Rotor loved technology. It didn't complain and demand things. Didn't hate or fall in love. No gossiping or yelling. Just parts and code, nothing else. It was well known to the others in the village that he really loved machines. Most whispered that he liked them more then people. Honestly, he didn't mind people. Conversation was hard to do with circuit boards and wires.

Flipping a few switches and tuned in to what he had called 'The Chatter Box', better known to everyone else as the communications probe that sat with in Robotniks network. It took four or five people to comb over all the data they had been reserving from it. But it had proven almost more effective them scouting areas. He had finished three more of them and was working on more locations to drop them. Being this close to the capital did have it's advantages. Plus it helped that Knothole was completely off the charts and very well hidden in the dense Great Forest.

Buzzing, clicking, and several other noises filled his ears. He picked up his pen and started writing what he could make out. He really wished that the rest of his staff was there to help him, but Sally had requested that he let them go with her on some mission to help oversee line of sight coms between several mobile units. It was a big job and he was very confident in the team he had trained, so he had sent them. He shook his head at the thought, it wasn't like he was going to say no to the princess. But it was nice to be asked over being ordered.

More chatter came over the line, something was going on. He tuned the receiver to focus on massive amount of chatter. Then he started hearing some descriptions/ "A brown rabbit, captured in a factory. Blue Hedgehog ... he has a test subject number. Interesting. Chasing them. Bet that's ...oh what's his name... Sonic! Yeah, that's him. Pink hedgehog? Hammer. Oh no, that has to be Amy. Captured? That's bad. Lost sight of the blue one? Loud bang? Wonder what that was? Robotoziser? What is that?" He picked up a book next to him and flipped through it. It was a log Sally had put together for him about things they had found or information they had gathered. But he was finding nothing ever mentioned about a Robotozisor.

This was one of those time he wished they had a long range communications array. But the reason they didn't were very much sound. Robotnik had his own probes searching for signals and he had proven that his devices were super effective at pinpointing the locations of the arrays. Another network had been integrated soon after, but was much slower. Small birds would carry messages to and from locations. It was so low tech that Robotnik had yet to intercept any. But Rotor didn't think that would last forever. The dictator had been too good at guessing how they did things.

He wrote out a message and sent out a bird to Sally. Silently, he hoped it would reach her in time.

"Sir, have you been receiving the report on SWATbot factory 6?"

He shifted his attention from the over screens for just a moment to glare at the screen talking to him. The head appearing on it backed away as his sight came to bare on him. "Yes, Snively. And I know Sonic was there." He rubbed his chin as he considered his next move.

"Yes, sir. I wanted to let you know that I have received the captive that seems to have been aiding Sonic."

A grim blossomed on his face. "Take her to the lower chambers. I think we just found our volunteer. Oh, this is good." He turned and rose from his chairs. He didn't have much time. Entering a lift he hit the keys that would take him to the lowest levels of his palace. As he did, he pondered over all the things that needed to be done to prepare for his quest, who he had little doubt was well on his way. The one thing he had is his favor was that he didn't think the beast knew where his friend was.

Exiting the lift, he walked down the hall to door that had been sealed off as of last night. But worker drones had unsealed it and had been working on connecting it to his systems all night. While the drones were not the most effective options for this job. He refused to have Mobians anywhere near him if it was possible. But even he had to admit that they would have completed the job twice as fast for the simple reason that they could problem solve on the fly and bend around things easier. But he hoped to have that worked out soon.

"Status Report." He walked up to the console that sat right under a large clear window into the other room. He did not bothering to look at the short drone beside him that was busy hitting keys on a tablet.

"Systems coming online now, sir. Device requires charging before it can be used. Time to full charge, twenty minutes. All systems have been successfully connected to the central network. Phase two is awaiting your approval. Phase three not started. Phase four not stated."

"Begin phase two at sight three." The console came to life in front of him as the charging system finally got power to it. He made a mental note to have that changed later.

A whoosh behind him altered him. Not bothering to turn, he waited for the report from his lackey.

"Sir, the subject is waiting in the holding area just outside the procedure chamber. Awaiting your authorization to begin the test."

