At the Casino/You Can't Keep a Good Mobian Down

*(At the edge of a bayou and its lake as the sunset arrived, sits a huge casino building that resembles a sunken ship complete with a long boardwalk leading up to its entrance. And around the place are signs that read "Big Rat Race Tonight!", "No gators allowed," "Gators stay out," and even two "Fat Cat and Sonic's group's Casino," yet Sonic's group's name on those signs have been crossed off in Xs by black paint for some reason)*

New Orleans, Louisiana, 1995

*(Then a male announcer was heard from inside the casino)*

Male announcer: (Voice-over) On your marks, get set....

*(Then a gunshot was heard from inside)*

Male announcer: (Voice-over) And they're off!

*(Inside a room of the casino, the whole place is crowded with a million of excited gamblers and performers cheering on a rat race, consisting a literal rat race where a bunch of rats are racing for a piece of cheese being used to lead the way for the race, and all those gamblers and performers are cheering like mad for any one of those rats they betted on to see who will win first place, and one of the rat racers who is way behind the pack of rat racers is wearing a police outfit-like racing uniform complete with a police siren light that even makes police siren wails. During all of this, a male announcer is commentating the race on his microphone in a very fast pace like an auctioneer)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) It's a spectacular lineup, with Mighty Morris taking an early lead. Rat 0'War is second by a head, and Secretary Rat trails by a half. What an amazing race, ladies and gentlemen! Out of the turn it's Mighty Morris, with Rat O' War charging up from behind. Into the second turn, Mighty Morris and Rat 0'War fight it out while Squad Car trails the pack. Now it's Rat 0'War by a nose, Secretary Rat is second by a head with Mighty Morris back in third.

*(Suddenly, the police uniform-wearing rat racer started to catch up quickly, and as he's trying to get to the front, but to no luck, the male announcer commentated with spirit on what he's doing at that moment)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) But wait! Squad Car, the black and white, is making his move in the rear. He tries to the right, he tries to the left, but it's no good, folks. It's rat-eat-rat out there, and they're just not gonna let him through.

*(Then the police uniform-wearing rat racer, now revealed to be Squad Car, came in between two rat racers)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) But what's this? Squad Car's coming up through the middle.

*(Suddenly, the two rat racers squished Squad Car in the middle like a sandwich, as if trying to stop him from catching up)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) Oh, but he's caught in a pinch!

*(Then Squad car pulled himself free from the pinning and climbs onto one of the rat racers that was pinning him down and is now riding him like a horse, even racing against the rat racers up the loop-de-loop path)*

Male announcer (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) But now he's climbing out and he's riding on top of Cheez Whiz. And into the loop-the-loop it's Squad Car and Cheez Whiz bringing up the rear as they head into the oil slick. Oh, my gosh, look out!

*(Then the rat racers, with Squad Car still riding on the one rat racer, now revealed to be Cheez Whiz, slipped on the oil slick puddle in the track, but they quickly recovered and resumed racing against each other, hellbent on beating the other in first place. Then upon reaching a hill slope on the course, Squad Car began hopping onto another rat racer's back to the next to get to first place)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) Oh, what's this? Squad Car playing hopscotch in the backstretch. He's sixth, fifth, fourth, third!

*(Then Squad Car makes it to first place and is running ahead of the rat racers)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) I don't believe it! Into the obstacles, it's Squad Car takes the lead!

*(Then the rat racers reached a spring-filled old ripped mattress as their next obstacle for the race, avoiding the springs)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) So it's Squad Car by five lengths. Rat O'War second, Cheez Whiz moving into third.

*(Suddenly, Squad Car accidentally lands on a spring and got caught, getting stuck in it as the other rat racers ran by him, avoiding the springs and even using him as their spring to bounce ahead as Squad Car tries to free himself)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) But wait! Wait a minute! He's, he's stuck. Squad Car's stuck in the obstacle bed. What a nightmare.

*(Suddenly, Squad Car managed to grab onto the last rat racer passing by by his tail, and as that rat racer is racing ahead, Squad Car is being pulled from the mattress, but still being stuck in the spring as it stretched farther ahead)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) Wait a minute! It's Squad Car by a tail. Oh, my gosh, look out!

*(Then Squad Car is yanked free from the spring and he zipped through the air past that rat racer he grabbed by his tail and towards the rest of the rat racers, who are now close to the finish line)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) What's this? It's...!

*(Then Squad Car zipped by the rat racers through the air and right through the finish line, first place)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race very quickly with spirit) It's Squad Car springing to the finish!

