Meanwhile at Eggman's base an hour later, the mad doctor was in the process of preparing for Phase 2 of his plan.
"Since my upgraded E-2000 did so well, I'll send the updated E-2000R this time and hopefully finish off that meddling feline G.U.N agent once and for all."
Deep down, he did not want to his secret ally intervening about allowing Kitty to live any longer. The longer she sticks her nose in my affairs, the more damage she's likely to do, and I can't allow it.
Eggman then activated his E-2000R and prepared for it to invade the mansion. Before he did though, he made one last inspection to make sure everything was in order. As expected, it was in perfect working condition.
"Excellent." Eggman commented with a grin. "If this goes according to plan, Agent Katswell will be wiped out within five minutes top. Heh heh!"
And with that, the mad doctor input the commands from his control panel. Instantly, his E-2000R flew out of the base, with Eggman soon tagging along from behind in his Eggmobile, as he wanted an up close and personal experience of her demise.
Again, unknown to Eggman, his secret ally had overheard everything.
So, Eggman thinks he can pull a fast one on me, does he? Well, he's in for a rude surprise then. If anyone's plan is going to take down that meddlesome feline, it's going to be mine.
Several seconds later, the mysterious figure left the building in hot pursuit, flying after him.
About 25 minutes earlier at the Thorndyke mansion, Kitty had arrived fully armed and ready to go. Taking no chances this time, the feline agent brought several weapons with her, including a M32 Grenade launcher with over a dozen 40mm additional grenades and a M249 SAW laser powered machine gun. Unlike her last prototype laser weapon, this was had a larger battery life. And, unlike last time, Kitty brought an additional battery pack also. She even brought several explosive weapons with her as well, such as a couple magnetic bombs from before, even a few grenades.
And, of course, at the advice of her doctor and Commander, she outfitted herself with a thick layer of padding around her lower chest in order to protect her ailing ribs.
To help her carry the extra rounds, she had brought her bag from before and placed the extra ammo inside.
One of the first places Kitty went to visit first was the garage, as she was planning to sneak the data about G.U.N's raid to Sonic and his friends. Not surprisingly, she found Tails underneath the X-Tornado, working on its electrical components in spite of his seriously sprained left knee. The two tailed fox was using a special rolling board in order to move around without putting much pressure.
Kitty then walked up to him, saying, "How you doing, Tails?"
Tails had been so busy and preoccupied; he didn't even notice her coming in. He quickly looked up after rolling away from his jet, and flashed a big smile at her, saying, "Oh, Kitty, hi."
It was then Tails noticed her gear, complimenting, "Well, don't you look like the top level G.U.N solider."
Kitty slightly blushed at his comment, replying, "Aw, thanks."
"So, uh, what brings you by?" Tails inquired curiously.
"Well, believe it or not, I got permission from the Commander to protect you guys until the raid takes place." Kitty explained.
"Really?" Tails looked at her intently, asking, "When you guys going out anyway?"
To protect herself in case someone from G.U.N was listening in, Kitty replied, "Well, unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to say."
"Oh, I see…" Tails was a bit disappointed, but understood nonetheless.
"Although, I'm sure you'll find about it eventually." Kitty told him with a smile on her face
She then winked at him, confusing the two tailed fox for a bit. At first, he thought, is she… flirting with me?
However, Tails quickly figured it out three seconds later, as he thought to himself, oh wait, it's her code. She has information about G.U.N that she's going to give me under the table.
Tails then said to her, "Well, I'm sure I will. Thanks for letting me know."
"No problem." Kitty replied. Moments later, she asked, "So, how's Sonic and Amy doing?"
"Well, Sonic's recovering ok I guess," Tails answered. "Although, Amy's been driving him a bit crazy."
Kitty couldn't help but giggle to herself about that, commenting, "I can see why. Knowing Sonic, he probably doesn't have a moment's peace now."
"Yea, you might say that." Tails replied, trying to stifle a bit of a chuckle as well.
Kitty then cleared her throat after a brief pause, asking again, "Anyway, where's Cream? I haven't seen her once since I've been here."
"Oh, I'm having her do an experiment for me." Tails explained.
"Really? Like what?" Kitty was very curious about what he was talking about.
"Well, I wanted her to see how responsive that gray robot is to her commands. After she told me it saved our lives due to her telling it to do so, I had her go to the park and do a field test for me."
"You sure that's a smart idea, sending her out alone with that machine?" Kitty inquired concerned. "What if it turns on her?"
"I'm pretty sure she'll be fine for now." Tails replied. "After all, I had her do a few tests for me before sending them out. And, since the machine did everything she asked it to, I figured she should be safe for the next hour at least."
Kitty wasn't so sure of this strategy, but decided to trust him on it.
"Also, I probably should add, I needed some alone time now to work on my X-Tornado in peace." Tails said. "Knowing Cream, she and that robot would make all kinds of noise nearby."
"Yea, true…"
Kitty was now in deep thought, as she asked Tails several seconds while looking at him directly, "So, what do you think about that gray robot anyway? Do you believe its friend or foe?"
"Well, to be honest… I'm really not sure at the moment." Tails answered. "It seems friendly enough, but I can't tell how reliable it is or not."
As Kitty continued to ponder this, Tails added, "That's another reason why I had Cream field test it for me. I want to know how loyal this machine is to us exactly."
"I guess that move makes sense when you put it that way." Kitty concluded.
Again, she was silent, as she said to him some time later, "Tails, could I ask a favor from you?"
Tails looked up with another big smile on his face, replying, "Sure, anything for you. What do you need?"
"Well, I have a hunch Eggman may attempt to attack this place again," Kitty explained. "Maybe even today."
Tails was now in deep thought, as he replied, "You may be right about that. After all the damage did to us last time, who's to say he won't try again this soon?" He then inquired of her, "Anyway, what would you like me to do for you?"
"Well, can you build something that would be a diversion for me?" Kitty asked
"A diversion?"
"Yes, something that would fool Eggman into letting his guard down temporarily." The feline agent explained. "Something like… that would make a mirage of me."
Tails again placed a hand under his chin to think, replying with a snap of his fingers several seconds later, "You know, I think I may have just the device."
"Really?" Kitty looked on now deeply intrigued. "Is it already built?"
"Well, not exactly." Tails replied. "But, with a few modifications, I think I may be able to give you what you're looking for."
"Sounds good. Let's get started." Kitty said psyched up.
Tails though said to her softly, "Well, if you need it right way, I might need some help getting around since I can't put any pressure on my left knee without a lot pain."
"Oh, ok." Kitty replied. "Well, what can I do to help you then?"
Tails looked over at his work bench nearby that he had received from the hospital and asked of her hesitantly, "Um, would it be too much trouble to ask if you could pick me up and move me to my chair near the workbench?"
"Oh, no, not at all." Kitty answered. "I'd be happy to."
Kitty then gently picked up Tails from his rolling board underneath shoulders and eventually carried him there with the two tailed fox securely in her arms. Surprisingly, Tails didn't mind it at all. In fact, he was smiling the whole time while she carried him.
Ten seconds later, she carefully placed him on his chair near his bench. Tails then said to her with the same smile still on his face, "Thanks, Kitty."
"Don't mention it." she replied softly. "So, how long do you think it'll be until you have it ready?"
"Well, if I can get all the tools I need at my disposal," the two tailed fox said. "I should have it ready to go within thirty minutes or so."
"Ok then. Tell me what you need and I'll go get it for you." Kitty told him.
Sometime later, Eggman and his S-2000R arrived on the scene, now flying a hundred feet above the Thorndyke mansion. As he surveyed the scene, the mad scientist commented with a grin, "Perfect. She's here. I thought she might be stupid enough to come here this soon. Ah, there's nothing like skinning a meddlesome cat to wet my appetite before the big battle."
He then ordered his machine, "Go find agent Katswell and destroy her on sight!"