He rubbed his hands together as looked down at the data pouring in. Time was still against him, be he didn't care now. Everything was ready and close enough for him to begin. Hitting a few keys, he brought up the monitor of his personal chambers. The sight wasn't a disappointment, as the dust was just settling from what looked like an explosion. But the blue was enough to tell him what had happened.

Keying the mike, he spoke to his invader. "Greetings, Hedgehog." He waited for him for come out of the dust. Again, he didn't disappoint. Glaring as him over the screen in utter rage. Such a pleasant sight.

"Alright, doc. Where's Bunnie?"

"Oh, is it Bunnie Rabbot you are referring to? Is that who I have to test on today. Oh, this is good." He was lost in thought for a second, then realized he was still speaking to his nemesis. "She is perfectly unharmed, my dear boy. I have no plans to cause her pain. In fact, I dare say that I plan to improve her in every way imaginable."

"If you do anything to her, I'll make you pay!"

He laughed. "Really? Well then, I guess I should let her go. We wouldn't want you doing anything rash, now would we?" He turned off the mike and walked over to another terminal and began typing on it.

"Sir, are you really going to just let the subject go?"

He growled at the tiny man behind him, "No, Snively. I'm not. Bring her in and get her strapped down to the table. The device will be fully charged in ten minutes, I want our guest ready." He finished his work and moved back to the screen where Sonic had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I've changed my mind. But don't worry, I've sent you someone to keep you company." He laughed as he broke the connection and moved over to the watch them strap down Bunnie. She wasn't going down without a fight, managing to free a hand twice. But the conclusion would not change.

A few minutes later, she was locked on the table.

Sonic leaped out of the way as another red beam charred the metal floor beside him. Three bee like bots had zipped out a door a few minutes ago and started firing at him. The bad thing was that these things didn't stay still at all, moving erratically around the room. What was irritating him was that there was so many breaks in the floor that getting up to speed to deal with them was proving difficult.

Avoiding the shots was not hard, but it didn't get him any closer to finding Bunnie. Escaping was going to be as easy as before either. The power ring he had was drained and useless, but it had provided him a fast method for getting into docs room. His speed had doubled and he was able to run through the walls without slowing down. But once he got into the room, he could feel the power draining out of him. It was a weird feeling, but nothing he couldn't handle.

Looking over the edge, he looked down into the lower levels. He had to go down anyways in order to go anywhere else. Plus there were platforms for him to leap off of. "Got to face facts. I'm going to have to deal with these things in mid air. So might as well have some room to work with." He rolled around the edge and found a pipe under it that he could hang on. His eyes darted around for the first hint of yellow. When it came, he pulled his feet up to the bar and pushed off it.

His effort was rewarded by one of the bees coming down to his level just in time for him to grab the head. Forward momentum pulled him over it and landing of it's back. He rammed his hand into it's back, hoping to find another ring. Ripping out what he had a hold of, he revealed another ring. Stuffing it in his backpack, he noticed that he was falling with the defeated bot. Looking up, he pushed off it and onto another bee. This time he noticed they had been tagged.

"Buzz Bombers. Lame name." He tore into it and pulled out another ring. The last bomber showered him with bolts. He pulled off the head of the bomber he was riding to the ground and leaped off it to a platform suspended on the side. As he waited to launch it as the last bot, he heard a faint buzzing noise. He pulled it apart and found a round sphere in it with a bee in it.

"You have got to be kidding me. You mean to tell me that these new bots have animals in them?" He separated the capsule and let it go. Then chucked the two halves of the head at the buzzing noise. Both pieces missed as leaped off the platform. Falling, he saw the places the other two bombers landed and the light beyond it. "Beats the dull gray and browns of this place.."

Curling up, he spun as he came in contact with floor. He raced into one of the holes and bounced off the wall back into the hole. This put him right in line with the bomber, who couldn't get out of the way in time. Sawing through it, he uncurled and landed beside it. Freeing both the ring and bee, he racing into the lower chamber and activated his map to figure out just where he was.

"No data? How is that possible? Uncle Chuck told me he knew everything about this place." He hit a key that focused on his location. He noticed that he was under his known map. After a minute, it started adding the new data. "So I'm under the palace. An unmapped section. Well, not going to find anyone standing still." Racing down the hall, he turned here and there as more of the map started to fill in. He turned a dial on the outer ring to change the gathering ability of the device. It showed less of the map, but more details of the area directly around him.

