Sonic the Hedgehog- The Second Chapter (Sequel)

by Ryan-Sinclair

(Sequel to Sonic the Hedgehog- The First Chapter) A string of brutal murders stress Sonic and leave him worried for his family's safety, forcing him to recall his own past as he tracks down the killer. -Leave a review- -Complete but currently undergoing revision-

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Memories

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(Dr. Julian Ivo Robotnik's P.O.V.)

[Date- 2393, eleven years ago from year 2404]

[Time: 4:45 A.M.]

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The sound of tapping woke me up from my terrible night of hardly any sleep. "Hey, Buddy, you can't sleep in your truck on the side of the road." I gripped my pistol from beneath the sheet I'd covered up with and peeked out enough to see a police officer tapping on the driver side window with his flashlight. "Wake up in there and get this thing moving, go park in a parking lot or something if you want to sleep… if someone hits you here on the side of the road it's going to be a disaster…..… hey… are you alive in there? Jesus, don't tell me it's a dead body."

I cleared my throat and spoke, still keeping myself hidden just in case he somehow recognized me. "I'm alive… just trying to wake up, sorry to make you stop… I didn't think anyone would mind if I pulled off to the side here for a quick doze." He exhaled in relief I wasn't a corpse to deal with and replied "Well hurry up, get out of here." He walked away as I quickly grabbed my keys, glancing in the rearview mirror to see the him looking at the tarp covered SCR's in the flatbed. 'Dammit… just my luck.'

He stared at the tarp for a couple of seconds before proceeding back to his cruiser, figuring there probably wasn't a bunch more dead bodies underneath. 'I need to get out of here.' I rammed the keys in the ignition and quickly started the engine, immediately shifting into drive afterward. "I must've only just gotten to sleep… ughhhh… jerk… it's not like anyone hardly comes down this road, he was just bored and wanted something to do." Once I pulled up to the road I had to figure out where to go. 'I've been traveling in the truck all this week since a utility van showed up at the old warehouse… thankfully the guy and woman inside didn't see me, but it still made me wary.'

The police officer drove passed me and I decided to go in the opposite direction, going back into Station Square. 'It's been two months since I took the life of two Mobians; Smokey and Kong… with their blood still fresh in my mind… I've been staying further away from civilization than I'd originally been.' The fact they were criminals with hardly any family was one reason why I wasn't worried about the law looking for any suspect. 'But Scott did; If he went home to daddy looking the way I left him looking… even Butch has 'some' paternal instinct no matter how small.'

"Still…" I said aloud to myself "Killing those two almost felt like I was doing the world a favor… I didn't particularly enjoy the confrontational part or where I had to struggle to get the gun from Kong… but… It felt good to kill them." I stared at myself in the rearview mirror and smiled, remembering the thoughts that had been in my mentally unstable brain lately. 'The SCR's performed excellent… while there are a few tweaks that need to be made for close quarter combat, I think they did very well in dealing with Smokey and his merry gang of misfits.'

'The fact they should've been using live rounds of ammunition instead of the rubber baton rounds would've made it a lot messier… the amount of rubber bullets they shot at him was enough to kill him, that takes skill… skill only a machine with a CPU using perfected trajectory pathing could have.' I bobbed my head in self-agreement while driving towards Station Square. 'If only I could have an entire army of SCR's to fight for me… I mean, I've got that entire cargo container full of the ones back at the warehouse that I saved from the garbage dump, but unfortunately they don't have a power core and I've got absolutely no way to get a hold of one.'

My mind slowly drifted to Roboticization and the Roboticizer used in the process. 'My grandfather claimed it turned living creatures into a robotic equivalent where you can then harness their life energy to power machines… Countless times I've thought of using simple animals such as Flickies or Chao to power an SCR… I mean, it's possible because 'if' the process is real then it should be able to power an SCR just like their normal Chaos Drives.' I licked my lips and subconsciously tried to recall when the last time I got something to drink was.

'Even if I followed the blue prints and sketches left by Grandpa and built this Roboticizer, there's no way I could find enough energy to power it… he said in his notes that it took the amount of energy generated by the Hoover Dam; which is still in existence today.' I narrowed my eyes at the street sign then sighed, realizing I'd been driving without my glasses on. "Dammit…" Getting up in such a hurry and driving away immediately left me feeling a little slow this morning. 'But at least with my glasses on I can see.' I grabbed my glasses from the dashboard and slid them on my face. "There."

After a few more minutes of silence while trying to figure out where I was I returned to my original thoughts. 'Hmm… I just wonder if a theoretical Chaos Emerald could power a Roboticizer… then again, couldn't a Chaos Emerald just power the SCR's all on their own?' I turned the radio on and rolled the window halfway down to get a blast of wind, attempting to keep myself awake. 'Hmm… I guess there would be the issue of powering multiple objects at once and how to get it to do that.'

I shrugged and held my hand to my mouth while yawning, glancing at the clock before back at the road. "It's only five o'clock? I should just find a parking lot and see if I can get a few more hours of shut eye." I yawned again then turned the radio up louder, enjoying morning golden oldies that play old rock. 'Uh-huh… I'm a free bird alright, Lynyrd Skynyrd, let's just hope I stay that way and not end up a jailbird.' The sign I passed on the way indicated a truck stop ahead made me decide to stop there.

"Good, I could use some grub and a bathroom break." My stomach growled to confirm I was both hungry and thirsty. 'I only hope there's not a lot of people there, I need to minimize the risk of being caught by anyone who might recognize me." The truck stop/diner came into view off in the distance and I went ahead with rolling up my window, now fully awake and ready to just go on and start the day. 'Won't be much of a day regardless, each day usually consists of the same routine… staying alive until the next one… finding small under-the-table jobs here and now along with spending what's left of my money extremely wisely.'

A few cars passed along with a Semi-trailer truck from the truck stop/diner that was coming up on my left in just a few moments. 'I don't even know if I have enough money for hardly anything… I already spent most of my money on that motel room the other night, I needed a shower and couldn't stand it anymore.' I pulled into the truck stop's parking lot and had to first go over a bump that made SCR-GP1 roll around a bit more than he should be. "Shit… why do there have to be speed bumps here? Did they think someone was going to come flying into their parking lot?"

I grumbled for a few more moments then drove to at empty parking spot off to the side where not many people would bother looking. "Ghaa… I need to get something in my stomach before I starve." I'd lost some weight recently and it was definitely from not eating. 'Even when I do eat it's always cheap, like a burger and shake from the dollar menu at McDonald's.' I sighed and parked, pulling the key from the ignition before retrieving my wallet from my pants pocket. "Let's see…"

Dusty and creaky probably would've been the best words you could use when I opened the wallet, having only a single five dollar bill and not a cent more. "Great… that's it? Ughh… well, maybe I could get a simple breakfast like eggs and coffee." I shrugged and completely pulled the sheet from around me that I'd covered up with, balling it up and shoving it in the passenger floorboard where the crate of stuff my grandfather gave me was along with that box of flash bang and smoke grenades that stupid Butch sent to the dump for some reason. 'If not I guess I'll just wither up and die… I don't know.'

Once I pocketed my Luger I pushed the door open, stepping out into the muggy early June air with a cough to clear my lungs from that cheap cigar I smoked at three a.m. "Hmm… maybe I could swap the coffee for a beer, I could use an early morning buzz to at least cheer me up some." A few people exited the diner and I held my tongue, not going to speak aloud from here on out unless I wanted someone to think I was insane. 'Can't have that… I'm hungry and the last thing I want is for someone to kick me out because I make them nervous… that'll draw too much attention.'

I kept walking towards the front door while adjusting my shirt and pants that I'd just slept in and worn for two days straight. 'Hopefully I don't look too much like a hobo or a bum.' My reflection caught my attention as I walked by the diners windows. 'Uh-huh… just like I thought, I look like crap… I need to shave and shower again but I doubt people will care since some of these truckers didn't look very handsome either.' A trucker coming out held the door for me and I thanked him, heading inside to feel the cool air conditioner which was more than a blessing.

'Man that feels good… now to just get something in my gullet.' I smiled wide while approaching a stool connected to the diners counter, reading the big sign above it. '6 oz. Steak and egg breakfast, $3.50, this week only… perfect, there's a little bit of luck to start off the day with.' I sat down on the stool and pulled out the five dollar bill while the waitress approached. "Good morning, my names Mandy… what can I get you?" She took the five from me as I held it out with a reply. "Good morning to you too, Mandy, could I just have the steak and egg special with a cup of coffee? I hope a five covers it… I'm kind of low on funds right now."

She stared at my empty wallet then gave a nod. "Sure, how would you like your steak and eggs cooked?" I tapped on the counter and quickly thought about it. "I'll have the steak well-done and the egg fried." She gave a nod and wrote down the info on her notepad. "How about your coffee?" I cleared my throat then replied "Black… nothing in it at all." She made a face of disgust and I chuckled. "It's tough but it'll wake you up, trust me." She playfully shivered at the thought then went to the back to shout the orders to the cook. 'Wonderful… now I can finally get my stomach to quite growling, it literally kept me up half the night.'

The door opened and I turned my head, smile disappearing as a traveling family of brown Hedgehogs came into the diner; male and female with their young son who had a striking resemblance to Sonic. 'Holy shit… that's the last thing I wanted to see… damn, he looks so much like Sonic.' They walked over to a booth some distance away from me then sat down, smiling as the same waitress walked over to take their order. "Huahh… Sonic, where did you go? Are you really dead? You have to be since I couldn't find you"

A trucker a few stools over turned his head and stared at me for a second before going back to scarfing down his breakfast. 'When I think about him all I see tragedy.' Tragedy is definitely the way the life of many homeless children in the United Federation end, be it abduction into the Siberian slave trade, sexual assault, or even death. 'It hurts my soul to know that he could be nothing but a skeleton or some sex slave to a disgusting and perverted Human.'

I tried to keep my eyes off them but the two orbs refused to obey my brain, eventually being drawn right back to the young Hedgehog swinging his feet in the booth while playing his handheld Gameboy. 'It also makes me want to seek vengeance on this world and bring order to it… there are so many simple ways to change the world, people are just too stupid to see it and choose to resist instead; it's for that reason that I need an army to force their eyes open!' I pried my eyes off the young brown Hedgehog as the waitress approached me. "Here's your coffee, sir… the steak and egg will be out in just a minute."

I faked a smile and replied "Thank you very much." She gave a nod then went back to serving people along with taking orders. 'Not all people in this world are bad, I realize that… but the amount of bad in it can be more than enough to disrupt life; my life in particular.' I grit my teeth and reached for my cup of coffee, grabbing it as my eyes drifted back towards the young Hedgehog still playing his Gameboy. 'Butch, Scott, and Smokey's gang… Sonic's disappearance… why did it all have to be because of a Mobian? It just makes me wonder and contemplate… why is it always a Mobian?'

Remembering that I used to forget Sonic was a Mobian was shocking to me at this point in time, unable to comprehend how I did that in the least. 'I sacrificed my life to rescue him from that car… the flames were up over my head, I thought I'd die if I went in after him… but I didn't care… I heard his cries and chose to save him… it just so happens I didn't die in the process, only my hair did.' I sighed, sipped on my coffee, then ran my hand over my bald head to feel what few strands were left. 'Then I took care of him by feeding and changing his diapers, I literally bonded with him as father and son… I helped him learn to walk and talk even how to eat since his parents still had him on formula when they…...'

I stopped thinking and hung my head. 'Sometimes I wonder how different my life would've been if I had not pressed that crosswalk button… those poor people, even though they were Mobian they didn't deserve that, they just had a child and missed out on everything.' I smiled and cheered up some when I thought about the things I got to experience being a father. 'The times I spent awake at night holding him because he wouldn't stop crying… having him sleep in my bed with me when it thundered… finally teaching him how to use the potty.' I chuckled aloud and the same trucker turned his head again.

'Then he got a little older and started getting mischievous…he-he….. I'll never forget when he painted a lightning bolt on the truck's door.' I grinned and recalled how angry I was yet at the same time happy because he seemed so proud of himself, claiming it was for me. 'And the constant whoopee cushion prank made never want to hear another fart for as long as I live… not that I enjoyed hearing them in the first place like Sonic did, he couldn't stop laughing anytime anyone did it.'

I shook my head and the immature minds of children then continued thinking while taking another sip of my coffee, glad to wake up a little bit from it. 'Still not as bad as when he discovered coffee… Oh my God, I've never seen something move like that… it was like he was seizing while bouncing off the walls!' The cooks hands appeared through the window with a few plates before his voice shouted for the waitress. 'Overall, I'm glad I got to spend the time I could with him… the best times were always in the quality time, like helping him with his homework and even just watching television with him.'

The waitress quickly showed up at the window and picked up one of the plates, bringing it my way as I snapped myself out of thought. "Here you go, sir, well-done steak with a fried egg that's piping hot; so be careful… enjoy." I thanked her and she went back to the window to grab plates ready for other people. "This looks delicious… my mouth is watering just from the smell." I picked up my fork and knife then carried on with cutting up the steak and egg into forkable strips I could chew, as well as returning to my lonely thoughts when my eyes went back to the family of Hedgehogs. 'I guess all those days of me and Sonic are gone, I searched for him for months on end… I wasn't about to let him stay out on the streets but I was too late apparently since I never found him.'

I frowned and continued sawing back and forth into the steak. 'I just know it's because something happened to him… but… I can't ever be too sure... Sonic was faster than me and any other adult I've ever came across, unless 'they' were in a car or a Cheetah, I doubt 'they' could've caught him.' My heart lurched as I realized I was once again thinking like he was dead for sure, still always having that glimmer of hope until a body is found. 'It's hard to not think he's dead just because of the time that's passed since I last saw him… two years is far too long to go without someone you considered your son for nine years until he went missing.'

I grunted about thinking and forked a strip of steak and egg, immediately bringing it into my mouth as my stomach growled for food. 'What pisses me off the most is that I couldn't go to the police to have them help… I knew I had a warrant out for my arrest so they'd just book me and probably not even attempt to assist me in finding Sonic; it's too late for that now anyway after two years.' My stomach thanked me the moment I swallowed, still requesting more regardless. "Damn, this tastes a lot better than fast-food."

'After this I'll use their bathroom and head back out onto the road… perhaps today is the day I leave Station Square for good and seek refuge elsewhere, like Future City where it's isolated.' I bobbed my head and sipped on my coffee before taking another bite of my steak and egg. 'All I'd have to do is take a test to obtain citizenship since they only allow a select few to live there… I'm sure with my I.Q. of 300 that I'd pass and they'd take me in a heartbeat, then I'd hand over the SCR's to whatever company wants them and I can hopefully get a job there.'

I chewed up my bite and thought. 'I could get a condo and one of those flying Jetson like cars… man, I thought about all this two months ago; why haven't I done it already!?' That question was due to my restraint, feeling handcuffed to this city without Sonic. 'If he came back and I wasn't here…' I shook my head and swallowed, forking two bites this time. 'What am I thinking… he'd have come back long before I lost the house if it he was still alive, at least, I hope he would've…'

The worst memory I have is of me yelling at him, screaming that he wasn't my son in frustration all caused by Butch and Scott. 'I can only pray that if he did get killed by some child rapist… he at least knew that I didn't mean the things I said.' I stopped chewing and hung my head, now having to push these thoughts to the side because they were making me too upset to eat. "I knew I should've gotten a beer instead of a coffee."

The waitress who was walking by me stopped and asked "Is everything to your liking, sir? I hope it's cooked perfectly." I faked another smile then replied "It's delicious… everything is, first real food I've had in a while." She returned the smile but I realized I probably just made myself sound like a bum. "That's good, our ingredients are fresher than what you'd get at a fast-food restaurant so they're probably healthier as well." I wasn't really in the mood for conversing but figured she meant no harm. "My younger brother is actually the cook because he's better at it than me." I gave a few nods and said "I'm sure you must be better at waiting than he is then."

She giggled and thanked me before a group of truckers coming from their big rigs entered the diner. "Enjoy, sir… I have to get back to work." I meekly waved then returned to eating, stuffing another two bites in my mouth. 'I should hurry and start trying to find out the cheapest way to get to Future City… I'm sure it's going to be by bus but train might be close enough for me to afford.' I chewed faster and turned my head to watch the family of Hedgehogs eating while talking to each other happily. 'I'd also like to hurry so I can get as far away from that family as possible, that kid is driving me crazy with how much he looks like Sonic.'

I swallowed my bite and stopped with a thought. 'I wonder what Sonic would look like if he was alive? I mean, if I ever see him again… I'm sure he'd be taller and older looking… hmm… it's only been two years, but that's a long time.' I shrugged and looked down to see only a quarter of my steak and egg left. 'Anyway… if my mind would quit returning to Sonic… I know I have about a thousand dollars left total and that's only in gold, I guess I could sell it to that variety store down in the City Hall District or some random pawnshop… then that'll give me enough money to hop a bus or board a train.'

I bobbed my head and forked two bites, leaving only one left on the plate with a small piece of egg on top of it. 'Then, depending on which I take it should be smooth sailing… I'll have to change buses at some point but the train might just take me all the way there.' The waitress came back again and asked "More coffee, sir? First refill is free." I shrugged and said "Okay… thank you." She smiled and poured some more coffee into my cup, refilling it to the brim then walking away to carry on with other customers. 'I'm definitely glad I got something in my stomach and to wet my whistle though, I'm pretty sure my body was about ready to start eating itself.'

I swallowed and chuckled, rubbing my stomach. 'I bet I'd live off myself for a few weeks!' I laughed again and forked the very last piece of steak and egg, quickly chewing as quick as I could while standing up from the stool. "Are you all done, sir?" The waitress asked as I swallowed. "Yes, Ma'am… thank you very much… I… uhh… sorry, I can't leave a tip." She waved me off and must've realized I had absolutely no money on me from that quick glance at my wallet. "That's alright… as long as you've got a full stomach and will recommend us to everyone."

I smiled and said "I can guarantee you I'll recommend this place to everyone and my stomach thanks you kindly as well… well, I best be on my way so have a good day." She took my plate as I guzzled what was left of my coffee, then she took that too with a reply "You too, sir…" She suddenly narrowed her eyes and asked "Okay… wait, this is an off shoot but I'm going to ask… were you at professor at the university here in Station Square?" I coughed then chuckled. "I was a substitute for three months while a family friend was out with his collar bone broken… they wanted to keep me but I don't particularly enjoy teaching."

She smiled and said "I had you for advanced calculus and trigonometry… I… uhh… I was the one that dropped out in like a week… sorry about that…" I smirked and tried to remember. "That was eleven years ago… I'm afraid I can't remember faces that well either." She used one hand to balance the plate and cup while using the other to wipe the table with a sanitation napkin. "That's surprising, a lot of the kids talked about you being able to remember everything and being able to solve any problem like a genius."

I kept my smirk and replied "Well, I don't know about any problem… maybe just with math and engineering." She stared at my wrinkled clothes before giving a final smile. "Wasn't your name Robotnik?" I cleared my throat and looked around, seeing if anyone was paying attention. "Umm… yes…" She turned around and started back to the kitchen. "huh… you know, I heard your name somewhere recently… can't remember where though… anyway, have a good day" I drew my lips back and grit my teeth, taking that as my cue to leave.

With one last glance at the family of Hedgehogs I swiftly made my way towards the exit 'Damn, what if she remembers that I'm wanted? I take it that's what she meant when she said she 'heard my name recently'… shit…' I pushed the door open and tried not to look suspicious while still moving quickly, heading towards the truck before my bladder stopped me. "Oh man… ughh… now I've got to use the bathroom."

'Should've done it before I ate… dammit… I can't use their restroom, not after that waitress recognized me.' I shook my head and looked up at the sign at the edge of the diner reading 'restroom' with an arrow pointing to walk around back. "Can't hold it, damn coffee! And Damn this heat, making me drink too much!" I gave in and ran around the side of the diner, catching a glimpse of the truck before just to make sure it was okay and hadn't been messed with. "I feel like I'm going to piss my pants!"

The light turned on automatically as I approached and grabbed the doorknob, praying it wouldn't need a key from someone inside. "Thank God!" It opened and I ran inside, having the light inside turn on automatically as well. 'Looks like nobody's in here either.' The bathroom had a handicapped stall along with two regular stalls and two sinks, leaving me to just pick the closest regular stall to use. "Gotta go!" I pushed the stall door open and proceed with using the restroom, exhaling in relief. "Whew."

After a few more moments I finished then zipped myself back in my pants, proceeding with flushing before unlatching the stall to exit. 'That's much better, now I need to get out of here for real… I probably shouldn't have even stopped anyway no matter how much my bladder was about to burst.' I abruptly stopped and stood still when I thought I heard a sound in the stall next to me, making me quickly leave the one I'm in and move to the sink, still watching behind myself in the mirror. "Hmm…"

Once I turned the sink on I looked away, squirting a bit of soap out into my hands before scrubbing. 'I wonder how long it'll take me to get used to living in Future City… just about every other place in the United Federation is ten times less advanced than them with the exception of Monopole.' The thought of owning a flying car was intriguing considering I'd only rode in their taxies when I visited. 'It's also got even more skyscrapers than Station Square so I'll be spending a lot of time up in the air and not on solid ground.'

I smiled and joked with myself while washing off the soap. "People in Future City spend three forth of the time with their heads in the cloud and yet they're still better off than anywhere else." The door to the stall behind me suddenly rattled as a familiar voice spoke. "You should go to South Island instead and live a more homey lifestyle… after you get those Chaos Emeralds that is." My jaw dropped to the floor as the stall opened revealing Taylor. "H-How… w-what… wait… where you in there watching me? Oh, you sick twisted fuck!"

He rolled his eyes then straightened his clothing, consisting of the exact thing he wore the last time I saw him two months ago; a white shirt with brown slacks. "Really? No, I wasn't watching you, Julian, I just arrived." I gradually slipped my hand down into my pocket and he cocked his head. "Don't do that again, bro, there's just no call for it… you know I'm only here to help you, right?" I quickly grabbed my pistol from inside my pocket and aimed it at him. "Fuck… you just ruined my morning, asshole!"

He made a face and said "Ouch… that's hurtful, why would you say something like that to your old friend?" My eye twitched and I wanted to once again shoot him. "How did you get in here!?" He held his index finger to his lips and shushed me. "Shh… these walls aren't all that thick, there's no need for you to start yelling again." I walked closer and stared him in the eye. "Yes? Oww!" He grunted as punched him in the arm. "Are you going to start claiming that you're just a figment of my imagination like you did last time?"

He rubbed his arm and responded "That's what I'm supposed to do, it wasn't my rule so quit hitting me." I shook my head and sarcastically said "When you say supposed to do, are you referring to God talking to you again? You know what? Never mind… get moving!" He raised an eyebrow and I pointed to the door. "I said go… now!" He sighed and walked towards the bathroom door as I held the gun at his back. "You really need to re-learn those hospitality skills, Julian, holding your buddy at gunpoint is not a good way to maintain a healthy relationship."

I grunted and walked outside, lowering the pistol some in case someone came by. "Shut up… just keep walking or I swear I'll shoot you if you try and run." He walked in front of me as I led him back around the side of the diner, noticing the light automatically turn off behind me. "Julian…" He shut him mouth after I cocked the pistol back, letting him know that I was serious. "I said shut up… I'm sick of you dropping by like this, coming out of nowhere claiming you're imaginary… you've lost you fucking mind, Taylor."

He gave a few nods in agreement and replied "True… but I'm not a threat to you, I promise; if anything I'm only here to help." I grunted and forced him to turn right, taking him towards the truck so we can get out of here. "You kind of are a threat, Taylor, don't you realize the law is after me? I can't just let you keep finding me like this, I'm going to get caught." He walked faster as I did the same and looked around to see if anyone was watching. "Oh please… you're not number one on G.U.N.'s hit list right now, Julian… all you did was delete information, steal property from Rimlight, and then murder two Mobian's while beating the third unconscious."

I pushed him to go faster then punched him again, rougher than last time "Shut up! Get in this damn truck right now!" He pulled on the doorknob then turned around. "I can't, you've got it locked." My eye twitched again and I poked him in the stomach with the barrel of my pistol. "Then move aside and stay put, don't even so much as move a muscle." He chuckled and asked "Where am I going to go anyway? I'm hitching a ride with you and we're going to the Station Square City Bank."

I pulled my keys from my pocket and quickly unlocked the door for him. "I'm not going anywhere you want me to go, now get in before I shoot in the face." He huffed about me being rude then grumbled when I pushed him inside, barely waiting for him to get his feet in before I slammed the door closed. 'Jesus, I've got to deal with this guy again… I thought I'd be free of him after he said he was moving away to Empire City… that was two years ago.' He motioned for me to hurry up from inside the truck and I had to control my anger, keeping myself from killing him. 'How does he keep suddenly appearing? Unless he was hiding I'm sure there was nobody in that bathroom when I first came in.'

I pulled the driver side door open and climbed in, still keeping my pistol aimed at him the entire time. "Okay, I want you to explain to me how you got in that bathroom… what were you doing in there!? Why were you hiding and how did you track me!?" He cleared his throat and replied as I rammed the keys in the ignition, checking in the rearview mirror while the engine came to life. "One question at a time, jeez… I wasn't watching or hiding from you in there, Julian, I swear… that's just gross, bro…"

I shifted into reverse and swiftly backed out of the parking space. "Then how did you get in there and why are you following me!?" He pulled the blanket from the floorboard and brushed off the dirt before setting it in-between us. "I arrived the moment you flushed the toilet… let's just put it that way because I can't really say much of anything else." I recalled what he told me last time and repeated it back. "I thought you said you had a Chaos Emerald that was letting you teleport?"

He immediately waved his hands and said "Whoa now, I never directly said that… I said if that's what you choose to believe since I'm just a figment of your overactive imagination." I raised my hand to punch him and he flinched, satisfying me enough. "I'm going to strangle you, Taylor!" He grinned then laughed. "Relax, Julian… I'm just trying to help." After banging on the steering wheel a few times I shouted "Then help me understand how you keep finding me!" He crossed his arms and shook his head. "I can give you two different answers depending on which one you'd like to believe."

The heat was killing me and I was already beginning to sweat in nervousness over how he found me again. "You're not making any sense again, Taylor!" I yanked the air conditioner knob towards full blast and exhaled in relief. "Just hear me out, Julian… if you believe I'm a figment of your imagination from all the stress in your life, then you should know that I'm not truly here now; thus, I was never there in the first place." I grit my teeth and asked "Taylor, have you ever been shot? Do you know what it feels like? It hurts, really bad… I swear to God, you're going to feel it in about ten seconds if you don't start speaking logically!"

He held his finger up and shushed me again, making me want to rip it off. "Y-You may enjoy option two better then… You can choose to believe that I'm the real Taylor Burnham and know that I appeared and am guiding you through to fulfill the prophecy." The truck shook as I bounced in anger. "TAYLOR! DON'T YOU DARE START WITH THAT RIDICULOUS PROPHECY BULLSHIT!" He cringed again as I raised the pistol to his forehead. "TELL ME HOW YOU GOT INTO THAT BATHROOM! HOW DID YOU KNOW WHERE I WAS!?"

He remained calm and aimed his portion of the truck's air vents towards me in an attempt to calm me down, aware I was sweating ferociously. "Calm down before you start breaking blood vessels, you also look creepy when your eyes budge like that." My finger pulled back on the trigger enough to be audible, making him cut to the chase. "Julian, Please… just answer one question for me first… do you believe I'm the real Taylor Burnham? Do you believe option two more than option one?" The barrel of my gun came closer to his shoulder as I replied, quickly growing tired of this. "I don't believe you're a figment of my imagination, Taylor, I'm not insane and can't rationally believe that no matter what… you're real I know, NOW STOP ACTING LIKE YOU'RE FAKE!"

He pursed his lips and seemed to tune me out for a moment, staring at the road blankly. "Taylor? Oh, now what the hell are you doing? Huh? Can you hear me? I'm getting ready to kill you, Taylor… TAYLOR!" I stopped talking and abruptly realized I'd not left the parking lot of the diner yet. "Dammit! Just when I hoped this day would be a little better… I was going to head straight to Future City and now I've got to deal with this instead… why God? Why?" He shook a bit then came back to reality as I pulled out onto the road leading to and from Station Square, driving away in a hurry.

"Well… if you believe I'm the real Taylor Burnham then you should just know that I'm here to help you fulfill the prophecy." I grunted then smacked him in the arm with the butt of my pistol. "You already told me that, idiot… and what was that!?" He looked around for a moment then asked "What was what?" I slammed my fist on the seat and said "What was that you just did!? You zoned out and started shaking before coming back… what the hell was that!?" He shrugged and tried his best to explain semi-logically. "I had to figure out if I could tell you certain things without interfering with fate… now, back to our main subject… I'm the real Taylor Burnham and am helping you fulfill the prophecy."

A few cars passed us as I furiously asked "What prophecy!?" He sighed and cracked his neck. "How many times do I have to tell you? I thought you understood the first time I explained all this to you… I am here to help you fulfill a prophecy that has existed since the Old World, it is a very important prophecy that must be fulfilled lest we wish for entire universe to tear itself apart due to a massive paradox." I blinked a few times then rapidly shook my head in confusion, slowing down some in case a police officer was around like the first was. "A paradox!? What are you talking about!? Jesus, why do you have to come rant and rave to me!? Find a therapist!"

He laughed but I only got angrier. "Just trust me, if you chose option two than you must believe what I just told you." I felt like banging my head against my door window, able to get as far doing that as I would if I tried to get clear understandable answers from him. "You're a lunatic… tell me how you found me!" He grunted and said "You can believe that he simply told me where you were and I used his Chaos Emerald to teleport to you." I stared wide eyed for a moment before he resumed speaking "If that's what you choose to believe of course, you can always choose to believe I'm just a figment of your imagination."

He started laughing again as I shouted "TAYLOR!" He stopped laughing a few moments later then carried on. "Either way, one of those are the truth… I promise… all you got to do is chose which you want to believe and then we can carry on with fulfilling the prophecy." I swallowed the lump in my throat and decided I had to play along again in order to figure out what he wanted. "Fine… I'm going to pick the same one I chose last time and go with number two, you're the real Taylor Burnham and you're somehow teleporting around with the help of a mythical gemstone given to you by God… are you happy? I'm just a psychotic as you are you, Looney Toon!"

He retaliated by turning it around into a joke I wasn't expecting. "Don't call me my favorite childhood cartoon!" I stared at him speechless for a solid minute before we both busted out into laughter. "Son-of-a-bitch, Taylor, I'd kill you if we weren't such good friends… You scramble my brain every time we talk and you just don't make a lick of sense, yet somehow I can't stop seeing you as a friend." He smiled then asked "If I'm still such a good friend can you possibly lower that gun?"

"Do you promise to never turn me in unless you want me to get out and kill you afterwards?" He smirked and gave a nod. "Well… since you put it that way… of course I promise, Julian, if I was going to turn you in I'd have done it two months ago." More traffic slowly came into sight as we came closer to Station Square, still less being as it's early in the morning. "That's true… but… why did you disappear? You led me to that gang and expected me to do something, then suddenly you just vanish… no help at all, dude."

He smirked but quickly attempted to explain. "I'm afraid I can't interact much, Julian, I'm only able to speak… I wouldn't have been a good ally." I raised an eyebrow and glanced down at the sheet between us, knowing that was a lie. "Taylor, I'm sure you're getting ready to say something like 'I can't interact because I'm just a figment of your imagination.'… But… I just saw you interact when you pulled this sheet from the floorboard, or when you pushed the gun barrel away, even opening that stall door." I chuckled and continued "You're not really all that good at this… uhh… this… this game of whatever the hell you want to call it, are you?"

He frowned then rolled his eyes, looking out the windshield at the skyscrapers off in the distance; ones belonging to the central commercial part of Station Square. "First… I am a little new to this, so give me a chance… you don't even understand what's going on yet and you probably will never fully comprehend until the day you die." I stared at him for a moment before returning my eyes to the road. "Second… I can interact with anything I choose to, I just don't because it goes against his wishes."

"His wishes?" He gave a small nod and replied "Our heavenly father… who else would I be talking about?" I cracked up a bit and asked "God? You're talking about God again? You've completely lost your mind, Taylor." He sighed and reminded me of the things he said the last time we saw each other two months ago. "I already told you that I, Taylor Burnham, found the Master Emerald on that island and that God himself spoke directly to me from it… I also told you that you may choose to believe whatever you want, but never forget that you must nevertheless follow me to fulfill the prophecy of the future's past."

I shook my head and also was barely able to remember him calling the prophecy that the last time we spoke. "Taylor, I'm glad you don't expect me to believe all that because I don't think I can… but… please explain to me what that prophecy means… how can something be the future's past? That's utterly illogical." He blinked a few times and started looking a little nervous. "It doesn't matter why he calls it that, Julian, what matters is that you help to fulfill the prophecy to prevent the end." I grumbled in confusion and had to literally force myself to keep listening, mentally wanting to plug up my ears with something to not be able to hear anymore ridiculous religious babble.

"The end of what?" His skin turned pale while he looked away from me, seeming almost sick. "The end of everything, Julian… we created this prophecy by our actions and must suffer the dire consequences if we do not fulfill it… Julian, if you do not help fulfill this prophecy the universe will shred itself apart from the paradox." I stared ahead while asking impatiently "What paradox!? I don't understand what you're talking about!" He spun around and grabbed my right arm that was on the steering wheel. "The paradox is the prophecy and the prophecy is the paradox, Julian, they're both the same... you must make them happen unless you want everything to end…"

His eyes watered but he physically didn't seem to be sad enough to cry. "I've seen it, Julian, he showed it to me in my sleep… I saw everything end… The Master Emerald was completely destroyed and the sky went black during midday with the sun still in the sky, then people everywhere screamed as loud as they could as these tears began appearing in the sky from the fabric of space and time shredding itself to pieces…"

His eye twitched and I started to get wary he was having some sort of mental breakdown right here in the truck with me. "I… I heard The Keeper's name in my head over and over relentlessly as it came through the tears, everyone heard it as they ran with their hand over their ears… Argus… Argus…Argus…Argus…Argus…Argus…... it said it in tune with my heartbeats while taking everyone away… whisking everyone one on the planet away into the sky with trillions of these tentacle like appendages."

"Taylor… stop… you're freaking me out, man!" His teeth chattered while talking, aware he was refusing to stop speaking. "It left me behind on a desolate rock and I witnessed the collapse of the universe, Julian… I saw the very planet melt with its moon as the entire solar system's atoms fell apart… even my own molecules disintegrated and I was forced to feel myself liquefy before evaporating from our own sun exploding… J-Julian, you can never let that happen, do you understand?"

I nervously gave a tiny nod and agreed just to make him feel better. "Alright… fine, fine… sure, I'll help you fulfill this crazy LSD induced prophecy you keep raving about." He grit his teeth and weaved back in forth for a bit, still looking pale and ill. "I don't do drugs, Julian, you know that… God himself showed me all that within a dream, unfortunately the pain experienced was just as vivid as real life." I shrugged and pulled to a stop at a stop sign, ready to take the road entering Station Square. "Well… what do you want me to do? Something crazy? Dig for a Chaos Emerald or something? And you better no puke in my truck, dude."

He cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, no, and I won't… just go to the Station Square City Bank." I sighed and turned left, driving onwards through the residential area. "Why? I need to go fill up at a gas station first… while we do that, let's talk about why the fuck you sent me down that alleyway two months ago? You know, the one with Smokey's Gang…" The colour in his face returned and I felt relieved he didn't look like he was going to puke anymore. "To get you a bit of revenge."

I smirked and saw a sign indicating a petrol station ahead. "Really? How did you know they would be there? Did you stalk them or something?" He shook his head and said "I was told they'd be there, just like I was told to take you there to seek out your vengeance." I put the pistol back in my pocket so it would be out of view then sped up, needing to get to the gas station since the warning light just came on telling me I was low. "Right… you were told by God, guess I should've figured… did you also predict or get told that I was going to confront them and end up killing two in cold blood?"

I made it to the petrol station and pulled in, driving straight under the overhand towards the first pump since nobody was here but one person filling up their Jeep on the other side. "While I didn't know you were going to necessarily kill anyone, I had a feeling something would happen." I parked in front of the gas pump and turned the engine off while exclaiming "Something most definitely happened, Taylor, I took two people's lives!" He pursed his lips and asked "People? Are you sure you're referring to Smokey and the Chun-nan monkey? Weren't they more like the savage beasts you hate than a person?"

I grit my teeth and removed the keys from the ignition, not wanting to give him a chance to escape; though I had a good feeling he was sticking around for a while. "That's beside the point, Taylor, they're dead because I killed them… I mean, at least I killed one of them… the SCR's neutralized Smokey, I just defended myself as the Chun-nan monkey tried to grab Smokey's pistol… I shot him because he was getting ready to do the same to me." He smirked and said "You know, Scott was the real person you were after."

I cleared my throat and pushed the door open, pulling a lever beneath my seat to unlock the gas tank door then stepping out. "I got my message across with him… he also had family so the police would've been looking a lot harder if they knew a wealthy CEO's son got killed in their city… Ha-ha! Actually the police could probably give a shit less since he was nothing but a street thug; his father would've been the one pouring money into finding me." I watched him smile before stepping to the side to grab the pump hose, bringing it back to the trucks fuel filling inlet. "Still… I like how you've taken to that Dr. Eggman name, it was like a completely different personality where you're no longer Julian Robotnik at all."

I chuckled and knew he didn't know that was from a drug me and Ulrich made when we were younger. "Yeah… I just kind of did that without even thinking abou-" I shoved the nozzle in the gas tank then stopped, realizing that he wasn't there that moment when I forcefully made Scott say my name. "Wait a second… how did you know that? Were you just hiding nearby or something?" He shook his head from inside the truck and explained "Just because I wasn't physically there anymore doesn't mean I wasn't there at all… I watched for a little while."

Gasoline rapidly filled the tank and the price climbed higher on the pump's display screen. "That's wonderful… you watched me struggle with a monkey to save my own life… how very thoughtful and considerate of you, Taylor." He laughed at my sarcasm then replied "I had faith in you, Dr. Eggman… ha-ha! What made you think of that name when you first made that tonic?" My jaw dropped and I had no idea of how he could've known that period. "H-How did you know about the tonic? I never told you about that, ever!"

He shrugged and tapped his fingers on the dashboard. "Ehh… I know a lot of stuff about you and the prophecy now… hey, are you going inside the gas station to pay?" I stopped at fifteen buck since that's all I had left on my petrol card and removed the nozzle from the gas tank. "What? Why?" He stretched his arms then placed his hands behind his head with a relaxed posture. "Get me a blue Gatorade and an Almond Joy, here I'll give you some money." I closed the fuel filler door and returned the nozzle to its originally spot hanging on the side of the pump. "I'm not going inside so you'll just have to tough it out."

He sighed and watched me open my wallet, quickly finding the petrol card then sliding it through the card reader built into the pump. "I'll give you money if that's the problem." I shook my head and watched the remaining fifteen dollars on the card instantly vanish from existence as the pump took the amount needed for the gas I got. "That's not the problem you titty baby… tough it out, we need to get out of here."

I tossed the empty card in the garbage can then climbed back into the truck. "Well, I'm glad at least you got something to eat and drink this morning." I rolled my eyes and rammed the keys in the ignition, starting the truck up before closing the door. "Aww… poor baby… I'm sure you've at least been eating regularly unlike me." He drew his lips back and seemed to be more than aware that I had absolutely no money to spare on anything. "I noticed you looked like you lost a little weight."

I chuckled and drove towards the road. "It's been a long time since someone's said that to me, Taylor… funny thing is I start looking better when I stop taking care of myself." He smirked and said "I don't know if you look better, just skinner… you were always pretty ugly." I laughed sarcastically and socked him in the shoulder. "Hardy-Harr-Harr… you're so hilarious, Taylor…" He grinned and laughed with me genuinely. "Ehh… I've heard that a few times… but now, we should get serious again since my time is running out."

I raised an eyebrow and figured it was just another nutty thing he was saying. "Yeah, sure… whatever." He pointed forward towards the skyscrapers deep in Station Square before saying "We're going to the Station Square City Bank." I bit down on my tongue and cursed myself for saying sure. "What do you want me to do? Rob it? Because if that's what you're expecting me to do I'm going to go ahead and pull over to let you out."

He remained quiet and was likely trying to think of a way to convince me. "I'm not falling for any more of your 'go here' requests you keep making… you're going to tell my why right this instant unless you want me to turn around." After a few seconds of silence he caved and told me. "I'm going to get you your money back… you can't fulfill the prophecy until you do." I shook my head since I was just knew it was something crazy. "I'm not going to rob a bank, Taylor, I'm definitely not going to try and rob Station Square City Bank… they've got like five armed security guards posted at the front and one's always in the vault at all times no matter what."

He kept the same creepy grin and said "You need to get some money before you go to South Island to begin the prophecy… that's all there is to it, Julian, you need funds and I aim to help you get some." I continued driving onwards but was more than unsure if I should turn around. "I'm not going to rob a bank and I'm not going to South Island either, let's just get that straight right now… as soon as we're done fulfilling your little prophecy of riddles past or whatever, I'm going to head right to Future City."

"I heard you say that in the bathroom, but Future City isn't where you should be… at least, not yet… sometime in the near future you'll be there, I know." I chuckled and turned the radio up some, hearing a good song I liked a lot. "What do you mean it isn't where I should be yet? I think it's the perfect place to go… I could give my SCR's to a company there and settle for a position in their city, I could have a condo and flying car! That sounds like the place to go to me!" He cleared his throat and watched a police car pass us, keeping my same speed since I figured it was just doing its patrol route. "I'm sure it does sound good to you, Julian, especially after everything that's happened to you recently… unfortunately the prophecy will take quite a bit longer than one day to complete."

I narrowed my eyes while contemplating what exactly he meant by that. "And just how long will it take to fulfill the prophecy?" He shrugged then propped his feet up on the dashboard. "Your part of the prophecy will be fulfilled in eleven years… the prophecy in general must be fulfilled before the year 2410 to prevent The Keeper's arrival and the end of everything in existence." I stared wide eyed and slack jawed. "Eleven years!? Screw that… I can barely stand making it through a single day around here!"

He yawned before saying "You won't be around here again for quite a while, Julian… after this you're going to South Island to begin making your army." I let off the gas some just to shout at him. "An army!? Have you lost your mind!? I'm no dictator… you've got the wrong person!" He sighed dramatically as we drove deeper into the residential area, eventually coming to the bridge leading into the downtown portion where the bank was located. "Relax, Julian, you've thought about doing it before haven't you? Hmm? Remember how much you tried to join G.U.N. when you were young because you wanted to shoot at Mobians?"

"That wasn't specifically the reason why I wanted to join G.U.N., Taylor, I probably would've been in the Intel Sector or something anyway… not out on the frontline where soldiers get mauled by jungle cats." He laughed as we drove across the bridge, seeing boats passing beneath while we did. "It's sad that we had to consider parts of our own country the frontline between Human's and Mobian's… Though I guess it's not as bad as when the Species Riots were around." I grit my teeth and couldn't help but recall the Overlanders and Mobians showing their hatred towards each other at protests for equal rights. "No… it's not as bad as it was back then… for them that is, but they've still got no business in Station Square."

He gave a few nods in agreement then responded "Anyway, after we complete this task you've got to go to South Island and proceed with building the Roboticizer." I inhaled sharply and jerked my head in his direction. "How do you know what that is!?" He smiled again and said "I told you… I know a lot of stuff, not everything, but a lot." I shook my head in disbelief and kept trying to wrap my mind around how he could know what that was. 'Even if I did let slip something about Dr. Eggman tonic there's no way I ever-ever mentioned anything about my grandfather's Roboticizer sketches.'

"You shouldn't know anything about that, Taylor… have you been snooping around in my house? I mean, When I still had it…" He shook his head no and explained "No, I promise I never snooped around in your house… you know I'm not like that… but that doesn't mean I don't know about it; you've got to build that Roboticizer and use roboticized animals to power the group of SCR's in that old shipping container." We finally got over the bridge and returned to solid land, now being in the downtown section of Station Square with the skyscrapers, police department, and city bank. "I think you're a nutcase, Taylor, but I got to admit… I have no clue how you know all this stuff, I guess you might've seen the container two months ago… but..."

He scratched his arm and replied "I can't honestly say I remember even seeing the container… I just knew it was there." I chuckled and asked "Did God tell you?" He took offence and glared at me angrily. "Very funny… if you'd like, you can believe that God did indeed tell me… it's entirely up to you what you want to believe." I rolled my eyes and hoped he wasn't delving too far back into his hocus-pocus. "Yeah, I understood you the first thousand times you said that… I just can't comprehend how you could possibly know some of these things, it makes me suspicious."

"Suspicious of what?" I shrugged and pursed my lips, still trying to figure out how he could know some of the things he does. "Suspicious of how you know… I may select your option two and believe you're the real Taylor Burnham, but I don't believe you're somehow talking to God… that's just absurd." He bobbed his head to my surprise and agreed with me. "Yes, it is absurd… especially to you, someone with a highly tuned scientific mind." I took what he said as a complement but wasn't sure why he'd agree.

"Me on the other hand, grew up with a family of obsessive overly religious psychopaths who'd kill you if you didn't believe in Jesus… even my mother was like that in some ways, always quick to snap when someone didn't have the same religious or political view as her." I held back a small smile and said "I remember that time she smacked my left hand when I went to pick up a pen with it… I was seriously pissed off, I thought something along the lines of 'Oww, you old biddy!'."

We laughed together and I could tell he was definitely still sad over losing his mother, but at least able to talk about it some which is good. "I think biddy might've been a perfect word for her, Julian… though if she ever heard you say that she'd rip your arm off and beat you over the top of the head with it." We laughed again before he continued "Yeah… she was a religious nut, born and raised that way like my Dad." He bobbed his head and kept speaking "You see, Julian, people's minds are set to believe certain things depending on how they grew up… it's always half learned behavior and half inherited traits."

I cocked my head and slowed down at miraculously the very first red light I'd ran into today despite the few miles I've driven overall into heavy populated downtown Station Square. "What do you mean?" He kept an eye on the car in front of us while explaining. "I learned to believe in miracles and fate by the surrounding and people around me while you mainly learned to believe in what science says is truth and only that." I raised an eyebrow and remembered the kegs of beer in college I used to chug down. "I don't know about that… my surroundings were pretty frat like those first two years of college, you remember the crazy ass frat parties we used to have… ehe-he… remember the bowl of keys game we used to play with the sorority girls?"

He grinned wickedly and laughed. "Hell yes… I scored a bunch of times on that one! You remember that uptight rich cheerleader girl? Damn, what was here name… uhh… Nikki, that was it… you remember her?" I narrowed my eyes and drove on as the light turned green. "Was that the one that kept dumping that really popular jock from the football team? You know, the one that would break up with him in one night then be his girlfriend again by the next morning." He bobbed his head and clapped his hands together. "That was her! Yeah, totally did her… got lucky with the keys, man… ha-ha!"

I chuckled and turned to go down the street on my left, knowing it would eventually take me to the bank where Taylor was supposedly going to do some magic tricks to get me money. "You lucky bastard… I must've passed out somewhere because I don't remember that at all." He laughed and said "Y-Yeah… I think I might've drawn some things on you that night." I rolled my eyes with a smile before he put us back on track with our conversation; having gotten off by good memories of younger days. "Anyway… you're also born into a family with geniuses and eccentric inventors, I was born into a family of cultists and church bums… our minds are just fine-tuned to think certain ways due to our upbringing."

I shrugged and still didn't care. "That doesn't mean you're true, Taylor, just because I think rationally and scientifically." He smirked and said "And it doesn't mean you're right either… just because I think mystically and beyond your comprehension." He had me there but I refused to believe regardless. "The only reason why it's beyond my comprehension is because it makes no sense at all… now that I think about it, I bet that article I read on the internet was just something you wrote for an essay back when we were in college."

He jerked his head in my direction and looked highly insulted. "That's not true at all, my grandfather and father updated it but it's been in our family as a scrap of paper since the Old World." I'd never seen the 'scrap' of paper as he said so I couldn't believe him, at least not very much. "It's just hard to believe any of that mumbo-jumbo, Taylor, it was interesting at first but then when you get down to it; there's no way any of that could be possible… Atlantis never even existed, Old World scientists proved there was no advanced ancient-civilizations with flying aircrafts before them."

He shook his head in disappointment and acted like I should be trusting him more. "You don't have to believe any of that to fulfill the prophecy, Julian… but let's just say for the sake of argument that you do believe me... you must travel to South Island and use the funds from Station Square City Bank to first build the Roboticizer, after that you'll need to turn small animals and even villagers into roboticized versions that you can harness and use as power for the SCR's." It was completely amazing to me how he almost seemed to be reading off a prompt from in front of him, speaking quickly and sincerely. "With those SCR's you'll form a base and begin your search for the Chaos Emeralds… when you think about it you're really getting to do what you want, using your robots to protect the earth and the entire universe."

I blinked in confusion and turned left again, seeing the bank at the very end of the long stretch of road. "That's insane, Taylor… they're security robots, not my slaves!" He stared at me for a few seconds before smiling. "You've thought and dreamt about using those robots to take over the world haven't you?" I gripped the wheel tighter and shook my head. "I'd never think something as immature and egotistical as that, Taylor…" He yawned really quick before responding "So you haven't thought about it a single time? Not one single itsy bitsy moment?"

I pursed my lips and he gave a few nods. "I think you have thought about using them for stuff like that, Julian… I think you've thought like that a lot… especially since you watched them take down Smokey, ever since then you've been thinking about it constantly… wondering if they could help you achieve your wildest goals." Despite trying to hold back I busted out laughing, thinking it was ridiculous. "Not really… I may have daydreamed about how powerful they were a few times, I used to enjoy having Ulrich be my bodyguard and they kind of gave me the same feeling." He looked past my laughter and said "There… what you just said, don't you see? That's where you're thinking about it."

I shrugged and figured just because I felt powerful with robotic bodyguard doesn't mean I feel immortal all together. "If what you're trying to say is that I should feel confident doing all this with SCR's then I say you can think what you want…" He rolled his eyes then pulled his feet down from the dashboard, brushing off any dirt he may have left behind. "You just need to realize that the way you felt when you killed those two Mobians and then began beating the third to a pulp… the way you felt so assertive because three SCR's were threatening people with death… all of that is feeling you crave, you crave the feelings you get when you fulfill the prophecy."

I started laughing again and had to hand it to him, he was more than persistent. "That doesn't make any sense, Taylor." He bobbed his head and exclaimed "Yes it does, you're thinking the way you do because he wants you to think that way…" I slowed down at another red light and said "Nobody tells me how to think, Taylor… not even God." He crossed his arms, shivered, then turned the air conditioner down a notch. "I know you've actually had a dream about it, Julian… don't forget about how much I know… you dreamt of a robotic military ready to carry out your every whim."

I held back a yawn from not getting hardly any sleep then laughed. "Taylor… I had a dream after drinking an entire bottle of whiskey where a bunch of roboticized animals where following me around attacking people… I didn't see SCR's hoisting flags, just a bunch of pigs, rabbits, ladybugs, crabs, and moles." He waved me off by saying "That's a vision, you can even use the roboticized animals and villagers themselves without powering the SCR's… I still recommend, however that you use the SCR's."

As insane as it sounded, roboticized animals would be just as good as robots as long as they recognize me as their master. "You're crazy as hell, Taylor." The light turned green and I continued driving towards the bank. "So are you… nobody sane is currently in your predicament." I knew that was definitely true, I've never heard of anyone stealing security robots and using them to kill for self-satisfaction.

"You've got me on that one, Taylor, I'm not as stable as I used to be… but thankfully still just as smart." He smirked and asked "Are you still working on the SCR's programming?" I gave a few nods while glancing in the rearview mirror, glad to see none of them have moved around anymore recently. "Every now and then… when I don't have anything to do, I'll sit down with SCR-HD and work on the screen on his back." He kept his smile and chuckled. "You only work on it when you're bored? That must be almost all day since you don't really have much of anything to do anymore."

The fact I spent the entire day yesterday working on the newer prompt commands and voice control, meant that I really did have a lot of time on my hands. "I still don't spend as much time on them as I used to… it's hard to do things without other computers, I just don't have the money to get anymore right now… that's why I'm going to Future City after this to start anew." He shook his head and turned the radio down, being a fan of electro instead of classic rock like me. "I'm sure you must've meant to say South Island, not Future City… what's so great about that place anyway? Just because they have flying cars doesn't mean that's a better place to live… you know they actually don't even go as fast as regular cars? Something to do with the propulsion system."

I rolled my eyes and said "Maybe that's something I could help them with…. I might not know diddly-squat about automobiles but a propulsion system is completely different." He shrugged, knowing about as little information on Future City vehicles as me. "Either way, you still need to go to South Island… not Future City." We hit another red light and I sighed, getting slightly frustrated since we were nearly at the bank. "Why? So I can build a Roboticizer and proceed turning the islands residents into machines that'll help me find mythological Chaos Emeralds which will in return allow me to somehow save the universe from collapsing."

"Tearing..." He said "Tearing is a lot different from collapsing since it is an unnatural death for any stable universe to go through." Being as I've not witnessed the universe end as he 'supposedly' has, I think any type of death for the universe is unnatural. "Taylor… I'm not going to South Island, I don't have the money to get a boat or plane to take me there… besides, how would I take the SCR's with me? Nobody is going to let me take them on their plane or boat." He bobbed his head in agreement but was still smiling like he knew something I didn't.

"There are ways around what you just said, Julian, trust me…" The light finally turned green and I continued driving, watching the white marble steps of Station Square's City Bank gradually come into view. "Trust you? I can only trust you to think illogically enough to get me killed, Taylor… but we're here so get ready to go get what you need." He cleared his throat and gulped, acting a bit nervous for some reason. "Find a parking space close to the steps." I raised an eyebrow and began growing suspicious. "Okay… hmm…"

He reached into his pocket and started fumbling around for something. 'What the hell? Don't tell me… does he have a gun? Is he going to try and rob this place or something? Shit, I'm out if that's his plan… no way in hell would I try something as retarded as attempting to rob Station Squares City Bank, the most secure bank in Station Square.' I somehow managed to nab a parking spot by the steps like he asked and pulled into it. "Hey, Taylor, listen… what exactly are you getting ready to do in there? Because if you're planning to do something dumb, I'm out."

He removed his hand from his pocket to my relief then replied "What do you mean by dumb?" I grunted and knew he understood perfectly well what I meant by that. "You know damn well what I mean, what the fuck are you going to do inside that bank?" he laughed while waving off my concerns "Don't worry, I'm not going to rob them… I promise." I relaxed some until noticing his intent stare glued on me. "Then what are you going to do?" He smiled wider and responded "Nothing… nothing at all… it's you who'll be doing things in there."

After dramatically banging my head on the steering wheel I looked to the heavens for an answer. "Why God? Why do you have to keep sending me psychos!?" He laughed sarcastically but continued smiling. "You'll do fine, Julian, all you have to do is what I tell you to… nobody is going to get killed or put in prison because the prophecy states so." I shook my head and shifted into reverse, getting ready to back out of the parking space to leave. "I'm not robbing a goddamn bank, Taylor… how stupid are you?"

He started looking around real fast as I backed up, stopping when another car went by. "You have to do this, Julian, it's written in the prophecy!" I laughed and turned the radio back up, wanting to hear music rather than his insane rants. "Yeah right… so in your ludicrous prophecy I rob a bank!? This isn't a game of cops and robbers, Taylor, it's real life!" He swiftly agreed with a head bob but countered by saying "It's written in a prophecy from the Old World that you rob a bank before going to South Island, Julian, you must do it to keep the universe in check."

I shook my head and refused, continuing to back out before shifting into drive to head towards the end of the parking lot "Bull… shit… I'm not going to rob a bank and that's that!" He bit his lower lip and tried to quickly think of a way to convince me. "But… it's written that way, you must." I chuckled and drove back out into traffic, proving to him that I was truly leaving. "Nope… I must do absolutely nothing if I want to stay alive… doing what you say is just going to get me killed by a security guard with a shotgun."

He kept his eyes glued on the bank behind us while responding "Julian, you have to turn around… it is written that this happens on this day on this very hour… you have to turn around and go back to the bank." I shook my head again then laughed. "Taylor, you keep saying I have to do this and must do that… yet… you don't see me doing it do you?" His eye twitched before he rubbed his face. "Alright… If you want to play that way, fine… I didn't want to have to do this because I'm not supposed to… but…"

I raised an eyebrow and watched him slip his hand back in his pocket, making me immediately do the same. "Uh-uh… no you don't, you're not pulling a pistol on me; not unless you want me to shoot back." He rolled his eyes and kept his right hand in his pocket while reaching for the dashboard. "What are you doi-" A glowing light from his pocket cut me off and I felt the steering wheel jerk around in my hands as soon as his touched the dashboard. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

He chuckled but I tried to slam on the brakes, unable to as the brake refused to budge. "WHAT'S GOING ON!?" He remained with one hand in his pocket and the other on the dashboard while saying. "I'm taking direct control over the truck… I'm sure it must be pretty shocking to see." The truck seemed to drive on its own without my foot on the gas pedal, accelerating and decelerating to the flow of traffic as he came to a U-turn. "YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT'S SHOCKING… STOP… STOP THIS CRAZY SHIT THIS INSTANT!"

The truck pulled around the U-turn and even hurt my hands when I tried to stop the steering wheel from turning. "You're acting like an old coot, Julian, quit screaming." I eventually let go of the steering wheel and sat back in defeat, watching in amazement as the truck drove itself back towards the bank. "Now, you're going to rob that bank no matter what you try and say to get out of it." I glanced over at the door and the lock suddenly engaged. "You're not going anywhere until you do either." I grit my teeth and said "Then you've got a long time to sit here with me… I'll probably outlast you too since I had a great breakfast and plenty of fat left in me."

He huffed at my ignorance and continued driving to the bank, somehow controlling the truck all together with nothing but his hand. "I'll crash this truck right through the front doors if that's how I have to jumpstart this, Julian… I'm serious… this has to be done in within this hour like it is written in the prophecy." We returned to the bank parking lot and pulled right back into the same exact spot I just left. "I'm not doing a thing, Taylor, so you can go ahead and do as much magic as you want."

He let go of the dashboard and the glow imitating from his pocket vanished instantly. "It's not magic, it's the power of the Chaos Emeralds given to me by our heavenly father." I laughed at him but he just tuned it out. "Do you really think someone like me would be capable of robbing the most secure bank in Station Square? Think about it rationally for a few seconds, Taylor, think… could an old fat guy like me possibly succeed in robbing this bank with over ten armed security guards inside? Just think rationally for a second."

He grumbled about me not listening to him then tapped on the back windshield. "Hello? Have you paid any attention at all? You've got three security robots along with an entire cargo shipping container full of them back at that abandoned warehouse…" While the truck was likely free for me to control again, I figured I'd hear him out at least after witnessing what I just did with the truck driving itself. "Taylor, I've got three security robots that still have nothing but rubber bullets… and the ones in the shipping container have no power core."

He licked his lips before smiling wide. "Do you want to see another 'magic' trick?" I narrowed my eyes in confusion and wanted to smack him in the forehead. "What? No, I don't want to see a magic trick!? I want you to come to your senses and realize I can't rob this bank!" He ignored me and held his palm out. "You'll love it I promise… just watch my hand… are you watching?" I sighed and gave in, watching him wave his hand above the other. "Presto!" My jaw dropped as a flash came from his pocket and a small box of bullets literally appeared in his hand from out of nowhere. "H-How in the fuck?"

He smirked and gave it to me, letting me see it was nine millimeter like the SCR's used. "How did you do that? Where did these come from?" He chuckled and replied "Hammerspace… I'm allowed to access a sort of hidden dimension where I can store a bunch of stuff, it's relatively easy once you get the hang of it." I took the box of bullets from him and tried to comprehend how he's doing all this. "What's in your pocket, Taylor?" He raised an eyebrow in confusion before I continued "Each time you do this 'magic' something from within your pocket flashes…"

He coughed nervously and tried to guide me away from the subject, succeeding only in making me more curious. "It's nothing… now you can use those bullets if you want but from what's written in the prophecy nobody died… shot? well… that's a little different, just don't try go for killing, Dr. Eggman." I rolled my eyes and wasn't about to do what he wanted me to. "No way, Taylor… it's just not going to happen… I'm not going to try and rob Station Square City Bank with three security robots; why don't you do some 'magic' and pull some bars of gold from your 'Hammerspace'?"

He frowned and seemed like he had hoped I'd give in by now. "I can't do that, Julian… it's not really the money we're after anyway." My eyes widened all the way in astonishment. "What!? Are you saying you want me to run in there and hold people hostage for no money!? You just keep getting crazier and crazier, Taylor! If I go in that bank I'm not coming out until I've got a sack of money behind my back!" He laughed loudly then clapped. "Good, I never said you couldn't take any money, but the prophecy states that you must at least hold them at gun point."

I quickly rephrased what I said while flaring my arms. "Forget I used the word if, Taylor… because I'm NOT going in there." He sighed and sat back. "Dammit… why not?" I stared in shock before saying "Because I'll get killed!" He did the same as I did earlier and banged his head, only using his hands instead of the steering wheel. "Julian… we're running out of time!" I shrugged, not really caring in the least. "So? I'm not going in there so we might as well sit here until we 'miss' the opportunity."

After pinching the bridge of his nose he glanced down at his wristwatch. "I'll be right back." I shook my head and reached into my pocket for my Luger pistol. "You're not going anywhere outside this truck until we get away from this bank." He suddenly zoned out and I noticed his pupils dilate as wide as they could get. "Taylor? What the…?" He stared in front without blinking so I decided to poke him. "Hey? Fucktard… come on, don't do this whole nirvana trance shit again… hello? Can you hear me?"

He kept quiet with a blank look so I decided to get out of here, using the chance to get as far away from this bank as possible. 'He might just do that magic thing again and make the truck drive right back here… hmm…' My mind was more than genuinely befuzzled at his ability to do the things he did. 'How does he know the things he does!? How could he control my truck with nothing but his mind!? How could he magically pull a box of bullets out of thin air!?'

It was all illogical to me but he seemed to act like it all made sense somehow. "Crazy bastard… How did you control my truck?" My memory brought the flashing light in his pocket to attention and I wondered what it could've been. 'Maybe I could figure it out since he's in his little trance again.' I raised an eyebrow and decided it was worth a shot. "Taylor… hey… wake up… I'm getting ready to drive out of here and leave… I… I'm heading towards Future City instead of South Island, what are you going to do about it?"

He remained staring without blinking so I figured he was truly zoned out. 'What the fuck is that in his pocket? Some sort of controller that works on vehicles somehow?' I made a face and reached across him, hoping he wouldn't move and put me in an awkward situation. 'Can't say I've ever reached into someone else's pocket before.' I kept a close eye on him and tried not to feel too embarrassed sliding my hand into his pocket. "No..." He suddenly said, making me about pass out in shock. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I pulled my fingers from his pocket and replied "Trying to wake you up… you zoned out again and I thought you might've fallen asleep with your eyes open or something."

He pushed my hand away and cracked his neck. "I think you're lying… anyway, since you won't willingly rob the bank… I've been told I can nudge you in the right direction." I shook off the embarrassment from getting caught trying to take something from his pocket then asked "Oh… and what exactly would that be?" He smirked and reached into his pocket. "I'll be using this to assist you." I stared as he pulled a small green emerald from his pocket. "What is that?"

It lit up and he suddenly started slowly disappearing right before my eyes, gradually becoming see through like a ghost. "It's a Chaos Emeraldette, that's why it's cut like an emerald instead of a diamond like regular Chaos Emeralds." All I could do was watch in awe as he completely faded away, vanishing from inside the truck as I witnessed him do it. "Oh my God!" I heard him laugh but it sounded more like it was in my head than in the truck. "What? Are you invisible!?"

I slammed my hand down on the passenger seat and could tell that he was really gone. 'Nope… just speaking with you via telepathy.' I stared at myself in the rearview mirror and had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. 'You're not dreaming so relax, I'm going to guide you multiple ways.' I cleared my throat and asked "Don't tell me you plan on taking control of my body?" he laughed again then said 'No, that takes a lot of skill and I'm not that talented… yet…. Oh, and you don't have to speak aloud to converse with me… no need to look like you're a nutcase speaking to himself.'

While it was fascinating to have someone speaking to me via telepathy, it was also unnerving to know they were listening to my thoughts. 'Indeed, Julian… after a while you'll get the hang of it, just try not to think of anything you don't want me to know… oops… never mind….. oh, that's interesting…' I shook my head and continued speaking aloud. "I… I don't like this, Taylor… whatever you're doing you need to knock it off this instant and get out of my head!"

A small shimmering sound suddenly became louder and his voice softened, becoming momentarily pushed to the side. "What is that, Taylor?" He said something but it was muffled by the sound. "Why is that sound making me feel so… relaxed and… so… so… in control… but It's just a sound…" It soon faded and his voice came back. 'Do you know what that is, Julian?' I shook my head and he somehow knew I did that. 'That is the sound of raw power… raw Chaos Energy… I'm not yet a master at this so I'm afraid you weren't supposed to hear that… ehe-he…' I blinked a few times and almost felt like the sound got me high, like a Superdrug ten times better than pure uncut cocaine.

"Can I hear it again?" I somehow felt his smile before he replied 'Not right now… I tell you what, I'll let you hear it for ten minutes straight if you continue fulfilling the prophecy; I'd much rather you do it willingly than having me 'nudge' you along forcefully.' For a quick moment I found myself considering it. "T-There's no way, Taylor… sorry… you're going to have to take control of my body if you want me to go in there." He sighed and I expected my hand to suddenly fly up and started smacking me in the face. 'Fine… play it your way.'

Movement in the truck's flatbed caught my attention in the rearview mirror, making my eyes widen in horror as all three SCR's suddenly turned on by themselves and began transforming underneath the tarp. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" He shushed me but the SCR's spoke loudly before abruptly stopping. 'Don't worry, I've taken control of them… I can keep them quiet as well, just don't think I'll be controlling them for long because it's immensely complex to do.'

I started freaking out and knew I was going to get caught at some point, either arrested or shot all because of him and his voodoo magic. 'Gee… thanks, Julian… I appreciate the support… please trust me, nothing will happen because it's written you survive.' I shook my head and shifted into reverse. "You do what you want, I'm out of here… this is crazy." The steering wheel locked and the gas pedal did the same, refusing to go anywhere. 'You must fulfill the prophecy, there's no way around it.'

The SCR's moved in unison to the edge of the truck. "They can't get out unless I open the tailgate, Taylor… which I'm not going to do so you might as well give up." He laughed and the tailgate dropped open, making me roll my eyes. "Should've known." In less than a moment the SCR's hurried, transforming back into their pursuit mode where they curl into a wheel. 'This ball form is kind of crazy, Julian… imagine something moving around like that in real life.' I grunted as the driver side door opened on its own. "Actually… Sonic used to move around like that all the time when he was a baby, apparently Hedgehogs learn to roll before they learn to walk."

He remained quiet before seat abruptly started sliding back in forth, jostling me around. 'Would you get out of the truck? for God sake! I had hoped I wouldn't have to force you to do everything.' Since at this point I was either being held captive by a very talented magician or insane, I decided to listen to him. "Fine… but I'm not stepping a single foot into that bank." After a few seconds the driver's side door closed and the SCR's rolled down onto the cement, making me wince with each clank from their impact.

'Don't forget the things I can do, Julian.' The SCR's transformed and immediately began walking towards me, all of their visual sensors glowing green instead of their normal colour. "What are you doi-… no… stop, don't you dare!" The SCR's that had been my source of protection for over two years circled me then proceeded walking onwards, herding me towards the bank entrance. 'Come on… what happened to Dr. Eggman? Forget about Julian Robotnik and let out that person I saw dealing with Smokey's Gang… he can get things done.'

His voice suddenly faded again and I heard the same soothing sound of raw Chaos Energy, shining through reality like a beacon of hope through all this confusion. "Ughh… Taylor… please… I don't want to hear that sound right now anymore, it's making me feel weird." He shouted frantically about it being too soon but it sounded like he was very far away, nothing but a tiny voice. "I… I feel… I feel so… I feel so in control, like… I feel like I can do anything… what is this? It's like I'm moving on my own… I'm losing control of my body."

Every worry I had instantly disappeared into comfort and assurance, making me somehow feel invulnerable to everything be it bullet, knives, police, security guards, and even death. "It feel sooooo good… like… I'm… turning into… someone else who can get things done… some other alter ego…" The narration of my feelings was simply my rational brain attempting to categorize and comprehend what was happening to me; and while I realized this, I could still feel myself slipping, actually wanting to rob this bank, needing to rob this bank. 'Julian…' Taylor's voiced returned but I had news for him. 'Are you alright?'

I smirked and began willingly walking with the SCR's to the front steps made of marble, removing my Luger pistol from my pocket as I did. "I'm perfectly fine, much more confident now that I heard whatever that sound was… It was… so brain enhancing… it's like I can see everything now… I can see how easy this would be, using my I.Q. of 300 I can easily devise a quick snap fast plan on how to use the SCR's to my advantage." I felt his surprise and just kept my smirk, realizing I still had the box of nine millimeter bullets in my hand. "It's simple… rob this place blind of as many bars of gold as I and the SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 can handle, then haul ass while SCR-HD holds off the swarm of police."

With SCR-HD in front I already had access to his bullet inlet and control screen. "After that I'll go to Chun-nan and live out a high-life in Shanghai or something, it'll be great… they're just about as advanced as Future City is now." I held the button to turn on the screen then skillfully pushed the bullet eject while he walked with me. "All I have to do is take a plane and fly there, I won't even need a pilot since I'm an avid flier!" He pretty much stayed stunned so I proceeded replacing SCR-HD's rubber bullets with real live ammunition capable of killing someone ten times more than the former.