*(Then Squad Car is caught by a male police gambler who betted on him while the other rat racers landed right onto the stop platform past the finish line and then deposited down its chute back to their cages below)*

Male announcer: (Commentating the race's finale very quickly with spirit) What an incredible race, ladies and gentlemen. Squad Car. The black and white. Rat race's shortest long shot takes the roses in the upset of the week. Who would have known, who would have guessed? But don't go away, folks. We've got plenty more action coming up in our next heat.

*(As the police officer gambler, the other gamblers that betted on Squad Car, and Squad Car celebrated the latter's victory, the other gamblers who bet on the other rat racers booed and jeered a bit, angry over the fact that they lost their bets. Then once all was calm and some of the performers began performing their jazz band and/or dancing on a nearby stage, the gamblers either walked away, feeling happy over Squad Car's win to collect their prizes or angry over losing their bets on the other rat racers)*

Male gambler 1: (Talking to his friend) Well, if you ask me, I think the house is rigged.

*(At a nearby bar, another male gambler is getting ready to drown his sorrows of losing the rat race he betted on with beer)*

Male gambler 2: (Accepting a beer mug full of beer from the bar tender) That does it for me. I'm busted.

*(Then one happy male gambler went up to the prize desk to collect his prize for winning his bet on Squad Car)*

Male gambler 3: (Giggles a bit) I win!

*(Then the cashier accepts the gambler's winning betting ticket and presents him a small rotten piece of steak)*

Cashier: Here you go, chump.

*(The gambler, aghast at what he accepted and learning what he just one, smelled the meat and groans a bit in disgust)*

Male gambler 3: Bad meat.

*(Then while the male gambler walked away with his rotten steak prize in disappointment, another male gambler came up to another cashier running the bets to bet on a new rat racer, now that the next upcoming rat race is gonna happen again)*

Male gambler 4: What's the odds on Terrible Tom?

Bet cashier: Terrible.

Male gambler 4: Oh. Well, then give me Large Mike to win.

*(Then he paid his bet and the bet cashier hands him his betting ticket for Large Mike. Then another male gambler came up to him with a huge pile of money in his arms and then dropped them on the desk)*

Male gambler 5: Large Mike to win!

*(But the bet cashier took a closer look at his money pile and frowned in annoyance)*

Bet cashier: No counterfeit money, sir. Come back when you have the real dough.

*(Then he shoved the counterfeit money at the gambler, who then quickly grabbed them back clumsily, shocked and embarrassed to realize the money he got is all counterfeit. Then a minute later, a bugle player blew his bugle announcing the start of the new rat race. As soon as he finished, the male announcer fired his gun and then the new rat race began)*

Male announcer: (Starting to commentate the race very quickly with spirit) And we're off! It's a rat-eat-rat world out there as Large Mike takes the lead. Whitewash is in second and Terrible..!

*(Suddenly, the rat race was interrupted when a familiar loud wolf howl got everyone's attention. They turned and saw, to their surprise, it's Sonic who just howled to get their attention. And with him are Tails, Knuckles, Fred, Shaggy, and the Fearsome Four, with Megavolt and Bushroot no longer wearing their miner helmets and Megavolt also having already taken off his water-proof badge. As soon as Sonic finished his howl, he, the Fearsome Four, and the rest of his group happily greeted everyone)*

Sonic: Hi, guys. What do you know, what do you say?

Liquidator: Yeah, what do you say, what do you know?

*(Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four chuckled a bit as they came in. Noticing everyone's surprised reaction, they got playful)*

Shaggy: (Playfully) Sonic, guys, like, do we detect a look of surprise here?

Tails: (Playfully) Why, yes, Shaggy. We do detect a look of surprise here.

Quackerjack: (Playfully) Hey, guys. Maybe we should go out and come back in again.

*(Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four laughed a bit again as they high-fived each other and as soon as they came in completely, a male gambler came up to Sonic's group in confusion)*

Male gambler 6: (Confused) Sonic, ain't you and your group supposed to be on death row?

*(Aghast at that question with Sonic’s group, Knuckles answered indignantly in calm anger)*

Knuckles: (Answering in calm indignant anger) No! We ain't supposed to be on death row.

Fred: The death row part was all a bunch of lying bologna.

Quackerjack: (Crossing his arms haughtily) And besides, my friends and I got them out.

*(Everyone in the casino calmly confirmed in realization and understandment. Then Knuckles and Fred changed the subject as Fred approached a gambling dice-rolling table)*

Fred: So, what's the haps lately?

Knuckles: What's been going on since our wrongful arrest?

*(Then a female gambler explained away)*

Female gambler: Things have changed, boys, since you've been gone.

*(Then the bet cashier used his dice stick to push the dice to Fred, who caught them)*

Female gambler: Life hasn't been no piece of cake.

*(Then the male gambler who got the rotten steak explained some more)*

Male gambler 3: Fat Cat ain't been treating us too good.