His machine instantly responded, as it flew closer to the surface below. Within seconds, the E-2000 spotted her in the front yard near the mansion, moving back and forth in a guard like manner.
Eggman, who was not that far behind his machine, watched with deep anticipation, hoping to witness her demise up close and personal.
His E-2000R would do just that, as it charged its laser cannon for several seconds and then fired a huge laser blast towards her. Within moments, the blast hit its target directly, resulting in a huge explosion. Pieces of grass, dirt and sidewalk went flying everywhere while smoke and fire bellowed from within. The E-2000R's laser attack had been so strong; it put a two foot crater in the ground.
Eggman waited for the smoke to clear, and once it did, he saw nothing left of his foe. Not even remains.
Completely psyched, the mad doctor pumped his fist in the air, as he was completely ecstatic now.
"I don't believe it! I actually got her!"
Tails, who happened to be in her garage on the opposite side of the house, poked his head out, as he had heard the explosion very clearly. He then heard Eggman add, "I finally got rid of that despicable pest! It was almost too easy as matter of fact!"
In that moment, Tails felt a lump in his throat. No, there's no way he got her rid of her that quickly.
Eggman however pondered this over; thinking to himself, one thing still troubles me. She didn't even try to evade or resist the attack at all. Is it possible my machine could have missed?
The mad doctor though dismissed that concern, as he added, Nah, I saw her there. There's no way she could have evaded a shot that big and disappear that quickly.
Tails meanwhile was trying to make sense of this, as he thought while flying towards the front yard; this has to be a diversion on Kitty's part. It has to be! She just wouldn't take a hit without fighting back.
However, a part of him inside emotionally couldn't help but doubt.
But what if I'm wrong? What if she really was vaporized from the attack?
Eggman then said to his E-2000R, "Let's go. Our work here is done. With her gone, G.U.N will quickly crumble in her absence."
Seconds later, he turned around his Eggmobile and was preparing to leave. But before he could get twenty feet higher into the air, the mad scientist got the shock of his life, as he heard a loud explosion behind him.
"Huh? What the…?"
In that moment, he saw a terrifying sight. His E-2000R was getting blasted with 40mm grenades right and left. His machine was hit in the head, torso, even the legs, knocking it backwards abruptly, seriously damaging it with every explosion.
"Who in the…?"
Eggman then saw the culprit, making his jaw drop. It was none other than Kitty Katswell, walking towards him with a look of determination in her eyes while unloading grenades from her M32 at the S-2000R with complete fury. As it turned out, the feline agent had hiding in the bushes near the whole time.
"NO! This can't be!" Eggman shouted, putting his hands on his head in disbelief.
But it was. In less than ten seconds, Kitty had fired five grenades from her MGL directly at the S-2000R, eventually knocking to the ground flat on its back, seriously damaged.
Even Tails finally noticed her work, making him go from doubtful to complete joy inside emotionally. I was right! It was all a setup!
"Hey, Eggman!" Kitty shouted, while holding the M32 firmly in her arms. "Did you really think I would be taken down that easily?"
"How in the world did you survive that attack?" He demanded, pointing a finger at her. "I saw that laser blast vaporize you to bits!"
"Or you thought you did." Kitty retorted. "What you really saw was a holographic image."
At this point, Eggman was beside himself, as he couldn't believe he had bit on something that easily. To make matters worse, his machine still was on the ground, even sparking a bit.
"I thought you might be gullible enough to attack anything that resembled my form," Kitty told him sharply. "And I was right."
Eggman could barely contain his rage, as he said seething with his fists clinched, "You… You… YOU…!"
"Next time, Doctor, don't count your chickens before they hatch!" Kitty said boldly. "Looks like the laugh's on you this time!"
"That's what you think!" Eggman shot back. "I'm not out of tricks yet!"
Within seconds, he pulled out a C4 explosive device from his Eggmobile and held it high in the air in his right hand.
"Now, get a load of…"
Eggman had no time to finish that sentence, as Kitty had switched the M249 SAW laser machine gun while he was rummaging inside his hovercraft and fired over a dozen shots at him, forcing him to duck for cover.
"You were saying, Doctor?" Kitty countered.
Tails meanwhile cheered her on, saying with his right fist pumped high, "Way to go, Kitty! Show him who's boss!"
Eggman now growled at her, soon shouting to his E-2000R, "C'mon, you bucket of bolts! Get up and blast her!"
Kitty though paid no attention to his words, as she walked towards the machine still on the ground and now pointed her M32 at its head, ready to finish it off.
"Sorry, doctor, but looks like I'm the one getting the early KO this time!"
Kitty then prepared to fire the trigger, but to her shock, the E-2000R abruptly smacked her aside with its shield. As a result, Kitty was knocked fifteen feet backwards on the ground with her MGL still in hand, seriously stunned.
Eggman's machine then got back on its feet, with the mad doctor shouting, "Get her! Blast that meddling cat to pieces!"
His machine instantly responded, as it prepared to fire.
Oh shoot! Kitty thought to herself a bit concerned.
The feline agent was instantly forced to take evasive maneuvers, as it soon fired after several large blasts at her with complete fury. Within seconds, Kitty dove inside in the mansion, realizing she was too vulnerable in the open area.
Eggman at this point grinned. "Ha! I got her cornered now!" He gloated.
Kitty meanwhile took refuge in the living room, as she prepared to counterstrike.
I'll have to duck and shoot for the time being. She thought to herself.
Kitty then clutched her MGL tightly in her hands, preparing to fire her final round in an attempt to buy her some time.
But before she could, she witnessed a horrifying sight, as the E-2000R had begun to blast the three windows in the living room to pieces.
Instantly, glass shards went flying everywhere, again forcing Kitty to dive of out harm's way. Thankfully, none of the shards had hit her, but to make things even dicier for the feline G.U.N agent, the living room carpet was now mostly covered with fragments of glass.
Eggman then shouted, "Yes! That's it! You got her cornered now! Flush that troublemaker out!"
His machine again complied, as it charged up a laser shot and quickly fired. Kitty again was startled, as she saw the charged laser attack blast a big hole into the left side of the living room wall, coming within three feet of hitting her.
The rumblings of this attack even got the attention of Sonic, who was upstairs, being carefully attended to against his will by Amy Rose.
He soon sat up and asked, "What was that?"
"I don't know." Amy Rose replied softly, a bit concerned about it herself.
Sonic quickly went to the window, and there he saw who the culprit was. "Eggman's attacking us again?"
Completely fed up inside, Sonic said angrily, "I've had enough of that mad man's surprise visits! It's time for me to give him one of his own!"
Amy though wasn't about to let him go, as she grabbed Sonic by the right arm and said, "Sonic, you are in no condition to go out and fight Eggman now."
"But Amy…"
The pink hedgehog unfortunately wouldn't let him finish, as she put two fingers on his lips and said softly, trying to settle him down. "Kitty's right out front. I'm sure she'll be able to handle this on her own just fine."
"But… But…"
"And she has Tails to help her out too if necessary." Amy reiterated. "So just relax, will you?"
Sonic didn't want to agree to this at all, but with extreme reluctance, he decided to give in for the time being.
I don't have a good feeling about this. Sonic thought to himself with a frown. I doubt Kitty and Tails will be able to handle Eggbelly so easily.
Tails at this point was deeply concerned, as he didn't know what to do. I gotta help her. But how?
It didn't help matters that he could barely walk due to his badly sprained left knee.
Do I dare fly towards the machine and get its attention?
While Tails pondered this over, the E-2000R continued its rampage, as it charged up another laser blast, preparing to blast another big hole into the living room wall. Kitty at this point decided to take a chance. While she heard the machine charging up again, she crawled carefully underneath the windows, as she was trying to get to the right side of the room.
