hey, Shadow, where'd you go?" He asked, searching the area for him. He took a step out, and without warning, someone knocked him down to the ground, and kept him there with strong hands. Sonic opened his eyes after he had fallen on his back. He was surprised to see his stalker. "Shadow, it's you!" He pointed.

Shadow grinned, playfully. "I warned you this would happen…" He said, quietly.

"Oh no!!" Sonic yelped. "No, Shadow, don't! HA!" He began to laugh out loud when Shadow tickled him on his sides. Sonic kicked, and he laughed harder, losing his breath. He felt tears developing in his green eyes, which he kept closed. "Shad-Shadow, STOP!!" He begged.

Shadow laughed also, and then he finally stopped, leaving Sonic to sigh with relief. Shadow looked down at the blue racer, shaking his head. "How pathetic, sweaty hedgehog." He said.

"You…you made me this…this way." Sonic said, between heavy breathing.

"That's creepy." Shadow said as he stood up. "Now, let's go find the team. Are you ready?"

"Always." Sonic answered, and he accepted Shadow's hand to help him up. "This time, let's race there together." He said, and Shadow nodded in agreement before they raced down the street.

= = = = =

Location: The Colorado State Capitol…

The crew is currently found near the Colorado State Capitol building, and they are waiting for Sonic and Shadow to arrive back from racing in the city. They wondered what kept them.

"I wonder if they're killing each other." Knuckles said, watching for them.

Metal-2 shook his head. "They have the ability, but it is highly unlikely." He said.

"What if Shadow didn't find him, or worse, what if he did?" Tails wondered.

"What are you saying?" Amy asked the young fox.

"You know how they are," Tails said, "They're always trying to get ahead of each other."

"Strange contest, but that's males." Rouge sighed, and she closed her eyes.

"They must arrive here soon, they just have to." Tikal said with hope.

Just then, a blur of blue and black rushed passed them, and it was with no doubt, Sonic and Shadow the Hedgehog. They turned back and came to the crew, returning after the race.

"We're here!" Sonic announced proudly, while Shadow stood quietly with his arms crossed.

"It's about time." Knuckles said, "We've been waiting here for you, so we could see the Colorado State Capitol building." He pointed toward it, and then Sonic looked toward it, amazed.

"Way cool! This is a stunning view!" Sonic said, and Shadow only shrugged, trying to smile.

"It sure is pretty, huh?" Amy asked, and Tikal nodded her head, and Freeway winked.

"Are we ready for departure?" Metal-2 asked and then the crew nodded in agreement.

"Okay, come on!" Sonic called for his team to follow, and they did so. They had fun racing there, and they came in front of the building to see the unforgettable sight of the design and size.

"Well, this is getting better and better." Rouge said with a smile, gazing up at it.

Amy took a few photos with her camera. "Yeah," She said, "It really is something to cherish."

"Now maybe we could join the tour." Tails said, and Sonic agreed with him.

"That sounds great, Tails. Let's go." Sonic led the way toward the stairs of the building.

But before they reached the stairs, the Denver locals were very troubled when they saw the robot Metal-2 with Sonic and his friends. "Oh, it's a monster!!" They screamed in a panic. "RUN!!"

"Hey!" Sonic called, "Wait a minute, Metal-2 is not a monster! He's harmless!"

"Harmless is something I can never be." Metal-2 denied, quietly.

"You're no harm to these people, Metal-2, we know that." Tails said, gently.

"True, but if they become a threat, I will have to terminate them." The robot told him.

"No!" Tails said, firmly. "I told you this before, you can't go around blowing things up."

"It is part of my programming." Metal-2 reminded him, "I am a robot, built to kill."

"Not anymore." Tails said, still firm. "You won't harm anyone here. They have feelings, and they hurt. You must understand that, okay? It's very important that you understand."

After a moment of silence, Metal-2 responded. "I understand." He laid his hand on the fox's head.

Then Sonic realized the danger they were in. He heard police cars in the distance. "Uh-oh!" He said, turning to the others. "We've got to think fast and hide Metal-2, or they'll take him."

"I have an idea…." Amy said, and then she whispered a plan to the crew around her. When the police arrived, two patrol cars stopped in front of the building and an officer approached.

"We're looking for a suspicious character trying to be a monster and scare the Denver people," The officer explained, and then he asked them, "Have you seen anything unusual today?"

"No, officer." Sonic replied, calmly answering him. "We just got here. We're tourist."

"Oh, really? Is that a fact? Well, then welcome to the city of Denver, and we hope you enjoy your visit here." The officer said, kindly, and the crew nodded their heads, yes. "If you see anything strange, just let us know." The police officer said before leaving. Then the police left the area.

Tails sighed with great relief. "I think it worked." He said, smiling at the blue hedgehog.

"Yeah, so let's go." Sonic led the way inside, and they had a good tour of the building.

If you are wondering how they passed, Amy gave a red cloak with green stripes for Metal-2 to wear, and Knuckles provided a tan cowboy hat. So, his true image was hidden for the time they visited the building. They learned that Denver truly is a city of surprises, and an exciting one.