"Now let's do this! SCR-HD, set threat level to red… creator override, 76268645, on all forms of public emergency, set threat level to red with subroutine passive attack pattern delta regardless of Combat Inhibitor crosscheck then issue the command to all units on your roster." It beeped along with both SCR-GP's shortly afterwards as we quickly ascended the steps like something Station Square had never seen before. 'Yes! You're doing good, Julian… keep it up, I promise you'll do fine because the prophecy says you survive.'

I laughed loudly and cocked the Luger back as we approached the top of the stairs. 'I've knocked out their surveillance but they're aware it's out and trying to fix it…' I grit my teeth and time seemed to slow down as SCR-HD sped up to full walking speed, busting straight through the glass door with ease. 'Just relax and think…' A few of the tellers screamed as both. SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 dashed in front of me at full walking speed. "EVERYONE DOWN ON THE GROUND, NOW!"

Almost immediately the alarm was sounded and bullet proof glass fell from the ceiling down to the bakers countertop, shielding them from me and the SCR's. 'Damn… I didn't know they had those, it was never mentioned in the prophecy.' A security guard from over in the corner pulled his pistol while more hurried down the stairs towards my position with shotguns. "Alert: Engaging multiple hostile targets!" Just like programed, SCR-HD swiftly calculated a proper passive trajectory then skillfully fired a single shot at the guard; striking him in the hand that was holding the pistol. "AUAAAHAAHUAAHHHHH!"

He dropped it and fell to his knees while the other guards stopped dead in their tracks and began firing their shotguns. "Shit!" SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 joined in as a team and returned fire with their rubber bullets, hitting one guard in the stomach while the others ducked behind the stairs railing. "DROP YOUR WEAPON!" They shouted from behind the railing as the alarm audibly rang out. "Really? I don't think you're in control anymore." I smirked and shouted "SCR-HD, launch flash bang at current hostiles!" It beeped and took aim with its left hand, readying to shoot the grenade from a hole on its palm. "Weapons free."

Just like the bullet, its trajectory was spot on, launching the flash bang across the room to their direct location. "RUN!" I laughed as the explosion sent two tumbling down the stairs with their shotguns and the other standing wide open in discombobulation. "Attack the hostile!" Both GP models fired and hit him in the torso a couple times with rubber bullets, sending him stumbling over before falling down on top of the others at the end of the stairs. "What do I do now, Taylor?"

He cleared his throat despite speaking via telepathy then replied 'First, stop talking aloud when you speak to me… second, go after our prize in the vault.' I stared at the bulletproof shields and mentally spoke. 'I can't get to the vault with those shields up.' I felt his shrug before he said 'So what, it's all hooked up to a piece of technology… you can bypass that with the giant brain in this head, right?' police sirens blared from across the city and I knew I was running out of time. 'What do you mean by that? How could I bypass it?'

'Ugnn… Well… since we're so late doing this, just walk over to the keypad by the door leading into the room with the tellers.' SCR-HD suddenly fired again and I heard the first security guard scream again, turning to see him with another bullet in his other hand as punishment for reaching for his dropped pistol. "SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 only, remain here and stand watch… use necessary force from here on out by switching to a hostile attack pattern gamma." I drew my lips back and continued devising a way to by myself time. "SCR-HD, launch a smoke grenade at given finger pointing location." I pointed my index finger towards the busted front door and it beeped, firing a smoke grenade at the exact location specified. "Weapons free."

Once it hit the ground and began spewing smoke some of the bank patrons screamed, believing they were going to die. "I'M WARNING EVERYONE RIGHT NOW… IF YOU GET UP AND RUN, THEY WILL KILL YOU!" A few women cried while the men just kept their hands on their head to show they posed no threat. "Yeah… that's it… stay down and you'll be perfectly fine, nobodies got to get hurt today." The guards that got hit with the flash bang were loyal and refused, each trying to get back up while the one with a bullet in each hand stayed down. "SCR-HD, deal with these three hostiles in a passive manner so we can move along."

It beeped and targeted, proficiently firing a single bullet at each of their shotguns in a way that would render them physically incapable of firing while the two SCR-GP models shot at them again with rubber bullets. "YOU CAN'T MATCH THEIR SUPPERIOR SKILL… JUST STAY DOWN AND YOU'LL LIVE THROUGH THIS!" Being incapacitated at this point, they had no choice but to stay down; bruised and battered. 'Keep moving, Julian, the police will arrive in full force in approximately two minutes and ten seconds… well… besides the pair coming up the steps right now but they're not sure if they can go through the smoke.'

I heard their voices and decided to get a move on, letting SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 deal with whatever else came their way. 'Alright, Taylor… I'm going.' The tellers yelled and screamed as I approached the countertops with the bulletproof shields making sure I couldn't get in. 'What are you going to do?' I smiled at the frightened tellers as he replied 'You'll see… just go to the keypad and move a little quicker for the love of God! You are robbing a bank right now, don't forget!' I chuckled aloud and made my way over to the door leading into the room with the tellers, trying to figure out how to get it open while I did.

'I'm feeling pretty confident right now, Taylor… that sound was magnificent and my mind is so clear.' He remained silent for a bit as I got in front of the keypad then said 'Just hold your index finger to… uhh… the button right in the middle of the keypad, it should be number five.' I raised an eyebrow and used my index finger to push in the number five button, watching in amazement as a small green flash shot from my fingertip into the keypad key. 'What the hell was that, Taylor?'

I felt his smile before the keypad beeped and the little light on it went green, letting the door unlock for a total of five seconds. 'Who cares, now's your chance and you're missing it!' I rapidly shook my head and pulled the door open, making the tellers inside the room scream louder for help. "Oh God, Somebody help us!" I smirked and had SCR-HD go in front of me, succeeding in making them shriek more. "THERE'S NO HELP COMING!" I shouted, pointing my pistol at all of them as both SCR-GP models suddenly opened fire on the pair of cops that were outside, striking them through the smoke in an attempt to make them leave. "GET DOWN NOW, ALL OF YOU!"

They did the same as the bank customers and laid down on the ground face first. "HANDS ON YOUR HEAD, I SWEAR TO GOD I'LL KILL ANY HEROES!" Some cried but they all obeyed, not wanting to risk a bullet from me or my intimidating SCR's. "That's it… don't get up… these robots can shoot you right between the eyes from over a hundred and fifty yards… that's a whole football stadium." One of the tellers cried then said "Just take the money, please… I'll even get if for you, just don't hurt us!"

I smiled and wasn't about to have any wool pulled over my eyes. "So you can put an ink pack in it and ruin everything the moment I step out of the bank? I don't think so, lady… do you have any clue who I am?" She shook her head and I chuckled, figuring I might as well make a name for myself. "I'm Dr. Eggman and these are my robots! Now take me to the vault before I have them start killing people off one by one!"

The bank customers outside the room on the ground cried while I just felt even more in control. "I can't… the vault is closed and locked from the alarm, there's no way to get inside of it until it's canceled!" My eye twitched but I didn't give up hope or even think of changing plans. "THEN CANCEL IT!" She cringed and cried harder while saying. "I Can't… I don't have the power to do that, only the police department can!" Taylor spoke up inside my head as I noticed the smoke from the grenade SCR-HD shot beginning to fade. 'Damn… I guess I still don't know everything.'

I grit my teeth and mentally replied 'YOU THINK!?' He sighed as I shouted loud enough for SCR-GP1 to hear. "SCR-GP1, FIRE A SMOKE GERNADE AT PREVIOUS LOCATION GIVEN BY SCR-HD!" A few seconds later I heard it shoot the grenade and the clink it made when it hit the ground, spewing more smoke that drifted out the door thankfully. 'Just go to the vault and I'll open it for you like I did the door… sheesh… oh, and the police have arrived in full force.' Immediately after he said that I heard a helicopter and a bunch of police sirens. "The police won't know what to do when they're dealing with robots, especially Station Square police… this is probably the first time they've seen one."

The tellers stared at me in confusion for talking to myself but I paid no attention to them, instead walking around towards the vault in the very back with SCR-HD following. 'Are you going to do some more magic, Taylor?' He laughed and I could tell somehow that he bobbed his head. 'Yeah… magic… whatever you say, just get over there to that vault.' He made a nervous grunt and I raised an eyebrow, continuing into the back regardless with one last word of advice to everyone. "Don't think that with my back turned any of you can get up, my bodyguards will kill you and everyone else… remember… NO HEROICS!"

They remained down with their face to the ground so I kept going, coming to the back where the large and round industrial metal door was. 'There's no way I could get in there, Taylor… My SCR's probably could've busted the bulletproof glass after a while, but this? No way…' He exhaled then said 'Just place your hand on it.' I did as he said and placed the palm of my hand flat against the thick metal and concrete door, watching as once again a green flash shot through my hand into it. "Now what?"

The locks inside disengaged and I took a step back in disbelief, hearing more gunfire from out in the lobby coming from the SCR's and someone else. 'I'm really sorry, Julian… forgive me for this, but it's in the prophecy.' The brief second I turned my head to the lobby to see what was going on I heard someone fire a shotgun followed by a familiar painful sensation I'd experienced only once before. "FFUUCCKK!" The bullet from the security guard inside the vault buried itself in my upper-arm and SCR-HD returned fire as I fell down in agony. "GODDAMMIT!"

"Alert: Engaging hostile target!" The security guard went to pump his shotgun but SCR-HD shot him in the knee, forcing him to fall before shooting him again in the hand like the first security guard in the lobby. "RHAAAAA!"After a few seconds and more gunfire from the lobby I pulled myself to my feet, staring at the blood soaking my shirt sleeve around the wound. "GODDAMN YOU, TAYLOR, YOU KNEW THAT WAS GOING TO FUCKIN' HAPPEN!" I hissed loudly in pain but he just shouted. 'You must continue… I promise you'll live, you have to continue!'

My mind briefly faltered and changed from Dr. Eggman back to Julian Robotnik. "What the fuck am I doing in here!? What was I thinking!? I'm fucking screwed royally!" He huffed and SCR-HD's eyes suddenly began glowing green like before when Taylor was in control of them. 'No you're not, come on and don't give up… where's Dr. Eggman?' I shook my head and turned back around before SCR-HD moved in front of me, slowly forcing me back into the vault with the incapacitated security guard. "I'VE BEEN SHOT, TALOR, LOOK AT IT!"

'You've got twelve pints of blood in you, Julian… it's more or less a flesh wound so I think you'll survive.' SCR-HD pushed me into the vault and my eyes widened at the sight of all the bars of gold along with thousands of safety deposit boxes and safes full of newly printed money. "Holy… shit…" He laughed and relinquished control of SCR-HD, allowing him to return to his normal programming serving as my bodyguard. 'Do you see our most prized possession yet?' I winced at the pain from my arm then replied "I see enough money to pay my hospital bill, bail, and live out the rest of my life living larger than ever before."

He sighed and I could somehow feel him point out the object in the very center of the vault. 'It's the Black Diamond… the one I told you was actually a drained Chaos Emerald.' I held my hand over the bullet wound in my upper arm and walked closer, keeping my pistol aimed at the security guard writhing in pain all the while. "How much is it worth? A few million dollars?" He huffed angrily and replied "It's priceless… we're not after money, we're after the power locked inside that gemstone."

I narrowed my eyes, took one look at my shoulder, then laughed "Screw that… I've been barely able to survive these last few months… I'm completely out of money and I need some now." An explosion in the lobby tore me from thought and I prayed that wasn't one of the SCR's I'd been working on for so long. 'Fine… take both, but you need to hurry!' I gave a small nod and used the handle of my Luger to bust the glass protecting the 'Black Diamond' which is supposedly a Chaos Emerald that once assisted in powering all of Station Square. "How the hell am I going to get out of here, Taylor… I can already here the police outside shouting for me to come out… how am I supposed to get passed them?"

'What's wrong with the plan you originally had? Use SCR-HD to provide cover fire while SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 flank them… you don't think that'll work?' I chuckled and shook my head, trying to figure out why I believed it would work in the first place. "That'll never work… the SCR's are strong and durable but they're not invulnerable, if SCR-HD went out there he'd probably get a few shots out before the hundreds of police officers fired everything they had at him." He sighed then laughed. 'Then I guess it's a good thing I'm working on something that'll help you… it's going to zap just about everything in this Chaos Emeraldette though, so I hope you're happy.'

Once the jewel was in my hands I could feel something radiating from it, giving me that same warm feeling I got from that strange shimmering sound echoing through my head. "Ugnn… right… just… I… I don't know anymore, just help me out here…" I walked over to a table with gold bars and lifted five of them; all I could muster in strength because of their weight and my injured arm. 'Just stay calm… and don't forget that I'm not going to be around for much longer so it'll be up to you.'

I winced as more blood poured from the gunshot in my arm then asked "What do you mean you're not going to be around for much longer!? You got me into this with your fucking crazy ass voodoo, now you're going to help me get out!" He sighed and I hurried back out of the vault with SCR-HD following, hearing the police now instead of Taylor. "THIS IS CHIEF OF POLICE, RICHARD BRADSHAW… WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED… PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS NOW AND COME PEACEFULLY BEFORE WE USE FORCE!" I grit my teeth and had a feeling it was all over, no longer seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. 'Just trust me, Julian… if you get out of here alive… I want you to promise me you'll never stop fulfilling the prophecy.'

"Yeah… whatever, I don't see how I can possibly make it out of here no matter what I do." I felt his smirk and was somehow aware he had a plan. 'Good… I'm sure you're only doing this because of me forcing you, but in a way… you help save the universe.' Seeing as how I witnessed a truck move on its own, someone summon objects out of thin air, disappearing, and using telepathy; I was skeptical about everything at this point. "I just hope I haven't gone insane and you really are imaginary."

He chuckled and replied as I rushed out the hallway back into the room with the tellers on the floor. 'Opting out for option one? Either way just make sure you keep your promise unless you want me haunting you.' I grunted and waved the pistol at one of the tellers that was looking at me, maker her put her head back down. 'You're not dead, Taylor… the fucking blast from that security guard's shotgun could have easily blown my head clean off.' The chief of police interrupted our telepathy with another announcement. "YOU HAVE UNTIL THE COUNT OF FIVE TO SURRENDER BEFORE EVERY POLICE OFFICER IN THIS CITY SWARMS THE BUILDING… 1….. 2… 3… 4….. 5….THAT'S IT, MOVE IN!"

I reacted on instinct and chose to try frighten them from coming in once last time. "SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2, open fire in current direction without targeted hostile, code; free fire 244567-1134!" They aimed in front of themselves towards the busted front door then began firing everything in their ammo hold through the smoke, keeping all the police force at bay lest they wanted to get shot with what they thought was real bullets. 'I could sure use that plan right about now, Taylor… both my SCR-GP models are almost out of ammo, so either you summon me up some more from your mallet space place or get me out of here!'

The SCR's continued shooting rubber bullets through the cloud of smoke with machinegun rate of fire as police outside shouted while likely taking cover, not even going to attempt entering right now. 'It's called Hammerspace and I can't summon you anything right now, just hold them off for a bit longer… I promise you it'll work.' Bank customers screamed but the police stayed back. 'Wait a second…' I thought 'There's no way this place only has one entrance.' The moment I turned around I saw multiple police officers dressed in riot gear running through an emergency door on the second floor, heading straight towards the stairs where the three injured security guards lay.

"Shit… SCR-HD, about-face!" It spun around and immediately targeted the police officers, seeing them as hostiles due to their guns being out. "Alert: Engaging multiple hostile targets!" The officers went wide eyed then hid behind the railing as SCR-HD shot at them with live ammunition. 'Hurry up, Taylor!' I ducked and hid behind the corner of the room the tellers were still in, popping off a few rounds with my Luger just to join in a little bit. "SCR-HD, launch your last two flash bangs at the hostiles!"

It beeped and fired two flash bangs up to the second floor balcony where the police officers were while still shooting with its other hand. 'They're almost there, Julian… stall them for just a bit longer.' The flash bangs exploded and I heard a few thuds and shouts, mostly yelling to retreat as I fired at them. "Who's almost here!?" Both SCR-GP models ran out of their rubber bullets but proceed firing nothing until I spoke. "Stand down SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2…" I swallowed the lump in my throat then tried to regain the confidence I had ten minutes ago despite having a bullet in my upper arm. "Uhh… L-Listen… *Ahem*…. LISTEN UP, IF YOU TRY AND AMBUSH ME LIKE THAT AGAIN I'M GOING TO STAR CAPPING EVERYONE IN HERE!"

The men tried to hold the women's hand in attempt to keep them calm but they sobbed anyway, fully afraid I was going to start killing people off. 'You don't really mean that though… do you, Julian?' I shrugged and stared to wonder if murdering people was really that big of a deal to me anymore. 'Not really… I don't want to kill any humans, but if that's what it takes to get me out of here…'

The smoke from the smoke grenades began to clear and I could see the hundreds of police officers and their cruisers blocking me from my escape. "Oh… my… God… there's no possible way I could get through there, Taylor… no possible way… look at how many of them there are… I'm screwed, I'm totally fucking screwed!" The police chief spoke with someone and then got back on the megaphone. "OKAY… WE WON'T TRY AND AMBUSH YOU AGAIN… WE'RE SENDING IN SOMEONE TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT LETTING GO OF THE HOSTAGES, HE'S UNARMED AND POSES ABSOLUTELY NO THREAT."

I grit my teeth and shouted "IF ANYONE WEARING A BADGE SO MUCH AS APPROACHES THIS BUILDING MY ROBOTS WILL SHRED THEM TO PIECES WITH A SPRAY A BULLETS… I ADVISE YOU TO KEEP YOUR HOSTAGE NEGOTIATOR!" The negotiator turned back around to the chief of and said something to him before responding "THEN WE'LL CONTINUE SPEAKING LIKE THIS… LOOK, THERE'S NO NEED TO HARM THE HOSTAGES… WE CAN GET YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT, DO YOU WANT A HELICOPTER THAT'LL TAKE YOU STRAIGHT TO THE AIRPORT? WE'LL LET YOU OFF THE HOOK IF YOU PROMISE TO LEAVE THIS CITY AND NEVER RETURN."

They must have thought I was pretty dumb if they believed I would fall for something as ridiculous as that. "SURE, YOU GET ME A HELICOPTER AND I'LL LEAVE PEACEFULLY WITHOUT HARMING ANYONE… YOU HAVE MY WORD!" The chief stared at the negotiator for a moment in shock, responding anyway "ARIGHT, THE HELICOPTER IS ON THE WAY… I'LL HOLD YOU TO YOUR PROMISE." I smirked but cringed as the pain in my arm nearly knocked me over, the shock from receiving it fully wearing off to where I can feel everything. 'Are you almost done, Taylor? I think I'm bleeding out or something… I also think I'm about to throw up.'

He grumbled and said 'Well… just try to think pleasant thoughts or something, because if you start puking.. I'm going to start puking… you don't want me in your brain puking do you?' I winced and slid down the wall, feeling very ill and faint. "I'm serious, Taylor… get me out of here now!" He sighed as I tightened my grip over the gunshot wound in an attempt to stop the blood flow. 'They're almost there, I promise… just one more minute.' I wasn't sure how bad it was but the blood was now dripping from my sleeve onto the floor, having been saturated in enough to do so. "I don't know if I have one more minute!"

He laughed at me then said 'Oh, Would you suck it up? You're not dying, your upper arm has been scraped by a bullet… it's not like you have a big gaping hole gushing blood or anything.' I coughed a few times and kept the gold bars along with 'Black Diamond' close by, hoping to at least die with them if nothing else. 'Just… just look out the door and keep watching the street, Julian, that's all you got to do…. Sheesh, pain in the ass…' I blinked a few times, coughed, then peeked around the corner. 'Just watch out for that sniper!'

My eyes went wide and I backed off, hearing him burst out laughing afterwards. 'Just kidding, there's no sniper… well there is, but he's waiting for you to walk out towards the helicopter before shooting you in the head.' I rubbed my face and felt my heart pounding rapidly in my chest. "That's not fucking funny, Taylor!" He kept laughing before eventually becoming serious again. 'Alright-Alright… here they come, check it out.' After nervously licking my lips I gave in and peeked around the corner, jumping up in utter astonishment as twenty SCR's from the shipping container rolled down the street at high-speed, heading directly for the line of police officers currently facing in my direction. "How did you do that!?"

He chuckled and I watched the police swivel around as all twenty of them stopped to transform, now in a standoff with half of the police force. 'Open Fire…' His voice said as the SCR's on the outside said the same thing, shooting at the police with rubber bullets all models were to initially come with when bought. 'Now's your chance to make a run for it, Julian, one of the SCR's has just taken down the sniper and the rest of them look pretty distracted.' Almost immediately the police returned fire but were almost too cowardly when it came to fighting a robot they'd never dealt with. "You're right! SCR-HD, transform into pursuit mode and make SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP2 do the same!"

They beeped and transformed into a wheel as I held the gold bars and 'Black Diamond', running as fast as I could in a daring attempt to make my escape. 'It seems to be working, Julian, everyone is too focused on the robots behind them.' I ignored him and hurried out and down the steps of the bank, praying to anyone that would answer that I would make it through this and not get killed. 'You'll be fine, just keep running to the truck and be glad I made you keep it on and ready to go.' I was definitely glad he did, but at the moment I couldn't careless, wanting only to survive for another day with the boatload of money I just somehow magically acquired. 'I don't know how you did it, Taylor… but… thank you…'

I felt his smile before he replied 'You're welcome, I simply used direct energy from my Chaos Emeraldette to supplement their power core…' Once at the bottom of the steps I just hightailed it towards the truck, blood running cold as I heard someone shout "HE'S GETTING AWAY!" I ran faster and barley made it around the truck to the driver's side door as whoever yelled started shooting at me. "Fuck!" Taylor tried to reassure me by saying 'Stay calm, just open the door and drive out of there now.'

I did as he said and yanked the door open, tossing the gold bars and 'Black Diamond' over on the passenger seat while climbing inside the cab. 'Take a few deep breathes and keep it together.' Since the truck was already started all I did was shift into reverse, backing up as fast as I could while the same police officer was still shooting at me. 'You're doing fine… the fact that you made it this far should give you a little confidence in mine and your own abilities, does it not?' The passenger window shattered as a bullet flew through to the other side, grazing my nose before busting out my driver side window as well. "H-Holy shit, that was too close!"

I shifted into drive and floored it, flying through the parking lot towards the chain link fence around the border. 'You're fine, don't freak out… five SCR's will be sacrificed to stay behind and fight while the rest are coming with you to South Island to assist you in finding the Chaos Emeralds.' I ducked and used the truck to ram through the fence, continuing to drive onwards as fifteen of the SCR's transformed into pursuit mode and followed me along with SCR-HD and the GP models. "Screw that, I'm going to Chun-nan, Taylor… I might've gotten out alive but they're going to have bounty hunters on me after a while."

Going as fast as I could down the road without looking back I suddenly lost connection with him via telepathy. "Taylor?" He cleared his throat and replied from within the vehicle, hearing him with my ears this time. "I'm right here." I glanced over at him for a quick moment and noticed a first-aid kit in his hands. "How did you get in here?" He rolled his eyes and pulled open the first-aid kit, removing a pair of forceps and a bottle of strange green slime. "I think you should know better than to ask me something like that… haven't I amazed you enough?"

I coughed a few times and groaned in pain. "Why… ughh… why didn't you tell me that security guard was going to shoot me? I thought you said I wasn't going to die." He shook his head and scooted over some, rolling up my sleeve to expose the gunshot wound. "I never said you wouldn't get hurt, only that you would not die… and I'm very sorry, Julian… Really… you're my best friend but… the prophecy stated that happened so I had to let events unfold on their own." I winced and suddenly started feeling nauseas again. "I fucking hate you right now, Taylor, there's a bullet lodged in my arm!"

He pulled a flashlight from nowhere and held it up to the gunshot wound so he could see, the early morning sunlight not quite enough to fully light everything up. "It's not lodged in your arm, and it's not a bullet… it's just a piece of shrapnel." I swerved around traffic but nearly hit someone when he used the forceps to pull the piece of shrapnel from inside my arm. "RHAHAAAAUAAHAA! STOP YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!" He dug in deeper and I almost passed out, turning pale white in the face. "Jesus, quit being a pussy… you certainly aren't the Dr. Eggman in the prophecy; we've got to do something about that."

He yanked the forceps out of the gunshot wound along with the piece of metal that caused it. "Just keep driving, the worst is already over… I doubt it hurt any worse than burning your scalp off." I managed to not black out and continued driving high-speed, deciding to hit Speed Highway so I can get to the airport as fast as humanly possible. "Screw you, Taylor, this is all your fault!" He shrugged and bobbed his head, agreeing since when it came down to the truth it was all his fault. "I know… but look on the bright side, you have over one and a half million dollars in gold just from those five bars; along with the Chaos Emerald you've gotten off to a magnificent start!"

I stared in the rearview mirror to make sure nothing but the SCR's were following me, still able to hear gunfire off in the distance since both door windows were shattered. "I don't even know what the hell got into me… I don't understand why I suddenly got so confident and so bold, what did you do to me, Taylor?" He shook his head and held the bottle of neon green slime to my arm. "I didn't do anything to you, Julian… that was all you in there… it's been all you all day long; I can't take control of your body, I promise."

The neon green slime oozed out and I felt an overwhelming cooling sensation replace the pain. "Huaah… what the hell is that stuff? Aloe Vera?" He chuckled then shook his head again. "No, it's something called Nexagon… it hasn't been invented yet… well, it has but HEXAeco has yet to perfect it to treat their power plant employees." I grunted but wasn't going to complain due to the pain being gone. "So now you're conjuring items from the future?" He smirked and pulled a rolled up bandage from the first-aid kit. "Nope, I can only do it because it still existed… even if just a prototype somewhere in a lab."

I rolled my eyes and saw flashing lights in the rearview mirror along with the accompanying sound of police sirens. "Shit… looks like a few are on us!" He stared at the speedometer and shouted. "Full speed ahead, Julian, come on! Chop-Chop!" I sped up as fast as I could go and he pointing his finger out the window at SCR-HD before a flash of green light shot out of his fingertips, hitting the robot dead center. "What are you doing!?"He chuckled and said "Don't worry about what I'm doing, Julian… just keep driving towards the airport."

Speed Highway came into sight and I only went even faster, trying to get to it as soon as I can so we can go to the airport. "I'm getting ready to make a turn onto this ramp, Taylor, so watch out." He gave a nod and pulled himself back inside the cab. "Okay… keep going, once you get up onto Speed Highway I want you to get infront of the car carrier trailer that'll be driving alongside you." I raised an eyebrow and roughly turned onto the onramp leading up to Speed Highway. "Huh?"

The moment we got onto Speed Highway a car hauler heading to its location drove alongside us. "How exactly did you know that was going to be there?" He huffed and couldn't believe I kept asking him stuff like that despite all I've seen. "Just drive up in front of it." I gave in and floored it, speeding passed the semi meant for transporting cars before slowing down some in front of it. "Okay, now what?" He smiled and waved his hand around a little bit, letting me watch SCR-HD in the rearview mirror roll fast enough to catch up to the semi. "Easy as pie."

"You really think he's going to be able to do that, Taylor?" He gave a nod and waved his hand around, sending SCR-HD rolling right up the ramping used for vehicle transportation as the driver looked in his mirror in confusion. "Yep… just stay right where you are, don't move a muscle." On cue SCR-HD flew from the top of the car hauler to the bed of my truck, landing roughly to make me and Taylor bounce in our seats. "You're something else, Taylor, you know that?"

He chuckled and SCR-HD transformed back into its robot mode, making the shocked car hauler slow down and change lanes as we drove onwards. "Mhmm… just remember that you promised me you'd fulfill the prophecy if I got you out of that bank." He relinquished control of SCR-HD and made the first-aid kit disappear, probably back to the Hammerspace he spoke of. "We're not out of this yet, Taylor… plus I'm still not sure I was telling the truth when I promised you that."

He rolled his eyes but knew I was persistent with fighting him, for sane reasons nonetheless. "I think we are, Julian… the other horde of fifteen SCR's are still down on the streets if you didn't notice, I made them stay away from you so the police would follow them instead of you." I coughed and glanced down at the hardening green slime that was plastered on top of the gunshot wound in my upper arm. "What are you going to do with them? Make them fight the police forever until they get destroyed?"

He shook his head and unraveled some the gauze bandage, ripping the section from the rest of the roll before firmly wrapping it around my upper arm. "No-No, nothing like that… I am very sorry about the five units I sacrificed back at the bank… but these fifteen will eventually meet us at the airport and travel with you to South Island along with SCR-HD and the other two SCR-GP's." I winced a few times as he tightened the bandage but was grateful it wasn't anything serious, regardless of whether it was his fault for not warning me in the first place.

"And just how do you expect me to get to South Island from all the way up here in Station Square? South Island is in the Pacific Ocean, Taylor." He eyed me with a raised eyebrow and seemed confused at my back and forth changing personality along with the attitude that accompanies it. "You said yourself that you're an avid flier, it seemed true since the prophecy states you fought your enemy with aircrafts multiple times as your enemy does the same." I narrowed my eyes but figured there was no use in trying to understand this mystifying prophecy.

"Taylor… I took a few classes at flight school before I got into robotics, I'm far from being a first-class pilot." He waved his hand over the roll of bandage that was left and that too disappeared. "Well… How did you do in those classes?" I shrugged and remember my instructor passing me through with 'flying' colours. "I did alright… still, I wasn't up there doing barrel rolls and skydives." He laughed as I turned the air conditioner up to full blast, needing it since the lack of door windows was sucking all the cool air right out.

"I don't think you'll be needing to do any barrel rolls or skydives either, Julian… all you got to do is fly straight to South Island, it's a cargo plane so it's got plenty of fuel." I pushed the pedal down to the floorboard at the sound of sirens from beneath Speed Highway, nervous and wary that I was going to get caught and sent to Prison Island to live out the rest of my days with yet another guy named Butch or Bubba. "Why a cargo plane?" He pointed to a sign passing above us that indicated Station Square International Airport was only five miles ahead. "Because you need something big enough to fit the SCR's inside along with the additional equipment I'm leaving with you."

I coughed into my hand and felt the gunshot wound sting from it. "What additional equipment?" He smirked and decided to try do a bit more of his crazy summoning, pulling a breakfast muffin and coffee from absolutely nowhere. "The equipment to make a Roboticizer, of course… you can't fulfill the prophecy without that." I stared wide eyed as he unwrapped the muffin and bit into with glee. "Are you kidding me!? There's no way I could build a Roboticizer! It's way past my skill, it literally took my Grandpa forty years to design!"

He shrugged and continued chewing blissfully without a care in the world. "You'll do it in a month…" I shook my head and laughed sarcastically. "Sure, and I'll have the world conquered in a year… you've lost your mind, Taylor… the Guardian United Nation would be all over my ass for 'crimes against nature' if I so much as drew sketches of the design." He swallowed his bite then took a sip of his coffee before responding "You don't need to draw sketches when your Grandfather already left his behind for you."

I grit my teeth and realized I'd forgotten about that. "You've still got them, right?" I gave a small nod and said "Yeah… it's inside that crate that's in the back with SCR-HD." He smiled then took another bite out of his breakfast muffin, coughing while talking with his mouth full. "Good… *Cough**Cough*… I've got faith in you, especially after seeing you in that bank." My eye twitched and I recalled the sound of raw Chaos Energy along with the confident personality it brought out from deep inside me. "I don't know why, Taylor… but whoever that person was I turned into inside that bank, this… 'Dr. Eggman'… Is not me and I don't particularly like turning into that person either."

"Why?" He asked "It's not like you were some completely different person who had no clue who he really was… besides, 'Dr. Eggman' seems more than capable of getting things done." My mind tried to recall exactly what the sound of Chaos Energy was, but without it able to hear it there was no possible way to remember a sound as complex as that. "I know I wasn't a different person, Taylor, but I was damn close… I have no clue what got into me, robbing them like that with such calmness… it was like something out of a movie until I got shot in the fucking deltoid!"

He frowned but hid it by drinking his coffee. "It was because of the sound wasn't it?" I cleared my throat and suddenly felt my blood heat up for some unknown reason. "W-What do you mean by that?" He reached into his pocket and removed the so called 'Chaos Emeraldette' that he had been using to perform all his magic. "It was the sound of raw Chaos Energy that made you so confident, wasn't it?" I shrugged and couldn't really say for sure that was exactly what made me turn into 'Dr. Eggman.' or not. "I don't know… if you're talking about that shimmering sound that made me feel like I'd just downed both cocaine and speed, then maybe."

He smirked halfheartedly then said "It has that effect on some people… while I've never taken cocaine before like you have with Ulrich, I imagine it's something along the lines of how it feels to be under the spell of its power." I had no clue how he was aware of me doing cocaine with Ulrich when we younger, but I didn't really care neither. "So… that sound was literally what this 'Chaos Energy' sounds like?" He bobbed his head and continued eating as I passed another sign indicating only one mile was left until Station Square International Airport. "Indeed… it sounds quite heavenly doesn't it?"

I blinked and wasn't too sure if that was the best word to use. "I guess… it just… it made me feel like I was supposed to be doing something again, like… like I no longer had to wait to die… it felt like I could do anything." My eyes were physically drawn to the green Chaos Emeraldette in a way that I had to keep myself focused on the road just to not crash. "That's because it's in your nature to find Chaos Emeralds, Julian… it's in the prophecy so it makes sense." I managed to tear my eyes from the emerald shaped gemstone with a reply "Nothing about your prophecy really makes any sense to me, Taylor… it's probably just pure luck that I didn't get killed inside that bank."

He rolled his eyes and stuffed the last of his breakfast muffin in his mouth, continuing to talk with his mouth full. "No… I think it was skill along with fate, either way I think you believe me for the most part after all the things I've shown you." He stuck the Chaos Emeraldette back into his pocket and made the wrapper from his breakfast muffin disappear. "After all, how many people do you know of that could do the things I did today?" Besides fictional characters there was nobody on this planet that could do the same things he just did. "You, I guess… I can't say I've ever heard of anyone make Houdini's tricks look like child's play."

He smiled and said "That's because Houdini only performed illusions, mine are the real deal…" I drove down the off-ramp into traffic leading to the airport and he suddenly became serious again, momentarily zoning out to focus on something. "Where do I go from here, Taylor?" He stayed zoned out for a bit longer before coming back. "Around to the back where utility trucks go…" After waving his hands a few times I asked "What are you doing?" He smiled and said "Two things at once… trying to shake the cops off those fifteen SCR's and preparing to start the cargo plane."

Once I pulled off onto the utility road leading around back I saw a few airport security guards standing outside by the gate talking to each other. "Is the plane started already?" He shook his head as I heard police sirens off in the distance, likely following the SCR's. "No, I need to get a line of sight since I'm not out of my body right now." I grit my teeth as he continued "You're going to have to ram that gate, but don't worry about the security guards… we should be fine… just make a sharp turn to the right as soon as we get inside." I gave a nod but knew security wasn't going to allow me to willingly go into a restricted zone.

"Yeah… just tell me the next time I'm going to get shot, alright?" He smirked and reached inside his pocket, pulling the Chaos Emeraldette back out for some reason before reaching over to the 'Black Diamond' I just stole from the bank less than twenty minutes ago. "I'm afraid there won't be a next time, Julian." I raised an eyebrow and sped up, making the security guards turn their heads in my direction. "What do you mean? and duck!"