Kitty thankfully guessed right, as the middle of the living room was the E-2000R's next target. Seconds later, the machine fired, blasting another large hole into the wall. Trying to take advantage of the situation, Kitty quickly poked her head up on the right side and fired her last remaining grenade currently in her M32 at the E-2000R a split second after it had fired.
Her aim was directly on target, as she managed to aim it at the E-2000R's head. But unfortunately for her, the machine had razor sharp reflexes, blocking the attack with its shield. The attack unfortunately was mostly negated, with the shield took the brunt of the blow.
Drat! Kitty thought to herself. My grenade launcher is empty now. I'll have to reload it.
That unfortunately was easier said than done, as the E-2000R was giving her little time to reload. Not to mention the spring device within the M32 had to be reset in order to fire more grenades.
Moments later, The E-2000R charged up again and fired at the right side of the wall this time, blasting another hole into the living room wall. Kitty though was able to adjust this time, as she dove behind the couch before it could hit her.
Nonetheless, with three glaring holes in the living room now, Kitty knew she was very vulnerable now.
Eggman meanwhile ordered his machine, "Keep firing! Give her no place to hide!"
Again, the E-2000R complied, as it now charged up a fourth time, aiming for the left side of the room a second time.
Needing to buy some time, Kitty decided to bait the machine with a decoy move. She then grabbed her M249 SAW and fired a dozen shots through the hole in the middle of the living room. Instantly, the E-2000R saw this and responded, firing several laser shots back to try and hit her. Kitty though was on the right side of the room, as the couch took the brunt of the blow, shielding her from any of its effects.
Seeing it respond the way she wanted it to, Kitty now looked behind her and saw the mirror in the living room still unscathed.
That gives me an idea. She thought with a grin.
Within moments, Kitty fired several dozen laser shots at the mirror at a left angle, hoping it would deflect and come out the left side of the room. As thought, it did indeed. Again, the E-2000R saw the shots coming, and responded, moving over to the left side a third time and firing several shots inside.
Kitty's decoy move paid off, as she was able to subtly sneak out of the living room unnoticed. Eggman though by now was losing his patience with the E-2000R's progress, as he ordered his machine, "No more toying around with her! Just blast that meddling G.U.N to pieces!"
Again, his machine responded, now firing rapidly into the living room with fury, destroying everything within the room one piece at a time.
My machine will either vaporize her, or she'll be forced to come out of hiding in order to save her own fur. Eggman thought to himself with a grin. And then, it's bye bye kitty.
However, unknown to Eggman, Kitty was now in the kitchen and cautiously making her way out the back door.
I'll have to take it by surprise in order to inflict more damage on it. Kitty thought. And I think I know just the weapon to use in order to catch it off guard.
Kitty thankfully had her weapons bag on her during this time, as she decided this was the right moment to use one of her special explosive devices.
While she continued to make her towards the back door, Tails still struggled within himself, trying to decide whether or not to help her out.
I want to help her, but I don't know how without hurting myself further or even putting Kitty in a bind. What do I do?
Meanwhile, the E-2000R at this point had blasted everything in the living room. The couch, cabinets, TV, everything, was in pieces or seriously charred from its laser attacks. Still, there was no response from Kitty, now making Eggman growl inside.
Where is she? Eggman pondered with frustration. I know she didn't escape to another room because I would have seen it.
Eggman then ordered his machine, "Fire another few charged laser shots just to make sure you toasted her!"
Instantly, his machine responded, as it quickly charged up and fired a laser blast into the middle of the room. It soon did the same to the left and right sides of the room as well. But again, no movement from Kitty.
Kitty by this time had managed to sneak out the back door and carefully ran towards the front of the home, soon hiding behind the left corner of the mansion.
Ok, I'll have to time this perfectly. Kitty thought. Here goes nothing.
Seconds later, Eggman finally lost his cool, as he ordered his E-2000R, "Enough of this nonsense! Go in there and bring her out! I want her personally executed in my presence if she's still alive."
Hearing this put a lump in Tails' throat, as he couldn't help but be deeply concerned about Kitty's fate. However, he managed to see something peering from the left corner of the mansion, making him wonder, huh? Is that… Kitty?
Tails' guess was right on the money. In that instant, Kitty took the offensive. As the E-2000R was about to go inside the mansion, she instantly made her move. The feline agent quickly grabbed a magnetic explosive device and heaved it as hard as she could towards the machine. Thanks to the magnetic structure, the bomb clung to the head of Eggman's super machine, exploding with intensity two seconds later.
Eggman quickly looked on dumbfounded, but soon saw the culprit, making him seethe inside again.
"YOU AGAIN?"
With the E-2000R clearly stunned by the bomb, Kitty instantly went to attack. Grabbing her M249 SAW laser machine gun, she unloaded dozens of rounds at its head, trying to attack the small hole her magnetic bomb had made. Within seconds, her lasers began to inflict serious damage to the E-2000's internal components.
Seeing the catastrophe that this could become, Eggman said, "Oh, no you don't!"
The mad doctor then swooped down in his Eggmobile in an attempt to get her out of position. Unfortunately for Kitty, she didn't see it in time to shoot at him. Instead, she was forced to dive out of the way, as Eggman was trying to slam his hovercraft against her.
Thanks to Eggman's interruption, the E-2000R was able to regain its focus without further damage to its structure, resulting in it quickly pointing its laser weapon at Kitty, ready to fire at her again.
Thinking fast, Kitty grabbed her weapon again and ran towards a nearby tree for some protection. The E-2000R nonetheless still fired shot after shot to try and hit her, but missed due to her high agility.
Once she was behind the tree, Kitty again fired a few dozen rounds at Eggman's machine again, trying to inflict more damage to its electrical components. But unfortunately, the E-2000R deflected each shot with ease, using its shield to block every oncoming laser.
Eggman then tried to dive bomb her again with his Eggmobile. However, Kitty saw him coming this time, quickly changing direction, as she fired multiple lasers at his hovercraft's engine. Not expecting this, Eggman's transportation was hit several times, resulting in moderate damage to its structure.
Forced to take drastic action, Eggman wildly changed direction in order to keep his Eggmobile from receiving any more damage. Seeing this put a smile on Kitty's face, that is until she heard Tails yell, "Kitty, look out!"
Kitty quickly turned her head, and there she the E-2000R preparing to fire while charging up its laser attack. Within seconds, it fired. Kitty then dove out of harm's way, as the laser blast destroyed the tree, reducing it to a charred stump.
Deciding to give it no chance to fire again, Kitty unleashed dozens of rounds at the E-2000R's head. But again, it used its shield to block her laser shots.
This is getting me nowhere! Kitty thought angrily while firing. I'm going to have to hit this monstrosity with another bomb in order to get it off balance.
Kitty then quickly, but carefully grabbed a M67 grenade with her left hand while using the right to fire and prepared to toss it. But again, Eggman saw her move and went to run interference again. However, he would not succeed this time, as Tails finally decided to help, bad knee or not.
I can't let Eggman double team her. Kitty will have no chance to win if this keeps up.
As Eggman came closer to ram her again, Tails came flying in, punching the mad doctor in the face. Taking completely by surprise, Eggman instantly flinched, saying while rubbing his nose, "Ow! Why you little pest!"
Eggman then tried to swing back with his fists, as he had no weapons to fire attack the two tailed fox except for the C4 explosives, and he was saving that for Kitty.
Meanwhile, Kitty abruptly stooped shooting, as she had to use her right hand in order to remove the safety clip. The E-2000R though didn't take long to remove its shield in front of it and attempt to blast her with another laser shot. Kitty however beat it to the punch, as the she tossed the grenade directly right at its arm cannon. A split second later after it fired, the grenade connected with the laser attack, exploding on impact.
