Chapter 1 - Your Best Friend
Onboard the Egg Carrier 3.0
Dr. Eggman casually strolled through the dimly lit corridor, his footsteps echoed off the cold steel floor. The rotund man smiled and stroked his monstrous mustache in anticipation. Today his newest project would finally begin. He believed his brand new pet was ready for the next step.
An ominous, yet soothing hum resonated throughout the ship. The engines were hard at work keeping his base of operations airborne. He was in the prison sector, located on the bottom level. Pulsing lasers barred the cells. The doctor walked down the hall as he kept a slow, deliberate pace.
All the cells were empty, except for solitary confinement at the end of the hall. A vengeful beast was locked inside by a thick steel door. The doctor quickly dialed the password on the keypad followed by retinal scan, which read right through his tinted glasses. The door instantly slid up and he entered.
Inside the large dark chamber was a creature sitting on the floor looking down. Even with barely any light, you could tell he was similar in stature to Sonic the Hedgehog, as most mobians were. He slowly turned his head up as the doctor stood before him.
"Robotnik."
The doctor stifled a chuckle. "Please, call me Eggman."
"Where am I? How did I get here?"
"You are aboard my humble abode, the Egg Carrier 3.0. I'm rather proud of it. I literally found you on my doorstep, bloody and beaten to a pulp. I lost count of how many broken bones you had. It took a whole year but I nursed you back to health. You're welcome."
"So I'm a prisoner."
"That depends on you. Though I would prefer if you weren't. If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have even bothered. Besides, I think we have something between us."
"You do know who I am right? This isn't a case of mistaken identity?"
"Don't insult my intelligence. I know who you are."
"Then what do you want?"
Eggman wagged his finger. "Oh no, no, no. It's not about what I want my friend. It's about what we both want."
The creature eyed him suspiciously and tilted his head. "And what would that be?"
Eggman smirked as he bent down on one knee to his eye level. He leaned in so close that he could feel the creature's breath.
"You hate him, don't you."
The mobian became silent. Those familiar feelings began to boil up within him. He clenched his fists and stared hard into the floor. The more he thought about him, the angrier he became. This certain hedgehog was the object of his obsession for a long time now.
"You don't have to hide it from me. I know you do."
The mobian's blood pressure was rising by the second. He barely held his composure. Eggman noticed him beginning to shake and take deeper breaths. The creature imagined doing things to this hedgehog that would surely send him to a psychiatric ward.
"It's okay to admit it."
"How do you know?"
"While you were recovering in sick bay, I monitored you. Some of your vitals were off the charts. Nearly every night, you toss and turn. You talk in your sleep as well. You kept on mentioning a certain hedgehog. I believe you said something to the tune of 'I'm going to kill him.' Not that I blame you. He has been a thorn in my side for what seems like forever."
Slowly, the two rose up. Eggman crossed his arms and looked onto the creature's frame standing firm.
"I hate Sonic." the mobian said.
"And why is that?"
"Because he is a backstabbing piece of filth. I once thought of Sonic as my best friend, one who would always have my back no matter what. He was someone I was proud to fight alongside with. We went on all these fantastic adventures together. We shared our hopes for the future. Then one day he betrayed me, took everything from me, and then left me to die. I hate him and I will never forgive him."
Eggman raised an eyebrow. "Really? I figured Sonic as the sugary sweet goody-two-shoes type. Grade A boy scout. And you're saying he would actually betray one of his own? I find that rather hard to believe."
The creature slammed his fists into the floor. "I'm not lying! He wronged me!"
Eggman raised his hands. "Now now, take it easy. I never said you lied. I just find it hard to believe, that's all."
The mobian paused and took a breath. "You don't know him like I do, doctor. Sonic has a dark side to him too. I experienced it first hand and I'll never forget it. My entire life wasted away in a flash of flame. All because of him. I...I want him dead."
Eggman was genuinely curious. "Oh ho ho... Okay. Now you definitely have to tell me what happened. Sonic must've done a real number on you for you to feel this way. Give me all the juicy details."
"PREPARATIONS ARE COMPLETE, DOCTOR EGGMAN." an intercom announced.
"Ah...Excellent." Eggman nodded. "Looks like your story will have to wait until later. Shame. But at least we have something in common, and it's also the reason why I'm keeping you alive. You will be the centerpiece of my brand new project. One that will bring the age of Sonic to an end. An invaluable asset."
"I'm the star of your new project? That will end Sonic?" The creature's ears perked up. "You've got my attention doctor."
"Let's talk on the way. I'll explain."
Both Eggman and his new partner slowly walked through the prison corridor. The doctor's face beamed while the creature curiously looked on at him.
"If I learned something over the years of fighting Sonic, it's that no matter how advanced my robotics or weaponry are, I will always lose to that blue rodent. Every single time. Whether it's that power of teamwork drivel or using the Chaos emeralds to turn super, he always thwarts my plans in the end. For the longest time I thought, what does he have that I don't? Why is my legion of mechanized warriors constantly losing to this little furball? I didn't want to believe it...but he has it. He has that edge. As ridiculous as that sounds he had something my machines don't. And that is drive. A passion."
The mobian scoffed. "You think he has drive? Passion? Then you haven't seen anything yet."
"Yes..." Eggman grinned, and then stopped to turn to his partner. "Now look at me."
He did just that, eyes staring straight at the doctor. Even in the relatively dark prison he could sense the resolve burning in the mobian's eyes.