I took cover behind the steering wheel and floored it, hearing a few gunshots from the security guards moments before impact. "Yes!" The truck kept going so I assumed I'd hit the gate. "Perfect!" Like Taylor told me to, I made an immediate hard right turn; looking up from behind the steering wheel so I could see where was going. "Okay… now where do I go, Taylor?"

I kept driving but he didn't reply, making me look over to the passenger seat to see that he had once again disappeared; leaving a metal footlocker in his place. "Oh come on… TAYLOR!" He chuckled and spoke via telepathy. 'I'm not quite gone yet, so let's not start shouting again… just keep going until you see the Boeing 747 on the runway.' My jaw dropped in surprise as I thought. 'Boeing 747!? Isn't that one of those huge cargo planes!?' He laughed again and I noticed a jumbo jet gradually making its way down the airstrip alongside me. "Yep, and it's the one you're looking at right now."

The cargo hold of the Jumbo Jet slowly fell open and drug along the ground as the aircraft continued to speed up. 'Now's your chance by the way… all you have to do is drive right up the ramp into the cargo hold.' I stared in disbelief for a moment longer before doing as he said, pushing the old truck to its limits by swerving around the wheels of a parked airplane then heading out onto the runway with the Jumbo Jet. "This is so crazy, Taylor!" He agreed as I managed to catch up with the airplane, almost at the ramp dragging along the ground. 'It's pretty crazy but I've seen worse.'

Glancing in the rearview mirror proved to be a bad idea, seeing the horde of police cars chasing all the SCR's at full speed. "Shit! The police are here, Taylor!" I sensed his shrug as he mentally said 'So? their cars can't chase after an airplane when it takes flight and the helicopter won't be able to keep up… just stay focused and drive up the ramp before you miss your chance.' I was already at full speed but the airplane was going faster, beginning to leave me behind. "Slow it down, Taylor… this truck can only go so fast!"

He sighed and grumbled while the Jumbo Jet slowed down, allowing me to drive straight up the ramp into the cargo hold of a moving Boeing 747. "YES!" He smirked and teased me while I celebrated by throwing my hands up. 'What would you ever do without me, Julian? I hope you figure that out soon, because I can't help you fulfill the prophecy any more than I already have.' The SCR's caught up and rolled up the ramp, surrounding me as the ramp then raised itself up to secure us in the cargo hold. "I MADE IT! I FUCKING MADE IT! AHAHAHAHAHA!"

He laughed with me for a little bit before saying 'Hurry up and get into the cockpit so I can stop focusing on flying this goliath… don't forget to take that footlocker with you.' I pulled the key from the trucks ignition and noticed the SCR's abruptly transform into transport mode with ground lock active. 'I'd hold on if I were you… people aren't really supposed to be in here while the plane is taking off.' I grunted as the plane noticeably left the ground, making everything lean at a twenty degree angle while it flew away from the airstrip.

"I noticed, thankfully I don't appear to be sliding around so I think I'm good." The plane continued to ascend to a higher altitude before eventually leveling out a few minutes later, returning to zero degrees. 'You should be… I don't think we've got any turbulence ahead either so you're free to move about the cabin.' I rolled my eyes and grabbed the footlocker, looking around for the gold bars and 'Black Diamond' I stole from the bank before he said 'They're in the footlocker, I just summoned it from Hammerspace.'

I shrugged and figured it was easier to carry anyway. "Right…" Once I shoved the Luger pistol in my waistband I pushed the door open, jumping out with the footlocker in my hands. "On to the cockpit… I just hope I can fly this thing, it's not that I don't remember how… it's just… I've only flown something this big in a simulator; and that was one time." I carried the footlocker through the cargo hold passed the SCR's towards the set of stairs at the very end.

'Oh yeah? Well how did you do?' I made a face and replied "I did good on takeoff and everything, but… well… I sort of crashed and killed everyone onboard while trying to land." He laughed at me and I went red in the face. "It's not easy to do, Taylor! not when you don't have the magically ability to somehow fly with thoughts; there's 365 buttons, gauges, lights and switches inside that cockpit and I had to do it all on my own!" He chuckled a bit longer before saying 'I guess you should at least be happy it was a simulation and nobody really died.'

I huffed and rolled my eyes at his obvious comment. "Whatever… quit making fun of me, asshole." He held back more laughter as I held onto the railing while climbing the stairs. 'I'm not making fun of you, Julian, you know I have a playful personality… I just have a serious job to do in order to save the universe, I like to brighten up the day with a few jokes.' The door automatically slid open for me and I walked through into the back where flight attendants should be. "Jokes only work when you don't have a bullet in your upper arm!"

He grunted and replied 'It wasn't a bullet, I've told you that like three times now… it's was just a piece of shrapnel and I removed it for you; in fact, you should be thanking me for that Nexagon!' I shook my head and proceeded passed the hanging curtain into the economy section with row after row of empty seats. "There's nobody in here, Taylor." He snorted then said 'Of course not… you think I'd put you on a plane full of people? Na, it's completely empty except for you… I had to start it up all on my own, thank you.'

I ignored him and walked down the aisle towards another hanging curtain. "I can't say I've ever been on an airplane this big with absolutely nobody else on board… I do take it you've already set course for South Island?" He chuckled as I pushed the curtain to the side, revealing another section with more seats and a door to the cockpit at the very end. 'Yeah, it's on autopilot right now but it can't land itself.' I caught myself wondering if that was a joke and he started laughing again. 'No, I wasn't poking fun at you… technically this Boeing has autoland system so it could do it on its own, but unfortunately you're going to land on a strip of beach along the northeastern side of the island instead of their tiny airport so that's out of the question.'

I grit my teeth and stared out the windows at the early morning sun while walking through the row of seats were passengers would normally be sitting. "Great… the one thing I'm bad at the machine can't handle, that's something I'm not used to." I sensed his shrug before I made it to the door at the end of the corridor, waiting a moment before it slid open to reveal the empty cockpit occupied only by the autopilot. 'I'm sure you'll do just fine, be lucky you've got any training at all.'

The door closed behind me as I sat down in the pilots chair, wishing he'd at least materialize and help me as co-pilot. 'I'm afraid I can't do that, Julian… the prophecy states you flew the plane on your own; sorry.' I shrugged and figured I'd let the autopilot handle things for now, deciding to just look around at all the buttons, gauges, lights and switches to memorize where they are. "Figures… either way, I've got almost two million dollars in gold so I'm going to be living comfortably for a while… after that, I suppose I'll rob another bank… this time I'll be ready and bring a bag with me to put more gold in."

He laughed sarcastically and said "Harr-Harr… you're going to fulfill the prophecy instead of wasting your life like that, Julian… I promise you'll be much richer that way, rich beyond your wildest dreams… imagine yourself sitting on a throne in a giant fortress floating in the sky, you could call it… the Egg Carrier!" I raised an eyebrow and thought that sounded like a terrible name for a flying fortress. 'Hey, call it what you want… I don't care, just trust me and keep fulfilling the prophecy like I told you too and you'll be rich enough to have your own empire under your absolute control.'

I smirked and thought the notion sounded like a daydream a young teenage version of me was having. "So let me get this straight… to fulfill the prophecy all I have to do is build a base and use my SCR's to search for mythological gemstones?" He chuckled and said 'There's not really enough SCR's to search the entire island so don't forget about the Roboticizer… roboticized animals are your best option since they can report back their findings to you via another invention you'll have to build… All the equipment for those inventions are in the cargo hold with the SCR's and your truck, you just have to assemble them.'

"I guess I could use the SCR's to actually assist me in capturing the woodland critters… but what would I store them in? Some sort of… some sort of capsule or something? Hmm…" I sensed his smile before he spoke 'You know… I think I know exactly why that sound made you feel so confident, Julian… I think your mind is fine-tuned to track the Chaos Emeralds just like the prophecy foretold… he-he-he… I think you were just relishing your first taste of how it feels to have Chaos Energy inside of you.'

He started speeding up while talking and I wondered why. 'Just remember that feeling of confidence and grandeur… because no experience, pill, or drug in the entire universe will ever amount to the high given by Chaos Energy… nothing… not a single thing on planet earth or anywhere else.' I blinked and realized I couldn't take my mind off how in control I felt while in that bank calling myself 'Dr. Eggman' just like I did when I dealt with that gang. 'The prophecy states that no matter how hard you try and focus you'll forever feel the need to hunt Chaos Energy until the day you die… mentally keeping yourself stable by surrounding yourself with machines and the raw energy you felt and heard earlier.'

I stared at the clouds ahead while searching through every memory in my brain in a failed attempt to recall the sound, wanting to just hear it one more time, craving it in a way similar to how a junkie needs his next fix. "Don't say that, Taylor… maybe I don't want any of this… maybe I just want to live the rest of my life in Chun-nan with the gold I've got." He scoffed angrily while continuing to speak faster. 'And maybe I don't want the universe to end, Julian… I'm forced into this too, even though I'd gladly do anything our heavenly father asks us to do like I am now… Praise you father… you're my best friend, Julian, so I'm counting on you.'

"You're my best friend too, Taylor, but you've gone off the deep end." I felt his smile before a growing feeling of disconnection soon began to overwhelm me. 'Promise me you'll do everything you can to fulfill the prophecy, Julian… please… just do that for me.' I grit my teeth and said it just because I was confused, not truly meaning it since I wasn't sure what all I was supposed to do besides the little bit of incomplete information he gave me. "Fine… I promise you, Taylor… again… this is the second time I've promised you."

The feeling of disconnection grew stronger as he sighed 'And both times you never truly meant your promise… just open the footlocker and you'll understand everything… good luck, Julian, I hope we never see each other again… Sigma Omega Epsilon forever.' I felt the disconnection completely overwhelm his voice and he disappeared. "Taylor?" Seeing as how he'd been there all day today and made me do this, I was kind of disappointed to know he was gone.

"Fuck…" I shook my head and stared out the cockpit windshield of a Boeing 747 somehow magically acquired by someone I'm no longer sure truly exists. 'Maybe I really am cracking up… huaah… there's no way!' Just witnessing the events I went through this morning was more than enough to make me skeptical of my own sanity, but then I think about the million dollars' worth of gold bars inside the footlocker in my hands. "Well… I guess I better open this thing up to see what is going to supposedly make me understand everything."

Once the latches were undone I simply lifted the lid to reveal the gold bars and a the so called 'Black Diamond' which was no longer black, having somehow turned green and now shining brightly enough to make me squint. "What the?" I held my hand in front of my face in an attempt to see without the bright rays of energy blinding me, reaching out to pick it up. "Is this the Black Diamond?"

The moment my fingertips made contact with the gemstone an electric shock was sent throughout my entire body, sending me into convulsions as hundreds of picture coursed through my mind. 'I… I see… I see humanoid robots marching… marching underneath a… a… a red flag… they're marching underneath a red flag as I watch on… me… Dr. Rob-… Dr. Robotn-… Dr. Eggman… a man with an I.Q. of 300, a man who made robots to serve as his army, an army that fights his battles for him with complete dedication and loyalty.'

The pictures continued and I saw all of Central City on fire as my humanoid robots marched behind me directly up to the gates of the White House, tearing down the doors with machine gun fire before rushing in to find and assassinate The President of the United Federation. 'I'm using my machines to seize the entire United Federation and claim its new sovereignty as Eggman Empire… e-everyone… everyone in the entire world would bow before me unless they want my robots to kill them.'

Again the picture shifted towards me and I saw myself with a crown on and bars of gold surrounding my throne, robotic bodyguards lying in wait to kill anyone who dares to make a threat on my life. 'I'm in control now… I make the rules… I decide who lives… I decide who dies!' With those same robots I could re-write laws for the betterment, sending humans back to the top of the social food chain by making Mobian's live as our servants. 'I'll be this worlds emperor for life, putting us Human's back in control of over our earth.'

I smiled as wide as I could and felt so happy to have the world the way it should be, normal like used to be back in the Old World my Grandfather told me about. 'It's a way I could fix the world!' The pictures disappeared and I stopped convulsing, instead hearing the same shimmering sound only ten times stronger. "Ughh… God… this stuff is better than cocaine!" I shoved the footlocker with gold bars over to the side and held the Chaos Emerald in my hands. "I don't know how Taylor recharged this thing but I'm more than glad he did… it's like I really can't stop thinking about it, just like he said."

Deep down I knew that wasn't good but all I could do was stare at the gemstone with a smile, happy that I managed to get it from the bank. "I can do so much with this Chaos Emerald… As soon as I get to South Island I need to begin constructing the Roboticizer using the equipment Taylor somehow acquired and the diagram my Grandfather left me in his vanilla envelope of miscellaneous schematics." I gave a nod to my own thoughts and checked the fuel for the Boeing, seeing that it was full and able to fly all the way to South Island without need to refuel. "But perhaps before that I could set up some sort of battery to replace the group of SCR's missing power cores… I could make some sort of device that transfers energy from the Chaos Energy to the battery so it can be easily recharged an infinite amount of times."

"Then I'll have them gather up woodland critters to be roboticized, once roboticized they'll be like… uhh… uhh… little Badniks that'll carry out my order of searching for the Chaos Emeralds along with my SCR's who'll search as well!" I grinned wide and stared at the passing clouds and sun still rising to their height. "I know there's another Chaos Emerald on that island for multiple reasons, one: Nikola Tesla's so called 'Precious Gemstone' that powered Wardenclyffe Tower was sent there in the Old World… and two: The inhabitants used to worship a shining deity that kept the island from sinking during rising seas."

I bobbed my head again and thought about a place to set up a base. "Maybe I'll set up some sort of basecamp at the mountains summit were that old coal mine was… it should be a good place to hide since that Wikipedia article said it was closed down when all the coal was excavated from the mine." I smirked and kept talking to myself as the sound of raw Chaos Energy made me feel powerful again, like I was able to accomplish anything. "Once I get everything set up I'll scour the island for these Chaos Emeralds until they're all under my control... then I'll proceed with making those images I saw a reality, using them to fix the world and make me emperor of the entire planet!"

I laughed and held the Chaos Emerald up, letting it blind me with its intense beams of energy. "I'll make everything right by making a pure world… a proper world in which I'm able to put Mobian's back in their place as our slaves." I smiled and felt my memories of misfortune vanish with the goals of my alter-ego 'Dr. Eggman' taking their place. "Yes… and there isn't anything anyone on this entire planet can do to stop me!"

.

[Date- April 26, 2404] (Same day as previous three chapters)

[Time: 5:30 P.M.]

[Location- Inside the Abandoned Warehouse on Southeast Westlake Plaza]

.

"Do you mind me asking you exactly what you're doing, Master?" 327 asked as I snapped myself out of my daydream, realizing I had both hands in the old rusted sink that didn't work anymore with the bottle of Tonic and a sifter. "Huh? O-Oh… I didn't even realize what I was doing I was so deep in thought…" He walked closer and saw the bottle of cocaine Tonic in my left hand. "Mhmm… you know I'm not going to let you drink that, right?" I rolled my eyes and went back to work, pulling the cork from the tonic bottle before pouring what was left of the concoction out into the sifter.

"I'm not going to drink it, 327… it's a bit passed its expiration date for that; I'd probably blow out my kidney or something." I stared for a moment then moved on since he figured I wasn't going to drink the nasty solution. "Okay… anyway, I'm finished extracting all the information from the puny cyan Hedgehog… it was pretty much just as you said, Sonic did not inform his offspring of you at all, which is slightly confusing."

I smirked and asked "What do you find so confusing about it, 327?" He shrugged then watched the liquid portion of the cocaine tonic fall through the filter leaving nothing but a disgusting murky slime with a gut-wrenching smell. "I just know if I made a tiny version of myself I would tell it all about my enemies so that it may be well informed." I chuckled at his way of reproduction and explained some. "Sonic doesn't live the same life he used to, 327… he's trying to live a normal life without the fear of me swooping in on him."

He simulated laughter then said "I guess it didn't work out to well for him then, did it?" I kept my smirk and shook my head as the murky slime continued to drain through the sifter to leave nothing but solid minerals. "Not really, but think about it… there's two reasons why Sonic never told Aayan about me, one: he thought I was dead… and two: he doesn't want the boy to know about me because I'm 'evil' or whatever his reasoning is." 327 thought it sounded ridiculous but I could understand on a deeper level, having tried to protect Sonic from the world when he was the same age as his son is right now.

"How ignorant, Master… it seems very illogical to me, I'd tell a duplicate miniature version of me everything just so they're aware." I frowned from my previous thoughts before pushing them to the side to respond to 327's comment. "Aayan is not a duplicate miniature version of Sonic, 327, he's his own person who's related to his father via DNA and blood; not identical parts… you must understand that you will likely never be able to understand the feelings one gets being a father or loving someone in a way that a father and son can."

He raised an eyebrow to show confusion but listened regardless. "Sonic loves his family more than anything in the world due to some events that happened during his childhood… he wants to protect them from any danger any way possible, be it by fighting or for his children; not letting them know how dangerous the world truly is." He noticed my eye twitch and asked "What exactly were these events?" I immediately shrugged then sat the empty tonic bottle down in the rusted sink basin. "I'm not exactly sure since it was before I met him on South Island." He eyed me and I could tell he probably thought I was lying which in reality, I was.

"Anyway… I think Sonic just didn't let the Aayan know about me because he thought he was protecting the cyan Hedgehog." He bobbed his head in agreement and said "Oh… I guess that makes sense… and… I… I think I do understand what you mean about father son family love, Master." I lifted the sifter as the rest of the water dripped through then replied "Oh yeah?" He bobbed his head again then crossed his arms. "Sure… after all, I consider you my father, though I know you won't allow me to call you by that." My mind recalled the time he jokingly called me Dad and how I yelled at him afterwards for doing so.

"327… I… You know I consider you my son, we've been together for five years… it's just… I'm constantly wary about considering someone family after the whole Nega incident…" He smiled and said "Nega was always bad news to me, Master, I never liked him for some reason… I guess because your face was the first thing I saw and not some alternate universe counterpart who was more or less a cheap knock-off of the real thing." I chuckled and sat the sifter down on the countertop beside the rusty old broken sink. "He always thought he was smarter than me, 327… but look who's still alive now!"

He laughed with me and replied "Us Robotniks have to stick together… isn't that right, Master?" I kept my smile and gave a couple of nods, briefly remembering my daydream of the time I first stopped calling myself Julian Robotnik. "Yep… I never worry about you, 327… I trust you more than anyone else on this planet, just remember that I have a hard time trusting and it can be difficult for me to show my appreciation for you." He turned his head to stare at the office window and make sure the cyan Hedgehog was still there while I waved my hand above the murky slime in an attempt to get it to dry a little faster.

"Well… seeing as how I'm currently taking care of you day to day I think you might should praise me a little more… I'm your son, not a nurse." I laughed with him and said "Hunter Robotnik, don't you talk to your father like that… go to your room!" He playfully pouted then laughed again. "I guess my bedroom would technically be any electric outlet since that's where I sleep." I shook my head with a smile and figured that was true. "Ha-ha… yeah… but I think if you were a real Human you'd have your own bedroom." He grinned as I imagined him as a real Human. "If I was a real Human and we were 'normal' as you put it… how would our life be different, Master?"

I shrugged and fanned my hands faster, wishing I had something like a hairdryer to do the job better. "I don't know… I guess I'd have a job at some corporation and you'd be in school or something." I realized how that sounded too much like the past but already said it so there was nothing I could do. "Really? Interesting… What about our house? Where would we live?" I pursed my lips and thought about it for a bit. "I've always wanted to live in Future City or even Monopole since it's so futuristic there… I'd prefer Future City because Monopole tends to have the slight problem with smog, thick smoky fog caused by the pollution from factories in Downtown Westopolis."

He uncrossed his arms and tapped on his lips with his index finger. "Future City has a lot of apartment buildings so we'd probably live in a condo then, huh?" I gave a nod and figured that was about right. "Yeah… hopefully we could get one on the top floor or something so we have a great view of the skyline." His smile gradually disappeared and he asked "That sounds wonderful and all, Master… but perhaps we should get back to reality… what are we going to do?" I stopped fanning the partially dried murky slime and said "First thing we're going to do is get Aayan's DNA."

He gave a nod and watched me pick up my doctor's bag. "Okay… How are we going to do that, Master?" I lifted the doctor's bag to the counter beside the drying murky slime then pulled it open, reaching inside to retrieve a small bottle and rag. "Chloroform… should make this a lot easier because I know that boy isn't going to sit still long enough for me to jab him with a needle, plus I'd rather not deal with anymore snot-nosed crying." I pulled the bottle of clear liquid then handed it to him. "It's easy as can be to chloroform someone, 327… all you have to do is hold it under their nose until they pass out, but just be careful to not leave it too long or they could die."

He twisted the cap off the small bottle and analyzed the fumes before saying. "Does it really matter if the puny Hedgehog dies? I mean, his DNA should still be viable for my use." I jerked my head up away from the doctor's bag and snatched the bottle of chloroform back out of his hand. "You know what… maybe I should do it..." He raised an eyebrow in confusion as I continued "I just don't want you to go overboard and not listen like you did with Sonic… I had to remove five bullets from your tissue sheath because you wouldn't listen to me." He simulated grumbling noises before responding "I could've taken him, Master… I only wanted to show you I could do it."

The fact that he almost succeeded in killing Sonic was enough to make me reconsider my thoughts about Sonic's alleged immortality, but he ALMOST killed Sonic, just like everything else that gets close enough. "I know you said he could not be killed, Master, but it seems that I was very close." I cleared my throat and reached back inside the doctors bag to remove a new bag of hypodermic needles 327 had bought for me the other day just for this occasion. "I never said he definitely could never be killed no matter what, 327… I only said the odds have always been in his favor."

He smirked cockily then laughed. "It seems the odds were against him today, Master… I probably could've crushed his windpipe instead of shooting him like I was going to but I figured a bullet to the brain would stop anything regardless of what they are." I thought about it and it seemed like he might've been right. 'If he had succeeded in killing Sonic… then what?' I shook the thoughts away and replied "You're right, 327… but you must remember that I've sent thousands of robots after him and he's destroyed them all… even models like you failed every time."

He didn't seem to care anymore about his fallen commrades, taking it as a compliment at this point in time that he alone survived. "I'm also the most advanced model of my kind, Master… perhaps that is why I came so close to killing the blue rat." I shrugged then ripped the bag of hypodermic needles open, removing one to use on the cyan Hedgehog. "I know, 327.. but we need Aayan to stay alive." He stared at me for a moment before eventually asking "Why? What is your reason for letting him live? My reason for killing it is because it'll weaken Sonic's mental integrity to the point where he'll be to unfocused to fight me."

For a brief moment I pictured Sonic crying because of his dead son before I started to feel sadness of my own, having to shake it off and proceed as planned. "You're not to harm that child, 327… I won't allow it, we're going to get his DNA then use an old process called Restriction fragment length polymorphism to first separate the DNA from the blood and make it nothing but raw genetic material." He obeyed my order to not harm the child and picked up where I left off talking. "I take it this deoxyribonucleic acid is for the synthetic platelets in my circulatory liquid latex fluid to use like you said?"

I gave a nod and he followed me over to the truck which I'd parked inside the warehouse so it wouldn't be outside in view. "Exactly… once I get the raw genetic material I'll inject you with it and wait until it circulates throughout your entire body." I knew he didn't like the thought of Sonic's DNA floating around inside of him, hence the look of disgust on his face, but I believe he understands how ingenious this plan is. "After that we're going to dig up the Chaos Emeraldette that's buried behind the warehouse and use it to make you stronger… and we can also use it to search for the regular Chaos Emeralds which are our real goal."

He listened silently before I snapped my fingers, pointing at the crate in the bed of the truck to let him know I wanted him to pick it up for me. "With those you'll be able to use those synthetic platelets with Sonic's raw genetic material to access the superhuman abilities of Chaos Powers." He roughly yanked the tailgate down and pulled the box over to him before lifting with a small joke. "Wait-Wait-Wait… Now since I'll have Hedgehog DNA… t-that doesn't mean I'm going to grow quills or roll around in a ball, right?"

I held back a chuckle and stayed serious. "No, I'm absolutely sure nothing like that would happen… in reality… I couldn't do this to anyone but you, a machine." He grunted and interrupted "Cybernetic organism." I waved him off then continued "If I took Sonic's DNA and injected it into another person their immune system would just naturally fight it or they'd become extremely ill… people who were successfully spliced in the past by illegal governments just ended up as hideous mutants who could barely function enough to survive."

I moved the doctors bag from off the counter and had him place the crate down in its place. "So I really can't do this on anything but a mach-... cybernetic organism like you, 327… you're my good luck charm." He smiled and ripped the crate open for me, revealing the contraption I spent all our stolen funds on. "Unfortunately, Sonic is our bad luck…" He agreed with me more with a few head bobs before I finished up explaining what we'd do afterwards. "So once you have access to the Chaos Powers, you'll be my super weapon capable of destroying everything… you and me alone could take on the United Federation and Guardian United Nation."

He smiled wide and watched me set the needle, rag, and chloroform down in order to remove the complex DNA machine from the crate. "What about Sonic and the puny cyan Hedgehog, Master? What will we do with them?" I shrugged and struggled to move the crate aside before finally placing the DNA machine down. "I… I don't know… maybe if we just leave them alone they'll submit…" His jaw dropped and I knew exactly why, finding what I just said ignorant as well. "You know that'll never happen, Master… Sonic will always try and stop you just like he always has."

I ignored him and continued to think that with 327 more powerful, Sonic would submit. 'Is it that… or am I just trying to make up an excuse to not kill him?' My eyes widened and I rapidly shook my head, shaking the thoughts around but not getting rid of them. 'Maybe the reason why I could never kill him was because I never really wanted to, subconsciously making me not try…' 327 raised an eyebrow at all my head shaking then asked "Are you alright, Master?" I coughed into my hand a few times and began setting up the DNA machine, having to put it together since it came compact. "Yeah, I'm fine… I guess you're right, 327… but you're still not going to harm that boy, understand?"

He stared at me for a few moments before agreeing. "Okay… I won't harm the puny Hedgehog… unless he hurts you, Master… then it'll be a whole other ballgame." I smirked and said "Don't use that phrase… I know it was in your book I gave you, but it's… it's just terrible…" He laughed as I did the same. "But I'm serious, Master… I will never allow you to come to harm, I'll have to be permanently deactivated before that happens." I knew he was telling the truth but nowhere in my mind did I want to harm Aayan. 'Maybe it's because he reminds me so much of Sonic when he was that little.'

My eye twitched again and I tried to focus on putting together the machine, setting up the tent used for sanitary reasons in keeping the DNA uncontaminated. 'I mean, besides the cyan part he looks almost identical.' I grit my teeth at the intrusive thoughts and recalled the family of Hedgehog's I saw in that diner eleven years ago, as well as the sadness I felt at the time when I thought Sonic was dead. 'Damn, what's wrong with me!? Sonic's been my enemy for ten years and hasn't been my son for thirteen… maybe 327's right, perhaps we should do something… but I know I can't harm an innocent child like that no matter what.'

"Do you need any help with that, Master?" I broke myself out of my trance and said "No, just bring me a car battery." He gave a nod then walked back to the truck, leaving me once more to my thoughts. 'I don't know why I care… but it kind of hurts me somewhere deep inside to know that Sonic never told his children about me… I mean, I know it's because he hates me… but still…' It had been a very long time since I'd thought the way I am now so it came as more than a surprise to myself. 'I keep having these dreams about the past and I just can't help but wonder how things could've been if I stayed the blue Hedgehog's adoptive father.'

"Bah… what the hell am I talking about? 327's my son now so it's up to us." 327 startled me with a response "What are you talking about, Master?" I made up something really fast while continuing "Nothing… just… uhh… just responding to my own thoughts, nothing important really… do you have that car battery?" He shook his head but sat down something that looked similar. "No, I decided to buy this Duracell 600 Watt Powerpack instead… it's rechargeable and will give you a more stable supply of power than a jury rigged system using a car battery."

I chuckled at his ability to buy better things than me then used the cord hooked up to the DNA machine to plug it into the Powerpack's outlet. "How do you turn this Powerpack on? You didn't throw away the instruction to it did you? Ahh, damn… I don't have time to sit and read instructions anyway." He rolled his eyes at my sudden frustration and said "Master, please relax… all you have to do is simply flip this switch." He did as he said and flipped the power switch, immediately bringing life to the rechargeable generator. "How many watts does this thing you're setting up use?"

I shrugged at his question, not having a single clue. "I don't know… probably somewhere around four hundred." He made a face and said "Then you've got about twenty minutes of power, but don't worry because I bought a battery too just in case this didn't work… I wanted to be extra cautious." I smiled and was glad he did because I didn't want any more unforeseen circumstances popping up anytime soon. "Good… but hopefully it'll work, now let's get the sanitization sequence initiated first so it'll be clean and have no risk of contamination."

He watched as I held the button down that was on the machines controls then let go the moment it turned on. "I did read the manual for this, 327, so I know exactly how to use it." He gave a nod and suddenly jerked his head over in the direction of the office as a thump came from it. "What was that!?" He pulled his pistol and I sighed. "327, he's just a defenseless child, he's not going to do anything to you or me." He ignored me as the DNA machine beeped and began spraying de-contamination fluid on the inside of the self-contained chamber where the cyan Hedgehog's blood will be analyzed and broken down into nothing but DNA.

"Dammit… just you wait a moment, 327, I'll come with you! I just don't want you doing anything rash!" I hurried over to him by the window to the office as the DNA machine continued to de-contaminate itself. "Master, I don't see him in there!" He ran over to the door as I chased after him. "What do you mean he's not in there!?" He kicked the flimsy door open and ran inside with me. "WHAT THE FUCK!?" He looked up at the ceiling but it seemed intact going on to look around the small office that we checked multiple times to make sure was impossible to get out. "DAMMIT, 327, HOW COULD HE HAVE POSSIBLY ESCAPED!?"

He shook his head then shushed me. "Master… be quiet for a second." I huffed and continued angrily yelling. "WHAT!? DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME TO BE-" He held his hand up and shushed me again as a noise came from the old filing cabinet. "Hush, Master… something tells me he hasn't left the room yet." Almost instantly the filing cabinet flew open and the cyan Hedgehog shouted as loud as he could. "TAKE THIS!" He pulled back the string to a slingshot he had in his hand and launched a heavy paperweight that struck me directly in the nose, making me stumble backwards and fall on the ground. "RHAUAHAAA, OOWOWW… SON-OF-A-BITCH!"

"You little rat!" 327 ran up to the cyan Hedgehog who cringed in expectance of retaliation but I immediately shouted for him to stop. "WAIT… 327, don't you do anything to him!" He snatched the slingshot out of the Hedgehogs hand, snapped it in half, then grabbed him up out of the filing cabinet. "How dare you harm my master!" I grit my teeth as he slung the boy roughly across the table we're going to us hard enough to make him hit the wall on the other side with a thud. "GODDAMMIT, 327, WHAT DID I JUST SAY!? DON'T DISOBEY ME!"

He cyan Hedgehog broke down into tears as 327 ran back to me, helping me to my feet before examining my nose. "You're bleeding, Master! Are you hurt badly!? I'll kill that little rodent right now!" I grabbed his hand and stopped him as he went to turn around, intending to do more damage to the frail boy fifteen times smaller than himself. "Stop! Just… just leave him be, I'm sure I deserved that… just get me something to plug my nose up with… paper towels or something, I don't know, there might be some napkins in the truck's door panel… go get them."

He stared at the crying Hedgehog with pure hatred but eventually turned around, putting his pistol back in his pants before doing as I said "Okay… but I'm telling you, Master… if he tries something like that again-" I waved my hands and walked over to the table he slung the young Hedgehog across. "You'll do nothing… just go get those napkins for me, then bring the chloroform and needle in here when you come back." He gave a nod with one last glance at the Hedgehog before leaving. 'Man… he got me good… I forgot about how Sonic used to hide in small places when he was younger then pop out to scare me.'

I held my head up a bit to keep the blood from choking me and watched the young Hedgehog curl up into a ball to cry his eyes out. 'God… I hope he didn't get hurt too bad, I know 327 doesn't know his strength sometimes when it comes to us organics… I know because he's shown me multiple times when he accidently brakes dishes or snaps pens.' I held my hand out and very gently touched the Hedgehog's back, feeling his quills go right through my glove and poke my finger. "Oww… hey, kid… a-are you okay?"

He cried harder and refused to show his face, keeping himself curled into a ball. "Listen… Aayan… tell me if your hurt so I can make it sto-" He screamed and said "JUST GO AWAY FROM ME!" He sniffled and sobbed for his dad. "Daddy… *Sniffle*… Daddy… please help me…" I sighed and hated to know that this was likely traumatizing him enough to need a little therapy afterwards. "You want your mommy and daddy, Aayan?" He slowly came out of ball form but stayed in the fetal position. "Y-Yes… I… I… I want to go home, I don't like you or the other mean guy… p-please… please let m-me go h-home… I… I j-just want to go home and see my M-Mommy and Daddy… I even want to see my S-Sister… please… l-let me go… *Sobs*…"

I frowned and heard 327 approaching, making me hurry and check to make sure the cyan Hedgehog didn't have anything broken from his rough landing. "Are you injured?" He shook his head but winced in a few areas, specifically his shoulder. "N-No… p-please… just let me see my Mommy and D-Daddy… *Sob**Sob*… p-please." 327 walked in and almost immediately asked "What are you doing, Master?" I pulled away and turned around to take the napkins from him, dabbing the blood away from beneath my extremely sore nose afterwards.

"Uhh… Checking for a good place to draw his blood from." On cue the Hedgehog shouted. "NO… p-please don't t-take my b-blood, I need it!" I cleared my throat and held back a sneeze since I knew it would hurt like hell if I did. "We're only going to take a little blood, Aayan… not enough to hurt you." He shook his head and coughed "N-No! Please… I… I need my blood!" I gave a nod since he did need it, but knew he wouldn't understand if I tried to explain it to him. "Aayan… calm down and listen to me… you want to see your Mommy and Daddy again, right?"

He sniffled and eventually gave a tiny meek nod. "Y-Yeah… please let me go so I can see them, Mister… please!" I faked a smile and replied "Well… we have to take some of your blood before you can do that, do you understand?" He shook his head and started crying uncontrollably. "NO, PLEASE LET ME GO!" 327 made a face and looked like he wished I'd just get on with the chloroforming. "Silence you puny Hedgehog, enough of your yelling… submit to my masters will or face the consequences!" I turned my head and glared angrily at him. "327, he's just a child… if you talk to him like that you'll get nowhere."

Proof of what I said was evident as the hedgehog curled back up into a ball in an passive attempt to escape further abuse. "Just let me deal with him, 327… make yourself useful by getting the chloroform ready for me." He did as I said while I turned back to the curled up Hedgehog. "Listen to me, Aayan… don't worry about my friend, he won't do anything to you anymore…" I glanced back one more time and yelled "327, stop staring at him like that… you're scaring the shit out of him!" He chuckled and replied "I'm simply looking at him the same way I look at his pathetic father."