The explosion seriously stunned the E-2000R in the process. In fact, it was big enough; Kitty had to back flip out of harm's way about three feet. But once she landed on the ground, she again unleashed her M249 SAW, as the feline agent fired dozens of more rounds at the E-2000's head, trying to destroy it from within.
As each shot directly hit the machine's electronic components, Kitty could sense it was on the verge of self-destructing. Unfortunately for her, her weapon let her down, as it soon stopped firing before the E-2000R could be finished off.
You gotta be kidding me! Out already?
Unfortunately for Kitty, it was true. Her laser powered M249 SAW was out of battery juice.
Great, just what I need.
Kitty then tried to switch battery packs, but again soon saw the E-2000R was no longer stunned, as it quickly tried to take Kitty out once more.
Man, things just don't go my way when I need them to.
Kitty unfortunately had to multitask between changing the battery packs and evading the oncoming lasers. It would turn out to be a very difficult challenge.
On the other side of the front yard, Tails was doing all he could to keep Eggman from hindering Kitty's progress of destroying his machine. It wasn't long before both of them got into a grappling match in the air, trying to force the other into submission. To neither of their surprise, both of them fought valiantly. Tails though fought the hardest, as he could not stand the thought of Eggman killing her.
As they continued to struggle to take down their foe, Tails proclaimed with vigor, "I won't let you succeed, Eggman."
"You're only asking for more pain, brat!" Eggman retorted. "Why don't you do yourself a favor and give up?"
"Never!" Tails shouted. "I won't let you harm Kitty if I have anything to say about it!"
Eggman then thought to himself, I must admit, to fight me this hard with an injured leg is quite admirable on his part. Nonetheless, his attempts will be in vain when it's all said and done!
While this was going on, Kitty and the E-2000R continued to duel. Eggman's machine though turned up the heat on her after regaining its senses, as it fired laser after laser, trying to roast her. Kitty meanwhile was having a whale of a time trying to evade and install the new battery pack into her M249 SAW laser machine gun at the exact same time.
It soon got to the point where she could barely hang onto the gun while taking evasive action. Over thirty seconds soon passed, with the same results again and again. By this time, Kitty finally realized she had to change tactics.
If I can pull this off, it should buy me enough time.
It would be a very risky move, but the feline agent was willing to give it a shot. She then ran towards the super robot at full speed. The E-2000R quickly responded to this, as it continued to fire multiple lasers at her within seconds of each other. Kitty though was able to evade, moving from side to side. Once she was close enough, she slid back first towards it legs. Then, in one quick swoop, she swung her right leg at the back of the machine's ankle as hard as she could.
Kitty's tactics paid off, as she knocked the machine off balance, causing to hit the ground flat on its back. That move barely bought her enough time, as she quickly switched battery packs as fast, but as methodical as she could.
Not even one second after finishing her battery swap, the E-2000R quickly got back on its feet, now preparing to fire at her yet again, this time with a vengeance.
Here we go again!
Kitty was tempted to fire, but quickly remembered the machine would block any attack on her part without stunning it first.
Moments later, the E-2000R attacked her once more, firing laser shots as fast as it could. Kitty again took the evasive maneuver route, running around, doing several backflips, even jumping forward while somersaulting.
During this time, Kitty couldn't help but notice its accuracy was not as sharp as before. Its attacks were soon missing her by more than several feet. Its drop in accuracy at first puzzled the feline a bit, but she quickly figured it out.
Of course! Its CPU must be short-circuiting.
Indeed she was right, as the E-2000R's red hue screen was shorting in and out once every five seconds. Deciding to take advantage of this, Kitty pulled out another magnetic bomb from her bag, preparing to heave it at its head again in an attempt to blast a larger hole in its metal structure in order to destroy it.
Seconds later, Kitty went on the offensive, as she continued to dodge the oncoming lasers, hoping to catch it off guard. The feline agent waited patiently until its drop in accuracy was glaringly obvious. Not even ten seconds into her strategy, Kitty saw it miss her big time. Instantly, she lunged towards the machine. Her plan was to toss the bomb and then somersault over its head.
But unfortunately for the feline agent, the E-2000R countered her strategy with ease, as it used its shield to slam her backwards onto the ground flat on her back. Her ribs again took the brunt of the attack. Thankfully though, the padding she had around her chest greatly cushioned the blow. Nonetheless, Kitty had the wind knocked out of her as a result of its clever counter attack.
Dazed and stunned, Kitty tried to get back on her feet and attack with her M249 SAW before it could strike again. But again, the feline agent was beaten to the punch. Within moments, the E-2000R grabbed her firmly by the neck in its right hand. To make matters worse for Kitty, its grip on her was even stronger than the previous machine.
Then, in one quick swoop, the E-2000R tossed Kitty high into the air. Once she was high enough for its tastes, it unleashed several laser blasts at her, knocking her backwards by over twenty feet near the mansions wall where Eggman's machine had put several large holes in it from before. On top of being knocked senseless again, Kitty received several serious burns, as the lasers hit her in the right shoulder and in her lower chest, where her ribs again were hit.
Thankfully for a second time, the padding again softened the blow to her chest, but it still caused her a lot of pain nonetheless.
Tails unfortunately had managed to see this, making him lose focus during his grappling duel with Eggman, as he shouted in despair, "Kitty!"
Eggman instantly took advantage of this, backhanding the two tailed fox aside as hard as he could with his right palm. Due to being taken by surprise, Tails was unable to stop his decent in time, as he landed abruptly onto the ground with his left leg taking the brunt of the fall.
Tails quickly grabbed his knee in agony after landing, as the fall had caused him significant pain.
Kitty meanwhile struggled to get back up, as her body was starting to feel the effects of being slammed by the E-2000R.
Eggman though took full advantage of this, as he ordered his E-2000R, "That's more like it! Finish her off!"
His machine immediately complied, as it fired laser after laser at her. Due to being weakened by its attacks earlier, Kitty's agility was far less now.
As the laser blasts came closer towards her, Kitty had no choice but to dive inside the house again, using one of the holes to escape. Again, she managed to evade without harm, as the attack came within a foot of hitting her. She even managed to miss getting cut by the glass shards inside, but just barely.
Eggman then ordered his machine, "Seal off the area! Don't let her out of the house!"
Again, his machine complied with his orders, guarding the area very closely.
Seconds later, Eggman declared to her with a bullhorn in hand, "Agent Katswell, this game of cat and mouse between us has gone on long enough! Surrender to me this instant, and I promise to go easy on you!"
Kitty though knew he was lying, as she didn't trust his words one iota.
Eggman then added, "But if you don't, I'll make this mansion your personal burial plot! You have five seconds to answer me!"
Deciding to take advantage of this, Kitty switched to the M32 and began to reload the spring back in into the loading area.
A second later, Eggman began counting. Kitty meanwhile started loading grenades into her MGL after reloading the spring device into place, hoping to finish the task in time before he finished counting. Unfortunately, she couldn't load it fast enough, as the mad scientist was done counting before she could install more than three in.
He then said to her, "Well, what's your answer, feline? Are you going to give it up, or what?"
Deciding to stall, Kitty asked, "And what would be my sentence exactly if I gave myself up?"
"Oh, nothing much really…" Eggman replied with a grin. "Just spending the rest of your life in my dungeon is all!"
As he began to cackle about this, Kitty continued to work at reloading her grenade launcher. Thankfully, she finally finished. After she snapped the weapon into place, he told her firmly, "No more stalling, furball! What is your final answer?"
Tails meanwhile looked on, deeply concerned, as he didn't know she was going to get out of this mess.
Kitty then answered back loudly, now carrying her M32 firmly in both hands. "I'll never surrender to you! I'd rather die than be your prisoner of war!"
"Very well then." Eggman replied. "You shall get your wish!"
Within moments, the mad doctor pulled out two C4 explosives from his Eggmobile, carrying one in each hand. Then, in quick toss he heaved them into the heavily damaged mansion, as they bounced onto the floor nearby Kitty. When she saw them, she instantly freaked out inside.
