Knuckles waved to Tails as they parted ways just outside of the city limits. The fox had told them what he planed to do and when, so that they could coordinate their efforts. While he still had reservations about the plan, he felt better about being in the field where he might be able to offer his friends something more then just good luck. It was not his normal place to be there on the battlefront, but here he was. Walking cautiously down a city street that lay in ruin. The entire outer city looked like this and he hated it. Somewhere here, there was others just trying to keep warm or survive on what scraps they could find. Mobians whose spirits had been crushed by the iron boot of Doctor Robotnick. There was really nothing holding them here, just the fear of being hunted down like so many others. Turned from worthless laborer into a test subject. Even he had to admit that labor sounded better then being tested on.
But he was a survivor of the test. This explained how and why he had a second tail and could spin them to create his own helicopter. The medics had been baffled for weeks at how his tails were so strong yet sat in something that looked like a ball joint. It didn't matter to him the how, just the why. As much as he knew about Robotnick, the more he seemed to not know about him. There was no rational reason for the experiments he conducted. His armies had already conquered a forth of Mobias with no signs of real lose. So he had no need for soldiers. Saving races? No, he seemed to not care about anything. So he wouldn't care about saving them. The only thing that made any logical sense was that he was plain evil and wanted to get back at those he thought had wronged him. But even that didn't really seem right.
Tails ducked in a building as a hover unit went by. There was no end to the patrols that came by, but everyone feared them and avoided there eye if they could. There were rumors that some were just taken because the mad doctor was low on specimens or that he was using them to train his SWAT Bots how to fire on live targets. Neither possibility made him feel better, the more reason to just remain out of sight. The sound of crying caught his ear. He turned to see that a mother was holding her two children shielding them from something. He swallowed as he realized that the only thing it could be was him.
"I won't hurt you. I'm just hiding for a second." He said, trying to be reassuring.
"Just leave. I know what you are. Just leave before you endanger us even more." The fury in the mother's eyes made him take a step back.
"I promise no harm will befall you. I'm . . " The mother cut him off
"I care little who you are. Just LEAVE!" The sobs of the children finally pushed him out.
Outside, he ran as fast as his short legs would take him. He hated the mother for thinking he would harm them, hated the fact that she was in rags as well as the children clinging to her, but most of all he hated the one responsible for turning this place into the paranoid den of filth. Wrapping his tails together, he perplexed them to create lift. He raised himself just a few inches off the ground. He flexed his back to cause himself to gain speed as he moved forward. It was all he could do to keep on target and forget the fear in the kids' eyes he had just left.
"One day, they will welcome me in as a trusted friend. One day...".
"hmmmmmmmmm" He pondered his next move as a patrol of bots walked by him for the forth time. For a good portion of his life, he had never rushed into things. Always taken time to work out just how to get the result he wanted. But here lately, irrational rushing seemed to be working for him. It could be the speed. Speed was his slave now, and he its master. Nothing was faster then him. It was so odd that he was thinking like that, but the facts supported his claims. The good doctor's toys could not keep up with him. He could break the sound barrier. Even gravity seemed to have no grip on him at times. He worried that he may in fact be becoming arrogant. Like those kids had...
"Stray thoughts will not get me into the doctor's office." Four bots turned with arm lasers pointed in his direction. He cursed his outburst, but took the opportunity to poke fun at them. "Oh, now you see me? I've only been standing here for ten minutes." Leaping forward, he ran again. This time running around the room until an air current was formed. The result was the bots were now flying into the air, flailing there arms. He stopped at the spot he had just vacated. Without something to maintain the current, it died out. This, in turn, caused the bots to fall to the ground. Three of the four landed on each other and didn't move. The last started to regain its footing. It looked up to see a foot coming right at it. The kick pushed it and into the wall, shorting out several components.
He stood there with his arms on his hips, shaking his head. "Shame, you guys sleeping on the job. Don't worry, I'll tell the doc you gave me a good run around." He laughed as he sped off down another hallway
Is this the kind of person I want to be? I sound like an arrogant bully. I'm not invincible, being caught taught me that much. But I'm fast. So very fast. Maybe I can just avoid everything coming at me. Wait? I'm super powered now. I have power like no one else. I heard them say that I was better then any of the others. Why can't I pick fun at the enemy? After all, they are bots. They don't have feelings.
He shifted left down another hallway. This would take him to a ramp to the next level. Thanks to a map device his uncle had given him, he could plan his attacks carefully. He had taken three days to memorize the layout of this palace, but things had changed since the map was updated. The Doc had removed some paths and blocked others. Thankfully, the map was always updating. So this would not happen next time he came here. If there ever was a next time.
Bots ahead of him caused him to slow down a little. Although he didn't fear them, he knew their master was crafty enough to pull some weird things. But rather then face them, he turned left. Knowing that he would come to an elevator at the end, he curled up into a ball and increased his speed. He suddenly slowed as he was tearing thought the metal of the doors. Once he was though, he uncurled and ran upward.
"HA, even gravity is too slow. I'm the man. I can do ANYTHING!"
