DISCLAMER: I OWN NOTHING OF SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO SEGA.

Please R&R. Enjoy!


Chapter I

Buried Prize


His mood just like the room where he sat was dark and heated.

'I hate that Hedgehog' he thought as he sat at his control chair, 'Simple vermin like that should not be able to challenge my authority let alone postpone my plans for 18 years.'

Twirling his thick mustache, eyes dotting back and forth across his monitor wall. All one hundred and six individual screens beaming back security footage of his empire back at him, others with spy drones making their daily patrols.

'Why cant I find him?! Where are you rodent!?'

It was as if the universe loved toying with the doctor, not only did a Blue rodent half his size destroy what was thought to be his ultimate creation, but now , it seems, he had mastered Chaos energy; allowing him to store it inside his body like a battery letting him turn to his super form at will, without the need of all seven Chaos Emeralds.

This had kept the Doctor up for weeks since the destruction of his Death Egg. 'How did he do it? He was never that powerful before.' And now with that power he had already jailed the green hedgehog Scourge, shortly after the destruction of Robotnik's coveted Death Egg.

The Mobian's it seemed had finally rallied under its demise and join House Acorn, This had happened before and the doctor always seemed to ride it out, a seesaw of power shifting back and forth, but now the field was different. The Mobian's wanted a end to the war once and for all-a final battle.

Ivo began to lean back in his seat stretching out his long legs, his knees giving a loud crack as he put them up on a auto leg rest that pop up as he leaned back as if it could read his mind. "Where are you Snively?" he sneered with a scent of pitiful distaste, hands now bridging his chin. "Right here sir" Snively responded walking into the room carrying a small plate. His face expressionless, eyes dull and glazed. "Next time it had better be 8 minutes not 9!" Ivo spat at his nephew as he hastily turned his chair and grabbed the plate with his BLT.

"I didn't take that much of what you call a brain" biting into his meal. "Just enough to make you finally loyal" he barked between bites. Snively stood there with no reaction as he stared across the room at the monitors, his uncles insults falling on deaf ears. Julian swiveled his chair back to the monitors and with a flick of the arm Snively made his way out.

Right now they're planning he thought, plotting and preparing for what they will think will be their finest hour, it has happened many time before when they beat me and think the war is over, so many times I actually went insane because of it. But this time is different; Sonic now 24 years old now and with a new found power could be unstoppable, he's in his prime now. No longer clouded by naivety or held back by youth, faster then he's ever been and now, it seems that the final battle will be under way…. soon.

The secret is in the power rings. Robotnik had been studying them for years but his experiments were always interrupted or throated, but now that it gives his foe the ultimate edge over him it became Ivo's top priority. Finishing his snack he brought his eyes to the middle screen, it was his cloaked spy drone keeping a ever persistent eye on the Echidna Lien-Da.

She was stationed in the mountains more then 8 kilometers away, she and her crew of Egg Drones and Dark Legion -60 in all- were demoted to digging for iron ore after failing to set off a bomb in Knothole. Ivo had no time for fooling around with Sonic and his freedom fighters, he had to end this war now, and he was sure Sonic felt the same way but where was he? Robotnik leaned back in his chair again this time setting his glasses to auto shade, maybe a few minutes of rest would do the doctor some good.

Lien-da mood faired no better then the doctors...

"Ma'am" the machine blared out in its mono toned voice as it approached feisty Echidna She had been looking into her map undisturbed for a while now sitting at lunch table at the back of the cavern she and her men had been underground for 48 hours, Lien and her troops could only exit to use washroom breaks for fear of being caught by the growing freedom fighters, boredom, fear and anger were beginning to take its toll. She lifted her eyes from her notes and spat out her gum "what!" she barked turning to face the Egg Drone "a consensus among ED 192-3 and ED 191 2b" "WHAT IS IT!" Lien was at her wits end with these drones, it was a bad joke sending them with her dark legion troops.

The robot waited two seconds before finishing "we believe we found something" Lien dug her nail in her boot and proceeded to get up, wiping around the chair she was sitting in she made her way to the drone "Oh you found something eh!" she brought her face almost nose to nose with the machine "There's plenty to find down here you bucket of bolts, lets see we found rocks, ore, prehistoric waste from who knows and a goddamn bottle cap, all these things brought to my attention when were just here to mine iron ore you dolt!"