The female G.U.N agent then tried to back up and run for it, Eggman though cackled again to himself, as he pulled out a remote detonator, saying, "So long, Kitty!"
And with those words, Eggman pressed the detonator.
Kitty meanwhile ran as fast as she could away inside, hoping to get out of at least most of the explosives' blast range. Then, exactly one second later, the C4's detonated with fury, as a huge fireball enveloped part of the building, with metal, wood and glass flying everywhere. Within seconds, more than 30% of the mansion was blown to bits, including almost the entire living room and the room above it.
As the smoke began to billow out, Eggman laughed heartily, raising his hands in victory.
"YES! YES! YES! She's dead! I got her this time!"
Tails meanwhile looked on in deep despair. He quickly dropped to his knees in total shock, as his eyes began to fill with tears again. He couldn't help but think Eggman had finally killed her.
No… Kitty… You can't be dead. You just can't be. Please… I don't want to live without you.
Eggman then ordered his super robot, "Go check inside and check for any signs of life. Make sure she's done for."
The E-2000R instantly responded, as it hovered close by, scanning the ruins with its sensors. Twenty five seconds later, it reported back in a monotone voice, "No signs of life or movement within the proximity."
Eggman quickly rubbed his together with glee. "Perfect. This worked out better than expected." He then ordered his machine, "Find the small rabbit, Cream, and bring her to me at once. She shall be my leverage against the rest of those despicable rodents."
Tails at this point lowered his head, burying his arms around it, as he started to weep inside.
No. This can't be happening to me! Eggman wasn't supposed to win! Please, somebody tell me I'm dreaming!
But it wasn't. Everything that had happened was very real. The E-2000R meanwhile began to search around the mansion, looking for Cream, but wasn't anywhere to be found.
"Well, where is she?" Eggman demanded, once it landed nearby his hovercraft.
"Subject target, Cream, is currently missing." The E-2000R replied. "No sign of her anywhere."
"No sign of her?" Eggman was angry, as well as perplexed. "How she could not be here? Why, she's only six years old!"
The mad doctor though waved his hand in dismissal ten seconds later, saying, "Never mind that. She can't be too far off. Let's go get her."
After hearing this, Tails finally composed himself. In spite of what he just witnessed and the pain in his sprained leg, he vowed to avenge Kitty and save Cream from being taken captive. With deep rage on his face, he then flew into the air and prepared to fight for them with all he had.
But as he flew closer to them to attack, Tails, along with Eggman and his machine got the surprise of their lives. Within seconds, a grenade came flying out of the wrecked mansion, blasting the E-2000R directly on its head, exploding violently on contact.
Eggman quickly turned around in deep horror, thinking, No! It can't be!
But it was. With a bit of smoke still billowing inside, a familiar figure soon came walking out of the heavily damaged mansion, covered in soot and ashes from head to toe, carrying a weapon Eggman unfortunately knew all too well.
Tails' facial expressions immediately changed from perplexed to overwhelming joy. She's alive! I don't believe it!
Kitty then quickly fired four more rounds into the E-2000R with total fury before it could regain its composure, blasting it in the head again, as well as the chest and legs. The grenades hit the machine within seconds of each other, violently exploding on contact, eventually sending it flying end over end.
She soon said to the mad doctor after his machine slammed against the ground nearby him, severely damaged, "Looks like you completely underestimated me again, doc."
Eggman at this point lost it emotionally, as he couldn't speak. Instead, he could only growl and stutter, completely dumbfounded.
He then finally demanded seconds later, "Impossible! How in the world did you survive that bomb blast? Its blast range was too large for anyone to escape from!"
"What can I say, Doctor?" Kitty retorted. "I die hard."
While Eggman was deeply incensed by her statement, Tails on the other hand was completely swoon inside, thinking with a deep sigh, she's so wonderful. Only someone as cool as her could pull off something that amazing.
Kitty then pointed her M32 at Eggman, saying, "The game's over, you sick psychopath! Now I'm ordering you to surrender before I blast you to bits!"
Her words caused deep concern to the mad doctor, but nonetheless kept his composure, retorting, "Ha! You don't have it in it to kill me! You're just like the rest of your G.U.N slime… weak."
Kitty's next move completely horrified Eggman, as she quickly switched weapons and fired a few dozen rounds from her M249 SAW at his Eggmobile.
Eggman instantly veered out of the ammo's range, as Kitty told him with deep authority in her voice after she stopped shooting, "Don't you ever call me weak again, Eggman. While I maybe a G.U.N agent, there's one thing I will not hesitate to do that they might."
She then switched back to her M32, pointing it directly at his Eggmobile again while Eggman let out a small scream, "And that is, FINISH YOU OFF!"
Tails then let out a cheer, "Go get em, Kitty! Let him have it!"
Completely desperate inside, Eggman said to his heavily damaged machine, "C'mon, you useless hunk of junk! Get up and help me already!"
The E-2000R tried to get up, but was mightily struggling to do so, as the grenades Kitty had fired at it had finally taken its toll on its metal body. Seeing this frightened Eggman even more inside, as Kitty said to him with a smirk on her face, "Well, I guess you won't be hiding behind your so called super machine anymore. Too bad for you."
Kitty again pointed her weapon at him, saying firmly while Eggman looked at her now completely panicked inside, "You're terminated, Doctor."
In that moment, Eggman instantly tried to get his Eggmobile out of her weapon's range. Fortunately for him though, it wasn't even necessary. Within a few milliseconds of her firing the M32, Kitty felt a hand grab her right lower leg, knocking her off balance, as well disrupting her aim. Instead of blasting Eggman's hovercraft, the grenade was way off target, as it soared completely over the mad doctor's head.
Kitty then looked down and saw the culprit, none other than the E-2000R itself. Even in its heavily damaged state, it still had fight and life left in it.
Deeply annoyed, Kitty quickly went to grab another magnetic bomb and try to finish it off. But again, The E-2000R prevented her from doing so, as it now tripped her up with its right metal leg, knocking her to the ground on her rear.
"All right, that does it!" Kitty shouted at the E-2000R after switching to the M249 SAW again once back on her feet. "I'm going to pump you full of lasers!"
Kitty instantly pressed the trigger on her M249 SAW and unleashed dozens of rounds at her foe. But for a third time, she failed to take it out. Again, the E-2000R used its shield to block all the lasers that came towards it.
I don't believe this! Kitty thought as she continued to fire. Even now, it's still able to hold its ground.
Seeing only one course of action, Kitty decided to use a M67 grenade to stun it and then finish off Eggman's machine. Quickly grabbing one from her bag, the feline agent ran towards it, trying to bait it to attack her again.
As expected, it did, as the E-2000R fired laser after laser at Kitty once she was close enough. Kitty though evaded the lasers, sidestepping around them, back flipping over several more, even sliding underneath its legs in an attempt to confuse it.
After this went on for Forty five seconds, Kitty went into Phase 2 of her plan. She then ran towards it again, preparing to pull off a very difficult maneuver.
Again, the E-2000R fired its lasers at her, trying to zap the feline agent into submission. But as before, Kitty was able to evade it with ease.
Finally, when she was close enough, she then lept high into the air and then somersaulted, as she was planning to toss the grenade right on top of its head.
Unfortunately for her though, Eggman anticipated her move with near perfect timing, steering his Eggmobile right into her path to slam her hard to the ground below.
"Kitty!" Tails shouted.
Eggman's countermove sent Kitty tumbling onto the grass for over ten feet, eventually coming to a rest on her back.
"Ha!" Eggman sneered. "I figured you might try something like that. Your attack patterns were way too predictable!"
Tails meanwhile looked on deeply concerned, as he knew Kitty was now in a bad predicament.
"Finish her off, now!" Eggman ordered his machine.