"Now that's what I like to see, kid. That fire, that passion, that drive. It's what we need to make this a success. I've worked too long to make this fail. We're going to combine your hot-blooded fury with my cold, calculated machinery to create a monster that even Sonic can't defeat. When this project comes to fruition, I will be looking over my grand new future, and you will be able to destroy that hedgehog with but a simple thought."
"His world will burn, just as mine did."
Eggman gently placed on a hand on the creature's head. "It will. Now come, your destiny awaits."
The two walked up to the second floor of the Egg Carrier, the R&D sector. They entered a large white room. Several computers displayed incomprehensible texts and graphs. Various pieces of metals, blueprints, vials, books, and empty cups lie scattered on the tables. For countless years, Eggman had been working like a madman on the project's research and it showed. The mobian didn't understand a single thing in here, not that it mattered to him.
Again there was a large steel door barring access. The fruits of Eggman's work was inside. With a sixteen-digit password, fingerprint, and voice recognition check, the door slid up.
Eggman stood to the side. "Behold. Project Odin."
Inside the small fortified room was a full set of sleek, intricate, black armor. The arms, legs, feet, upper body, mask and visor floated about in a blue stasis field.
Eggman looked rather pleased with himself as he put his hands on his wide hips. "Odin is a perfected mixture of nitride compounds, nano-technology, and of course...my unprecedented genius. From head to toe, its defensive capabilities are astronomical. You could take several tank rounds head on and survive. It's also interwoven with carbon fibers in its joints for maximum maneuverability. The visor is bulletproof and can detect heat signatures several hundred yards away."
The mobian crossed his arms. "That is impressive doc."
"I haven't even got to the best part." Eggman adjusted his glasses. "Come. Stand over here. Try it on."
The creature stood on the glowing pad in the center of the chamber. The eager doctor pressed a button underneath the table. The stasis field vanished but the armor remained in the air.
"Odin. Activate." Eggman commanded.
The armor pieces instantly latched onto the mobian's body. The parts snaked and shifted around to conform to his body, almost like it was a living entity. Eggman noticed the mobian remaining absolutely still.
"Odin Configuration in progress. Processing body type, weight, temperature, blood pressure, tension, muscle mass, neural links, power distribution." the system informed.
Eggman slowly rubbed his hands together as more of the armor covered the body. Everything was smoothly coming together. With a few whirrs and clicks, the suit snapped into place. The mobian was completely covered in steel and carbon, near unrecognizable.
"Compatibility at one hundred percent. Odin Activation is complete."
"Well? How do you feel?" Eggman asked.
The mobian raised his arms and looked over his new form through his visor. "I feel...absolutely incredible doctor. Like my blood has changed to lightning. It's almost like I'm a brand new beast."
"As it should."
Angular red and blue lines began to pulse through the suit, from the chest outwards to the extremities.
"What are these?"
"Those red and blue lines are energy channels. The blue lines are currently augmenting your strength and reflexes, by feeding off of your emotions and channeling that power back into your body. You'll be able to strike harder and move faster. The stronger your emotions, the stronger your capabilities. Do you remember Perfect Chaos?"
"Yeah, the monster who almost destroyed Station Square."
"Perfect Chaos possessed great hatred and swore raw vengeance, and used the negative energies of the Chaos Emeralds to become all-powerful. Half of Odin is based on that principle."
"And what's the other half?"
"Do you remember the Biolizard?"
"I remember him being pretty damn ugly."
"Yeah...Biolizard isn't going to win a beauty pageant anytime soon, but he did have excellent regenerative ability. That's what the red lines represent. If you sustain a moderate injury, your suit will detect it and begin accelerated healing. It will take a bit of time, but you'll be good as new. It won't do much against broken bones and such, but you shouldn't have that problem anyway."
"So Odin is based on Perfect Chaos and Biolizard. Again, I'm impressed doctor."
Eggman adjusted his belt buckle. "Why thank you. It's about time someone appreciated my genius and my great contribution to science and technology. And now...to make it official. Come. Stand before me."
The masked mobian immediately walked up to Eggman and stood still. The doctor placed a firm palm on his head. Eggman was already swelling with pride. It was like watching his own son graduate.
"Sonic has destroyed everything you had known and loved. Now is the time to shed your past and be born anew. From this day forward, you will be known as Gungnir. The tip of Odin's spear. The bringer of destruction. The great defender of my Eggman Empire. Together, you and I shall usher in a grand new age."
"Thank you doctor."
"Do not disappoint me."
"I won't."
The system made an announcement. "Destination: Station Square will be reached in approximately one hour."
The armored mobian looked out the window. Night had fallen. "What's at Station Square? Is Sonic there? Do I get to destroy him?"
"Patience, Gungnir. That is just one part of the project. Getting to the Chaos Emeralds will be first priority."
The masked one crossed his arms. "Well...you didn't mention that part of the plan."
"Sonic will die. Do not doubt that."
"We're going to gather these emeralds?"
"In a sense yes. Don't worry about the details. Just get to them and I'll do the rest. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."
"Where are they?"
"The closest one is in Station Square. Sonic and his friends are bound to be close by. I will accompany you there. The Chaos Emeralds are scattered throughout the world, but once we get this one I should be able to track the rest using its energy signature."
"And if Sonic gets in the way?"
"Emeralds first. But if Sonic proves to be a nuisance - which I know he will - then I will let you have a little playtime with him."
"That's all I need."
"Good. Let's get our preparations ready Gungnir. We will depart for Station Square shortly."