Lien took a few steps back then stopped to kick a small rock at the drone's chest, giving it a glare of hatred. Her Dark Legion troops not phased from this still continued to dig, the sound of pick axes and jack hammers filled the background, Lien began to survey the situation her crimson eyes dotting back and forth; 20 of the Egg Drones were using there lasers to cut and dig through rock, 8 of them were haling away rock, a duty she left for the Drones and not her kin. Two of them however were standing in the far corner of the cavern that stretched down into the mountain.

It looked like a giant amphitheater to Lien, only underground with the stage being the entrance, which was the highest point in the ever so slightly steep cave. The ceiling was about 20 feet tall and the room stretched about 100 the back wall being the widest and was getting wider and deeper with all the digging.

"So please tell me, drone. What kind of treasure have you uncovered this time?" she snapped. "Ma'am we do not know"

"THEN WHAT GOOD ARE YOU?" The echidna shrieked.

"But" the droid continued, "what we can say for sure is that it has a power source"

"so" she spat.

"Ma'am from where the two Egg Drones are standing is a wall of iron ore that stretches back about 50 meters, however the ore here is less dense then the rock around it, whatever it is it was placed there"

This caught her attention as she snapped her eyes to the drones that were standing in the corner to the drone in front of her. "what kind of power source? A chaos emerald?"

"No ma'am" the drone replied. "The capsule is about 40 meters deep from where they're standing, the power signal is very faint" " A capsule? How do you know it's a capsule!" her attention now rising,

"Because ma'am its broadcasting a signal in pulses. By doing a electro Seismograph we were able to determine that it's a approximate 7 foot by 5 foot capsule of some kind" Lien licked her lips and adjusted her whip on her belt. And gave a twisted smile "Find that capsule! Make it your top priority; I will even lend my Legion to help dig. I' am sure what ever is inside will be a great prize for Eggma- I mean Doctor Robotnik." She smirked.

"Yes Ma'am it will take about 4 hours with the help of your Dark Legion to reach it." The Egg Drone gave a salute before turning to walk back to his comrades. Lein-Da started her way to where her men were digging and gave them a signal. Her troops began to put down there equipment as if it were a pleasant unexpected break.

How ever Lien had different plans. She was going put her men back to work but one thing was clear to her, after Eggman tricked her to waltz in to Knothole as a ally of the freedom fighters only to find out she had a 30 pound explosive inside her to kill them all; she sure as hell or high water wasn't going to let the Doctor claim whatever prize was to be had in that capsule.

You're too slow! Im waiting! egggggman! waaaake up!

Julian began to awake from his slumber he had meant to doze off for a few minutes but instead it was about 3 hours as he looked at his multipurpose watch. "Damnit" he murmured under his breath. Reasons like this were why he had been slipping up and it made him feel old. After giving a big stretch he got up slowly he'd fancied a cup of coffee for a while now but instead of calling his lobotomized nephew he proceeded to make his way to his personal kitchen. Sleep was a rarity at Robotropolis, but there was no time for it, the blue pest and his beloved Princess were on their way. And he wanted a special welcoming present for when they got here. Robotnik made his way back to his command chair.

Coffee in hand sipping it as he sat down, eyes back to his monitors, he scanned across looking for his flying drone that he sent to Angel Island a few hours ago when he noticed something from Lien-Da's monitor. She had her dark legion working hand in hand with his Egg Drones "what's this? A change of hart? Trying to finish up early?" Ivo Scoffed at the idea. "ED 190-x replay starting from 2:04pm and play at fast speed"

The doctor took in the information while quietly sipping his coffee, slightly amused, even after sending her in with a bomb and almost killing her she still went back to him with a small following of her Dark Legion, they had no where to go and both the Doctor and Lien knew that if she and her kin were captured they'd never see sun light again or worse.

Robotnik smirked and let out a small chuckle, his robot said the signal was coming in as pulses. But what kind he thought? "CIC controls now!" he barked, and was immediately greeted with his digital hologram control panel. " Foolish echidna not even bothering to ask the nature of the signal" he murmured with glee. Robotnik quickly ran his fingers up and down quickly analyzing the signal, there was a code embedded in it. Before he could decode it, Robotnik brought his gaze back up to the center monitor for a last look.

The mood in the moutain was getting apprehensive and dark...

The wall were everybody had been working now had a hole only 8 by 5 feet peering far into it on the left side like a giant mouse hole in a wall. Lien was for the first time generally excited, maybe just this once there will be the break she had been looking for. Upon giving her orders to her men that they were going to be helping the drones dig for the capsule she also told her most trusted officers to ready them selves for a coup, if in fact whatever inside could be used to the Dark Legion's advantage. It was a long shot but she and her men were out of options.