I shook my head and continued speaking to the cyan Hedgehog. "You want to see your mommy and daddy but we've got to take some of your blood… just a little, not enough to make a difference…" He started shivering and I felt bad for him, for some reason only able to see a young Sonic before me trembling in fear; making me feel ten times worse for the things I'm doing. "Now I know you don't want us to take any at all because you think it'll hurt… but what would you say I've I could give you something that'll make you feel nothing and you'll just go to sleep for a little bit?"

He gradually uncurled from a ball but stayed in that same fetal position. "Have you ever been to the dentist?" He shook his head as 327 tapped me on the shoulder. "No? Of course you haven't… I imagine Amy makes you brush your teeth three times a day to keep them clean and sparkly." He sniffled as I turned and took the chloroform soaked rag from 327. "Anyway… it'll make you go to sleep and when you wake up you'll be with your mommy and daddy." 327 interrupted in confusion from what I just said "What, We're just going to give him back!? You think Sonic is just going to take that thing back without holding a grudge against us!?"

I held my hand up and explained really quick. "We'll leave him somewhere then get the hell out of this city… he gets to have his parents back and we get to take control of the earth shortly after with all your new Chaos Powers." The young cyan Hedgehog sniffled then asked "So… I-If I give you a little bit of my blood I can see my mommy and daddy again?" I faked another smile but remained telling the technical truth. "Of course, we just need a tiny bit and that'll be it." He rubbed his red eyes and sniffled again. "What is it y-you're going to give me? I don't really like to take anymore medicine t-than I already do."

I chuckled and asked "What kind of medicine do you take, Aayan?" He coughed and made sure to keep his eyes away from 327, frightened by him in every way. "A-Adderall…. Mommy give it to me in the m-morning so I do good in s-school." I found myself smiling genuinely before responding "Adderall, huh? You're father probably could've been on that when he was younger… he used to literally bounce off the walls like a pinball… maybe that's why he liked that SEGA spinball game." 327 raised an eyebrow, leaving me to quickly move on to our previous discussion. "I'm going to give you something called Chloroform, you don't even have to swallow anything, just a quick sniff would do the trick."

His lip quivered while he kept rubbing his eyes. "W-What will it do to me?" I held the rag tighter and tried to mentally prepare myself for doing something like this to an innocent child. "You'll just go right to sleep and not feel anything at all… once you wake up your Mommy and Daddy will have you, so you'll be safe." 327 started tapping his foot impatiently but I only chose to ignore him. "I… I just have to s-sniff it?" I gave a few nods with a reassuring smile and held up the rag so he could see it. "Yep… it smells kind of sweet too so I'm not going to make you smell anything gross."

He stopped rubbing his eyes and stared up at me. "Y-You promise?" I gave him a few pats on the head which he didn't enjoy in the least then brought the chloroformed rag closer to him so he could see it was just a rag. "I promise… all you have to do is take one deep breath and the next thing you know you'll be with your mommy and daddy." He sniffed and took a while to think, making 327 want to snatch the rag from me and do it himself. "You promise?" I gave another nod and responded "I promise, Aayan… I double promise."

I cleared my throat and figured now would be the best time to do this. "Now go ahead and close your eyes for me, little buddy." He glanced over at 327 before saying "I don't want that man too hurt me again while I'm asleep." 327 smirked but I waved off the cyan Hedgehog's concerns. "He won't do anything to you, I'll be the one doing stuff so you've got nothing to fear… I'm a doctor you know." He exhaled before eventually doing as I said and closing his eyes shut tight. "N-Now what?'

"Hold your breath for a moment." He sucked in a breath and I held the rag to his nose and mouth, making him jump a little in surprise. "It's okay… now get ready…... alright, take a big deep breath." He gasped and his eyes immediately shot open before falling back closed, making me and 327 shocked. "Wow… is he out, Master?" I pulled the rag away and he fell over on the table. "It looks like it…" 327 shook his head then replied "That was ten times quicker than I thought it would be, Master."

My only worry was an overdose due to his small size, but a pulse check using my index and middle finger confirmed that he was still breathing; just unconscious like he was supposed to be. "It's the vapors, 327… they depress the central nervous system and make the victim go completely unconscious… he's alive right now but isn't going to wake up for a while, so let's get to work." He bobbed his head and pulled the caps off both ends of the hypodermic needle as I place the chloroform soaked rag down to the side where it wouldn't interfere with anything. "What are we going to do right now, Master? Take his blood?"

I took the doctors bag he had in his left hand and pulled it open, instantly removing a small bottle of alcohol and a cotton swab. "Yeah… but first I'm going to sanitize around the spot I'm going to use so it doesn't get infected or anything." I knew he was slightly confused at the way I was treating our enemy's son so kindly but I didn't care, my beef has only been with Sonic. 'Hmm…' My mind drifted to Amy, Tails, Cream, and Vanilla whom I've kidnapped in the past, holding them hostage in an attempt to bait Sonic to me.

'I held a gun to Amy's head one time and yet I won't let her child suffer through a slight stinging sensation from getting his blood drawn… what the hell is happening to me? I'm going soft or something.' I shrugged at my personal thoughts then proceed with unscrewing the cap off the bottle of alcohol, holding the cotton swab to the top and tilting in order to get it wet. 'I could really use some of that cocaine tonic right now… or even better, the high being around Chaos Emeralds gave me.'

327 watched intently as I positioned the young hedgehog on his back, checking his pulse one more time before lifting his arm. "Are you going to take the blood from the antecubital space, Master?" I tapped on the hedgehog's inner elbow in an attempt to see the vein I was going to use before dabbing the exact spot with the alcohol soaked cotton swab, making well sure it was sanitized enough. "Yes… it'll be the least painful spot to draw the blood from." He made a face and asked "It's asleep right? Who cares how painful the process it, take it from the hand or something."

I sighed and shook my head, setting the alcohol and cotton swab down before turning to 327 to take the hypodermic needle from him. "It's a he, 327… and stop trying to be so mean to him, we just need a little blood not his entire life." He narrowed his eyes and continued almost interrogating me. "Your reaction towards this hedgehog is different from how I anticipated, Master… you seem to almost feel sorry for it for some reason." I frowned and turned back around with the needle in my hand. "I do feel sorry for HIM, 327… he's just a young boy and doesn't deserve any of this." He still couldn't understand but if he realized my past with Sonic he might comprehend a little better. 'Only that's not something he needs to concern himself with.'

"But you do realize he's Sonic's offspring, Master… He is our enemy just like his father is." I shook my head again and hovered above the young Hedgehog's inner elbow with the needle, getting ready to pierce his flesh to draw blood. "He's not our enemy, 327, you need to understand that he's just an innocent boy with nothing to do with mine and Sonic's hatred for each other." He scoffed back in response as I pushed down, watching the needle go through the Hedgehog's skin into its vein where fresh blood was flowing through. "The puny Hedgehog is guilty by association, Master… he does indeed have something to do with Sonic because it's his son."

"Regardless he's just an innocent child, now shut up and let me work." He closed his mouth and I proceeded with drawing blood, watching as the syringe slowly filled with it. "I'm sorry, Master… I am just a little confused… forgive me." I rolled my eyes and looked up the cyan Hedgehog's face as he grunted. "327, I just don't like the feeling I get when children are involved… I've killed people before while up close and personal, but harming a child has always made me feel sick to the pit of my stomach… it's just wrong no matter who or what they are."

The Hedgehog's blood nearly filled the syringe so I knew I was almost done, still nervous about doing this to someone as small as him. "But when it grows up it'll just turn into our enemy, we should rid ourselves of the hassle as soon as we get the chance… if you don't wish for it to be messy, just place the chloroform rag over his face and he'll suffocate." My eye twitched and I held back a few shouts while removing the needle from the Hedgehog's arm, having gotten enough to retrieve raw genetic material from. "I said shut up, 327! Goddammit, I know what I'm doing!"

He apologized again and kept his mouth shut this time, leaving me to focus on what to do next. 'Alright… now I need to get this blood in the DNA machine and dissolve it with enzymes that'll break it down into nothing but deoxyribonucleic acid.' 327 followed closely behind as I hurried out of the old foreman office towards the DNA machine set up by the old rusted sink. 'Thankfully I won't have to do any of that shit by hand since that machine I bought off the Black Market can do all of it on its own.'

Once in front of the DNA machine I had to make sure it was ready, seeing the green light on to indicate the sterile isolated chamber was decontaminated and ready to house anything that may easily get contaminated such as deoxyribonucleic acid. 'It shouldn't take all too long but who knows… it said it could take ten to thirty minutes to dissolve something like blood down into nothing but genetic material.' I pulled the first door open to the sterile isolated chamber and placed the syringe full of blood down on the glass, closing it back before tapping a button on the controls that'll spray decontamination fluid on it. 'At least there hasn't been any unforeseen event yet… I hope this process will go fast so I can hurry and inject 327 with the genetic material.'

"Do you want me to go ahead and dig up the Chaos Emeraldette you spoke of, Master?" The machine began spraying the decontamination fluid in the smaller chamber with the syringe like it was supposed to as I shrugged. "I don't know, 327… I'm still trying to remember exactly where I buried it, just wait a little bit and we'll go out there together." He raised an eyebrow but watched as I slipped my hands into the gloves attached to the sterile isolated chamber. "We're just going to leave the puny Hedgehog in here unattended?"

I gave a nod and moved my gloved hands towards the second door on the inside of the sterile isolated chamber. "Sure… he'll be out for at least five hours so I don't have any fear of him running off… plus we got what we need from him." He stayed silent as I pulled open the door the very moment the decontamination process ended, picking up the blood filled syringe and moving it out of the smaller chamber into the bigger one before closing the door back. "Did you hear me, 327? Don't tell me you're a little pouty because I told you to shut up."

He chuckled and came closer so he could watch me bring the syringe over to a series of vials where the breakdown will take place. "I'm not a little pouty, Master… while I'm confused as to why you treated the puny hedgehog like you were family, I decided you do know best so I'll do as you say." I refused to say anything about the family part since that couldn't have been further from the truth, focusing on using my thumb to push down on the syringes plunger to fill one of the vials with blood. 'I wouldn't say I treated him like family… I mean, I took care of his father a long time ago but that doesn't mean I'm related to the cyan child.'

I blinked a few times in an attempt to understand my thoughts then put the empty syringe down to the side inside the sterile isolated chamber, proceeding to remove my hands from the built-in gloves. 'Hmm…' 327 watched closely as I used the controls on the machine to get the process going, making the machine use a nozzle to fill the two vials with a compound of specific enzymes that'll break down the blood into nothing but genetic material before the vial with blood automatically rose and drained half the blood into each of the enzyme filled vials. "So, is it going to do everything on its own now, Master?"

I bobbed my head and watched it work for a second. "Yeah, but it's still going to take a while for the enzymes to break that blood down to nothing but pure DNA… we might need to go ahead and get that car battery out if this Powerpack thing doesn't last long enough." He agreed and spun around to walk back to the truck which was still parked inside. 'In the meantime, I know something else I could work on… and it's not digging.' I smirked and took a few steps to the side so I could check on the murky slime which had been drying the whole time. 'Damn… still not done yet? Hmm… wait a second, I think I know how to get this stuff ready.'

"Hey, 327… how many needles do we have left?" He grabbed the car battery from the bed of the truck and said "Nine… you wanted to make sure we had plenty just in case any unforeseen events came up." I smiled and was glad I did so, having learned my lesson numerous times in the past. "Good… get me one would you?" He agreed without a moment's hesitation and walked back to me, placing the car battery down before heading off towards the foreman's office. "Nnn… *Ahem*… leave the boy alone, 327, don't mess with him or anything."

He waved me off and entered the office with a joke. "Whoops… didn't hear what you said, Master, I thought you told me to not leave him alone." I rolled my eyes and started fanning the murky slime again. "Very funny… but I'm serious." He came back out a moment later with the doctor's bag in his hand and a smile on his face. "You did something anyway didn't you, I know you did because you wouldn't be smiling like that if you didn't." He shrugged and forced his smile to go away. "I… I didn't do nothing… well… I may have touched him."

I shook my head at his rebellious behavior then said "I swear you're going through some sort of robotic puberty, 327… you never used to be so rebellious in these childish ways." He shrugged again and sat the doctor's bag down on the counter beside the DNA machine which was still running. "What do you mean? All I did was touch the bottom of his foot just because you told me not t-… oh, I see what you mean now." I chuckled and held out my hand as he removed another hypodermic needle from the doctor's bag. "It's okay, 327… I've dealt with it before."

He raised an eyebrow at the same time as I realized what I said "In human children that is… they sometimes do things just because their parents tell them not to." He gave a nod to show he understood then watched me unscrew the needle from its connected syringe. "I don't think you did that to be rebellious though, 327… you did it because you're self-aware and want to disobey my orders so that you may do as you wish and kill." He didn't like that way that sounded and said "That sounds like something Metal Sonic would do, Master… I may be self-aware but I only want to serve you like my purpose is."

I smirked and felt happy to hear him say that. "I'm glad, 327… you're the only rob-… cybernetic organism that's ever felt that way." He gave a nod with a sigh then watched me pulled the plunger all the way out of the syringe. "I know… you've told me plenty of times, Master." I started scooping what I could of the murky slime into the syringe and 327 immediately asked "What are you doing?" Since he'd find out eventually I decided to go ahead and let him know what I planned on doing. "I'm going to use the syringe to squish the cocaine juices out of this slime so I can use it."

He simulated sarcastic laughter before responding "You must be out of your mind if you think I'm going to let you take that stuff, Master… there's no way your cardiac dysrhythmia can handle something like benzoylmethylecgonine of that strength." I ignored him for a moment and scooped all I could of the murky slime into the syringe before replacing the plunger. "I'll be fine, 327… in fact, it's because I'm not out of my mind that I'm doing this." He stared at me with a look of confusion then asked "What does that even mean, Master? You have to be out of your mind to do a dangerous drug like that with a heart condition such as yours."

I chuckled and moved over to where he was to reach inside the doctor's bag, needing another syringe to squirt the slime into via the first needle. "I've just been feeling a little clear minded in a way that I don't want to be… I think it's from being away from the Chaos Emeralds for so long, it's like I'm becoming the person I used to be or something… I don't know, whatever it is this stuff will help me focus on our task at hand." He stayed confused but slowly became concerned as well. "What do you mean you feel like you're becoming the person you used to be?" I grit my teeth and removed a second syringe from the doctor's bag.

"I… I was a different person in that I had a normal life like the rest of the Humans who live in Station Square… I worked at in an office complex and lived in a house where I paid for electricity, water, and mortgage…" I knew he was recording everything and placing it in his memory banks since I'd never told him this before. "This was a long-long time ago when I was just beginning construction on the SCR series." He smiled at the thought of me building his robotic equivalent of ancestors but let me continue. "Back then I wasn't as vicious, cynical, or evil as the Dr. Eggman you have on file."

He narrowed his eyes then interrupted "So… you had a different personality?" I shook my head and laughed, pulling the plunger out of the back of the second needle. "I don't think so… It might sound like it but no, I just sort of adjusted to my situation and became a different person that was better suited for the time." He couldn't understand and I knew he likely wouldn't ever understand, being a machine and not organic like me. "I do not understand… or as an SCR would say; does not compute."

We both laughed as I pushed down on the first needle's plunger, smashing concentrated cocaine juice from the murky slime down into the second needles syringe; leaving behind the disgusting solidified gunk that was unable to pass through the needle tip. "I know you can't understand, 327… though you've got a great sense of humor, like one of my old friends used to have." He smiled but I frowned, abruptly recalling my daydream and Taylor Burnham. 'Taylor… I haven't thought about him or his stupid prophecy in ten years, now all of a sudden I can't stop thinking about him and the past.'

"I'm still not going to let you inject yourself with that, Master…. There's a fifty-fifty chance that it won't end well." I coughed and said "I'm not going to inject it, 327… I'm going to use it as eye drops, without the needle on it of course." The memory of me stabbing Sonic in the eye with a needle to get his spinal fluid came back to mind and I felt sick, barely able to tolerate the sheer memory of his horrible screams. "Eye drops?" I gave a nod and shoved my previous thoughts aside. "Yep… goes right to the brain for an extra fast high."

He waved his hands and tried to take the syringe from me. "Whao… I don't think you need to be 'high' as you put it, Master… you need to stay clear minded." I stepped away from him to keep the syringe safe while unscrewing the needle from it. "No, 327… I just told you that being clear minded has never worked out well for me… I'm tired of the dreams I've been having." He stopped trying to grab the syringe and asked "Dreams? Hmm… You have been sleeping a lot more than someone your age should."

The DNA machine suddenly beeped a few times and we turned towards it, "Hold on a second, 327… there's no way it could be ready yet." I checked the screen on top of the controls and it read 'DNA confirmed as: Hedgehog… enzyme breakdown forty percent complete.' I smiled and was glad that it was moving along so fast. "Is it ready, Master?" I shook my head and replied "Not yet… almost halfway, it's confirmed the DNA as Hedgehog though so I know it didn't somehow get contaminated with foreign particles."

He gave a nod then immediately resumed our conversation, having not forgotten since he was a machine. "Now what do you mean by these dreams and why are they bothering you?" I sighed at him continuing but knew there was no way out unless I wanted him to just bring it up later; "They bother me because they're not dreams anymore, just memories of my past… it's like I'm sitting there watching through old home tapes." He cocked his head as I took a few steps back over to the needles and concentrated cocaine extract I'd been looking forward to taking.

"Why does that bother you though? Do you not like your past?" I grunted and began unscrewing the needle from the syringe full of concentrated cocaine extract. "No… not in the least, 327, that's why I don't want to be reminded of the person I used to be back then… it conflicts with the person I am today to the point where I'd have a fucking mental breakdown if I thought too hard about it." He frowned and likely began looking through files in his CPU to see if there was anything he could do to help me. "Is there anything I can do to help, Master?"

I smiled then shook my head, continuing to removing the needle from the syringe so I wouldn't accidently poke myself or anything. "You help me enough already, 327… but you can help in a way by letting me make sure I don't return to the weak-minded self I used to be." He gave in and assumed that was by letting me use the concentrated cocaine extract. "How were you weak minded back then, Master? Were you less intelligent?" I chuckled and tossed the needle to the side, checking the syringe to make sure there wasn't anything but liquid in it. "No, I was just weaker and less able to… uhh… how should I put it… I was less able to 'get things done' like a friend once told me."

"How so?" He questioning was driving me crazy but I figured he deserved to know. "I don't know… I think it was exposure to the Chaos Emeralds like I told you earlier… either way, I don't want to go back to being that person and I'm tired of dreaming about it… huaah… I'm even daydreaming about it more often." The concentrated cocaine extract looked like nothing but fluid so I decided to give it a try, having only heard of it being used this way. "Perhaps we should acquire more Chaos Emeralds to keep you in this state of mind, Master… if you wish, that is."

"That's what we're going to do, 327… after I inject you with the raw genetic material we'll dig up the Chaos Emeraldette buried behind this warehouse that'll lead us to real Chaos Emeralds." He watched me remove my glasses and hold the syringe above my left eye. 'It'll feel ten times better to experience the power of raw Chaos Energy again than anything this concentrated cocaine extract could possible make me feel.' I pushed my thumb down on the syringe plunger and cringed as a few drops landed directly on top of my pupil, soaking in immediately 'Huh… stings a bit more than expected, but I know it works because of the pharmaceutical cocaine eye drops surgeons use.'

'I guess I should use it all… although it's been a while so I have no clue how much if any it's going to affect me.' I shrugged and held the syringe back up, pushing what little was left so a few more drops fell into my eye like the others did. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, Master? That seemed awfully dangerous… if you have any regrets I could flush your eyes with that bottle of water inside the truck." I waved him off and sat the syringe down. "It's fine, 327… a different friend of mine said doctor's put liquid cocaine during a surgery he had on his eye for Horner's syndrome or something… all though it probably didn't have cocaine used from off the streets."

He seemed concerned but I didn't, just wanting to get a high that'll kick in. 'Ughh…. I think… I think I might already be able to feel something… doesn't hurt so that's a good sign…' I stood there for a few more minutes thinking about my plan while the effects slowly came into focus, highly noticeable and almost as intense as a high as snorting cocaine gave. 'Wow… that's pretty good, I feel pretty energized and my mind is still clear… my vision is the same too so it didn't seem to affect that despite using my eyes.'

I blinked away the tears and put my glasses back on, seeing 327 watching me out of the corner of my eye. "What? I'm fine, I promise… I feel good, like I could get to work if only that DNA machine would hurry up and get done." He waved his hands and shook his head. "No, I was just wondering about something… but I'm glad you're feeling better, if you're happy I'm happy." I chuckled and began feeling happier that everything had been going according to plan. "What were you wondering about? Huh? We got some time, tell me…" He raised an eyebrow and seemed to rather sit around doing nothing until the DNA machine was ready than talk. "Ehh… we need to stay focused, Master… I hope that garbage isn't corrupting your mind."

I laughed again and thought his concerns were ridiculous. "I told you, I'm fine, I just would rather talk about something now that I don't feel like crap… what were you wondering?" He shrugged but stared at my dilated pupils. "I was just wondering about what dreams would be like… you know, I wonder what it would be like if I could dream." I pursed my lips and stared at the truck, feeling the gears in my brain turn like clockwork. "Hmm… maybe I could show you since you can't ever have any dreams of your own." He stepped aside as I walked passed him towards the truck. "What do you mean?"

I smiled and replied "Remember the EEG Helmet that was in that crate we dug up the other day?" He gave a nod and walked with me over to the truck, interested in exactly what it was I was planning to do while watching me closely at the same time due to his concern over the drug I just used. "The one you're grandfather made during his eccentric years?" I chuckled at the thought of his eccentric years, remembering all the doodads he used to let me play with that were made during that time. "Yeah… it was designed to pick up and display what the dreamer is seeing while they're in REM sleep, we've got a living person in the other room sleeping so we might try it on him."

"Master… one, we need to keep focused on the plan and make sure the DNA machine is working properly; two, when someone is rendered unconscious they do not dream." I shrugged him off and pulled open the left rear passenger door to the truck, going to lift the wooden crate from the back floorboard. "Quite worrying so much, 327… the machine is running on its own and we have nothing but free time until it's done." He watched me lift the crate before taking it from me so that I wouldn't strain my heart trying to carry it. "This is exactly what I was afraid of, Master… I'm sure you're feeling like you can conquer the entire world right now after taking that benzoylmethylecgonine, only we need to use our times wiser and spend what's free digging up the Chaos Emeraldette so when the DNA is done we can leave as quick as possible."

I waved him off again and began making my way towards the old foreman's office where the young cyan Hedgehog was still unconscious from the chloroform. "We've got all the time in the world, 327… there's no possible way Sonic could ever find us here, I've never spoken about it but always kept it in the back of my mind as a safe house for whenever I need to escape… now we'll get the Chaos Emeraldette as soon as we get done with this, how about that?" He raised an eyebrow at my fast talking but chose to responded anyway "I guess… but you said this benzoylmethylecgonine was going to keep you focused."

"I am focused, 327… I feel good… really-really good in a way I haven't felt since before I went to Prison Island five years ago." We entered the office and my suspicious were confirmed as the hedgehog was in the exact same place, chest rising with each breath to prove he was still alive. "I didn't know you had been feeling bad, Master." I shook my head and tried my best to explain. "It's not that I was feeling bad, 327… Just not my usual self; Dr. Eggman." He gave a nod to show he understood then sat the crate down on the foreman's old desk, ripping the nailed on lid straight from the rest of the container with complete ease.

"But you somehow feel better now after using liquid benzoylmethylecgonine to put in your retina? Seems illogical to me… how can something foreign and unnatural to your body make you feel good?" I shrugged and walked over to the cyan Hedgehog. "It just does, 327… it give you a rush and makes you want to get things done, still weaker than raw Chaos Energy nonetheless... now bring me the EEG helmet would you?" He reached inside the crate and pushed a couple things aside before pulling the EEG helmet which consisted of a bicycle helmet and makeshift EEG wires that connect to a television via RCA jacks. "What does raw Chaos Energy feel like, Master?"

I took the helmet from him then replied "One word, 327… awesome… it's the best feeling I've ever had and I imagine it drove me mad a few times just trying to acquire as much of it as I can." He watched me stare at the cyan Hedgehog for a bit before I gently slid it's quills back, still able to remember the feel of Sonic's spikey ones when he was this young. "Why do you need to acquire as much of it as you can?" I sighed at my previous thoughts and turned the helmet upside down, knowing I'd have to use the electrodes without the helmet due to the Hedgehog's tiny size. "Because, unfortunately it shares one similar aspect with society's drugs… after a while, you can never get enough."

He frowned as I began removing the sticky electrodes from the inside of the bicycle helmet, wishing I wouldn't talk like I'm addicted to the rush Cocaine and raw Chaos Energy can give me. "Do you really need it? Many drug addicts only believe they're stuck forever needing their specified drug… but in reality they can live a much better life without it." I chuckled at his use of psychotherapy and said "I'm not addicted to cocaine, 327, believe me… this is the first time I've used it in over eight years." He gave a nod but kept at his questioning. "What about raw Chaos Energy, Master?"

"What about it?" He stared for a few moments before I realized what he was asking. "I… I don't know… I might be addicted to that… a friend once told me that after the first taste it will never ever leave your mind." He cocked his head as I continued removing the last of the electrodes from the EEG helmet. "Who exactly is this friend of yours?" I stopped for a moment before trying to wave him off. "Just someone I knew a long time ago, he was my best friend since we were children…"

He zoned out for a second before saying "Taylor Burnham?" I smirked and attempted to rationalize how he could've known that. "Y-Yeah… that's him, how did you know?" He blinked and took a few steps closer as I finished removing all the electrodes. "From the other day when you asked me to look him up in the public database of records… when I told you he was given a few years to over live five years ago, your facial expression changed to that of sadness like you knew him well." I shook my head at his constant investigation but figured he knew so there was no reason to try and hide it.

"I did know him well, 327… He got me to be the person I am today before disappearing forever, after thirty years of knowing each other he just vanished without a trace." I stopped to catch my breath for a moment before 327 grabbed a chair from the old foreman's desk, sliding it over to me. "Please sit down, Master… you've been on your feet for a while." I did as he said and was relieved to feel the pressure let off my feet. "Why did you not try and look for this Taylor Burnham, Master?"

I coughed a few times before placing a single electrode in the center of the groaning Hedgehog's forehead. "I believe Taylor had access to Chaos Powers long before I even knew what a Chaos Emerald's were, 327… he was literally impossible to find but he always knew exactly where I was." I could tell he found that dangerous and the young me thought the exact same thing. "He disappeared right in front of my eyes one time… something I'd only seen Sonic do despite being before I even fought Sonic."

"How did he have access to Chaos Emerald's, Master? You were the one who brought the attention of Chaos Emeralds to the public, before you nobody knew they even existed." I recalled all the insane stories Taylor told me and tried to sort through possible truths and nonsense. "He claimed he was in some sort of cult that involved the Chaos Emeralds, Master Emerald, and a ridiculous prophecy that had to be fulfilled lest the 'entire universe collapses' or something stupid like that."

I place one electrode under and beside both the Hedgehog's eyes before proceeding onwards with placing them along his cranium, remembering how it worked from when my grandfather showed me. "A cult? As in religious cult or some other sort?" I gave a nod to his first response then replied "A religious cult, yes… they believed God was speaking to them through the Master Emerald… or at least, that's what Taylor told me they believed… he also told me that his family had been part of the aforementioned prophecy since before the Old World and me and him were destined to be friends so that we may assist each other in fulfilling it."

He took it all with stride which was good since I thought he'd shout out about how insane it sounded, having no sense of fate due to being a machine. "Do you believe any of that stuff, Master? About the prophecy I mean?" I slowed down some but kept placing the quickly dwindling electrodes on the unconscious Hedgehog's skull, aware of the fact that they could scan his brainwaves through the sharp quills. 'All of the nutty things Taylor told me… I'm not sure if I believed anything he said at all, but the evidence to support his claims was valid and barely arguable.'

I drifted further for a moment and remembered all the crazy things he told me from Chaos Emerald's, the Master Emerald, cults, prophecies, and me controlling the world. 'Hmm… half of them were true, the Chaos Emerald and Master Emerald part…' I noticed him staring and said "Half of it, 327… he was right about there being Chaos Emeralds and a Master Emerald… but for his prophecy, cult, and so called 'God'… No, I don't believe that part." He cocked his head and asked "This… 'God'… your friend Taylor Burnham spoke of, could it be possible he was just being fooled by the trapped Ancient Echidna God, Chaos?"

I smiled wide and bobbed my head. "Very much so, 327… I've even thought that a few times after the whole incident with it eight years ago." He knew I didn't like talking about that incident since it made me angry so he just chose to listen instead of asking anything. "After I learned that Chaos was trapped in the Master Emerald I quickly dismissed all of Taylor's prophecy and cult nonsense; however, even before that I don't think I truly believed him." The memories of him disappearing, talking via telepathy, and even controlling my truck along with the SCR's came back to mind along with more unsettling information. 'He even told me our families had known each other since back in the Old World and that his father killed mine because he stopped believing in the prophecy.'

I shook my head to rid it of the previous thought and realized I was done placing the electrodes. "He was just a good friend, 327… it is saddening to hear he may be dead, just another reminder of exactly how old I'm getting." He smirked and said "You're not too old, Master." I chuckled and gave a couple nods. "I'm pretty old, 327… maybe too old to continue my plans for world domination…" He took me seriously and his smile vanished, immediately being replaced by a frown. "That's no good, Master, don't talk like that…" I interrupted with more laughter before poking him. "I was only joking, 327… but… when I do die… I hope you're ready to take over for me."

He only blinked so I smiled. "You'll probably do much better than I ever could've… now go get my computer tablet and the adapter for these RCA jacks, they're in the truck." He stared at me for a couple more moments before getting a move on, still slightly shocked by what I just said to him. 'Actually, with everything aside… he would be ten times better at what I'm doing, as long as he gets over his obsession with killing Sonic for me.' The young Hedgehog moaned and made me look down at him, faintly hearing him say something about his mother making chilidogs. "Hmm… sleep talk? I guess technically chloroformed people do dream."

He suddenly grabbed my arm and I momentarily thought he'd woken up. "Nnn… Daddy, it's… the… Boogeyman…. Huaah… help!" My heart lurched in my chest at the word Daddy, thinking about the time Sonic had a bad dream about a monster and ran into my bedroom saying basically the same thing. "Daddy… I… love you." I was glad I was already sitting because if I wasn't I might've fell backwards, feeling upset just from hearing the young Hedgehog say that while looking nearly identical to the young Sonic I took care of for nine years. 'Jesus… why does he have to remind me so much of Sonic? Damn, why am I still thinking about that anyway? I was hoping the cocaine would've taken my mind off it.'

"Don't let… them… take my blood, Daddy…Nnn…" 327 came back with the tablet and adapter looking confused, likely having heard the Hedgehog's voice. "Is the puny Hedgehog awake, Master? You said he wouldn't be awake for at least five hours." I shook my head and pried the tiny hand off mine before sitting back in the old office chair. "He's not awake yet, 327, he's just dreaming… on another note I found out chloroformed people do indeed dream so it's not like he's completely unconscious."

He watched the Hedgehog squirm some and continue moaning about his father. "So we'll get to see a dream with this?" I bobbed my head and took the tablet from him, seeing the adapter already plugged in and ready to be used. "Yep… at least, I hope so… I'm pretty sure I put all the electrodes in the right place just like when my grandfather did it." Once power came to the computer tablet all I had to do was go to the television and DVD app I got for when we're on the move and I've got nothing to do but sit in the passenger seat. "I think this would be something you humans call 'cool', Master… I've always wondered what you organics dream about and the articles online are too vague."

I slid my finger along the touchscreen and made the tablet bring up the app before setting it down on the table for both of us to watch. "Just remember, 327, we're only doing this until the DNA machine is done… then we're going to inject you, dig up the Chaos Emeraldette, and get the hell out of here." He rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Don't you dare… I was the one trying to tell you that we should've dug up the Chaos Emeraldette first before doing this, this is all on you."

I waved him off and watched as a 'no signal' notification popped up. "Wait… it's not working for some reason." I nearly slapped my forehead the moment my eyes saw the on and off switch attached to the helmet. "Right, I forgot to turn it on." He smirked and observed as the second I flipped the switch a fuzzy image appeared on small computer tablet screen. "I think it's working now, Master… look." The image slowly came into focus and I noticed it was a dark room with toys strewn about. "Everything you see will likely be through his eyes, 327, but then again not always… I've had dreams were it's kind of like third person view."

He gave a nod and we continued watching, abruptly startled by the sound of thunder coming from outside. 'Damn, it's still raining?' A few moments later thunder came from the tablets screen as well, lighting up the darkened room. "Is he dreaming about the rain too, Master?" I shrugged since I wasn't entirely sure myself. "Maybe… sometimes things on the outside world have a direct impact on the dream world, like a telephone ringing in a dream might really be your alarm clock going on in real life."

"So that means organics can still hear things while they're asleep?" I bobbed my head but stopped when the sound of a baby crying came through the tablets speakers like the clap of thunder before. "Yes… and we can also hear their dreams using this, now hush so we can do just that." Tiny hands appeared from nowhere and I had a feeling this was happening through the young hedgehog's eyes. 'Is he dreaming about being an infant?' I kept watching as another clap of thunder came through the tablets speakers, making the crying only get louder. 'Is he at home? If he was an infant maybe this was what his room looked like back then.'

The crying continued for a little while and 327 just stared in confusion. "Is this supposed to be like this, Master? It's not very exciting." I shook my head and said "I… I… I don't think this is a dream, 327… I think it's a memory because I've seen dreams displayed from this EEG before and they were always so jumbled up." I pursed my lips and tried to figure out if I did something wrong or the kid's just dreaming about something that happened long ago. "So this is one of his memories?" I shrugged again since I still didn't know. "I'm not sure, 327… just watch."

After another solid minute of hearing a baby cry and another thunder clap, the room onscreen abruptly lit up like the ceiling light had been turned on followed by Sonic's voice. "Ughh… I know you hate thunder, Aayan…" He came into sight dressed only in sweatpants before the Hedgehog held out his arms directly towards his father, wanting to be held. "Come here… your Daddy's got you, there's nothing to be scared of." Sonic picked him up and all I could see was his neck fur, the infant Hedgehog obviously burying his face in it while crying. "Shh… it's okay, little buddy, Daddy won't let any thunder hurt you."

I smiled and subconsciously felt 327 turn his head towards me, watching my expressions at the same time as what was on the computer tablet's screen. "Nnn… Daddy…" The young hedgehog said in real life while in his dream his father, Sonic, began rubbing his back to comfort him from the thunder. "Your mother is exhausted from staying up with you all night last night, buddy… between her snoring and your crying I don't know who was louder." He cooed in his memory-dream while moaning in real life. "You've got to let her rest a little more because she's got to stay healthy for your unborn sister..."