Turning another corner, the map started to flicker. Stopping, he slapped it to see if it was malfunctioning. Then he heard a humming noise from the wall beside him. "That's funny." He pressed a ear up to it and listened, then he heard a scream that he recognized. "I'M COMING, BUNNIE!"

"Sir, internal scans show complete robotization of lower extremities. Shall we continue?" Snively looked over at the doctor and waited for his answer. The tall, round guy was rubbing his hands together and grinning from ear to ear. This was always the way when he was really excited about a test. It was like the delay was prolonging his joy over the results. But he thought it was just a waste of time.

"Yeeeeeeessssssssssss. Continue."

He felt awkward being in the same room as him when he got like this. But he could never think of a good enough excuse to get away. So he had resigned himself to this feeling and just pressed on. The test had gone rather well. The rabbit on the table had only screamed one during the process and it wasn't really that bad. Shamefully, he had to admit that it was a rather nice sound.

Pressing the button, the table started to move back into the beam. They had removed the subject after the legs to scan them to see how they took the energy conversion. Finding them totally intact and fully bonded with the remainder of the body, they continued.

As she was about to enter the ray again, he noticed some dust moving on the wall. "Sir, there seems to be some kind of disturbance along the wall there." He pointed at it and then looked up to see that the other man was not taking his eyes off the test. "Sir. I really think you should..."

Being cut off as a blue buzz saw came into the chamber. It uncurled and landed on the table. Pulling off the restraints, he pulled the subject off the table. But not before her right arm got caught in the beam, turning it into a machine just like her legs.

"How did he...!?" Robotnik was in a rage now. He slammed his hand on command mic. "All SWATbots to the Robotozation Chamber on Sublevel three. Target Blue Hedgehog." He was growling as the he looked in at the beast gathering up the subject in his arms.

"You lost this round, Robotnik. Chow for now." He raced out door. Snively could hear laser fire done the hall.

He was expecting the doctor to be enraged now, but he saw him taking deep breaths to clam himself. This was a rare sight when his plans were interrupted. Not to mention how they were interrupted this time. "Sir, I'm sure they will bring the subject back soon. Then we can complete the process."

Ivo waved the comment away. "No, no. Don't bother. I seriously doubt you can accomplish that." The grin was back. "I have a much better idea. Yessssssssssss."

"Thanks, sugar. I was worried I mi not be my lovely self much longer." Bunnie said as she was getting over the shock of having a mechanical arm.

"We're not out of the woods yet. Still have to find a way out of here." He whipped around a corner as more SWATbots blocked the way he had been going.

"Take a left up here. Dem bots brought me in dat way."

He complied with the order and they found themselves in a docking where several hover crafts were coming into dock.

"Can you fly those things?" She nodded. "Then we're out of here." He ran up to one that had just dock. Sitting her down, he sawed his way in and sent the two bots flying out the hatch. Stepping out, dusting off his hands, he turned and bowed. "You chariot awaits."

"Thank ya, darling." She walked up to the pilots seat and hit the controls to get it started. Raising a meter in the air, she did a 180 and they were in the air.

Sonic sat himself in the seat beside her and looked at her arm. "Bunnie." He bit his lip as he paused. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Sugar hog. If I thought you weren't spending every second senz we parted trying to save me, you'd be orbit." She held up her new arm. "This ain't ya's fault. It's Robotniks. Don't forget that."

"But I could have got there faster. Could have prevent this from happening..."

"And ya could have got shot and I'd be a full bot right now. Fact is, dat didn't happen. Ya pulled me out o' there just in time. You saved me." She gave him a coy grin. "Besides, I might find a way for ya to pay me back."

That's when they heard a banging in the back. Sonic got up and moved cautiously to the lockers on the wall. Finding the one that was making the noise, he opened it. A pink Modian fell into his arms with arm flailing.

"Let me out..." Then she opened her eyes and saw who was in front of her. Her expression changed immediately changed and she hugged him. "Oh SONIC! I knew you would come to rescue me!"

"Amy?" He looked up at the front to see Bunnie looking back at the all the commotion. As she turned back around, he heard her mutter something about having to listen to something all the way home.