As before, it instantly responded, flying right towards Kitty in a hurry.
Kitty during this time tried to regain her senses and get her focus back. But before she could, she saw Eggman's machine coming at her very quickly. Forced to think fast, Kitty quickly reacted, back flipping high into the air before the E-2000R could attack her, as she sailed over it completely, landing on her feet several seconds later.
Eggman then went to put a stop to this, as he flew his hovercraft right behind her now in the air, saying, "You've got nowhere to run anymore, feline! Just give it up and surrender already!"
Before Kitty could respond to his threat, Tails now came flying in at top speed, shouting, "NO! I won't let you hurt her again!"
Tails again took Eggman by surprise, as he instantly got in his face and socked the mad scientist hard in the right cheek.
"Ow! Why you little…!"
Deeply angered by the two tailed fox's interventions a second time, Eggman went to finish him off for good this time, as he soon swung his fists at him again and again. Tails however evaded his punches with eases, flying out of its range each time the mad doctor tried to hit him.
Kitty unfortunately soon got distracted by their duel, as she couldn't help but start to wonder why he was fighting so hard for her now. Several seconds later unfortunately, the feline agent paid the price for her lack of focus, as the E-2000R instantly blindsided her, ramming her hard in the gut with its right metal elbow, where she was sent flying towards the ground again. This time, she felt it so much more than before, as she slammed onto the grass face first with a loud thud.
Kitty now groaned loudly in pain. The toll of this battle had begun to wear on her to the point of complete exhaustion. But that would soon be the least of her troubles. Within seconds, the E-2000R soon towered over her, ready to finish feline agent off.
Tails meanwhile happened to witnessed this in the corner of his eye, as he now turned his head towards Eggman's machine. Seeing Kitty in deep trouble alarmed the two tailed fox again, as he was preparing to fly towards it and help her out.
Eggman on the other hand saw his opportunity to deck Tails a second time. Tails though saw it coming and ducked a split second before he swung his right fist at him. Tails then used his right elbow hard as a counter measure, hitting the mad scientist directing in the nose with it.
Eggman quickly let out a small scream, as Tails attack had caused his nose to bleed profusely within seconds.
"You little wretch!" Eggman shouted, holding his nose with both hands while groaning in pain. "I'll get you for this!"
"Can it, you creep!" Tails retorted, flying away from him. "I've got more pressing issues at hand."
Indeed he did. Within moments, he flew towards the E-2000R, preparing to trip it up from behind in order to rescue Kitty.
Unfortunately for the two tailed fox though, the E-2000R would not be taken by surprise. As soon as Tails got within three feet of it, it instantly responded, as it fired a large laser shot directly at his chest, knocking him backgrounds to the ground on his face completely senseless. Its laser attack even left him with serious burns to his chest.
Kitty unfortunately wasn't able to respond to this, as she still was reeling from the previous blow.
Eggman meanwhile finally composed himself in spite of his broken nose, shouting to his E-2000R, "No more games! Kill that furball, now!"
Kitty during this time tried to get up and escape, but wasn't able to due to the speed and strength of the E-2000R. It quickly grabbed her by the throat again then prepared to blast her once she was tossed in the air.
But again, Eggman's plans of finishing her off would be halted. Out of nowhere, the E-2000R was hit hard by a spinning screw kick aimed directly at its right shoulder. The attack instantly severed its right metal arm off, even knocking it backwards to the ground several feet. Kitty thankfully wasn't hit by this attack, but was instead sent flying several feet away, with the arm still attached to her.
Eggman looked on in complete disbelief as to who had come to her rescue.
"Rouge?"
"Well, well, Doctor, we meet again." she replied firmly.
Kitty meanwhile was trying to get free of the metal hand still grasped around her, as she overheard the conversation nearby.
"What business do you have being here, batty?" Eggman demanded, pointing a finger at her. "I thought you hated agent Katswell."
"My dislike for this G.U.N agent played no factor in this decision of mine." Rouge retorted. "I'm just here to make sure your plans don't go as expected."
Eggman growled at her, shouting, "This is so like you, always wrecking my hard earned work when I least expect it! Well, I'll see to it your meddling ways end up costing you dearly!"
"Ha! That's a laugh." Rouge countered with a grin. "Now that I crippled your so called machine, what makes you think it has any chance of beating us?"
Kitty at this point finally freed herself of the severed metal arm and eventually came running towards Rouge, though a bit slowly due to her previous injuries. Eggman then shot back, "It doesn't matter! My E-2000R is still capable of annihilating the both of you!" The E-2000R during this time amazingly was still functioning in spite of losing a metal arm, though it was clearly obvious it was running on its last legs.
Kitty then inquired of Rouge dumbfounded, "You actually risked your neck to save me? Why?"
"What, you think I can't put my feelings aside for once and help out a fellow G.U.N agent?" Rouge replied.
"No, it's not that." Kitty said hesitantly, "But this is so unlike you."
"Let's just say I'm after the big picture here, honey." Rouge told her with a sly grin.
"Uh, and just what is that by the way?" Kitty inquired, feeling very suspicious inside.
But before Rouge could answer her, the E-2000R by this time was back on its feet and ready to attack again.
"No time to talk, Catwoman." Rouge said. "We gotta finish off this machine of Eggman's before it causes anymore havoc. Would you not agree?"
Kitty knew she was right about this, as she nodded her head in agreement. Rouge then added, "We'll have to work together in order to destroy it. Are you with me?"
Kitty quickly grabbed her M249 weapon from the ground nearby, replying with a look fierce determination, "Let's do it."
While this was going, Sonic finally came out of the mansion from upstairs near the back. He unfortunately had a miserable time getting out of there due to Amy trying to restrain him. Nonetheless, he finally managed to get free and see what the commotion was about.
"What in the world?" the blue hedgehog couldn't help but look dumbfounded. "It looks like a warzone out here!"
Indeed it was, as Rouge and Kitty were currently in a firefight at the moment.
Amy however finally caught up to him from behind seconds later, ordering him, "Sonikku, get back in your bed this instant!"
Sonic then glared at Amy, replying, "There's no time for that! Eggman's causing a serious ruckus here."
"Let Agent Katswell take care of it." Amy told him. "After all, she's perfectly capable of fighting off Eggman herself."
"How can you say that and claim you love me?" Sonic demanded. "That has to be one of the most selfish things you've ever said."
Amy instantly was incensed at first, but deep down, knew he was right. Nonetheless, she said to him softly, "You can't go out there and risk your life now. You could get yourself killed, and then I wouldn't be able to be with you anymore, not to mention your friends."
Sonic however wasn't able to give this much thought, as he then saw Tails lying on the grass to his right about a dozen feet away , moaning loudly.
Sonic quickly ran to him, saying, "Tails, are you ok?"
Tails fortunately still was conscious, but very weak after getting hit directly in the chest.
Amy soon ran over to him as well, rolling the two tailed fox on his back. She then gasped, "Sonic, look!"
Sonic now saw the deep burn too in his chest, making his furrow his eyebrow. "Looks like Eggman's contraption really singed him."
"So, what do we do with him then?" Amy inquired.
"What else? Let's get him away from the ongoing battle so he doesn't get injured any further." Sonic replied.
"So does that mean you're not going to fight then?" Amy asked.
"Of course I am." Sonic told her firmly. "But I'm going get my best bud outta harm's way first."
Hearing that made Amy angry inside, as well sigh heavily. Even with all his current injuries, my Sonikku just doesn't know when to give it up.
Back on the battlefield, the E-2000R was surprisingly still able to hold its ground in spite of the fact it lost its arm cannon and was seriously sparking. Kitty and Rouge however kept the heat up on it, trying to wear it down and finally finish it off.
Rouge then attempted a screw kick, aimed directly at its shield in order to break it to pieces. Kitty looked on during this time with deep anticipation, as she was going to waste it with the laser from her machine gun once it lost its only line of defense.