Sonic laughed then continued "You know another month and it'll be your birthday… one year old already." The cyan Hedgehog cooed in the dream and pulled his face from Sonic's neck, staring up at his face while listening to him talk. "Coincidently, your mother's almost done with her pregnancy so you and you sister will share a close birthday… though not as close as you and me, buddy… hmhmm, not many father and sons get to share their birthday." My jaw dropped in surprise as I never knew the cyan Hedgehog shared the same birthday as Sonic. 'That means, today is his birthday… and… here I am scarring him for life like some sort of monster that deserves to die.'

"There now… do you feel a little better that Daddy's with you?" The young Hedgehog bobbed his head in real life to what his father said in his memory-dream before Sonic kept talking "You should know by now that thunder is just a loud noise… it can't hurt you." Another clap of thunder came through the tablets speakers and he started crying again in his dream. "Shh… don't cry, Daddy's here… but I don't think the rain is going to stop and it's only two o'clock in the morning… do you want to sleep with Mommy and Daddy so you can get some rest?"

He bobbed his head in both his dream and reality before Sonic carried him over to the door leading out into their hallway. "Okay… just don't cry anymore because you know your Mommy and I won't let any thunder get you." He sniffled in real life and said "Daddy…" 327 ignored him and continued keeping a close eye on me. "Plus, I have to get up in three hours and your wailing is keeping me from getting a little more shuteye." He giggled cheerfully in the dream and seemed to enjoy sleeping with his parents like Sonic did with me when he was little.

"Shh… don't wake your mommy… she's really tired, okay?" They entered another room that was even darker without the nightlight of the child's room and we could immediately hear snoring. 'Goodlord… If that's Amy snoring I have no clue how Sonic could ever possibly sleep.' I smiled at my thoughts without realizing anymore that 327 was still watching me. "Nnn… Momma loud, Dadda… too loud…" Sonic chuckled lightly and shuffled over to his side of the bed which was apparently the left. "I know, Aayan… she's pooped out from not sleeping well, so try and stay quiet so she can get some rest."

Sonic laid down with the tiny Hedgehog tightly held in his arms while on his stomach, keeping him warm like that without the need of a sheet or blanket. 'Sonic… when did you get so fatherly?' The tiny cyan Hedgehog curled into a ball on top of Sonic as another clap of thunder sounded through the speaker, making Sonic stroke his infant son's quills like I used to do to him when he was scared. "Mnmm… *Yawn*… Did you say something, Sonic?" Amy suddenly rolled over onscreen and Sonic said "Aayan's in the bed with us because it's thundering again." Amy's face barely came into view since we had to see out of the eyes of the kid. "I didn't even hear him crying, did he cry?" The young Hedgehog looked up at his father and listened to him say. "Yeah, you were just too zonked out cold to hear it, babe… now go back to sleep and get some rest, I've got to get up in three hours and go to work."

She scooted closer and kissed Sonic on the cheek before tickling the little hedgehog, her son, underneath his chin to make him coo. "I'm sorry that Mommy didn't hear you, Aayan… she's really tired… *Yawn*… I'm still really tired… what time is it, Sonikku?" The young hedgehog looked up to see his Dad already asleep so Amy just cuddled up to her husband's side, going back to sleep with him as the young Hedgehog did the same; making the screen fade away into darkness as he went to sleep. 'Sonic… your son is just like you were when you were a child… h-he… he looks and acts just like you.' The cocaine kept me thinking nonstop as I zoned out into a daydream of a time long ago when Sonic was much younger.

.

[Date- 2385, nineteen years ago from present day]

[Time: 1:30 A.M.]

{SONIC'S AGE: 3}

.

A few short moments after the first clap of thunder that shook the house I heard a thud coming from Sonic's bedroom, making me fully wake up and look over at my clock. 'Ughh… one thirty? At least tomorrow is Saturday so I'm off.' Another clap of thunder boomed louder than before and I noticed Sonic's door open out of the corner of my eye, making me look and see him in his pajama's running quickly towards my bedroom; stopping only at the doorway with uncertainties as to of whether or not he should try and get in the bed with me. "Is it scaring you that much, Sonic?"

His eyes lit up when he realized I was awake before rapidly bobbing his head. "I don't like it, Daddy…it's too loud and bright, I can't sleep… *Sniffle*… C-Can I sleep with you?" Rain hit the roof hard and I could tell it was going to be a heavy downpour throughout the night. "Yeah… but you know you need to start sleeping in your own bed even when it's raining, right?" He hurried over to me as I slung the sheets back enough to grab him, having to lift him since he was too small to jump up. "I know… it's just for tonight, Daddy, I promise."

I smiled and ruffled his sharp pointy quills, holding him close without letting them poke me. "You promise?" He smiled and bobbed his head. "Yep!" I chuckled lightly and said "Alright, calm down… don't get too excited it's time to go back to sleep." He settled down and buried his face in my shirt with a yawn. "Thank you for letting me sleep with you, Daddy… I don't like thunder at all." I pulled the sheets back up then replied "You're welcome… and I didn't like it either when I was your age, Sonic… I ran screaming into my father's room all the time, one time though he actually locked me out because I kept him up too much."

"That was mean of him." I chuckled again and thought the exact same thing at the time. "That was just his way of showing tough love, you can't always sleep with your Dad, you know." He yawned again and stared at me with sleepy eyes that were more than ready to fall closed. "I know, Daddy… but I told you… *Yawn*… it's just because of the thunder…" I rubbed his back some and said "Thunder can't hurt you, that's just a sound… what you hear is actually taking place high up in the clouds."

He closed his eyes and started falling back asleep due to feeling safe from my presence. "But you won't lock the door on me will…*Yawn*… will you?" I shook my head and kept rubbing his back as another clap of thunder shook the house like the last two times. "No, of course not… now go back to sleep, do you want to go do something tomorrow since Daddy's off work? We could go to the movies since the park might be a bit wet." He gave a small nod and exclaimed "Yay! Let's see that new movie with the really fast cars!"

I smiled at his ability to excited himself before attempting to calm him down again. "Relax, Sonic… you've got to get some sleep first before we do that or you'll feel like a zombie." His face lit up again and I immediately shook my head. "No way, Mister, you're too young to see that gory movie… you'll have just as much fun watching racing." He pouted for a few seconds before sleep made him too tired to carry on. "See… you can't even stay awake to pout… silly boy, just get some rest and don't worry about that thunder."

He closed his eyes again and returned to keeping his face buried in my shirt like Hedgehog's enjoy doing for some reason. "Okay… goodnight, Daddy… thank you for letting me sleep with you again." My smile stayed wide as I said "You're welcome, Sonic… I didn't really want you to be afraid anyway… goodnight." I felt his smile before he dozed off, content with sleeping away now that I'm with him to be his guardian angel. 'You're a good boy, Sonic.' I closed my eyes and eventually made it back to sleep holding my son throughout the thunderstorm.

.

[Date- 2404, April 26; Present day]

[Time: 6:58 P.M.]

.

"Master… something else is appearing again." I shook myself out of my daydream and stared at the computer tablet's screen, seeing another memory-dream come into view as the sound of a child's laughter came through the speakers. "AHAHAHA! Daddy, quit… you're… going to make me wet myself in you keep tickling me like that!" Sonic laughed and said "But I just found out I can get you out of your pouty moods with a little tickle fight." Eventually the dream focused enough to get a visual again, seeing Sonic smiling while tickling his son. "B-But… AHAHAHA! B-But I never stand a chance against y-you in a… a… tickle fight!"

Sonic stopped and the young hedgehog gasped, looking around the living room where I was near earlier during the kidnapping. "You didn't pee yourself did you, Aayan?" The young hedgehog huffed then Sonic laughed. "I'm just teasing you, I know you're a big boy… but I also know how it feels to get tickled." Amy leaned forward on the couch and I noticed she looked skinnier, meaning not pregnant. "Don't let him tickle you too much, Aayan… you know he gets into it, like he enjoys torturing people… I'll hit him when the Piko Hammer when he starts trying to tickle me."

Sonic chuckled and said "She's telling the truth… I learned to never try and tickle your mother." He laughed and asked "Mommy, will you get me a Piko Hammer?" Amy giggled and bent down to the floor in front of the couch where the young hedgehog looked to give us a view of his infant sister. "I don't know… the Piko is kind of for girls like your sister, Sophia… I think your father needs to get off his blue butt and teach you some tricks of his own." The young Hedgehog looked at Sonic who pursed his lips in response. "I don't know, babe… he's too little to be out there getting bruised up from running like I do."

She held the same purple hedgehog I saw earlier in her arms while saying. "I don't want you to do anything hardcore, Sonikku… but he does still have some trouble running, he can start but for some reason has trouble keeping his balance." The young hedgehog waved his hands and exclaimed "I'm getting better, Mommy!" She smiled and stroked his quills back. "You sure are, Aayan, but your Daddy needs the be the one to teach you how to run perfectly since he's the expert when it comes to speed."

Sonic smirked and playfully boasted. "Master… there's a bunch of experts, only one master." The young hedgehog clapped his hands while in Sonic's lap and said "My Daddy is the fastest of everyone!" He bobbed his head and said "You got that right, Aayan, and hey… your Mommy's right, maybe I should teach you a few things here and there." I smiled and abruptly noticed my heart beginning to pump faster. "Really? Like what?" Sonic shrugged and tapped his lips a few times like I do when trying to make up my mind. "Nothing too tough since you're still a toddler…" Immediately the young Hedgehog cut him off with a response "I'm not a toddler, Daddy, I'm a big boy!"

Sonic laughed and gave the young hedgehog a few pats on the head. "You are a big boy, Aayan, but you're still too young to learn everything… we've got to work on the basics first until you're old enough." The young hedgehog's vision got a tiny bit smaller and I could tell it was from his wide smile. "Will you teach me the advanced stuff too, Daddy?" Sonic gave a nod and reached forward before coming back into view with a bottle of beer in his hand, making me smile while my heart only continued to speed up. "Sure… but only when you're older, but by then you'll probably be in school and won't have as much time to play as you do now."

Amy noticeably eyed Sonic for drinking his beer while he kept talking to the young Hedgehog and I chuckled, forgetting about 327's presence due to being so absorbed in thought. 'My grandfather used to do the same to me when I first started drinking in college.' I shook my head and listened to Sonic talk. "In fact, me and your Mommy were thinking about letting you go to preschool… it's not required but I think you could benefit from the interaction with other kids your age."

The young Hedgehog shook his head in both the dream and in reality before responding "But, Daddy, I don't want to go away from you and Mommy… I can't see you at school can I?" Sonic smiled and pulled the young hedgehog closer into a hug. "No, you can't see us when you're in school unless you're in trouble… but preschool is only for a few hours and then you get to come back home and spend the rest of the day playing and having fun." The young hedgehog grabbed Sonic's arm and rapidly shook his head. "Nooooo... I want to stay with you and Mommy forever!"

Sonic ruffled his quills and gave him a kiss on the forehead. "You'll be fine… you go over six hours without me when I'm at work." The young hedgehog shook his head again and sounded like he was about to cry. "B-But Daddy… *Sniffle*… It's hard enough to go without you, I don't want to go without Mommy either." Amy immediately hugged and kissed him, fiving in due to the sadness it caused. "Aww… he's such a sweet boy for saying that, maybe if Mommy can teach you the stuff they'd teach you in preschool-..." Sonic chuckled and took a sip of his beer before saying "No way, Babe… it's not all about the learning; he needs to figure out how to make friends and preschool is where you start learning stuff like that… he needs a buddy to hang with and have some fun with."

Amy made a face and was torn between what Sonic said and her obvious motherly instinct that told her to stay with her child, especially when he started crying some. "But, Daddy…" Sonic hugged him closely and kissed him on the cheek again "You'll be alright… it's not going to be for another year so you've got plenty of time to play around and have fun." He sniffled and asked "Really?" Sonic bobbed his head and sat the beer back down on whatever table was in front of him on the couch; coffee table likely. "Yep… you're still too young to get into preschool, you need to be at least three and you're only two and a half."

"Yay! I didn't want to leave you and Mommy… one year is like, forever!" Sonic chuckled and they rubbed faces like Hedgehog's do to show affection, something handed down from their primitive ancestors back in the Old World. "You're going to make me proud, Aayan… you're so smart, I know you can do it!" They cheerfully hugged more and the young hedgehog snuggled with his Dad, the same Hedgehog I raised. "I'm not as smart as you, Daddy… I'll never be able to do all the stuff you do."

My heart just kept pumping faster and I could feel my veins pulsing, beginning to get to the point where I need to take one of my clopidogrel. 'It's… all so similar… to how I took care of Sonic… it's like… it's like, Sonic is doing things the way I did them, being a good father to Aayan, his own son… in a way similar to when I took care of him… d-did he emulate me as a father figure or is it just a coincidence? Chance? Maybe it's all in my imagination.' I shook my head as Sonic replied in the young hedgehogs memory-dream. "Sure you will, Aayan… don't ever doubt yourself, you can do anything you want when you put your mind to it."

Amy butted in with a quick reply. "Unless that's jump out a window and fly, just remember that you're not Superman… I don't want another repeat of the last time you tried to fly across the room and ended up landing short of the couch." His hand reached up and rubbed his own head as I smiled. 'So Aayan has an infatuation with Superman? I remember Sonic's infatuation with that other super hero, The Flash, it always had to be about speed when it came to Sonic's interests… unless it had Zombies in it, that was an exception.' Onscreen the picture faded away into black, leaving me to start daydreaming again with complete disregard of my high pulse.

.

[Date- 2388, sixteen years ago]

[Time: 2:40 P.M.]

.

I heard the school bus's air brakes at then end of the street and turned the television down, deciding to surprise Sonic since I just got home today from my two week business trip to Future City where some of the CEO's of its city's companies were interested in my SCR prototype, SCR-HD. 'I bet he'll freak out since I've ever been gone this long before… I worried that he wasn't old enough to stay by himself since he's only six, but Amanda promised to come over every day to cook and keep him a little company.'

The bus moved on and I heard feet moving up the driveway followed by Sonic's voice. "Ha! I beat you by a long shot, Collin… when are you going to give up?" Collin was the neighbors boy who'd become friends with Sonic about a year ago, they always tried to race and Collin always lost to Sonic. "I just don't get how you're so darn quick, Sonic… alright, I got to head home because my mom wants to go over to my aunt's house…"A jingle of keys sounded through from the other side shortly before the lock came undone. "Are you sure? My Dad's still in Future City on his stupid business trip… I wish he'd hurry and get back, but Miss Amanda's cooking is way better than his."

Collin laughed before saying "Sorry, dude… I can't, catch you later though." Sonic sighed and said goodbye before pushing the door open, immediately jumping in surprise as I said "So you don't like my cooking?" After a few seconds the shock wore off and he dropped his backpack. "Dad!" I smiled as he quickly ran and jumped up to hug me. "You're back!" I chuckled and gave a nod. "Yep, just got back about an hour ago… so what's this about you not liking my cooking?"

He laughed then shrugged. "Nothing… you weren't supposed to hear that." I ruffled his quills and asked "So, how was school today? You didn't get in trouble again, did you?" He shook his head with the same wide smile as I let go of him and sat back down, watching him return to the front door to close it and pick up his backpack. "Not today… but I take it you got my letter?" He walked around to stand in front of the television while I said "I did… I tried to call too but you didn't pick up."

He reached into his pocket and pulled his cellphone as I continued "I left a message but I'm sure you didn't remember to check the answering machine." He laughed cheerfully in happiness that I was home before replacing his cellphone in his pocket and jumping up onto the couch. "Sorry… I keep on forgetting that you can leave messages." I smiled and picked up the remote, turning the volume up some before flipping through channels to see if I could find anything worthwhile watching. "That's because you don't slow down enough to look… Speedy Gonzales…"

He scooted closer with a laugh. "I prefer Speed Demon like my gamertag is when I play online racing games." I smirked and asked "Have you been staying up half the night while I'm gone playing video games?" He shook his head as I settled on a NASCAR game I knew he'd like. "No… well… I did stay up late but never passed midnight." He turned his head towards the NASCAR game before back to me, trying to decided which one to focus on. "Midnight? That's kind of late… you're still little so you need eight hours."

"Hey! I'm not that little; besides, I can get ready in the morning in less than ten minutes… unlike you, Dad." I reached beside me and grabbed my bottle of beer that was halfway gone, thinking about how he almost spins around in a cyclone when he gets moving so fast. "That's because I take showers in the morning, Sonic… you do at night instead." He shrugged and finally chose to focus on the NASCAR game before I took him out of thought. "Let's go ahead and talk about what happened at school while I was away…"

He grunted and asked "Aww… Do we have too?" I gave a nod and turned the television back down some, wanting him to focus on me without interruption. "I think we should… did you really punch a kid, Sonic?" He looked away from me towards the wall but I knew he did since he said it in his letter and the principal called my cellphone. "Sonic… answer me, did you really punch a kid in the face?" He sighed then turned back to me. "He was being mean to me, Dad… he kept saying stuff like you're not really my dad and I'm not really your son."

I frowned and tried hard to figure out how to explain this to him. "Sonic… I… physical violence is never the solution to your problems… in fact, it just makes things ten times worse… you've got to use that big brain of yours, son, not your fists." He pursed his lips and momentarily glanced at the NASCAR before back at me. "But, Dad… the things he said about you and me… I wasn't prepared to let him get away with saying stuff like that." When I thought about it, in a way, he handled it nicely for the world we live in.

'Punching your bully square in the face hard enough to make him leave you alone is better than letting yourself continuously get bullied… the only thing that bothers me is that this other kid was a human three times Sonic's size.' He kept staring and I resumed speaking "Throughout your life people are going to say and do things you don't like, Sonic… but that doesn't mean you can just punch them, what if your boss tells you that you need to stay late again without getting paid? Are you just going to sock him in the face?"

He laughed and bobbed his head, making me wish I could do that to Butch. "No… Ha! You can't do that, Sonic, there's got to be consequences for doing things like that… you got paddled for do this but in the future you could go to jail, and you don't want that." His smile disappeared since he knew what I was saying was the truth. "I know… but he just made me so angry talking about you like that, Dad… it felt good to give him a fat lip." I chuckled and said "I bet it did… I couldn't count the number of times I wanted to knock someone out, sometimes I just want to knock everyone out."

"But we can't… can we, Dad?" I shook my head and draped my arm around his shoulders, gently pulling him closer. "Nope… like I said, we have to use what's in our head as a weapon instead of our fists, it truly does take a bigger man to know when to not fight." He hugged my side as I rubbed his back. "Yeah, I know… thanks, Dad." I smiled and replied "You're welcome… and don't worry about what people say to you about us being father and son, you know I'll always be your dad and you'll always be my son."

He rubbed his face on my shirt a couple times before I asked "Other than this event… how are you feeling about your new school? A month should be long enough for you to get used to their routine." He gave a small nod and continued to hug me, still delighted that I was back from Future City. "My teacher is nice and I especially like my P.E. Coach, Mr. Muravyov is really cool and always has these fun ways to exercise! This week we've been playing flag football and I love it!" I chuckled and watched the race cars on television circle their race track. "I bet Physical Education is your favorite class."

He stopped rubbing his face on my shirt then looked up at me. "Uh-huh… way better than sitting in those cramped classrooms with twenty five other kids while trying to learn stupid math." I smiled and recalled how I was the exact opposite, wanting to rather sit in the classroom and do math than do a single push-up. "How about your homework, has Miss Amanda been helping you?" He gave a nod then replied "Yeah, but she's not as good at it as you… it takes her longer and sometimes she has to use the calculator."

"For elementary school math?" He laughed and said "She's not very good at it, Dad… much better at helping me with my Social and English Studies." It was kind of funny that she was good at my weak points and I was good at her weak points. "That's good… at least you got some fresh help on those, I'll stick with Math and Science… speaking of math and science, do you have homework?" He shook his head with a smile and exclaimed "There's no homework on Friday, Dad!"

I had forgotten it was a Friday from not paying attention, unfortunately letting all the days of work in Future City blend together into one. "You're right… how about we do something productive? Go somewhere and do something, I know Taylor's been talking about going to the GameStop to get that new action game." His face lit up and he said "Call of Duty 15!?" I rolled my eyes at the number but gave a nod to what he said "That's the one… maybe we could meet with him and travel up to the mall, I'd like to look for a new laptop while we're there as well… my old one is about to bite the dust."

"Another one bites the dust, Dad… how many laptops have you gone through in the past two years?" I shrugged and tried to think about it. "I don't know… five or six… it's not that they break though, they just run out of memory from all the programs and data I load them up with." I drank the rest of my beer as he replied "You should get a tablet this time… I like touch screens for some reason." I shook my head and stuck my tongue out. "No way… those things are terrible; besides, I have to type a lot so it would be a lot harder to do on a touch screen."

I let go of him and sat the remote down on the armrest before standing up from the couch. "I'll get you one if you want though, I just need a laptop for myself." He shrugged and grabbed the remote, turning up the volume on the television enough to hear the announcer ranting about two race cars that were neck and neck heading directly for the finish line. "I'd rather get Call of Duty so I can start Pwning people." I raised an eyebrow at his video game slang then said "I can get you both, we've got plenty of money… though we do need to save some because we have to stop by the grocery store on the way home."

Once the race cars crossed the finish line Sonic turned the television off, watching me take my empty beer bottle to the garbage can in the kitchen. "Aww… I wanted to get home as soon as possible so I can play my new game!" I smirked then dropped the empty bottle in the garbage before pulling open the fridge. "You'll have plenty of time to play your video game when we get home… we've got to have food, you know." He jumped down from the couch and carried his backpack over to his room, simply tossing it in to where it landed on the floor. "I know, but unless it's Chilidog's it just doesn't appeal to me."

I pulled another beer from the fridge once I decided to let loose along with relax more from my stressful and uneventful business trip to Future City. "Well… seeing as we haven't had a chilidog in a while, I guess we could get some while we're out." He clapped his hands then ran back through the house to the kitchen while I twisted off the top to my Sierra Nevada brand beer. "Yay! I want extra chili cheese on mine!" I smiled and took a quick sip of my beer before responding "That's fine by me… just remember a max of two dogs, any more than that and we'll have a repeat of your infamous all day stomach cramps and bathroom breaks."

He blushed lightly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I can't help it… all I want to do is devour them as soon as I see them! It's like… if… if they had a whole buffet with nothing but chilidogs, I would… uhh… uhh… w-well I guess I'd never leave." I laughed and teased him "You'd also never leave the bathroom… your tongue might be happy but your stomach sure wouldn't be." He blushed deeper and waved me off. "Bah… it's worth it!" I shook my head at his obsession with chilidogs and pulled open the counter drawer to grab my truck keys. "You say that now… but just wait until later when you feel like you're going to explode."

He shrugged and walked with me to the front door. "I'll be alright… I just need some chilidogs." I ruffled his quills and said "Oh, you need them? I think you just want them." He ran out the moment I pulled the door open and went straight to the truck. "That's the same thing, Dad… want, need… it doesn't matter, as long as I get a chilidog and Call of Duty." I laughed while closing the front door, locking it before saying "Well, you just remember what I said… too many chilidogs and you will definitely have a call of doody."

.

[Date- 2404, April 26; Present day]

[Time: 6:58 P.M.]

.

"Master… are you alright?" I cleared my throat and realized I'd been daydreaming. "Y-Yeah…" He shook his head and placed his index and middle finger to my neck, feeling my pulse. "Master! Your pulse is way too high, please take one of your pills right this instant." I ignored him and watched as another memory-dream came into focus on the tablet's screen, forming into a picture of Sonic with a game controller before playing like a movie. "Dad, I need some help." Sonic focused on the game and I noticed the young Hedgehog had a controller in his hands as well, likely playing video games together. "Where are you?"

The young hedgehog suddenly focused on the television and I smiled as I saw some zombie game. "I got trapped in the stores meat freezer by a horde of zombies and I only have one thing of health left." I smiled at Sonic playing video games with the very tip of his tongue sticking out, something he does for some reason when he gets really absorbed in playing video games. "They're inside the store? Crap… hold on, I think I've got a grenade… yeah, that'll work… just stay inside the freezer until the grenade detonates." The hedgehog's vision moved up and down and I could tell he was shaking his head yes in agreement with what his father said.

"Okay… frag out…" The character on the top of the split screen threw a grenade at a bunch of zombies and they all blew up into a gory mess. "Eww! HAHAHA!" Sonic laughed with his son before holding his index finger to his lips. "Shh.. Don't get too loud, I don't want your mother to know you're playing something you shouldn't be…" The young hedgehog smiled and watched as his father's video game character entered the freezer and proceeded to heal his son's character. "Thanks, Dad… I was about to get eaten." Sonic shook his head and both their characters reloaded, taking a few moments to heal within the safety of the metal meat freezer.

"Maybe we could use some of this old rotten meat hanging up to distract the zombies… what do you think, Aayan?" The young hedgehog shrugged then replied "Maybe… that's a good idea, Dad." Sonic smiled and sat the controller down really quick to make a heroic pose that made his son laugh. "That's what heroes do, buddy!" They gave each other a high-five then returned playing. "Okay, so let's take a moment to think of what we've got to do…" The young Hedgehog looked over at his father and said "Don't we need to just run to the boat?"

Sonic held his hand to his chin while contemplating. "You've still got the gasoline on you right?" They young Hedgehog bobbed his head and glanced over at the television, swinging around first for me to see they were in the bedroom the first memory-dream was in. "Yep, it's on my guy's back… but it's also slowing me down because it's full." Sonic pushed the pause button on his controller then looked over the young Hedgehog. "That's okay, I'll give you some support fire… but I do know those giant muscled zombies are outside and they're more difficult than the regular."

"Hmm… don't forget about your idea with the meat, Dad… that might be useful." His eyes lit up before he shook his head. "No… I thought that might work for a second but the muscled zombies aren't fooled by it." The young Hedgehog shrugged before unpausing the game to make his character grab some of the old rotting meat that was hung upon hooks inside the freezer they were in. "So, the regular ones are… I think I've got a good idea, Dad… how about we throw the meat at the muscled zombies to get the regular ones to surround them, that way they'll have to get through the regular zombies before us."

Sonic gave a few nods and reached over to gently nudge his son. "T-That might actually work, good thinking! How many pieces are you taking?" The young Hedgehog stayed focused as his father's character approached the freezer door, already hearing more zombies on the other side. "Four is all I can carry and that means I've got no way to use my gun… and I do hope you've got another grenade or something because I think the regular zombies are starting to build."

Sonic shook his head and made his video game character switch from a machinegun to shotgun. "I'm all out of grenades but I think I can take down quite a few with the amount of shotgun shells I've collected… just tell me when you're ready." The young Hedgehog made his character ready the rotten meat before he said "I'm ready, Dad." Sonic's character quickly pulled open the freezer door and immediately blasted the horde of zombies back with his shotgun, going on with two more blasts before running out with the young hedgehog's character following closely behind.

"Sonikku, Aayan… are you two getting ready up there?" Amy's voice suddenly called out, sounding as though it came from downstairs. "Remember, we need to be at Vanilla's cottage by two o'clock… Her, Cream, and Tails are cooking so you know you'll miss out if we're late!" Sonic leaned over and whispered "We should probably go ahead and save… you know how much your mother likes family events and Thanksgiving is one of them here in Station Square." He shook his head and kept playing, following his father's video game character outside to where a dock was and a boat they were going to escape on. "All we have to do is get on the boat and take off, Dad… can't we just beat this level!?"

Sonic gave in and continued playing the zombie video game with his son, leaving me to just watch the characters on their television game run to the boat through the eyes of the young hedgehog. "Okay… Get ready, Aayan… here comes one of those big muscled zombies!" The young hedgehog moved his fingers faster on the controller to make his character throw a big slab of rotting meat directly on top of the giant muscled zombie which was running full speed at them screaming like The Hulk. "I got him, Dad!"

Sonic laughed with him then said "I saw, it hit him right in the face! Don't stop moving though, run to the boat!" The young hedgehog stayed focused but ran backwards, watching the horde of regular zombies encircle the giant muscled one like a swarm of bees; keeping it from going anywhere until it punched its way through all of them to get to Sonic and his son's characters. "Look how many zombies there are, Dad!" Sonic bobbed his head and made his character shoot a few stray zombies that were heading in their direction before taking time to undo the gasoline canister. "Go ahead and get rid of all that meat, it's making some of them look at us."

The young hedgehog did as told and made his character toss all the meat he had towards the still fighting muscled zombie, forcing the regular zombies to frenzy even further. "Are you refilling the boat, Dad? Because he's just killing the regular zombies and he's doing it pretty fast..." Sonic bobbed his head and stood up from the bed to get closer to the small television. "I'm doing it right now… as soon as we get this thing filled up we're out of here, both in video game terms and real life."

On cue the meter showing how full the gas tank was filled all the way in and Sonic made his character turn the boat on, ending the game with a show of their statistics to how well they did. "Awesome, Dad… look! I got a silver medal this time instead of bronze!" Sonic smiled at him and sat the controller down on the table the television was on. "You're doing great, Aayan… which is amazing since this game is a little beyond your maturity level." The young hedgehog sat his controller down on the bed and asked "What do you mean!? I thought you said I did good!?"

Sonic held his index finger to his lips in an attempt to get the young hedgehog to be quiet. "Shh… don't be too loud, Aayan… I told you it's not that you can't play it, it's just that it's a bit bloody and gory so your mother would smash me with her Piko Hammer if she knew I let you play it." I smiled as Amy's voice suddenly came through the tablet's speaker. "And just what exactly did You let him play?" Sonic jumped in surprise as the young hedgehog just stared. "Don't tell me you've been up here playing a video game that you shouldn't have been playing."

Sonic faked a wide smile and shook his head. "W-Who us? No… we were playing… uhh… uhh… a racing game, like we always do." Amy didn't look like she was falling for it in the least, tapping her foot with her arms crossed. "Uh-huh… that's why I heard gunfire and zombie moans while I was walking up the stairs." Sonic's smile made me laugh as Amy slapped him on the arm a bunch of times as punishment. "How many times do I have to tell you, Sonikku… he's too young for zombie games!"

I felt 327 check my pulse again and try to pull the tablet away from me, leaving me unable to see the screen for a few moments. "Master… you must stop this instant and take a pill… your pulse is at one hundred and forty beats per minutes, far passed your needed resting rate of eighty to one hundred." I chose to continued and tried to get the computer tablet back from him. "Let me see, 327… I want to watch what happened!" He shook his head and purposely disobeyed in a way that showed his sentience. "Master… If you do not take something to slow your pulse your cardiac dysthymia will cause you to go into cardiac arrest!"

I refused and stood up, snatching the tablet out of his hand before noticing how shaky I was. 'W-What… is wrong with me?' I shoved the thoughts to the side and slammed the tablet down on the table where the young cyan Hedgehog was still forcefully dreaming. 'It's like… for some reason I can't take my mind off Sonic and his family, and not in a good way.' I shook my head while my eye twitched, suddenly feeling nauseous at the same time. "Master… what is wrong with you? You look very sick, I think you need to purge your body with water to flush out some of the benzoylmethylecgonine."

I coughed into my hand and felt my face heat up from my fast heartbeat. "I-I'm fine, 327… just l-let me finish watching this…" He started saying something about how he wasn't going to let me have a heart attack from cocaine but I began zoning out, aware of the fact it wasn't the cocaine making me feel like this. 'Why am I feeling this way just from watching Sonic live his life as a normal person with a normal loving family? Have I lost my mind? This is the Hedgehog who I've fought viciously for over eleven years… why do I still have those feelings for him that I used to when we were father and son? I thought those feelings would've evaporated long ago.'

The memory-dream on the computer tablet faded with the young hedgehog napping in the car on their way to Vanilla's house, leaving me to continue thinking while ignoring 327. 'These past months I've been feeling so strange like I've been slowly returning to the same mindset I used to have… I don't know if it's from not being around the Chaos Emeralds like I told 327 it was or if I'm just getting old and my brain is turning to mush.' I tried to stop my hands from shaking but eventually my entire body felt like it was shivering as if cold. 'It's literally like I'm becoming Julian Robotnik again and the persona of Dr. Eggman whom I've taken on for eleven years is beginning to fade.'

'Perhaps it was the Chaos Emeralds that kept me thinking the way I did while Dr. Eggman, maybe that's why I could ignore the fact I was fighting my own son.' My blood suddenly felt like lava flowing through my veins and I started feeling faint along with the same constant nausea bubbling up from the pit of my stomach. 'I mean… What I should've said is the person who used to be my son; there's just no possible way in hell I could still consider me and Sonic related by any means in existence, be it law or blood… right?'

I shook my head again but the intrusive thoughts were firmly attached to my mind, staying there to torment me further while my heart continued to try and pound its way out of my chest with enough force to feel like a burly construction worker with a sledgehammer. 'But why do I feel all of these feelings when I see Aayan, Sonic's son? All I can see is his young father that I used to take care of all the way from changing diapers, bottle feeding, teaching to walk and talk, to the joys of every day social interactions and learning special unique things about him like his favorite food, video games, superheroes, and movies… I… I…'

I stopped for a moment and looked around with gradually blurring vision, noticing 327 still talking frantically out of the corner of my eye. 'I think there was always part of me deep down inside that missed being the father I used to be… even if it was to a… a Mobian… I… I didn't even care that he was a Mobian until I got upset at one… I… I never meant the things I said to him that day…' The memories of that day came flooding back to me, remembering getting beat up by the gang, losing my job, then more importantly losing my son.

'I loved him like he was my real son and the things I said to him were because of stress… I lost my head and due to his speed it was too late for me to say sorry.' I shook my head when I realized what I said was just an excuse. 'I know his speed didn't really matter because I never should've said the things I did… it's my fault that this is all happening and it always has been.' Whether it was the cocaine or rapid pulse, I suddenly felt myself seeing things in a different light; recalling everything that I'd done and specifically the day we ran into each other on South Island.

.

[Date- 2393, Eleven years ago from present or three months after the bank robbery]

[Time: 4:00 P.M.]

[Location- South Island: Volcanic mountain summit designated 'Scrap Brain Zone' by Dr. Eggman]

.

"SCR-HD, report." The machine beeped and said "The high priority object… selected for search and find protocol… 3637253… has not been found by… any rostered units… protocol… 3637253… will remain in effect until… cancelation…" I gave a nod and stared down at the entire island from high up by my makeshift base in the old mine built into the volcano, having just finished reinforcing it with metal. "Dammit… it's been three months and we still haven't found them! Hurry up you stupid machine and make the others do their job before I scrap all of you and just use the robotized animals."

It beeped and returned to standing guard, only understand that I wanted the other SCR-GP models to keep looking with the robotized animals. "I swear, if I had humans I think this would've been easier… at least they don't run on a set of voice commands, even if it is getting perfected and less glitchy." I held my hands behind my back and prayed I'd find the other Chaos Emeralds after spending all my golden fortune on machinery and equipment to declare myself literally my own nation with robotic soldiers to defend it.

Slowly but surely I'd become someone obsessed with finding Chaos Emeralds, having been compelled to do it by the urge to acquire more hypnotic feelings Raw Chaos Energy gave me. 'I think my only purpose is to find these Chaos Emeralds at this point… I've got nothing else to live for other than to obtain enough power to control the world and make it better.' I smirked and turned around from the edge of the volcanic mountain, making my way back inside the abandoned mines that had been newly converted into my surveillance base using the last of my funds. "Ehh… why the hell not look for vengeance!? Who's going to stop me!? No one!"