*(Feeling sorry for their gambling friends with the Fearsome Four and Sonic's group, Fred threw the dice back onto the table)*

Fred: So, things got tough because of Fat Cat framing me, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Shaggy and sending us to jail, huh?

Female gambler: Yep. Things are tough, but we carry on.

*(Then the male gambler who first responded to Sonic asked away to Sonic)*

Male gambler 6: Could you spare a couple of bucks for ol' times sake?

*(Brightening up, due to not having any of it when it comes to this Fat Cat, Sonic then grabbed the two dollars and walked over to a slot machine and gambled on it)*

Sonic: Why settle for a couple of bucks when you can have the whole bank?

*(On "Bank?", he, while chuckled a bit, pulled the slot machine's lever, and to his and everyone's happiness, the slot machine landed on three image slots of a piggy bank in a row, causing a huge mountain of money to come raining down on everyone)*

Megavolt: Hey, Sonic, look!

Bushroot: You won everyone your jackpot!

Quackerjack: Atta boy, Sonic!

Liquidator: We're proud of ya!

Shaggy: Like, you're an amazing guy!

Fred: Shaggy's right! You are also the best gambler ever besides us!

Tails: Yeah!

Knuckles: And you know why, Sonic?

Tails: Tell them.

*(Then as soon as they went on the stage, Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four sang away)*

Sonic: **Oh, you can't keep a good Mobian down**

Bushroot: No, sir!

Sonic: **No, you can't keep a good Mobiann down**

Fred: **We've seen pain and hurts**

Quackerjack: That's right.

Shaggy: **We've been through jerks**

Megavolt: It's true.

Tails: **It's hard to buy**

Sonic: **But even I have been jilted by a skirt**

Fearsome Four: He lies!

Knuckles: **But look how we're still around**

**'Cause you can't keep a good Mobian down**

*(Then Bushroot played on a piano on the stage)*

Bushroot: **You can't keep a good Mobian down**

**No, no, no, no**

Sonic's group: (While Bushroot sang the last verse) No, you can't.

Bushroot: **You can't keep a good Mobian down**

Male gambler 1: Preach it, brothers!

Sonic: **We've had families and loved ones**

Megavolt: **Then they've been warm and cold**

Tails: **But ten to one**

Knuckles: **We'll still be running rackets when we're old**

Bushroot: (Finishing playing on the piano) **Not in some cage in a city prison**

Fearsome Four and Sonic's group: **'Cause you can't keep a good Mobian**

**Can't keep a good**

**I say, you can't keep a good Mobian down**

*(Then they began acting like other foreigners)*

Bushroot: (In an Irish accent, holding a clover) In hims, the luck of the Irish.

Knuckles: (In a German accent, briefly wearing a black fake thick mustache) The pride of the German.

Liquidator: (Wearing a cymbal on his head like a rice padder's hat while Knuckles removed the mustache) And even a bit of Siam.

Tails: (Playfully aghast while Liquidator removed the cymbal) Siam? *(In a British accent, holding a teacup)* You see the calm of the English.

Megavolt: (In a Hispanic accent, accidentally knocking the teacup out of Tails' hands) The charm of the Spanish.

Sonic: A pedigree is certainly ain't what I am. So call me a mixed-up punk.

Fearsome Four: You're a mixed-up punk!

*(They chuckle a bit)*

Fred: (Pointing his thumb at Sonic) And the only way this punk knows, is up!

*(Then the Fearsome Four and Sonic's group climbed off the stage and had the gamblers stack themselves and hold Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four up separately)*

Megavolt: Okay, boys. Come on, come on.

Quackerjack: Lift them up. Come on!

Bushroot: Up, up, up!

Liquidator: Come on.

*(Then the song resumed)*

Everyone: **You can't keep a good Mobian down**

*(They bark a bit)*

Everyone: **You can't keep a good Mobian down**

*(They bark a bit again. As the festivities continued, five figures entered in confusion and/or annoyance. The first figure is a male Beanbean creature with green skin and yellow pupil-less eyes, and wearing a black beret hat with a green topper, a purple eyemask, white gloves, a purple and pale blue striped long-sleeved shirt, black pants, and black shoes. He is Popple, the one who is confused. The second figure is a tall, skinny, male anthro cat with orange fur, cream-colored markings, yellow eyes, a pink nose, triangular ears with pink interiors, black whiskers, and wearing a teal ski cap and a dark teal vest. He is Meps. The third figure is a male anthro lizard with lime green scales, yellow eyes, a lighter green underbelly and soles, and wearing a dark red long-sleeved trench coat, a lavender ascot, and a tan fedora hat. He is Wart. The fourth figure is a male, chubby, anthro mole with light brown fur, a tan muzzle and underbelly, a dark red nose, and wearing a dark yellow ski cap and a red short-sleeved turtleneck shirt. He is Mole. And the last figure is a male anthro rat with taupe fur, tan markings, a black nose, rounded ears, a pink tail and ear innards, and wearing a red sleeveless turtleneck shirt, a black vest, and a dark blue newsboy cap without pants or shoes. He is Snout)*

Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout: (In annoyance) Boys?!