But to Kitty's surprise, Rouge missed, as the E-2000R easily evaded it, moving backwards several feet. As what had happened on Angel Island, Rouge instead put a big hole in the ground. Within seconds, the seductive bat quick flew out of it and tried to attack Eggman's machine with a flying roundhouse kick. But again, her attack was completely negated, as the E-2000R blocked it with ease with its shield. It then used its shield to try and knock Rouge back a couple of feet, forcing her to make adjustments in midair in order to land safely on the ground.
After she did, Kitty said to her, "You missed."
"No duh." Rouge replied with a frown. "Don't worry, I'll get it eventually. You just be ready to shoot when I do."
Kitty quickly nodded her head, as she got her weapon ready to go. However, the feline agent's efforts would again be unnecessary, as Rouge attempted another screw kick, but her attack again ended up with the same results.
Once Rouge flew out of the hole a second time, Kitty commented, now feeling a bit frustrated inside, "You missed again."
"Look, I'm not perfect, ok?" Rouge retorted. "So stop criticizing me already."
"Well, if you can't finish it off, then allow someone who can." Kitty shot back.
"Ha! That's rich." Rouge retorted again. "You were getting your butt kicked by this thing not even five minutes ago."
Rouge's statement instantly puzzled Kitty, as she couldn't figure out what she was trying to imply.
Seconds later, Rouge attempted a third screw kick at the E-2000R. But once again, she missed. By this point, Kitty was starting to feel really suspicious inside.
How in the world has she not put this thing away by now? She could have easily hit this metal monstrosity's shield the first time.
And, how did she know I was getting pounded by Eggman's machine anyway?
A scary thought then came over Kitty. Is she…?
Kitty however quickly brushed it off, thinking, No, no, no. There's no way she's in cahoots with Eggman. That would be a new low, even for her.
But as the battle went on, Kitty couldn't admit something was off. She just couldn't put her finger on it though.
Meanwhile, about one hundred feet away, Cream had returned with the gray robot in tow.
"Wow, you sure are quite the obedient machine. Everything I asked of you, you did. You even made the park experience more fun for me."
As it turned out, one of the things Cream had done with the robot while at the park was have it push her on the swing, build sculptures in the sand, even helping her swing on the monkey bars. This unfortunately delayed her from coming back sooner. Nonetheless, Cream soon saw the battle going in the front yard, making her look on in horror.
"Oh, no. That evil Eggman is again attacking my friends." She commented deeply concerned with a gasp. The young rabbit then turned to the gray robot and said, "I'll need you to help defeat Eggman again. Can you do that for me?"
As before, the machine obeyed her, as its eyes lit up and blasted off towards the front yard.
While this had been going on, Rouge and the E-2000R continued to duel. But like before unfortunately, Rouge was making no progress with it. Instead, all her attacks were either evaded or negated.
"All right, no more playing around." Rouge muttered. "Time to get physical!"
Rouge then ran towards the E-2000 attacked it a series of roundhouse kicks, trying to get it off balance. However, her efforts were again in vain, as the E-2000R easily blocked it with its shield.
Kitty by now finally lost her cool, saying, "C'mon, knock it to the ground already, Rouge, so I can waste it with my M249 SAW!"
"I'm trying, Catwoman!" Rouge replied annoyed while kicking at it again. "It's not easy as it looks, ok?"
Kitty though was beginning to wonder if Rouge was really trying hard or just stalling.
That suspicion though would soon become moot. Within seconds, Cream's gray robot came flying in, even bowling Rouge over where she landed on the ground face first knocked senseless.
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Rouge demanded, shaking her head in an attempt to clear her head.
Kitty quickly gasped, thinking, it's that gray robot again!
The gray robot meanwhile had come in so hot; it even slammed to the E-2000R to the ground, where it hit the ground flat on its back several feet away.
Eggman soon saw it too, saying, "What? That gray robot is back again?" He then growled at his machine and ordered, "Get back on your feet and destroy it already!"
The E-2000R however was slow to get up, as it was still heavily sparking even now. Nonetheless, it got a small break, as the gray robot didn't try to attack it again for the time being. Instead, it began to scan Rouge and copy her abilities to its memory banks.
Moments later, Sonic finally came out of the mansion, with Amy quickly tagging along from behind. The blue hedgehog then said with determination in his eyes, "All right, no more fooling around! I've got a mad man to put away."
Amy grabbed right his arm in response before he could take off, telling him firmly, "You're not going after Eggman in your condition without my help."
Sonic at first thought of resisting, but finally replied with a sigh, "All right, fine."
While the pink hedgehog smiled at him with delight, Sonic added, "Just make sure you don't get in the way."
"Don't worry, Sonikku, I'll be sure to…"
Amy instantly gasped before she could finish her sentence, as she said pointing, "Sonic, look."
Sonic quickly glanced to his left, and there he saw the gray robot looking at the both of them.
"What on earth is that thing?" he inquired. "Is that another of Eggman's robots?" Sonic unfortunately didn't get a chance to be informed about the machine by Tails due to being seriously injured from before.
"Why's it looking at us that way?" Amy pondered.
"Get ready." Sonic told her. "That thing may attack us any second."
Sonic's concerns though would quickly be put to rest, as the gray robot turned away and went to attack the E-2000R. By this time, it had gotten back on its feet and ready to fight.
Within seconds, the gray robot and the E-2000R began to duel. Now having the copied abilities of Sonic, Amy and Rouge in its databank, it soon began to use their signature moves against Eggman's machine.
Sonic was now dumbfounded, as he said, "Is that thing… fighting Eggman's super robot?"
"Why, I believe it is." Amy answered, now perplexed as well. "How is that possible?"
Sonic though blew it off, saying, "Never mind that, I'm going to give it a hand."
Amy again however restrained him, telling the blue hedgehog while grabbing his right arm a second time, "There's no need for you to fight now. With that thing on our side, along with Kitty and Rouge, they should be able to handle it no problem."
"But… but… but…"
"Save your strength for the big battle at Eggman's base." Amy reiterated. "That's when you'll really need it."
Sonic pondered the idea of resisting her again, but thought better of it, replying, "All right fine, but if that thing gets in trouble, I'm taking Eggman's robot head on, injuries or no injuries."
Thankfully for the time being, the gray robot was able to hold its ground with ease, as it now tried to attack the E-2000R with Sonic's spin dash.
Unfortunately though, its attack was completely negated upon impact. The gray robot then tried to use some of Kitty's martial arts moves to wear it down, but again failed due to E-2000R's super shield.
Finally, as a last resort, it attempted to destroy the E-2000R with Rouge's screw kick. But like Rouge before her, it completely missed its target, as Eggman's machine evaded it once again with ease.
This pattern of failed attempts to destroy the E-2000R soon went on for several minutes. Kitty by this time thought to herself, this machine isn't accomplishing anything. It's becoming nothing but a stalemate over and over.
Even Sonic commented on this, saying to Amy, "I can't believe that gray machine hasn't done anything yet. I thought it was supposed to be stronger than this."
"Maybe both machines are equally matched." Amy replied.
Eggman soon cackled at the gray robot's lack of efficiency, saying, "Is that the best it's got? What a joke! You should have known my latest machine was a lot stronger than the previous model."
Kitty unfortunately hated to admit, but knew he was right in this case.
The mad scientist then added seconds later, "The only way that thing's beating my machine now is if it gets powered up, but I don't see that ever happening."
That comment quickly got Sonic thinking, as he thought to himself with a hand under his chin, so, that thing needs some juice, eh?
Amy then turned to look at Sonic and asked, "What's on your mind?"
Sonic didn't answer her at first, as he ran back inside, eventually saying, "Hang on, I'll be right back."