Even if they had mined the entire mountain and brought back a million tons of iron ore. She knew that the final days of her life were almost up, Sonic and his army of freedom fighter were coming. The hole was mostly filled with Drones, she could hear the heaving of the capsule coming up the hole. Rocks grinded underneath giving a scraping sound that was unpleased to the ears, when finally the first couple of Drone came through the hole.

"Took you long enough" she said before spiting at the ground. All eight drones had now resurfaced and behind them was the speculative prize. It was a smooth black capsule 7 by 5 just like the drone had predicted. No windows no handles or rockets, it reminded Lien of a apple seed with its design. "What is it?" one of her men yelled out the whole crowd gathered around. Lien got closer placing her hand on the smooth surface, it was worm, very worm. With a mighty leap she climbed on top, keeping her balance and staring straight down.

Then she saw it; small vertical writing, "Ive got a bad feeling about this" one of her men said, Lien snapped her eyes to her subordinate "shut up and get you pickaxe ready" she yelled. She then dropped to her knees unable to read the text while standing. She could see it clearly now R-A-D-I-C-H-T.

"what do you see Kommissar?" Someone called out.

"Radicht" she replied apprehensively

"what does that mean?" another one yelled out " how the hell should I know!" she angrily shot back.

She then dropped to her bottom and slid down the side of the pod looking at the one with the pickaxe ready in hand she motioned for him to hit the capsule. "Ma'am I do believe Dr. Robotnik would like a word before you make any immediate action" one of the drones said

"Why? He's been listening in with that cloaked drone in the corner over there" pointing to the top left corner then giving it the finger. "If he had wanted to say something by now he would have, besides with the world coming to kill us all I don't think he cares about some random space trash that's buried in a insignificant mountain ". She was right.

Lien then turned to her legionnaire and gave him the signal to continue. The Dark Legionnaire walked forward breathing heavily raising the pickaxe above his head and with slight hesitation brought it down hard. Nothing. He stood there bewildered the tip of the axe leaving no dents or scratches, he looked over to his boss who was glairing at him with sign of pity "again" she said coolly. He brought the pickaxe above his head and brought it down again, but to no avail, nothing.

Letting out a sigh Lien moved forward and grabbed the axe from his hands and pushed him away "whats that saying again?" she said mockingly "If you want something done right" she then brought the axe down and this time there was a crack. A smile beamed across her lips as she turned to completed the sentence "you have to do" but before she could finish steam began to pour out of the crack uncontrollably blowing away the pickaxe and pushing her away. There was an eerie blood-curdling scream that escaped from the pod. Then the lights in the room began to flicker.

Robotnik was slightly miffed of how she knew the Drone was hiding in the corner but she had a point this capsule didn't really concern him. After all he had seen on Mobius with the trans-dimensions, demigods and all the would be rulers the one thing that stayed constant was him and his Robot Empire. This was just a amusing distraction. Keeping his eyes locked on the center screen he failed to see his left from center digital control panel flashing. "Sir the CIC" Snively had made his way into the room carrying a platter with the doctor's supper. It took him 3 whole seconds before he ripped his eyes from the monitor to his control panel.

Now that the pod was unearthed the signal came in strong and was analyzed very quickly. Soon his CIC panel that was analyzing the signal was flooded with symbols that were crossing the screen many in the background and in the foreground he scanned the whole panel looking for a code that he may recognize, he didn't see one "computer find me a code" he said with a deep breath, his hart began to race ever so slightly now, whoever put this capsule here didn't want it to be found and if someone did, they wanted to make sure whoever opened it would get a good and clear warning.

Then a high-pitched scream pierced his head and he brought his eyes to the center monitor, the cavern was dark now but before he could see what was happening his CIC found a code that it could recognize and displayed it on the main digital control panel. Robotnik brought his sights down to see it. Just one of the many thousands of pieces of code embedded into the signal.

-.. - / -. - - / - .-. . -. / - -. .-.. -.- / -.. . .- - ... / .-.. .- -.- / .. -. ... .. -.. .

It was clear that he quite possibly made another mistake. Robotnik swiped away his digital hologram panels. Sweat beading down his face "computer enlarge center monitor now!" This time he stood up and walked over to witness what was happening. I' am getting old he thought, what did I just let happen?