Popple: (Confused) What's going on?

*(But the festivities continued on, ignoring the five of them)*

Megavolt: **They've been fattened and thinned**

Fred: **We've been out and in**

*(Then Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout tripped themselves upon entering and bump their heads on a nearby crate, dizzying them. Popple, on the other hand, noticed what he’s seeing and got surprised at first, and then happy)*

Popple: I'll be darned....

*(Then Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout, still dizzied, noticed Sonic's group, but couldn't make of it due to being dizzy)*

Quackerjack: **They've tried a life of virtue**

Shaggy: **But prefered a life of sin**

Sonic's group and Fearsome Four: **So tonight when we own this town**

*(As Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four sang that line, Popple happily waved hello to them, and upon noticing him, Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four, still performing with everyone, happily waved hello to him. Then Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout, after finally snapping out of their dizziness, finally noticing Sonic's group. And upon seeing the five, they screamed a bit, only for Mole to crash right into a beer keg. Then after he, Sonic's group, and the Fearsome Four were put down, Sonic went up the beer keg and as the performance continued, he and even Tails, Knuckles, Fred, and Shaggy noticed Mole stuck in the beer keg, with Meps, Wart, and Snout trying to free him, and frowned bitterly at the four)*

Sonic: **We've known hunger, we've known thirst**

Tails: **Lived the best and seen the worst**

*(Then they, Knuckles, Fred, and Shaggy happily hand out every single beer-filled beer mugs to the happy gamblers)*

Knuckles: **But the only way we know**

Sonic's group: **To finish is to finish first**

Sonic's group and Fearsome Four: **So watch out when you hear this sound**

*(Then as they and everyone else, even Popple, howled loudly a bit in rhythm, Sonic's group, the Fearsome Four, Meps, Wart, and Snout, despite being shocked as well, went up to a still shocked Mole who is trying to free himself from the beer keg still with Meps, Wart, and Snout’s help, that even Sonic's group and the Fearsome Four howled loudly in his ears. And then they proceeded to push and pull Mole in and out of the beer keg repeatedly, making him dizzy, while Popple, watching this in excitement, just snickered a bit at Mole's misfortune while Meps, Wart, and Snout glared at him in annoyance)*

Sonic's group and Fearsome Four: **'Cause you can't keep a good Mobian**

**No, you can't keep a good**

**I say you can't keep a good Mobian**

**Down**

*(Then as they howled loudly a bit, everyone else prepared the grand finale in their performance by having all the gamblers pile up onto each other onto a wooden ramp below the beer keg and then Sonic's group, the Fearsome Four, and Popple preparing to roll themselves up to the pile with the beer keg, with the now panicked Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout, with Mole now pulled out by them, and held by them)*

Everyone except Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout: **You can keep a good Mobian dooooooooooooooooown**

*(On the note hold for "Down" for the finale, Sonic's group, the Fearsome Four, and Popple rolled themselves and the panicked and surprised Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout on the beer keg down the ramp, onto the pile of gamblers, into the air, and landing right near a sliding wall-styled trapdoor, breaking the beer keg. And on cue as they landed there, the song and performance ended. As everything is calmed down a bit, everyone else, except Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout, were laughing merrily a bit, having enjoyed this performance, especially with Sonic's group's triumphant return from jail. Then unknown to everyone, the Fearsome Four accidentally fell onto the sliding trapdoor and got flipped to the other side, trapping them, much to their shock and surprise. Back in the main room, while Sonic's group continued to hang out with their friends, a recovered, yet annoyed, Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout cleared their throats in annoyance to Popple, making him stop having fun in realization, and then with a sigh of annoyance, he, Meps, Wart, Mole, and Snout left to go tell Fat Cat. Back in the other side, the Fearsome Four then got annoyed and got up to go find a way back to the main room)*

***Coming up: After Fat Cat’s gang and Popple tell Fat Cat about Sonic’s group’s return after being busted out of jail, Fat Cat decides to take his plans to get the business and money for himself to a whole new level by tricking Sonic’s group into a deal on splitting their partnership on their business after Sonic’s group meets up with him to talk to him in a somewhat berating way about Fat Cat framing Sonic’s group into jail. And in the end, it's tragically not gonna end well with Sonic’s group, especially when the Fearsome Four secretly overhear the real murder plot against Sonic’s group by Fat Cat from his goons and try to find Sonic’s group to warn them about it.***