Disclaimer: All characters, plot and other things that have to do with this story belong to SEGA. Of course, yet if there's any 'originality' in this 'fan-fic', I guess I get some credit. Just keep in mind this story is pretty much what it says on the tin/cover/ect, so apart from a bit of the Prolouge and First Chapter, don't expect anything that didn't occur in Sonic 3/Sonic & Knuckles.
Okay, let's get this underway!
Prolouge: Previously...
Only a few months ago, the mad scientist, Dr Robotnik had begun his plans for world domination by capturing various animals and turning them into his own, personal robot slaves called Badniks. As the populance of South Island rapidly began to decline, the world's fastest hedgehog, Sonic quickly caught onto Robotnik's obvious return when his latest companion and 'little bro' Miles 'Tails' Prower came across the remains of Badnik that had malfunctioned.
Knowing that Robotnik would stop at nothing to achieve total control over the planet Mobius, he made not effort to conceal the fact he was searching for the Chaos Emeralds. With a single one in his grasp, the world would be at his mercy, forever in his sinister, flabby grip and it wouldn't be long before EVERYONE would be turned into one of his mindless slaves!
Racing off to stop the maniacal scientist from fufilling his evil plot, Sonic & Tails blazed thier way through the many 'Zones' of South Island, from Emerald Hill Zone to Oil Ocean and eventually his ground base, Meteropolis, managing to collect most of the Chaos Emeralds on the way, six out of seven, in fact.
Unknown to them, Robotnik had the seventh stashed away where the heroes would never expect. While his deadly Egg-O-Matic proved difficult to destroy at times, such as the time when he'd equipped it with various 'satelites' orbiting around it, providing the craft with a near-invincible barrier, Sonic and Tails managed to trash the Doctor's attempt at stopping them and fled to his flying fortress, Wing Fortress, guarded by thousands of flying Badniks.
Pursing him in the bi-plane, Tornado, Sonic managed to board the massive air-craft after Tails navigated through the gauntlet of enemies, only to have to pull back, unable to follow Sonic when the Tornado was shot down by Wing Fortress's turrets. Again, Sonic's natural agility saved him more than once from falling to an untimely demise until he found Robotnik standing in a chamber nearby. Racing towards him, only to have a barrier wall form out of nowhere, blocking his progress, while another formed behind the legendary blue hedgehog, denying him escape.
Yet, despite the laser Robotnik had on the roof to try and blast his foe, our hero managed to used the spiked platforms to his advantage and destroy the laser, disabling the barriers. Chasing after the mad scientist again, he looked in dismay as he boarded a ship and took off. Not willing to give up, a familar voice caught his attention, Tails had managed to repair the Tornado and Sonic leapt on.
The engines of the bi-plane were still damaged and it was difficult to keep up with Robotnik's craft. Timing one precise jump, Sonic managed to leap and grab onto a part of the ship which soon docked with the mad doctor's 'Masterpiece.' The Death Egg. A space staion of massive power, it was the main reason Scrap Brain Zone existed a year before this took place. It was the construction zone for this huge floating 'sphere' of metal.
Not wasting any time, Sonic raced down the corridor and soon found himself face-to-face with a silver, robotic copy of himself, with Robotnik's leering face appearing through a monitor, watching the battle. Proving the original was better, Sonic swiftly dispatched his robotic copy by using his 'Sonic Spin' on the head, avoiding the deadly spines to make it go up in flames. Noticing the a nearby hatch open and seeing the egg-shaped menace, he gave chase only to find Robotnik had taken shelter in his final mech...
It was several times taller than Sonic and probably several meters wide, covered in solid metal. A giant scale of Robotnik with short, stubby arms with 'spikes' for fingers, Sonic quickly deduced that the weak spot was like any large man's weakness. His stomach. Taking caution not to injure himself on the spikes, the long battle finally drew to a close when the mech exploded into pieces and to Sonic's surprise, the seventh Chaos Emerald tumbled across the floor.
There wasn't much time to ponder what to do next, the sirens wailing around him obviously meant it was time to leave. Explosions erupted around all parts of the Death Egg, causing it to shake violently and a bright flash of light illuminated the sky as Sonic leapt from a tunnel into space. Even though he was doing his best to keep calm, there was a nagging thought that he was likely going to perish from falling through the atmosphere...until the seven Chaos Emeralds glowed with a briiliant radiance before enveloping him with thier energy.