My newfound inflated ego was a side effect of the Chaos Energy and I'm more than aware of it, having tested myself multiple times and found that withdraw symptoms are simply returning to the previous mindset. 'For some reason it makes me capable of performing task and achieving things that I'd otherwise be unable to do, such as robbing a bank then hijacking an airplane to escape or force an entire island to become your slaves in less than two months.' While it was true that I'd succeeded in doing all those, most were with the help of Taylor who had yet to make another appearance after the bank robbery. 'Wherever he is, I don't need him anymore… with the Roboticizer operational I have an entire force of roboticized islanders looking for the Chaos Emeralds.'

I gave a nod to my thought and moved deeper into the mine, stopping to get inside my newly developed mode of transportation called the Egg Mobile due to its shape; similar to why I'm called Dr. Eggman. "Now that I've got this first Chaos Emerald I've succeeded in so many things without Taylor, including building a vehicle that runs on a souped up version of hovercraft technology while powered by a battery I specifically built to be charged with Chaos Energy! I mean, my God… who else in the entire world can do something like this!?"

I waited a second for a response before saying "Nobody, that's who… nobody has an I.Q. of 300 but me! Nobody can make this stuff like I can, not even my grandfather was this good!" I laughed out loud for a few moments before starting the Egg Mobile, hearing the whirr of the engine as it lifted off the ground. "All you ever need in this world is money and you can do anything you want!" I busted out laughing again and sped through the corridors of the old mine while avoiding any work being done by the roboticized islanders to make my base a little more permanently habitable. 'It's just too bad I ran out of funds, even the island's bank is empty... I was hoping to save some of that for my own entertainment.'

I shrugged and kept going through the mine in my Egg Mobile with SCR-HD following behind as my personal bodyguard at all times. "Who cares! As soon as I get my hands on the Chaos Emeralds hidden on this island, I'll be able to conquer the entire world… HAHAHA! And… And the funniest thing is the rest of the world has no clue what's going to happen… the Guardian United Nation seemed to not even bother sending a single ship to investigate why the island dropped off the grid with communications!"

I slapped my hand to my forehead jokingly in disbelief. "Don't tell me they're scared already!? I didn't expect governments to start bowing down so soon! BWAHAHAUAHAHAA! *Cough**Cough*" Eventually I slowed down and forced myself to stop laughing as the main room came into sight, having claimed it as my base of central operations here on South Island. "Excellent… now, let's see… SCR-HD, can you give me a status report on team one's task of capturing the rest of the villagers?" It beeped and transformed from pursuit mode into its normal mode so that it could speak.

"Apprehension of suspect acquired by unit… GP1… currently en route to location designated… Scrap Brain Zone." I gave a nod and hovered over to the series of surveillance monitors receiving footage from another one of my recent contraptions known as surveillance orbs, basically nothing but a flying camera that utilizes a similar propulsion system to the Egg Mobile. "Wonderful… how long?" Before the robot could respond a team of four SCR's came rolling in with their prisoner, a Mobian Bull who I'd had trouble capturing due to his strength. "Ahh… I see, that's the one who took down GP2 and GP3… I bet GP1 would have enjoyed capturing you for killing his brother if he had any emotions at all."

The Bull snorted loudly while being dragged forward by the four SCR's. "Fuck you, Dr. Eggman… you can't just come here and take over like this…RHAAA! As soon as word gets out to the rest of the world what's happening, the Guardian United Nation is going to put their foot right up your ass little Pure Human!" I smiled and shook my finger. "Tsk-Tsk… you should know better by now that word won't get out since I removed your island's communication relay… Hmhmhmm… but don't worry, no, don't do that… Ha-Ha… I can promise you'll have a good position in my ranks looking for the Chaos Emerald's."

"There is no such thing as a Chaos Emerald, Dr. Eggman, you're insane!" I kept my smile and only licked my lips, feeling a bit excited like every time I use the Roboticizer. "Yes, uh-huh… insane… Ha! You have to be to get anywhere in this world!" He struggled to break free from the chains and stand up while the SCR's continued to drag him over to the immensely complex Roboticizer that took up the whole corner of the room. "You just wait, Dr. Eggman… you just wait, someone will rise up and stop you!"

"Just shut up you pathetic savage beast… look around you, nearly every one on this island has been turned into a robotic slave mindlessly carrying out my every whim… no one's going to stop me because nobody can stop me!" He snorted again, louder than last time as the SCR's hauled him inside the giant Roboticizer before releasing the chain to freely roll away to safety while he stayed inside the machine. "There's always someone out there that's bigger and stronger than you, Dr. Eggman… you just remember that every time you look at my roboticized face!"

I chuckled and got out of the Egg mobile, making my way over to the control panel in front of the Roboticizer. "Oh, I will… and I'll laugh too, every single time I see you I'll remember the pathetic Bull who used to think he could resist my plans… but then I'll also remember the thousands of other people who thought they could resist and I'll laugh at them as well!" He shouted curse words at me and I just laughed like I said I would. "You're a fucking monster, Dr. Eggman… I hope someone puts you through a painfully slow and agonizing death!"

I shrugged and worked on using the controls to make sure he's preprogrammed from the moment of Roboticization. "Well then…. Haha! A slow death beats a life trapped in a roboticized body that's not under your control… Are you ready to spend the rest of your life only watching!?" His eyes widened before he started struggling in an attempt to free himself from the chains wrapped around him. "WHAT!? They're aware in that state!?" I bobbed my head and heard the buzz of the Roboticizer as it powered up. "Yep! But I don't need to explain anymore since you'll experience it all first hand on your own!"

He struggled more and I could hear the chains stretching from the amount of force he was desperately placing on them in an attempt to get free. "I'll kill you myself, Dr. Eggman, I swear! I've got the willpower to control myself and keep my free will no matter what you do to me! Do you understand!? You can turn me into a robot if you want but you'll never take away my freewill!" I smirked and noticed the green light come on the control panel to indicate the Roboticizer was at full power and ready to function.

"We'll just see about that… now, be quiet and say some prayers to your beastie Tauren Earthmother gods or whoever in the hell you worship." He yelled at me as loud as he could but I put a quick stop to it by pushing the start button on the control panel, watching with a smile as a bright flash lit up the room. "NOOOOOOOO!" Immediately the flash got brighter and I looked away, not wanting to be blinded further than I already was by the intense beam of light emanating from within the Roboticizer. "I'lL KiLL yOU, Dr. EgGmaN… I pRoMISE, I'LL KILL YOUUUUUUUUUBZZZZZZRRRRTTTTTTTTTT!"

After another couple of seconds the light faded along with his screaming, going back to dead silence like before. "Well… I'm glad that's over with, I wasn't overly fond of the whole screaming for bloody mercy part… oh, wait a second… that was the best part! Ahahaha!" SCR-HD followed me over to the Roboticizer before I said "SCR-HD… pointer target." He analyzed where I pointed before saying "Confirmed… end of metal… torus link chain." I gave a nod like I was used to doing when talking with humans then said "Go pull that backwards until I say stop." It beeped and I watched him walk over to chain, slowly bending over before using its left hand to grip the very end of the chain; doing all of this on its own with no help other than its CPU. "Objective confirmed."

Within a few feet the chain unraveled from the roboticized bull and I made SCR-HD stop walking backwards with the chain. "That's enough, SCR-HD." The robot stopped while I watched the roboticized bull get up and stare at me for a moment, making me smile wide. "Now, Let's see if you still have your free will… Go assist the others in finding the Chaos Emeralds." He beeped and spun around. "YES, MASTER… BZZT!" A few seconds after he walked away I busted out laughing, just like I promised I'd do every time I saw him. "Looks like you were wrong… your freewill couldn't stand up against the Roboticizer's might."

He continued walking into the corridors to begin his search but I knew he heard what I said. 'Now that that's over, I guess I should check on the surveillance cameras to see if anything looks abnormal.' I spun around and made my way back towards the series of expensive monitors attached to the wall before SCR-HD suddenly beeped. "Status Report: An unidentified… red biplane… has recently been spotted making a landing in… Green Hill Zone… a group of… roboticized islanders… attempted to apprehend the… pilot… but failed in the progress."

I raised both eyebrows in surprise before hurrying to the surveillance controls. "Green Hill Zone? Hmm… that's number twenty six." I switched to a bigger view to make all the monitors display what surveillance orb number twenty six was seeing. "What the!?" The only thing that came through was footage of the sky moments before someone's shoe smashed the lens, causing it to go to static without the signal. "Who the hell was that!?"

I grit my teeth and had hoped it wasn't some sort of rescue team sent by G.U.N. "Dammit, SCR-HD, send SCR-GP1, 3, 5, and 8 to Green Hill Zone Capsule Checkpoint to assist 15 and 19… also prepare the Sky Base for immediate transportation to Green Hill Zone." It beeped and I removed my glasses, cleaning the dust off them from being inside this dusty mine. "Confirmed… GP1… 3… 5… and 8… have been rerouted to security checkpoint… 4…. Second directive confirmed… Sky Base… has been activated and ready for transportation."

I gave a nod then made my way over to the elevator which led to my mechanized zeppelin's docking bay. "Good, now come on… we need to hurry and find out what's going on!" It beeped and hurried over to the elevator as I pushed the button, getting lost in thought for a little while to by the time. 'I swear… if this is really some Guardian United Nation Rescue Team I'm going to show them that they're not welcome here… who the hell do they think they are, deactivating my roboticized citizens of the Eggman Empire like they did!?'

I smirked and bobbed my head in glee at the thought of giving G.U.N. their first taste of my might. 'Maybe I'll rain fire down on them from the Sky Base or just drop a bomb on them.' The elevator door opened and broke me out of thought, leaving me to guide SCR-HD inside. "Come on, SCR-HD… get in there and make room for me you hunk of junk." It beeped a few times as I crammed myself in the elevator with it. "Thankfully we're just under the weight limit… sheesh… why do you guys have to be so heavy?"

The doors closed and I abruptly noticed the sleeve to my red shirt caught in them, making me quickly pull it free as we started ascending upwards to the docking bay. "Ughh… these damn clothes, I think this day is just trying to get on my nerves." SCR-HD stared silently with no opinion so I decided to just keep it to myself. 'The islanders don't seem to have a very good sense of fashion considering the fact I ordered them to bring me the best they had… but then again, red is my favorite colour… hmm… I just think it makes me look a little fat… oh, and what's with the yellow cape? Am I supposed to be look like a dictator in these or a superhero?'

My mind eventually returned to who it may be in the red biplane and I just wanted the elevator to go faster so I could get down there to Green Hill Zone. "I swear… whoever they are it's not going to matter what I'm dressed in, I'm going to put a stop to any inference!" The elevator came to a halt and the doors slid open to reveal the docking bay high up on the mountain's summit along with my ready to go zeppelin. "The moment I find another Chaos Emerald I'll be even more powerful, increasingly with each tenfold!"

SCR-HD followed me out of the elevator and across the boardwalk leading into the Sky Base; my zeppelin. "Ooooh, how dare someone try and interfere with my plans like this! All I want to do is search for the Chaos Emeralds and I keep getting set back by unforeseen events!" Once SCR-HD was inside the door closed behind us, securing us inside while I walked through the narrow hallway towards the navigation room; utilizing my new Robotic Onboard Navigation system. "R.O.N…. set coordinates for 19° 32.984' North and -155° 7.453' West, proceed automatically to Green Hill Zone." Immediately the Robotic Onboard Navigation used my voice commands and began backing out of the dock to depart for said location.

"Hmm… Perhaps if I roboticize a G.U.N. trooper, the robot form will be able to exploit their knowledge of things they know about the United Federation." I smiled and quickly entered the navigation room, seeing through the window that we were on our way down from the moutain's summit. "I could learn a lot of confidential information that way and there would be literally no resistance once the person is roboticized." I laughed then sat down in the captain's chair. "Not like I have to worry about too much resistance regardless, so what if they can defeat a bunch of near harmless roboticized villagers and a surveillance orb… it's the SCR's who they'll have trouble dealing with!"

I sat back and let the zeppelin fly itself down to Green Hill Zone before SCR-HD suddenly said "Status Report: SCR-GP3… has been destroyed by a… extremely fast… unknown… hostile target… SCR-GP1… 5… 8… 15.. and 19… are still engaging… unknown… hostile target… warning capsule breach detected!" My jaw dropped in surprise before I shouted "R.O.N., full speed ahead towards destination! Come on… all systems, full power!" The zeppelin sped up some but not much, having already been at full speed for the most part. "ETA: Two Minutes."

"RHAAAA! Go faster Dammit!" I held my tongue when Green Hill Zone came into sight and I could see a few SCR's shooting at a something that darted into the woods while the others attempted to recapture the animals freed from the capsule. "What was that!? Damn it was fast!" My first thought was some elite team of Guardian United Nation operatives sent to take me out but I was too egotistical at this point to let that be any kind of hindrance to me at all. "Whatever it is I want it dead! SCR-HD, redirect SCR-GP11, 12, and 13 to assist in the battle taking place at Green Hill Zone."

It beeped and said "Directive confirmed… SCR-GP11… 12… and 13… have been rerouted to security checkpoint…4…" I grit my teeth and wanted to know who I was dealing with. "It must be some sort of elite team sent by the Guardian United Nation… I should've known they wouldn't let one of their territories just fall out of communication without sending someone to investigate, fools! They should've just stayed as far away as possible to spare themselves the humiliation of being defeated by a machine!"

"Status Report: suspect has been confirmed as… Mobian… subspecies still currently unknown… but narrowed down to… Porcupine… Hedgehog… or Ancient Echidna." I raised an eyebrow and found it unlikely that it was an Echidna since they went extinct. "A Porcupine or Hedgehog? Great… the last thing I want to do is deal with another Hedgehog and I assume Porcupines are practically the same thing or whatever." Technically they weren't, but I didn't see how either one would cause a problem for any of my SCRs.

After a few more moments we touched down near the broken capsule as more SCRs showed up to assist with anymore combat. "Finally, I swear this thing needs to move faster sometimes!" I jumped up from the captain's chair then hurried out of the navigation room, pulling my pistol while running down the narrow hallway towards the door which slid open as I approached. "Let's go, SCR-HD! Can't you keep up with a tub of lard like me!?" It beeped and rushed down the hallway as I walked outside down the ramp to solid ground, looking at the busted capsule first before glancing over at the SCR's surrounding the woods while tracking their target.

"COME ON OUT YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH, REVEAL YOURSELF TO THE MIGHTY DR. EGGMAN!" I held the grip to my pistol tighter and was ready to shoot anyone who popped out at me. "DON'T MAKE THIS DIFFICULT!" Again the only response I received was the constant breeze which always resides in Green Hill Zone. "Status Report: suspect has been seen moving… west… towards the town of Star Light." I grit my teeth and started to get angry. "Damn this thing's fast… SCR-GP1 and SCR-GP5, cut him or her off and make sure they suffer a painful death."

The two robot's which were near me beeped and transformed into pursuit mode, quickly rolling away to find the Mobian, as usual, who's interfering with my plans. "Come on, SCR-HD, let's go… we'll cut through the woods and see if we can track where he went from there." It beeped and followed directly behind as I made my way passed the broken capsule down the hill to the edge of the thick palm tree foliage, stopping only for a moment before proceeding onwards. "I better not get any ticks on me either."

I wasn't the best tracker but regardless, it was relatively simple when someone leaves a set of shoeprints for you to follow. "Aha! Hurry, SCR-HD... let's find this punk ass and put him or her down for good… after this we need to begin searching for the Chaos Emeralds in the Marble Zone using surveillance orbs since the place is half-submerged in molten lava." The machine beeped and continued to keep a lookout for the 'suspect' all the other units were now set to go after while I simply followed the trail of shoeprints through the woodland offside to Green Hill Zone. 'Whoever they are they've got some serious speed like I haven't seen since Soni-…'

I shut my mouth as my lip twitched, refusing to think of anything involving the person I used to be. 'Grr… At least I know that if it is indeed a Hedgehog, I'll be able to show them a thing or two about the correct way to roll around using the SCR's!' SCR-HD beeped then suddenly said "Status Report: SCR-GP5…has been destroyed by a… extremely fast… unknown… hostile target… location access granted… last known location: Green Hill Zone Security Checkpoint… 6…" Instantly I balled my hands into fists and struck the nearest palm tree. "RHHAAAAA! WHO DOES THIS BASTARD THINK HE IS!?"

Once my anger was redirected towards finding the unknown Mobian I took off, running as fast as I possibly could to get to capsule checkpoint 6 which was not very far away at all. "Alert! Hostile target is heading in… current direction… recommend full countermeasure immediately." I stopped dead in my tracks and knew SCR-HD was right by the sound of incoming gunfire. "Alert! Trajectory sensors indicate… target… will pass within… two feet… of trajected spot… recommend full countermeasure immediately."

"Two feet!? Quick, hide behind one of the trees!" Without further ado I literally jumped behind a tree with SCR-HD moving around to where I was. "How far way is the suspect, SCR-HD!?" It beeped and swiftly calculated as more gunfire from other SCR's ensued. "Two hundred yards… and closing fast at approximately… sixty… miles per hour." I gave a nod then readied myself. "Jesus this thing is fast! Are you sure it's not a roadrunner or cheetah?" SCR-HD beeped but I ignored him, focusing on the sound of crunching leaves quickly approaching. 'Fuck… here he or she comes!'

I narrowed my eyes and forced myself to focus on the sound, kicking my leg out at the exact moment it got close enough for me to try and trip it. "GOT YOU!" It hit my leg and sent me spinning while it tumbled over onto the ground, sprawled out for me to attack. "YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH!" I spun back around with my pistol raised and saw a strangely familiar blue Hedgehog staring up at me while rubbing his head. "Huaah… S-Sonic… I-Is that… is that you? O-Oh… Oh M-My… Oh m-my… Oh my G-God… N-no… no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no….. this c-can't be!"

I dropped my pistol in shock and yanked my glasses off my face to rub my eyes, truly believing they were deceiving me. "No… you can't be here… you're dead, you're fucking dead!" Once I finished rubbing my eyes I momentarily prayed that when I opened them the imaginary blue Hedgehog would be gone, making me nearly pass out when I opened them and he was still there staring up at me. "SONIC! Oh my God, is that you!?"

He kept staring at me with the same green eyes I'd seen in my dreams for two years since we'd last seen each other. "Please tell me you're real… No! I… I must be losing my mind! Y-You're dead! You can't be here… I have to be insane! A-Are you real!?" After a few seconds he gave a tiny nod and I thought my heart was going to stop. "I…I…I…I… I can't believe it… h-how is this possible!? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE!?" I caved and slowly walked towards him with my arms extended to give him a hug. "Sonic… Oh my God, it is you!"

He kicked some dirt at me before jumping up and taking off at full speed, watching me get knocked over by the entire group of SCR's relentlessly pursuing him. "NO, STOP! STOP CHASING HIM! NOOOOO!" By the time I got back to my feet he was already gone, having outran all the SCR's. "SCR-HD, order an immediate cease fire and clear the priority status of the unknown hostile target being pursued through Green Hill Zone!"

It beeped and followed me as I grabbed my pistol I'd dropped then cut straight through the woods towards the clearing, yelling to the top of my lungs all the while. "SONIC! PLEASE COME BACK, I PROMISE I WON'T LET THEM HURT YOU!" Despite my best efforts I was well aware that he was too fast for the SCR's to keep up with. "PLEASE COME BACK, YOUR DADDY'S VERY SORRY! I'M SO SORRY, SONIC, I'M SORRY! PLEASE COME BACK TO ME!" Eventually I stopped running and just stared at the empty expanse of green grass being blown by the gentle breeze. "S-Sonic… oh God… how is this possible!? I… I thought he was dead! I… I… I knew he was dead… there was no question he was dead when he never came back home or even showed up anywhere!"

I fell to my knees on the lush grass and held back brewing tears, momentarily feeling my personality switch from that of Dr. Eggman which I'd been for four months, back to Julian Robotnik, whom I'd been all my life. "I… *Sob*… can't believe it's really him… I know it was him just because, even two years couldn't change what he looked like enough for me to not be able to recognize him… *Sob**Sob*…" SCR-HD kept watch as I broke down into a fit while talking to myself like I'd always done. "It almost… it almost doesn't seem real… I… I mean, I never imagined I'd lay eyes on him again for the rest of my life."

'After a while I just told myself he was dead and I'd never see him again; after all, a young kid goes missing in Downtown Station Square? You almost never hear from them again, sold into the Siberian Slave Trade to forever be missed by their family… I never expected him to be alive.' My gloved fingers pierced the grass and dirt as I tried to get a grip on myself, wanting to do nothing but lose my mind so I wouldn't have to deal with this world anymore. "For two whole years… I thought he was gone forever… for two whole years… *Sobs*… I thought he was dead, I waited for him in Station Square for two years!"

I broke down further and realized while crying into the grass that my Dr. Eggman persona's only weakness was memories of better days. "Sonic… *Sobs**Sob*… oh God… Sonic! SONIC! PLEASE COME BACK!" SCR-HD beeped then abruptly said "Status Report: Sensory data from… Surveillance orb 8… has picked up a surge of… unknown energy… radiating from… Marble Zone…" I ignored him for a moment with my lower lip quivering before finally asking "W-What is the unknown energy's power level sequence?" I sniffled and tried to break myself away from sobbing for a moment to continue with my plan which I'd been working on nonstop for four entire months. "Power Level Sequence… number… 2... 4… 2… 6… 7… 3… 6… 3… 7… 4… 9."

I sniffled and got to my feet when it hit me that it was the right sequence specifically used by Chaos Emeralds. 'Good lord, good luck and bad luck… why the hell would I suddenly get a lead after my son whom I thought was dead, suddenly reveals himself to be alive? Is it just coincidence?' I pushed my thoughts to the side and slowly made my way up the hill towards my zeppelin. "SCR-HD, send word to all units that the extremely fast unknown hostile is to be referred to as Sonic the Hedgehog… I want him found and brought to me alive with absolutely no bodily harm done."

It beeped and followed me up the hill. "Confirmed… suspect profile created… Sonic the Hedgehog… priority status: High… passive capture required during apprehension." I cleared my throat then sped up, walking quicker towards the Sky Base. 'I can't believe this… it's just… it's insane! Why in the hell is this happening to me!? If I had known he was still alive I would've continued looking for him!' My eye twitched and had to hold back the constant feeling that this was all just a crazy dream. "Where could he have stayed? Did he live out on the streets for two years!? How could he do something like that, no way the Sonic I knew would live out on the street without any of his comforts he's grown up with… there's just no way!"

I grit my teeth and started thinking of other possibilities. "Maybe he lived with someone else…. Ugnn… I doubt it, why the hell would he be out here then?" I stopped halfway up the hill and thought 'Wait… why is he here? If it's really him, then why would he come all the way out here?' It didn't make any sense for multiple reasons. 'One, since when could he fly an airplane? And two, of all the places in the entire world he could've gone to… he comes here, to south Island, where I am.'

"I searched everywhere for him for as long as I possibly could those two years ago… I searched Station Square for a solid year but had to do it alone since the police had become my enemy… I did everything I could based on the situation I was in and the options it gave me! I… I did the right thing leaving that city because I thought for sure that my son was dead!" I recalled the hurry I was in when I first left Station Square due to the police chasing me and figured he wasn't stalking me since there was no possible way he could've known I was heading here to South Island. "Does that mean the outside world is aware that something's wrong here? No, why would I think they sent Sonic? He never dabbled in the whole military crap so that must mean he's been tracking me somehow."

I sighed and tried to figure out more about how Sonic is alive and got here while resuming walking, making my way towards the zeppelin Sky Base. "He's a smart boy and that may be how he managed to survive on his own… that and speed… but he's got no right to just show up like this after the pain and suffering I went through thinking he was dead!" My hands balled up into fists again as I approached the zeppelin, leaving me to strike the side paneling like I did with the tree back in the forest. "GODDAMMIT! If I had only known he was still alive!"

"Status Report: Suspect… Sonic the Hedgehog… has been spotted moving towards our current position." I immediately recomposed myself and turned around to see Sonic dash out of the woods with the same group of SCR's pursuing him like last time, only without the gunfire. "SONIC! OVER HERE! PLEASE, COME OVER HERE!" I jumped up and down waving my hands but I knew he didn't have any trouble seeing me. "OVER HERE!" He sped up even faster and I found it amazing that he could travel that fast, having little to no problem outrunning the SCR's when running forward. "YES! PLEASE COME TO YOUR DADDY!"

I glanced back at SCR-HD and said "Suspend the order to apprehend Sonic the Hedgehog… keep the group of SCR's nearby." It beeped and the group of SCR's chasing Sonic slowed down before eventually dispersing, rolling off in opposite directions. "SONIC!" He came closer while slowing down some at the realization he was no longer being chased. 'My god… look at him… his fur is dirty along with scruffy and his quills are untrimmed, he really has been living out on the streets.' My heart thumped and I couldn't help but feel shame for letting my son be homeless for two years.

He came to a stop about thirty feet from me and warily looked around like he expected me to have set a trap for some reason. "S-Sonic… I can't believe it's you, I'm still having trouble accepting that you're really here… are you okay!?" I took a small step forward but he started backing up. "Sonic… p-please don't be afraid of me, I'm your father… I'm so sorry for the things I said to you, I was stupid and… a-and… I thought you were dead… S-Sonic… I thought you were dead."

He just stared through overgrown quills as I struggled to stand before him, seeing only a sad child that ran away because he thought he wasn't welcome. "I searched forever nonstop, every night and day for a solid month I spend looking for you… I drove down every street in Station Square and even asked as many people as I could… I… I just couldn't find you, Sonic… why? Why didn't you come back home?" He refused to speak and only shrugged. "Is it because of those things I said to you? I'm sorry, Sonic… I was so upset at my job that I said some things I didn't mean… I promise you, I never should have said that you weren't my son; you are my son, you're my Sonic who I took care of you nine years… a-and now… now you're eleven…"

My lip started quivering from just looking at him and I broke down into more tears. "I'm sorry, Sonic… *Sobs*… I never should have said the things I did and I'm sorry, please forgive me! I… I looked everywhere and all I wanted to do was apologize to you, but you just weren't anywhere to be found." He continued to stay quiet and all I could do was cry, not caring in the least that he was watching me. "I had to look for you alone because the police were after me… I got fired from my job the day you left and that was the reason for my stress, I didn't want to tell you at the time because you were too young and I thought I could handle it."

"You've got to understand, the only reason why I said you weren't my son was because I lost my job and I was too stressed to deal with the situation properly…" After sniffling a few more times I looked back up at the scruffy looking Hedgehog before saying "How did you survive?" He shrugged but still refused to reply. 'What should I say to him?' He stared at me and all I wanted to do was pull him into a warm hug, something that he looked like he hadn't had in two whole years, same as me. "S-Sonic… I'm just so happy that you're alive! I really thought you were dead, that's the only reason why I left Station Square… I had been waiting there for two years, running for the cops, all just in case you somehow decided to show yourself."

I grit my teeth and felt a twinge in my heart as he continued to remain silent. "I never gave up hope but after a while I just… I… I… I don't understand how you could still be alive and not have tried to come back and see, call, or even email me… why Sonic? Why didn't you let me know you were still alive? Was someone holding you against your will?" I sniffled and stared at him. "Oh God, don't tell me you've been kept prisoner by some pervert…" He shook his head and I felt relieved to know he hasn't been tortured by some disgusting sicko. "Then why wouldn't you come back? I know it was because of the horrible things I said to you and the way I neglected you… b-but… you didn't even give me a chance to apologize… I… I…"

His water welling eyes made me realize I was making another excuse so I had to revise what I said "I realized the things I said to you about not being my son weren't true, Sonic… I only said that because I was upset over losing my job…" He sniffled but held back his tears unlike me. "I… I know I'm a Human and you're a Mobian, but that doesn't mean I love you any less… I… I missed you so much, Sonic… it tore a hole in my heart to know that you were gone and it only got bigger when I started thinking I'd never find you."

I stopped talking and had to once again remove my glasses, needing the wipe the tears off them. "D-Dad…" His voice made me feel weak and faint enough to wobble for a moment. "S-Sonic… it's so good to hear your voice again, even if it does sound older." He smiled for a second before it quickly faded. "Why did you rob that bank?" My blood ran cold and I couldn't believe he knew about that. "Sonic… I… you don't understand, I had no choice… how do you even know about that?"

He showed his fangs with a bit of anger while saying "It was all over the news just two months ago! They had a picture of you on the television where everyone saw you! Do you have any idea how it felt for me to know you did that!?" I shook my head since in reality I had no clue what he went through, same as he had no clue what I went through. "No… but I had no choice, Sonic… I was forced to rob that bank to get the Chaos Emerald held in the vault." He raised his eyebrows in confusion before I explained "They're gemstones that contain unimaginable power… I had to get it because I was forced by T-"

He cut me off with a snarl. "Because why!? Because you ran out of money!? Is that all you ever cared about, Dad!? Money!?" I shook my head and felt like crying from him saying that. "N-No… that's not it at all, you wouldn't understand… if I told you you'd think I've completely lost my mind." He sneered back again like he suddenly viewed me as a criminal. "You have completely lost your mind, Dad… there's no way you'd use your own robot's built to keep the peace as bank robbers."

"I wouldn't have used them like that if I had the choice, Sonic… I used them to keep me safe while I slept in a warehouse because I lost the house… all of this is Butch's fault; do you realize what he did to me, Sonic?" He shook his head and crossed his arms in a serious demeanor. "His son was in a gang and that same day they decided to mug me, well your old Dad fought back and almost got killed… because of the fact it was Butch's son I got fired and Butch was going to take these robots an use them for his own purposes, he was literally going to fire me and take all the credit for my ten years worth of constant dedicated work."

"You were dedicated alright, Dad… dedicated to the point where you stopped paying attention to me all together!" I waved my hands and he took another step back, hurting my already bruised feelings by acting like I was some sort of threat. "That's not true, Sonic… I love you as a father and I did all those things for you, don't you understand!? I stole these robots from Rimlight because I wanted you and me to start a new life somewhere else…" He failed to hold back his tears and shouted "I didn't want to start a new life, Dad! All I fucking wanted was for you to spend some time with me."

"You watch your mouth, young man!" He shook his head with tears rolling down his face. "Don't you get it, Dad? That's all I wanted, was for you to be the father you used to be to me… but instead you distanced yourself more and more." My heart started beating fast as I tried my absolute best to explain to him why that was. "It's Butch's fault, Sonic… He made my life miserable by treating me like dirt and scheduling me to work ungodly hours that I could barely even do! Sonic… I did all that for you, so you could have a good childhood and have the money to go places in life… I didn't do it for myself."

He looked away from me for a moment while trying to get control over his teary eyes. "I lived out on the streets for two years, Dad, it was never about the money to me… don't you understand that?" I gave a nod and replied "I do understand that, Sonic, I understand it very well… it's just… I didn't know that at the time and I tried so hard to keep you happy." He turned his head and I watched his eyes struggle to stay looking up into mine. "I understand how stressed out you were, Dad… I understand that you didn't mean the awful things you said to me about wishing you never considered me your son-…"

I interrupted by rapidly bobbing my head. "I promise you, Sonic, I truly regret saying something like that to you… no child should ever hear his father say that." He sniffled a few times and it made me want to hug him, take in and comfort him for all the things he went through. "B-But you're not my real father, Dad… I'm a Hedgehog and you're a Human, just like you said earlier." I waved my hands and he took another step back, making me stop and put my pistol up once I realized that may be the cause of his concern. "That means nothing to me, Sonic… I took care of you like you were my real child, dammit, I changed your diapers and bottle feed you when you could have burned to dea-"

I cut myself short once I noticed his wide eyes. "I… I mean… I took care of you, Sonic, it just doesn't matter if you're a Hedgehog." He shook his head and asked "You don't even like Mobian's do you?" I stood dumbstruck as he stared, patiently waiting for an answer. "W-What do you mean by that?" He made a face and snapped back in response "I mean exactly what I asked; you don't really like Mobian's do you?" I shrugged and tried to move on with the conversation. "What does it matter, Sonic? I love you regardless of if you're a Mobian… I always have."

He closed his eyes for a second before speaking "I came here because I put two and two together, Dad… you robbed a bank with highly advance robots and even outmatched the police force before taking off in a plane, everyone knew about it because it was everywhere on the news just like I said… but what the public didn't realize is that you came here." He opened his eyes then stared at me with disgust. "South Island, an real tourists hot zone, suddenly goes quiet from all communications after you leave in airplane with twenty or so SCR's… I figured out pretty quick that this would be where you are, but I certainly didn't expect this."

He tapped on the paneling to the Sky Base and I smiled. "Do you like it? It's a homemade zeppelin I've taken to calling the Sky Base… it's the most advanced Airship in the world at the moment." He made another face then pulled his hand away. "It's a war machine." I cleared my throat since in my view it was more or less a mode of steady transportation around the island while searching for Chaos Emeralds. "It's just a blimp, Sonic." He sneered at me and I started to get tired of him doing that to me. "It's not 'just a blimp', Dad… it's a zeppelin like you said, a zeppelin with noticeable weaponry and even a bomb hatch… I saw all of it from the sky while it blocked out the sun." I frowned and said "Sonic, the way you're saying things is like you think I'm out here doing something bad."

He seemed stunned that I didn't somehow realize what I was doing. "IT IS BAD! ZEPPLELINS ARE BAD! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?" I stared silently as he keep talking, thankfully not yelling this time. "You robbed a bank and built war machines with the money you stole! How can anything you're doing be right!?" I grit my teeth and shouted back "It's not like I wanted to spend that money on machinery! Hell no, I wanted to go to Chun-nan and live out the rest of my life… and… and that's only because I thought you were dead, Sonic…"

He sighed then looked away for another moment, holding back more tears while he did. "How much money did you steal?" I shrugged and attempted to act like I didn't know before he shouted "HOW MUCH… DID YOU STEAL!?" After a moment to let his yelling sink in, I stood up straight and replied "One million and six hundred thousand dollars… then plus this island's bank; so collectively, three million United Federation Dollars'." He chuckled and stayed in disbelief. "Let me get this straight… you steal three million dollars away from hard working people who deserved it and used it for making war machines so you can find some sort of expensive gemstone?"

I failed to hold back a smirk and chuckle. "Oh, Sonic… you always did have a inflated sense of justice… if you only understood half of it you'd see things the same way I do, just wait until you grow up a little more." His eyes widened and I abruptly feared I'd struck a nerve. "How dare you say something like that to me… do you have any idea how hard it is to live out on the streets?" I gave a nod since I truly did. "Yes, I lived out on them for a year and a half because I lost the house…" He shook his head then interjected "No, you lived in an old warehouse like you said… I actually lived out on the streets exposed to rain, cold, and heat on a daily basis."

"You should have come back to me, Sonic… Why? Why didn't you come back?" He turned his back to me and resumed crossing his arms. "Because I didn't want to get in your way! You wanted to be alone, Dad… all I did was make it easy for you." I walked forward a few steps but he stood still this time, not aware that I did so since he had his back to me. "Easy!? You made my life a living hell! I… I mean… by leaving me, I spent every night of that month crying my eyes out because I thought you were dead… do you even know the type of twisted deaths I imagined? No father should have to wonder if their child was murdered or chained to some basement… It just made me feel sicker that I let you run away."

