On a bright and sunny day near a big Oak tree in the middle of a grassy field, Sonic the Hedgehog was deep in thought as he sat near the tree, leaning his back against it. With his arms crossed and eyes closed. Although it looked like he was sleeping, Sonic was actually dealing with conflicting thoughts in his head. It had been two years since the last time the mad scientist Dr. Eggman had plotted against Sonic and his friends. However after their last encounter it was almost as if Eggman just vanished out of nowhere. "Where could he have gone?" Sonic thought to himself. "It doesn't make sense that an obsessive mad man like him would just straight up disappear. He has to be planning something."
Before Sonic could finish his thought he was interrupted by a familiar voice. "Hey Sonic!" the voice called out as Sonic began to open his eyes. In front of him stood Miles Tails Prower, Sonic's closest friend. Tails seemed to be holding a newspaper in his hand as he walked toward Sonic.
"Oh hey Tails!" Sonic replied. "What's up?"
Tails stopped in front of Sonic with a concerned look on his face. "Sonic you look worried, are you thinking about Eggman again?"
"It's just so weird you know? How someone like him could just vanish into thin air." Sonic responded as he began getting up.
"I've told not to worry about." Tails sighed. "He obviously just decided to give up after all these years. You did stop every single one of his plans he's ever done."
"Heh, I guess you're right." Sonic chuckled. "It's just been really boring lately without anything to do. No grand adventures like the good old days.
Tails smiled as he began unfolding the newspaper in his hand. "Well have I got good news for you." Tails opened up the newspaper and showed it to Sonic. "There's been news reports all over place about some really strange lights showing up near the bottom of the sea. However the source of these lights is so deep under the ocean that no manmade submarine can go deep enough to reach it without getting crushed by the water pressure."
"Well if no submarine can go deep enough to reach it, then what's so exciting about it.?" Sonic asked curiously.
"No manmade submarine could reach it, but a Tailsmade submarine can!" Tails chuckled. "I've been running some tests for the past few days, and I've finally developed a submarine that can go deep enough into the ocean to survive the water pressure and show us what's actually down there!"
"Sounds like a plan! Sonic exclaimed as his mood lifted. "So when do we get started.?"
"I can get us going later today if you're up for it." Tails responded. As he looked back at the newspaper.
"Alright! let's going!" Sonic cheered.
A few hours later that same day Sonic and Tails were making final preparations inside the submarine near an old factory right outside the city by the ocean. The Submarine was quite small with a red paintjob and the word "Tails" labeled on the side. "Alright, we're ready to go." Tails announced as he began starting the submarine. Sonic sat in his seat and gave Tails a thumbs up to signal that he was ready to go. Tails began pressing buttons on control panel in the submarine. "We're diving in Three... Two... One!" As Tails finished the countdown the submarine dived into deep into the ocean. As it plunged deeper in the depths of the sea, the sunlight that lit up the water began to fade until soon the submarine was submerged into darkness. Tails began to pilot the submarine, as they began their search for the source of the mysterious lights.
"It sure is dark down here." Sonic mentioned. "Even with the headlights on everything is pitch black."
"That's what the bottom the sea is like." Tail explained. "There's no sunlight here to light it up for us."
At that same moment the radar onboard began to pick up some strange mechanical activity. Tails began looking into it. "It looks like there's cave a little deeper down here. And I think that's where the source of the strange lights are coming from." As they began to enter the strange cave, what they saw was almost unbelievable. An entire underwater factory the size of two football stadiums was sitting within the cave walls. That however wasn't even the most interesting part. A giant symbol branded the factory, it was the symbol for Dr. Eggman himself.
"Eggman! So this is where's he's been hiding these past two years!" Sonic yelled as he got up from his seat.
"Hang on a second Sonic." Tails responded. "I think I see a docking platform up ahead. This will be a good chance to investigate what's been going on."
As Tails docked the submarine onto the factory, Sonic quickly leaped out. "Let's see what old Egghead's been up to lately." he remarked.
"Hang on a second, I still have to fix up our submarine so that we'll be able to g back home after we're done here." Tails replied. "It may be able to withstand water pressure this deep, but it still took quite a bit of damage."
"You worry about that. I'll run a head and check this place out." Sonic responded.
"Here take this." Tails said as he threw what looked like a watch toward Sonic. "This watch will allow us to communicate with each other while you're inside there. Just be careful."
"Thanks Tails." Sonic remarked as he quickly caught the watch and took off.
Sonic quickly began running through the entire factory, exploring every nook and cranny. "Tails' radar picked up some sort of mechanical noises coming from within this place." Sonic mentioned to himself. "That means something somewhere is active in here. And if that something is Eggman, I'll be sure to find out what he's planning."
After much exploration, Sonic came across a giant steel door with Eggman's logo printed on it. Out of curiosity, Sonic began to knock on the door. As soon as he did it began to slide open leading to a giant empty room, with steel walls on each side. Sonic entered the room, however the moment he did the steel doors quickly closed behind him. "Hey, what gives!?" Sonic shouted in a panic, as he attempted to open up the steel doors that just closed behind him.
"Well, well, well. Long time no see my old friend." A familiar voice called out to Sonic. With a surprised expression, Sonic quickly turned around to find another steel door on the other side of the room opening up. The figure who stood through its doorway however was all too familiar.
"Eggman!" Sonic shouted. "I knew you were up no good!"
"Well, that's not way to treat an old friend now is it?" The maniacal scientist exclaimed as he walked through the door stroking his mustache.
"What is this whole facility for!? What are you planning!?" Sonic demanded.
"Why nothing my dear friend. I just needed a place to call home after I gave up on all my world domination schemes." Eggman answered with a genuine smile on his face. "Oh Orbot, could you do me a favor and get some tea for our guests?"'
"Oh yes, right away Sir." A mechanical voice called out from another room.
"A factory this deep underwater isn't somewhere that anyone would consider a home." Sonic responded while clenching his fists. "Someone like you doesn't just turn over a new leaf just like that.
"Oh, I think the tea is ready." Eggman quickly replied as he turned towards the door behind him and began to walk out. "I'll just be a moment."
After Eggman left the room, Sonic quickly dashed after him, but the steel door closed just before Sonic could reach him. Suddenly two holes opened up from within the room and sea water began pouring in. "I knew it! He's trying to drown me!" Sonic yelled in a panic as he attempted to break open the doors to no avail.
"I'm very sorry, we don't seem to have any tea, I hope you're okay with water instead." Eggman chuckled over an intercom. "This visit sure was great, you could say it was to die for!"
"You forgot one thing Eggman!" Sonic shouted as he began rushing for one of the holes that the water poured out from. "I can just escape from the same place this water enters through!"
"You'll be crushed by water pressure!" Tails' voice shouted through the communication watch. "If you go into the ocean when we're this deep underwater, you'll surely die!"
"What else am I suppose to do!?" This is literally a sink or swim situation!" Sonic yelled into the watch
"I... I don't know!" Tail responded. "Hang on I'm coming!"
The water quickly filled the room. Sonic attempted to swim out, but it was no use. He was now completely submerged in water, quickly losing his breath. "T..Tails, where are you?" Sonic muttered as his voice began to fade. "I.. I think this is it for me buddy..."
Tails desperately screamed into the watch. "Sonic I'm almost there! Sonic can you hear me!? Sonic!? Sonic!? SONIC!?"
To be continued...