When it died down...Sonic had changed. His once blue fur and spikes were now golden and standing upright and his emerald green eyes had changed to a dark red. Noticing the descent was somewhat slower and that he could 'fly' to some extent, he quickly noticed Tails piloting the Tornado beneath him. Giving him a thumbs up, the two celebrated thier victory...
This happened only one week ago...
Yet, unknown to Sonic and Tails, the Death Egg had NOT been destroyed. While it had fallen out of orbit, the plummeting space-station fell through the stratosphere and collided with something solid, hidden in the clouds. Wondering what had caused an end to his descent, he found that his space-station had crashed into a floating island. Well...more like plummiting now. The Death Egg's impact caused the island to hurtle downwards towards the ocean and with a giant splash and remained dormant.
"Blast that infernal hedgehog and that accursed fox! Ever since I began plotting to take over the world and began building my machines, HE was interfering with my plans! No matter what I attempted, I was unable to destroy him...but I succeded in buying time to finish my greatest creation, the Death Egg! And the fool was unaware it even existed! Yet if that FOX hadn't showed up, that damned hedgehog would've never driven me into a corner..." Robotnik cursed, agitated that he'd lost AGAIN.
His thoughts were interrupted when a device of his picked up a reading of immense power from some part of the island. While the purple glasses hid the jet-black eyes behind them, they grew wide and a sinister smile crept across his face as his incredible mind began formulating a plan and going through his database of information that was on this 'island'.
If I can harness this power...I might be able to get my beloved Death Egg back into orbit! All I have to do is find it and make it mine! And this time, no-one will stop me! Not even a certain blue hedgehog! Mwah-hah-hah!!! Robotnik thought.
Without any further delay, he began building a re-construction site north of the ice caps on the island, providing decent cover by the large mountain range and to make sure his base was secure, resumed his old tricks of capturing and imprisoning animals inside his robots, which would not only alert him to anything out of the ordinary, but assist in the search for the power he sought on this island.
Of course, it wasn't long before one of the island's inhabitants caught onto the rapid disappearance of the animals...
A red echidna had stumbled across the large base and surpisingly, was easily sending the Badniks that were swarming around him flying with a single punch of his spiked fists. Slightly taller than our blue hero, his spines were hanging down like dreadlocks and possessing incredible strength, clearly displayed when another thrust of his right fist went straight through another robot's metallic plating as if it were tissue paper.
"Alright! Who's the guy in charge?!" he shouted in a rough, agitated tone.
Stepping out of the shadows, the sun-light reflected off Robotnik's glasses as the tall, sinister...if somewhat hilariously shaped figure approached the echinda, showing no signs of distress at his Badniks being disposed of. Perhaps it was the fact the Doctor had a trick up his sleeve. When you have the IQ of 300, of COURSE you'd have a plan for every possiblity.
"Ah, I see you've met my Anti-Sonic Defense Robots. They're not very sturdy for someone with your strength, but I'm sure they'd help in whatever your trying to protect here." Robotnik smiled.
"W-What are you talking about Egg-Head?! You're taking the population of Floating Island and turning them into these...machines! Why the hell would you want to protect what's on this island?! And how are you protecting the 'people' if you're doing this?!" the echinda retorted, clenching his fists.
Robotnik smiled. It seemed his plan was clearly working and that his theory that a powerful gemstone did indeed exist on this island. All it would take was a little persuasion to say HE was the good guy and that the meddling hedgehog he knew so well was the enemy...and this echinda would be putty in his freakishly huge hands.
"Because I'm scientist trying to protect your island from a powerful, evil force. While I regret it is necessary to temporary 'borrow' the inhabitants of the wonderous place, they'd be slaughter by these blood-thirsty fiends named Sonic and Tails. I fought against them and barely escaped from their ruthless assault...they want to take over the world with the Chaos Emeralds I'd been using to benfit everyone! And if they get their filthy hands on what you're protecting here, there would be no stopping them!" Robotnik lied, a fake innocence in his voice.
The echinda seemed quite convinced by Robotnik's story. Quickly coming to an agreement that he'd return the inhabitants of the island back to normal as soon as they dispatched of Sonic, Tails and retrieved the Chaos Emeralds, they shook hands before the echinda named 'Knuckles' went on his way.
Heh. Fool...It's hard to believe that he fell for my sob-story...I should become an actor! Now, let's see you try and defeat me now, Sonic the Hedgehog!!!