While he was away, Cream finally came running up near Kitty to see the progress of her gray robot. To her deep surprise, it wasn't as she had hoped.
Cream now pleaded with the gray robot after it came to a standstill after another failed attack, "Please, you've got to fight harder. You're our best chance to destroy this machine of Eggman's."
Her machine again took her words to heart, as it resumed the fight, fighting even more valiantly than before.
Kitty during this time overheard Cream's remark, surprising her a bit. She then said to her while the gray robot and E-2000R fought, "What are you doing here? This area is too dangerous for someone like you to be out here."
"I just wanted to see how my robot was doing." Cream replied softly.
Kitty at that moment was ready to pick her up and carry her inside to safety, that is until Sonic came out of the wrecked mansion again, saying, "I got it!"
Kitty quickly took a look at it, revealing to be none other than the Chaos Emerald he and Tails had found in the Mystic Ruins.
So… that's what one of them looks like. Kitty thought. It looks like a miniature Master Emerald.
Sonic then tossed it to Kitty, taking her by surprise while telling her, "Quick, give that robot the emerald so it can use its power to destroy Eggman's bucket of bolts."
"Will do." Kitty replied.
Kitty quickly ran towards the gray robot after it bounced off another deflected attack and tossed it the Emerald.
Eggman at this point said with deep fright once it was in its possession, "Oh no! Don't tell me you're actually going to use the emerald you recently found to attack my machine! That will destroy it off for sure!"
Those words however came out almost icily, even a bit sarcastic, making Kitty wonder inside.
Meanwhile, the gray robot quickly powered up with Emerald, as its eyes soon glowed red instead of purple. This change in color alarmed even Kitty.
Within moments, the gray robot went to attack Eggman's machine again, now shattering its shield with one quick jab due to the gray robot's metal fist.
With nothing left to shield it, Cream's gray robot now completely annihilated the E-2000R, as it hit it with every move it learned. From Kitty's martial arts, Sonic's spin dash, even Rouge's screw kick. All were performed in less than ten seconds with complete precision and overwhelming power.
With the Emerald increasing its power levels fifty fold, it easily finished off Eggman's machine. As a finishing move, the gray robot grabbed the E-2000R by the throat and rammed as hard it could into one of the mansion's walls.
Kitty at this point looked on in deep shock, as even the wall it crashed through was smashed to pieces.
Seconds later, the E-2000R finally bit the dust, as it sparked out of control and exploded violently, spreading metal debris everywhere.
Once the smoke and fire from its remains soon began to die out, Kitty then thought in completely amazement, Unbelievable. No wonder Eggman wants those Emeralds so bad. They're actually a force to be reckoned with.
With Eggman's machine now out of the picture, Sonic's confidence level rose dramatically, saying, "All right, now that's what I'm talking about!"
Cream meanwhile hugged the gray robot once it came back, saying as well, "Good job, Mr. Robot. You did a wonderful job."
To Kitty's surprise, Eggman just looked on without much reaction to what just took place, again deeply puzzling her.
Sonic then said to Eggman pointing at him, "The gig's up, Eggbelly. Your super machine is toast. If you know what's good for you, you'll give yourself right this second and surrender."
"And why should I do that when the puzzle pieces of my plan are coming together quite nicely?" he retorted.
This statement confused not only Sonic, but even Kitty too. Puzzle pieces? His machine just lost. What's he talking about?
Sonic though just fired back, "Enough of your riddles, Robotnik! Either you give up or we're siking Cream's robot after you too!"
Eggman completely dumbfounded everyone, as he retorted again, "Is that a fact? Are you sure it will do that to me?"
Ok, something is definitely not right here. Kitty thought to herself. He's acting way too confident for what should have been a humbling defeat.
Rouge then spoke up, telling Eggman, "Unless you want to be killed, I suggest you do as Sonic says."
Eggman again defied them, as he replied, now laughing heartily; "Oh, that's rich! You actually think I'm going to be killed by that junk bot?"
"You will if you want to stay in one piece." Rouge shot back.
"Go on then. Send him after me." Eggman challenged. "I dare you to."
Eggman's arrogance finally set Sonic off, as Cream said angrily to him, "All right then, you evil scientist. You asked for it."
Cream then ordered the gray robot to attack Eggman.
Again, it obeyed her, as it flew towards the mad doctor in a hurry. But then, out of nowhere, it stopped in midair in front of him. This move puzzled everyone watching.
"What are you waiting for?" Sonic demanded. "Finish him already!"
"Why aren't you doing what I asked you to?" Cream inquired softly. "Eggman must be punished, Mr. Robot."
Kitty during this time meanwhile took a quick glance at Eggman's hovercraft, as she saw some puzzling movement from his right arm, making the feline agent furrow her eyebrows.
Moments later, the gray robot turned and now faced Sonic and the others, confusing them all. Then, out of nowhere, it flew towards Cream at high speed, abruptly grabbing her with its right metal arm.
"Cream!" Kitty shouted. In that moment, everyone on the ground was dumbfounded and horrified by the gray robot's abrupt act of betrayal..
Cream on the hand screamed in terror, as the gray robot delivered the young rabbit into his hovercraft.
Eggman looked with deep delight, saying, "Excellent work, Emerl. You were most helpful indeed."
"I should have known it was a double agent!" Sonic shouted angrily. "C'mon, guys, let's toast that thing!"
Eggman though ordered Emerl to take them out, as he turned his Eggmobile around and began to leave.
Kitty and the others meanwhile attempted to go after Eggman, but were instantly halted in their tracks by Emerl. Due to being powered up by the Chaos Emerald, they were all no match for it. Emerl then used its new abilities it learned against them, using Kitty's martial arts moves to knock them all to the ground.
One by one, most of them were smacked to the ground hard with fury, as it hit them with karate chops, punches, even kicks in rapid succession.
Within seconds, only Rouge was left standing, as she had managed to evade it for the time being. Unfortunately for her though, she soon fell down by the wayside, abruptly getting blindsided from behind by Emerl while using Sonic's spin dash.
After she hit the ground seriously stunned, Eggman cackled heartily at them all, saying, "Fools. Did you actually think you'd get the best of me this time? You should have known better than to trust a machine that I secretly planted at the mansion. I guess you're not as smart as I originally thought."
Cream then screamed in terror while inside his Eggmobile as Eggman added while holding the young rabbit up by her ears, "However, I'll play nice and give you a chance to rescue your little friend here, that is if you're brave enough to attack me at my base."
Eggman again laughed heartily, as he flew away saying, "So long, rodents! Until next time!"
Cream again screamed with fear while he left the scene. Once they were gone, Kitty and the others meanwhile struggled to get up, as Emerl's attack had walloped every single one of them very hard.
Kitty personally had been taken down by a very strong roundhouse kick to the head. Thankfully though, the attack didn't leave her with any significant injures, but just very dazed with a splitting headache instead.
Sonic then eventually stood up too, as he had the wind knocked out of him by Emerl with a karate punch to the gut. He soon said angrily a few seconds later, "That dirty Eggman! I can't believe he fooled us all!"
"I know." Kitty replied with a frown. "I should have seen that coming."
"So what do we do now?" Amy inquired concerned.
"What else?" Rouge answered her, now speaking up. "We go after him."
"I don't think that's the best course of action right now." Kitty told her. "We're going to need reinforcements to pull this off successfully."
"Speak for yourself, Catwoman." Rouge shot back. "That dirty Eggman made a fool outta me and I'm going to see to it he pays for it personally!"
Rouge then went to spread her wings, as Kitty said to the female bat while extending her right hand towards her, "Rouge, wait."
"Save it." Rouge retorted. "I'm not listening to anyone of your advice, so don't even bother trying."
And with that, the manipulating bat took off into the air and flew after Eggman.
"Hold on a sec, Rouge!" Kitty said. "I need to ask you something before you go!"
Not surprisingly, she got no answer in return.