The thoughts pushed him to run just a little harder till he reached the floor he wanted. Curling up again, he bounced off the side of the wall and sawed through another door.
He stopped and looked around. This was nothing like the description of the throne room waiting room. There was only a line of lights leading up the throne room door. Everything else was black, devoid of all life and texture that had once made this place inviting and calm. Now it made his heart race with fear that there might be traps hidden in the shadows.
'Traps? You're faster then any trap. Get your feet in gear and check in.'
He ran forward and lasers shot at him, but he zig zagged around them till he reached the throne room door. It admitted him with a swoosh.
"Welcome, Hedgehog. I must say, I expected you here fifteen minutes ago. Did the welcoming committee hold you up? I do apologize for that. I can be so unaccommodating these days. Please, come in. Some tea?"
Doctor Ivo Robotnik was man that was over twice his height, but as round as he was tall. However, he didn't seem to be hindered at all by the gelatinous mass that was his stomach. His outfit of choice of one piece that was red on top and black on the bottom. Separated by gray lines on what once was his waist. In the center of the mass was a black circle outlined by the same gray lines that broke up the suit. The last piece was short yellow cape. It had to be enough fabric to clothe two more people. But his fashion sense, or lack there of, was not the most notable parts of him. While he did wear gloves on each hand, it was the right arm that drew attention. There was gray metal where there should be skin. A robotic arm that few would even dare try, much less have done successful. Robotic limbs just didn't seem to work on Mobians. But Robotnik had found a way. Then there were his eyes. A red dot marked his pupil, the rest was a gray mass that seemed like a void.
But this was not the first time he and seen the doctor. What had him on edge was that there was really a table set for two with a tea pitcher at the center. The doctor poured himself a cup then poured some in the second cup. Then motioned for him to sit. He walked up the grayish green ramp that lead out to the center hub of the chambers that the doctor had made for himself. There was no throne, at least not now. Now there was just two chairs, a table, and tea.
"Two sugars." He sat down at the table and sipped the tea after the doctor had added his request. He didn't want the fat man to see him afraid. No matter how much he really was.
"There, now. It is nice to share a cup now and then. I used to do this with the king once a week. But, alas, those days are over. I have defeated him and he is no longer a rival." There was honestly a sense of lose in his voice. Something he never thought the man could conjure up. But then he looked up at him with a toothy grim. "But now there's you. You have caused me great loses. Set numerous projects back years. Even managed to invade my personal dwelling. I must admit that I had almost given up hope at meeting another that could match me again."
"I aim to please. After all you've done for me; it was the least I could do." He smiled and gave a slight nod. Every fibber in his body was telling him to run, that this was some trick. But the tea was high quality, and he really was interested at why this kind of display was being put on. He expected a large room with the doctor in some kind of giant robot. A good fight to the death. But this...was totally unexpected. More then that was the fact the doctor seemed to be showing him a lot of...respect.
The man chucked at his comment. "A quick wit. Marvelous! I had suspected less. You are indeed full of surprises." He sipped his tea again.
"I take it this is poisoned. Should be five, maybe six minutes before I fall over?" It was a cheap ploy. His Uncle Chuck had him raiding labs for samples of every poison Robotnik had. Giving him small doses here and there to build up a tolerance to all of them. Thus far, he was immune to over thirty seven different toxins.
The smile from the doctor's face was gone and his eye grew wide with shock. "You wound me, my boy. I would not waste the effort on one such as you. If I desired your death, it would be grand and public. Not in private. No, the tea is pure. A fine one too. I discovered it on a floating island the natives called Angel Island. I confess that I took a greater interest in the tea then I did the natives. But business did require I capture them."
This confused him further. This was a man of evil, treating him like a dear friend. He had personally destroyed several factories and set countless captives free. The fat man even admitted that he had cost him years of work. Why treat him like this? "I admit the flavor is divine. You have great taste for tea. But there are things I need to do."
The bald man nodded as he sat his cup down. "I must agree." He sighed. "So much work to do."
"There is also the matter that I want your head on a platter." He sat his own cup on the table, but remained sitting. His reflexes should be fast enough to get him out of the chair it there was an attempt to stop him.
He gave a dismissing wave as if the matter did not bother him at. "Yes, yes. But you might want to tend to a little matter outside." A screen came to life on his right side. A camera was following an orange and white fox running around. By the look of it, he was heading toward the core. The same place he was. He turned toward the man with a glare, but he had simply stood up and picked up the tea cup for one last sip. "I have a new robot heading out to meet this one. A Bot-nick. Plus there is another group attacking an outpost. They will be eliminated soon."
The tone he used was like he was swatting flees, not killing people! He had to do something, save them somehow. Letting the chair fall backwards, he curled up into a ball and raced to the door. He stopped at the door and turned back around. "This isn't over. I'll be back,"
The fat man laughed. "I'm counting on it, my boy. By the way, what name are you going by now?"
"I'm Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog!" He raced down the hall and vanished into the sea of corridors. With only the faint sound of the mad man's laugh echoing in his ears