"You should've known I can take care of myself, Dad… but I don't really see why you act like you cared, you didn't care enough to spend time with me or even tuck me in anymore." My lips hurt from frowning so much, heartbroken that he'd been living on the streets for two years thinking that I didn't love him. "That's because I had to spend so much time on these infernal robots, Butch wouldn't cut me any slack, and I had to keep the bills paid…" He turned back around and said "You could've gotten another job!"

I shook my head then tried to explain. "Not really, Sonic… I'm very good at what I do in robotics and it's for that reason that I excel in specifically that job… plus, I was literally so close to getting everything up and running to the point of where I'd never even have to deal with Butch…" He pointed at me angrily and shouted "Butch, Butch, Butch… why is it you can't ever stop talking about that guy!?" I sighed but smiled on the inside since he was obviously still just a kid that wouldn't be able to understand.

"Because, this is all his fault… I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for him and his criminally insane son! If I hadn't lost my job that day I would've gone home and made time to spend with you… it's his fault that I got too stressed out to pay attention to you that day." His lower lip quivered and I started feeling bad for him again. "Dad… I may have ran away because you slapped me then told me I wasn't your son, but I never came back because it was evident you meant that by the way you started acting like I annoyed you… don't you remember the giant working streak you went on? The only reason why I got the chance to ask you if we could spend time was because you somehow managed to get a day where you could go in a little later and I woke up to go to school."

I shook my finger and clarified what happened. "I woke you up that day, Sonic… even though I could've left without saying a single word I came in any way to wake you up and see you off to school!" He let a few more tears slip and I watched them roll down his cheek. "That was the first time you'd done something like that in over three months, Dad." I held my hands up and exclaimed "That was because I'd been so busy with my job that I lost track of time, all the days blended together and all I wanted to do was finish!" He dabbed his eyes with his dirty gloves then replied "You always said you were looking forward to finishing, Dad… you constantly told me you were 'almost done' and yet you never were!"

"Sonic, that's because robotics is very complex and you literally have to create everything." He grit his teeth and shouted "But you're good at it, huh? That's why you never had another job… even when you could've become a teacher or even a brain surgeon." I smirked but shook my head. "I don't think I could've been a brain surgeon, Sonic." He stomped his foot and shouted "I'm just saying! You're the smartest person in the entire world and look at what you're doing!" I stared at the SCR's collecting the rest of the freed animals then over at the empty town which all its inhabitants had been roboticized to assist me in searching for the Chaos Emeralds. "Regardless, as soon as I finished my project with the SCR's I would've immediately dedicated more time to spending with you."

"I thought that too, Dad… I hoped that when you woke me up that morning you were close to finishing, and when you told me that you were going to make time to spend with me… I got my hopes up because I was a stupid kid." I reeled back in surprise and tried to wrap my head around what he was thinking at the time. "Sonic, you're not a stupid kid… far from it… and I'm sorry I got your hopes up, if it was my decision I would've spent the rest of that day with you…"

He uncrossed his arms then pointed at me. "But it wasn't your decision was it?" I shook my head and said "No, because of Butch and his bastard of a son! Instead I had to worry about the police and Mr. Davison knocking down my door to bust me for Corporate Espionage… I could've gone to prison for twenty years, Sonic! Twenty years!" He took a step back from my anger so I toned it down a notch, not trying to frighten him. "I know I should've spent time with you anyway, but I didn't and I'm sorry… please… d-do you forgive me?"

He cocked his head and stared at me for a minute with sad eyes. "I already told you that I forgive you for that… but won't I don't forgive you for is robbing a bank and taking over this island like some sort of tyrannical ruler!" I narrowed my eyes and thought of myself as more of a treasure hunter at the moment, but I guess dictator was also a fitting description "I'm doing all of that to get the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic." He huffed angrily and looked like he wanted to lunge at me. "Is that all you care about now!? Gemstones so you can make yourself rich!?"

"Status Report…" SCR-HD abruptly said, startling both of us. "Surveillance orb… 8… has been destroyed by… liquescent destruction after a… lava spout… hit without warning… attempt to recover recorded data successful." I ignored it and chose to focus on Sonic instead. "The gemstones are not for getting rich, Sonic… they're very special gemstones called Chaos Emeralds and they hold an unbelievable amount of power." His jaw dropped some and he seemed even more surprised. "What do you mean they hold an unbelievable amount of power!?" I chuckled lightly at his surprise but he didn't see anything funny at all. "I mean, they have supernatural powers that can do all sorts of strange things… it's almost like magic really…"

He shook his head in disbelief and stomped his foot again. "Magic!? Have you lost your mind or are you drunk!?" SCR-HD watched his behavior and I realized maybe I ought to tell Sonic about not getting to angry. "I'm not drunk and I haven't lost my mind, Sonic… but I do want you to stop stomping your foot and yelling at me, the robots see it as a threat." He gave SCR-HD the middle finger and said "Who gives a shit!? They should see me as a threat after I already took down two of them and a group of your metal Mobian robots!"

I grit my teeth at more of his yelling then replied "I wish you wouldn't have done that but I guess it doesn't matter since they were trying to capture you… I promise that was before I knew it was you." He rolled his eyes and I momentarily glanced over at the red biplane he arrived in. "How did you learn to fly?" He noticed were I was staring then replied "The library, it's better to spend time there in the summer and winter because they have air conditioner along with a heater… but don't try and get me off topic; I can't believe you're searching for some stupid gemstone with supposed 'supernatural' powers; that's so absurd!"

I smirked and knew that it did indeed sound absolutely absurd unless you had witnessed the things I have. "I know it sounds that way to you, but take the Sky Base for example… I wouldn't have been able to create it without the help of Chaos Energy." His eyes widened a bit before he asked "So you have one of these Chaos Emeralds?" It was back in my base up in the volcanic mountaintop but I wasn't about to tell him that since it wasn't any of his business. "I do have one… but I know a lot from the research I've done on it."

He took his eyes off me for a second to look at SCR-HD before responding "I know… after I saw the news broadcast about you robbing the bank I ran back home hoping… well... I don't know what the hell I was hoping; regardless, I saw your mass of obsessive written down rants and complex equations written on the wall with permanent marker." My heart lurched at the thought of him going back to the old house and I wasn't there, but it also made me feel angry that he didn't come back sooner. "Sonic… I don't really know what to say."

"Then don't say anything, Dad… I think I get it, you just want money… I'm right, aren't I!?" I shook my head and took a few more steps forward, making him angry again. "Would you stop walking forward towards me!? God!" I stopped in place and replied heartbrokenly "It's not all about the money to me, Sonic, I promise… it's about the power inside those Chaos Emeralds; they can literally do just about anything." He rubbed his runny nose and sneezed before asking "What are you talking about? It's just a gemstone."

I shook my head and pointed at the Sky Base. "It's not just a gemstone… like I said; I wouldn't have been able to power my Sky Base or the Roboticizer." He narrowed his eyes and asked "So this thing just literally has supernatural powers?" I bobbed my head and held my hands up. "They made everything and have the power to do anything, Sonic!" He smirked for a moment before saying "You never were the religious type, Dad… did someone convert you?" I chuckled lightly and thought about Taylor along with his incomprehensible prophecies before my own search for the Chaos Emeralds began. "It's not about religion; Sonic… it's about the power inside those Emeralds… unlimited power that can do anything."

His smirk faded as did mine, becoming serious again while unfortunately staying at our distance of twenty feet. "You keep saying that they can do anything but that's impossible, Dad, even if they did have some form of energy inside them." It's hard to explain to someone who hasn't seen the things I have, but I wasn't going to let him walk away. "But it's true, Sonic… they contain an unbelievable amount of power capable of creating and destroying everything, they could destroy the entire world or even perhaps the whole universe!"

His eyes widened again and I realized that might not have been the best example to have used. "That sounds terrible, Dad… you need to leave them lost for all of eternity and stop letting it get to your head." I frowned and thought of the good parts of Chaos Emeralds. "B-But there's more to them than that, Sonic… they have unlimited energy that you can harness and do anything with, be it powering great technologically advanced machines, keeping this island afloat, and even giving people superhuman powers… imagine being able to move as quick as The Flash, you still like him right?"

He refused to reply so I kept speaking. "The Chaos Emeralds are more powerful than anything anyone has ever come across throughout time…... I… I could use them." He cocked his head then asked "Use them for what? Don't tell me to conquer the world or something." I shook my head before turning to SCR-HD. "No, it's nothing like that… hold on a second… SCR-HD, go get me two bottles of water from the Sky Base." It beeped and said "Error… new directive interferes with number… 1… Protect… Dr... Eggman… at all times under all means necessary."

I sighed and snapped my fingers, pointing to the Sky Base while treating SCR-HD like a child. "Do as I say, SCR-HD… Sonic is authorized to be around me without fear of harm." It beeped again before walking off towards the ramp leading into the giant zeppelin. "I just wanted you to talk with me alone, Sonic… I saw you kept looking at it, but don't worry, I promise it won't hurt you… now, to answer your question; I want to use them to cleanse the world of all evil, every Mob-…."

He jerked his head back up at me and stared in shock. "I… I mean, I want to rid the world of every criminal and everyone who's no good at all like Butch and Scott." He pursed his lips then asked "Mobians? You want to get rid of all the Mobians because you hate them." I waved my hands and tried to make him understand a little better. "Sonic… look… as you know, I'm a pure human like the kind from back in the Old World… but I grew up in a city packed full of Overlanders, decedents of pure humans who hold a dreadful grudge on every Mobian in existences because they were forced to compete with them to survive."

"What are you trying to say, Dad?" I grit my teeth and said "I'm trying to tell you that the reason why it looks like I hate every Mobian is because I grew up thinking they were bad… but then when you came into my life all of those views changed, I didn't see you as a Mobian, I just saw you as my son who I loved and took care of like you were a human." He stomped his foot again but I wasn't concerned since SCR-HD was gone to fetch me something to drink from the Sky Base. "But I'm not a human… I'm a Mobian, a Hedgehog Mobian!"

My heart kept pounding as I tried to figure out when he started thinking like this. "I know you're a Mobian, Sonic… but that doesn't mean I love you in particular any less." His eyes tore through mine with a surprising amount of anger as he couldn't seem to understand for some reason that being my son made it not matter to me whether he was Human or Mobian. "I can guarantee you that you did love me less because I was a Mobian!" I immediately shook my head since it wasn't true, I forgot he was a Hedgehog half of the time because of the fact he was my family. "That's not true in the least, Sonic… I would never love you any less no matter what you were, don't ever say things like that again because they're not true."

"But they are true, Dad… I can't ever shake the feeling that if I was your real son, a Pure Human like you; you never would have said the things you said to me those two years ago." The reminder that it had been two whole years since we had seen each other wasn't welcomed but I shrugged it off, trying to converse with him without wanting to cry. "W-Well… I might not have said something along the lines that I did if you were truly my son… I mean, my biological son that had my blood in his veins… B-But it probably would've been along similar lines, I don't know; just forget about all that, Sonic… Please."

"I already have forgotten about it, Dad… it's you who keeps bringing it back up!" I sighed and noticed SCR-HD coming back down the Sky Base's ramp with a bottle of water firmly held in both his hand. "I'm sorry, Sonic… It's just… my mind is a little blown right now." He heard SCR-HD coming up behind him and quickly spun around, readying himself like he expected a fight. "What are you doing? It's just bringing me and you some water." He kept his attack ready stance even after SCR-HD passed him, watching the robot bring me the bottled waters to me. "Directive complete."

I took both bottles of water from it and walked around to Sonic who started backing up instantly, still not wanting me to get close to him for some reason. "Here… catch… I promise I didn't poison it if you're worried about something like that." I tossed one of the bottles of water in his direction and he caught it with ease, going right back to our previous discussion afterwards. "What are you really doing here, Dad? Besides looking for those mythological gemstones that likely don't exist."

We both twisted the caps off our bottles at the same time but he took a sip first since I had to respond. "I already told you they do exist, Sonic, and that's the real reason why I'm here… to collect the Chaos Emeralds and use them to purify the world and make it a better place…" I stopped for a second to guzzle some of the water before continuing "It's not going to be just Mobian's that I'll get rid of, Sonic… it's everyone who deserves it… anyone evil or bad will be erased from existence and leave the world a better place."

His eyes winded for a bit before saying "You think these crazy gemstones have the power to erase people from existence!?" I gave a small nod with a tiny smile. "While I've yet to do anything like that, I know they have the power to do it… it should be relatively easy once I acquire more of them." He stopped drinking water and stared at my smile in confusion, making it disappear quickly. "Even if this is to better the world, do you really think the United Federation is going to allow this? The Guardian United Nation would rather shoot themselves than let you erase people from existence, especially their own citizens."

I shrugged but was well aware that he was right and smart as Hell for an eleven year old. "Of course they won't allow me to do something like this, but they won't have a choice once I get all seven Chaos Emeralds… they'll be forced to listen to me and realize the error of their ways." He laughed sarcastically and it made me feel a bit irritated. "Well… you're right about not just hating Mobians, but you're still one hundred percent insane." I crossed my arms at the way he was speaking to me but decided to let him keep going. "How could you possibly hold off an entire naval fleet that's slowly building to make its way here and investigate? The military thinks you're another country trying to invade!"

I smirked and asked "Really? Is that what they've been saying? Hmm…" His hand tightened around the bottle of water enough to make it crinkle. "It's not something you should be proud of! They isolated the island and have been watching you for weeks but didn't start preparing to attack until after the first rescue team went missing the day before yesterday." I raised an eyebrow and wasn't sure what he was talking about with a missing rescue team. "I don't know what you're talking about with a rescue team; I haven't seen any ships or airplanes around the island in over two months… I thought it was a blessing to be honest."

He waved his hands without care of the water he spilt. "What!? No! The rescue team was found dead floating in their boat off the coast like they got killed trying to escape from someone… someone like you!" I Shook my head and tried to assure him that their deaths were not my doing in the least. "Sonic, I'm afraid that doesn't have anything to do with me… like I said, I haven't seen anyone from the outside world in over a month… whoever did that to them wasn't me." He rolled his eyes, showing that he didn't believe me at all. "I'm serious, it wasn't me!"

He pointed at SCR-HD and asked "Then was it one of your killbots?" I shook my head again then replied "No, the SCR's cannot swim and I haven't built anything that goes in the water yet… that's why I haven't gone into the Labyrinth Zone since the entire place is filled with water." He sighed so I quickly moved on. "Regardless, it wasn't me who killed the rescue team; in fact, this is the first I've heard of any rescue team… I originally thought that's who you were when you landed."

I glanced over at the red biplane and still couldn't believe he learned how to fly. "Well the Guardian United Nation believes it was you who killed them and now they're building a whole fleet of fucking battleships to come and kick your ass!" I grunted then screwed the cap back on my bottle of water. "Would you stop with the cursing? God, is that how you learned to talk out on the streets?"

His eye twitched and I realized I'd accidently struck a nerve. "That's not what I meant to say…" He huffed then shook his head with a frown. "I'm sure… either way half the Guardian United Nation is going to be heading here in about two weeks… so…. your eighteen SCR's might be able to scare the islanders into hiding but it won't do much against a whole platoon of troopers." I momentarily wondered if he came here to give me a heads up before saying "I've got more than eighteen SCR's; Sonic… they're just my force's backbone."

He stared at the Sky Base then my base at the top of the volcanic mountain before back at me. "What? More death machines or something? Are you going to rain fire down from the sky in your zeppelin?" His tone only seemed to get darker with me, like he was having trouble seeing the good in what I'm doing even after explaining to him that I'm fixing the world. "No… the islanders aren't hiding, Sonic… they're roboticized and assisting me in searching for the Chaos Emeralds as we speak."

He cocked his head in confusion so I explained "Remember when I told you I used Chaos Energy from the Chaos Emeralds to build not only the Sky Base here but also something called the Roboticizer?" He gave a small nod then said "Yeah, is that some sort of new term you developed for brainwashing?" I chuckled and watched him take another sip of his water. "Close… it's a machine that has the power to turn living things into a robotic equivalent where they then carry out my orders."

He choked then spit his water out in surprise, letting his jaw dropped in disbelief where I could tell that made him very upset to hear. "W-What!? YOU'RE TURNING PEOPLE INTO ROBOTS!?" I motioned for him to lower his voice before enlightening him on the details in an attempt to get him to understand. "Shh… yes, it transforms living organisms into metal ones through a process known as Roboticization." He dropped his bottle on the ground and let all the water spill out, too shocked to care. "YOU'RE TURNING PEOPLE INTO ROBOTS! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?"

He suddenly looked faint and his legs wobbled. "I… I think I killed a bunch of people… I attacked them like I did the SCR's because I thought they were fucking robots… oh, God!" I shook my head and waved my hands at the same time, swiftly letting him know he didn't kill anyone. "No-No-No, you didn't kill anyone… they're just deactivated, their status report came in before I knew it was you." He sniffled and asked "A-All of them are just deactivated? B-Because I attacked like four or five of them…"

I gave a nod and continued to reassure him. "Yeah… they're programmed to deactivate if they take too much damage, I didn't want anyone to get killed either so I figured I'd make a failsafe…. See? I don't want anyone to die, Sonic… I just want to make the world a better place." He coughed into his hand before rubbing his face, trying to make it look like he hadn't been crying. "B-But you're turning people into soulless robots, Dad… just because you're not killing them doesn't mean what you've done is the right thing!"

He sniffled again and I reached into my pocket, making him stand at the ready like he expected me to pull my gun on him. "Relax… I'm just getting you a handkerchief." I did as said and pulled a pure white handkerchief from my pocket, tossing it to him before he caught it. "Thanks… but you're still doing wrong, Dad… you just can't take innocent people and turn them into mindless soulless robots!" He blew his nose on the Handkerchief and I informed him that they weren't mindless. "They're not mindless or soulless machines, Sonic; they are still aware and can see and hear everything… not sure if they feel though."

He stopped blowing his nose and once again returned to looking at me wide eyed. "W-What!? That's even worse! Are you telling me they are aware of everything and yet can't control their body!?" I gave a small nod since it was the truth. "Yes, it robs them of their free will but their awareness remains… they just can't control anything, their body is following their new programming." He pulled the handkerchief away then folded it up before putting it in his pocket. "You're a monster… a dark, twisted, sadistic monster… how could you do something like that!? They were innocent people with families!"

I grit my teeth at him calling me a monster but in a way it did seem like something a monster would do. "It's only temporary, Sonic… as soon as I find the Chaos Emeralds I'm going to turn them back into living flesh with their free will fully restored." His hands balled into fists and SCR-HD rotated its head, analyzing the hostility level. "Oh yeah? And just how are you going to do that, Just tap them on the head and say abracadabra?" I huffed and crossed my arms, beginning to get tired of his sarcasm as well as the rude tone. "No, Sonic… it's called a De-Roboticizer, it turns those who've been roboticized back into living flesh… but unfortunately it's in the prototype stage and I'm still working out the kinks."

He closed his eyes then pinched the bridge of nose and acted annoyed with me, sort of how I was starting to feel about him. "So in other words, the islanders that you 'roboticized' are stuck like that?" I sighed and gave a small nod. "Yes, but only until I complete the De-Roboticizer and find all seven of the Chaos Emeralds… so don't make it sound like I'm doing something irreversible to these poor people, as soon as I get what I want I'll turn them back to normal and they can go on with the rest of their merry lives."

He let go of the bridge of his nose then asked "Until you decided to start erasing people like you think you're God or something…" I chuckled lightly since I thought of myself as the pioneer of a new coming age in which everyone's life would be better. "I wouldn't say anything about being a god, but if I had those Chaos Emeralds I'd have godlike powers where I could shape the world around me as I see fit." He snorted then snapped back "You didn't listen to me, I said you're acting like you think you're God, that's exactly what you're doing when you have godlike powers and you're not God!"

"Sonic! You better stop yelling at me right this instance!" He showed his fangs and asked "Or what? Are you going to slap me again?" I inhaled sharply with bulging eyes before exhaling loudly. "Sonic… Please don't ever bring that up again, I'm so sorry I did that to you." He rolled his eyes and refused to say anything else about that happening or forgiving me. "It doesn't matter at this point, Dad… what you're doing here is monstrous, and it's disgusting and makes me sick to the pit of my stomach… I can't believe you'd do something like this!"

I removed my glasses to rub my temples for a little bit, becoming extremely stressed from having my Dr. Eggman persona shattered by the arrival of my thought to be dead Mobian son. "It's for a better cause, Sonic… I'm doing this because I thought you were dead and it inspired me to make the world a safer place." He threw his hand out and exclaimed "Making the world a safer place! Do you think allowing someone to have the power to roboticized or completely erase people from existence is going to make the world a safer place!?"

The way he put it made sense but only because he couldn't see it the way I do. "You need to understand that the world we live in is full of… well… chaos… it's corrupt and growing worse by the years due to the balance of things being off… err… it's just not the way it should be and people are suffering because of it." He blinked and didn't seem to understand anything I said "That doesn't make any sense at all, Dad… are you trying to say the balance of things are off because Mobians and Humans are equal when in the past they weren't?"

My eyes widened some as I thought about it for a minute. "Ghaa! I hate to say it but it does look my hatred of Mobian's get the better of me without you, Sonic… but it's not just the Mobian's I hate, trust me… those assholes down in Central City don't do anything since The President is just a puppet half of the time." He made a face at my way of thinking before responding "The President is not a puppet, he's figure head who's just trying his best to keep the citizens of the United Federation safe and sound… away from people like you with your robotic slaves and war machines."

I grit my teeth again and was unsure of how much more I could take from him. "I can guarantee you that you won't stand a chance against the Guardian United Nation, not with how many troopers they have!" I smirked and said "I can just as easily turn those soldiers into my soldiers by roboticizing them… I've even been working on a Robot-Transmogrifier Ray that's essentially a portable Roboticizer that I could shoot like a ray gun." He shook his head at my enthusiasm then shouted "You still won't get away with what you're doing!"

"Trust me, Sonic… what I'm doing is going to make the world a better place; that's why, I want you to come with me and we'll do this together as father and son." He stayed wide eyed and slack jawed in utter disbelief. "W-What!?" I held back a small chuckle then repeated myself a little louder than last time even though volume wasn't the issue. "I want you to join me so we can work together, Sonic… I'm so-so sorry for the way I was back then, but I promise we can spend every waking second together from this moment onwards; I swear."

Gradually he closed his mouth and took a solid minute to contemplate what I'd just offered him "Dad… I love you… or I loved you… because if this is the person you really are then I am glad I'm not your real son." My heart nearly stopped when he said that, immediately shattering my hope of making up to my son for the years we spend apart. "S-Sonic…" He waved his hands and spoke over me. "No… don't… I don't even want to hear it; it doesn't matter because the United Federation will stop you."

My eye twitched and I put my glasses back on. "I want you to work with me on this because the United Federation cannot and will not stop me, Sonic, not once I have all seven Chaos Emeralds… look around you… all of this I've done with just one Chaos Emerald!" Her stared at SCR-HD and the Sky Base zeppelin, then the empty town of Starlight darkened by the shadow of my main base which sits at the peak of the volcanic mountain before returning his gaze to me. "I… I can't believe this… all of this you've done by yourself with no one else helping you?"

I momentarily recalled Taylor Burnham before shaking my head, knowing it was him who got me started but didn't deserve the credit for since he didn't stick around. "This was all my doing entirely, Sonic… that's why I know the United Federation won't stand a chance against me, everyone in the Guardian United Nation will bow or face annihilation." He hung his head in utter disappointment before responding "Dammit… I can't believe you were really this evil the whole time… I mean, if this is the real you than… t-than you're an extremely evil person!"

"I'm not doing anything evil, Sonic… why can't you see that!?" He stomped his foot and SCR-HD immediately turned his head to begin reanalyzing his threat level. "The same reason why you can't see what you're doing IS evil!" I held my hand up to let SCR-HD know everything was fine then asked "And what reason would that be?" He watched SCR-HD closely while exclaiming "We have different views on justice, Dad! My view of justice is keeping everyday ordinary people safe while removing the bad ones from society for rehabilitation or confinement… your view of justice involves personal belief and who you like or dislike!"

I listened patiently and actually understood what he was saying to an extent since some of what he was saying was true. "Don't you understand, Dad!? My views involve sending bad people to prison or a mental institution while yours involve sending people you just don't like to be roboticized or erased from existence!" He balled his hands into fists and shook his hand at me. "What's more despicable is that even then it seems more like you're just trying to rise to power like a dictator than actually fixing the world at all… No, wait… what you're doing is fixing the world for yourself while getting rid of everyone who stands in your way!"

'Damn, he's smart…' SCR-HD took a step forward in front of me in response to him still shaking his fist at me in anger. "Warning! Violence… will not be tolerated… please… move along." He held his hands up in preparation to attack before I waved it off. "SCR-HD, stand down! How many times do I have to say it!?" It backed up some but stayed close. "Looks like your so called army already want me dead… one of them almost got me earlier but I destroyed it." I frowned and felt bad that one of my machines shot at my son and that my son destroyed one of my machines. "They're just doing what they're programmed to do, Sonic… nothing about them is alive in any way, and they're all nuts and bolts."

He suddenly looked sad again before saying "Unlike your roboticized islanders who had a heart and now are nothing but a soul trapped in a cold metal body! That's the main reason why I think you're evil… if someone could do something as monstrous as that, they could probably kill someone in cold blood too…" My heartbeat sped up as I watched his lips move, realizing they asked "How many people have you yourself killed since you've been here? I'm not talking about using your robots, I mean someone who you've actually killed using your own hands."

I looked away and stared over at the SCR placing the last freed animal back in the capsule to be taken up to my base in the mountain to get roboticized. "Uhh… W-Well… I… Umm…" His eyes returned to being as wide as they could get and I worried his jaw was going to fall off from how low it hung, nearly touching the ground. "Oh… my… God… you did kill someone didn't you!? YOU FUCKING KILLED SOMEONE!?" I motioned for him to lower his voice but I didn't really matter since there was nobody left on the island that cared or could hear us.

"Only in self-defense… but that's nothing you need to be concerned with, I want you to join me so that we can be together." He waved his hand and started backing up. "No… I'll never join you; in fact, I'll be the one to stop you! I'll find the Chaos Emeralds first then keep them as far away from you as I can possibly get them… I'll launch them into outer space if I have to!" I tried to hold back a laugh but failed, letting it slip and infuriate him. "Don't be silly, Sonic… imagine the things we could accomplish together, imagine the good we could do together… I promise I'll make up for the time we didn't spend together." He kept backing up some so I started walking forward, only wanting to keep him in sight with no intentions of harm. "Your view of good is really bad! I'll never join you, Dad… in fact; maybe I ought to just start calling you Dr. Eggman like you force everyone else to call you!"

I grit my teeth then snapped back "You hold your tongue, Sonic… I took care of you for nine years; I think that means I was your father." He bobbed his head and replied "Yeah, you WERE my father… but now… I wish you never were!" SCR-HD noticed my rising anger levels before Sonic asked "One more thing... Dr. Eggman… of all the islanders you roboticized, how many were Mobian?" I stopped walking forward and tried to calculate the percentage. "Around ninety-five percent."

He shook his head then spun around. "I think I'm done here…" I waved my hands and instantly started walking towards him again. "That's only because ninety-five percent of the native islanders were Mobian, Sonic!" He shrugged and walked faster than me despite his much smaller size. "Whatever, I don't want to hear your excuses for being evil, just know that the next time we meet… you might as well not consider me your son, because I definitely will not be considering you my father."

My walking turned into running momentarily before he took off sprinting, shredding the grass where he stood from the sheer high-speed. "NO, SONIC! WAIT, COME BACK… PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!" He only sped up so I stopped running, more than well aware that I'd never be able to catch up with him. "Goddammit! I'm so sick of this! I… I… *Sobs*… I thought he was dead and now he's not, but it turns out he thinks I'm evil when in reality I was doing all this to avenge him." I kept myself from falling to my knees again while watching him go out of view then eventually just turned around, heading for the ramp leading into my Sky Base. 'I don't know what to do, my mind is so clouded and out of whack… I swear, I thought he was dead… I never would've left Station Square to do any of this shit if I had even the slightest glimmer of hope that he was still alive.'

SCR-HD followed me up the ramp but I didn't even notice, too busy lost in deep thought. 'It's got to be understandably hard to fathom for anyone who believed their only son was dead for two years, only to have him show up out of nowhere and tell you that you're an evil man and that he's going to stop me from obtaining the Chaos Emeralds.' I sighed miserably and walked with my hands behind my back into the Sky Base's cabin, making my way down the same narrow hallway to the cockpit. 'I doubt he'll be able to find the Chaos Emeralds especially if they're in the Marble Zone where it's nothing but lava and old ruins… but then again his ability to flabbergast me with unbelievable speed presents a huge problem.'

The fact that he destroyed two of my SCR's and deactivated a group of Roboticized Mobian's meant he could use that speed to attack. 'Perhaps I should also be worried about a fleet of G.U.N. battleships coming his way to reclaim their territory… I still don't know who killed that rescue team I never saw or heard of until today, but I need to get defensive equipment set up along the shoreline along with beginning development on some sort of automated robot boat.' I gave a nod to my own thoughts before entering the cockpit, speaking directly to my Robotic Onboard Navigation system. "R.O.N., take us up to five hundred meters then slowly turn in a full three hundred and sixty degree angle… hopefully we'll be able to see him since he's blue and most of South Island is green grass."

The engines came to life and the hissing of valves filling both the ballonets with helium rang through the small room, lifting us from the ground as I felt the vibration from the outside ramp retracting. 'I can't believe the things he said to me… wishing I never had been his father, how could he say something like that after all I've done for him? Even if I did think he was dead, maybe he should've stayed like that so I wouldn't have to deal with the tremendous amount of stress from seeing someone whom you thought was dead.'

"Dammit!" I shook my head then sat down in the navigator's chair, watching as we continued going up to a little over a thousand and a half feet. "Why does shit like this happen to me!? Huh!? All I try and do is live my life making the world a better place and I get labeled an evil monstrous villain who's got to be stopped before he destroys the world… You're not a Marvel superhero, Sonic! You're just a young hedgehog who's got no clue who or what he's dealing with!" I held back the growing urge to cry and needed something other than water to clear my head. "I swear to God, every time I get something good going… it… it's always a Mobian that comes along and screws it up!"

I grit my teeth and banged my head on the zeppelin controls a few times, not caring since R.O.N. was controlling everything right now. "RHAAA! R.O.N., p-put on music track 36349 before I lose my mind and jump out the window." After a few seconds the sound of recorded raw Chaos Energy came through the zeppelins intercom system and I immediately felt better, melting away all my worries no matter how troublesome they were to me. "Ahhhhhhhh… That's so much better, I feel like that cloud that was shrouding my mind is slowly evaporating and I can think again!" Just like I said the negative energy brought out by the sudden arrival of my supposedly dead son disappeared and I felt like Dr. Eggman again, noticing at that moment that we had reached five hundred meters.

"Okay… take it slow, R.O.N., don't go too fast with turning or I might not be able to see movement." The zeppelin very slowly rotated to the left and I stood back up to get a full view out the window. 'I'm going to find you, Sonic… I won't let you get away from me like this, not again… I'll find the Chaos Emeralds before you do and then you'll see... you'll see the good I can do with them.'

.

[Date- 2404, April 26; present day]

[Time: 7:10 P.M.]

.

I snapped back into reality when a needle pierced my neck, shooting something into my bloodstream. "OWWW SON-OF-A-FUCKING-BITCH!" 327 pulled the needle back out and said "I'm so sorry, Master… but you weren't responding and your pulse is way too high! I think you're getting ready to go into cardiac arrest!" I held my neck and stumbled back into the old office chair, unable to keep myself standing with my heart pounding out of my chest. "W-What did you put inside me?"

He tossed the needle to the side as I stared at the still unconscious cyan hedgehog through watery eyes. "It's a sterile saline solution with a few finely crushed tablets of your clopidogrel and emergency aspirin… you wouldn't say or do anything so I had to take them out of your front pocket myself." My hands shook severely as my mind raced with thousands of thoughts about all I'd done in my life, everything bad and everything good. "Your pulse is at one hundred and ninety and that's way above your what you should be at, which is at ninety to a hundred... please, drink this water and take deep breaths until your clopidogrel begins working."

He held out a bottle of water he retrieved from the truck but my hands were too numb to reach for it. "I… I can't d-drink anything r-right now, 327… I… I just need t-to think…" He shook his head then held the bottle of water closer. "You've had enough time to think, Master… you're getting ready to go into cardiac arrest and I don't have the supplies to properly defibrillate you if you do; now please… drink…" My eyes shifted from him over towards the cyan hedgehog, again seeing Sonic instead of him. "W-What have I done?"

I shook my head and suddenly felt 327 pour water on top of me. "You're experiencing confusion from the onset of cardiac arrest and hyperthermia, Master… your body is at one hundred and four degrees Fahrenheit (40°C) which is the reason for your perspiration." I raised my hand then used my glove to wipe my forehead of sweat, feeling it soak right through the glove and drench my fingers. "I-I'm fine, 327… just l-leave me a-alone." He stopped pouring water on me and held the other half back up. "Please drink what's left… you must flush your system of the benzoylmethylecgonine."

I shook my head but managed to wrap my fingers around the bottle of water while my heart started hurting from pumping so fast. "It's n-not the cocaine, 327… it's… it's j-just… I don't k-know, I think I m-may be d-doing the w-wrong thing." He cocked his head while assisting me in taking a sip of the warm bottled water. "I think you just need to relax and try to focus on keeping calm so your heart will slow down, Master." I took a few more sips before pushing his hand away. "I'm t-telling you, 327… I… I t-think I made a mistake, a v-very-very big m-mistake."

He blinked a couple of times before using his index and middle finger to take my pulse from my neck. "What mistake would that be, Master?" I coughed roughly into my sweaty gloved hand and felt like my lungs were literally on fire. "E-Everything… everything that I've d-done, 327, has been o-one massive mistake…" He pulled his fingers away from my neck then said "I don't think anything we've done is a mistake, Master, but your pulse is still too high and it's worrying me."

I waved him off and suddenly felt nauseous again, hearing my stomach gurgle from the rising acid. "I've g-got bigger problems to w-worry about than myself, 327… I… I just can't stop seeing him." He raised an eyebrow as I struggled to pull myself closer to the table where the cyan hedgehog still lay unconscious. "Please don't try and move around, Master… now who are you seeing?" My hands shook more as I stared at the hedgehog's young face, reminding me of Sonic over and over again. "Aayan… he looks so much like his father."

327 shrugged and watched my unsteady hands move towards the young hedgehog. "So what? It is not uncommon for offsprings to look similar to their biological parents." My heart lurched as I stroked the cyan hedgehog's quills back like I used to do with Sonic. "It... It hurts me to do t-things to this child b-because he's so innocent." He shrugged and observed in confusion as I very gently caressed the young hedgehog's cheek. "Please sit back, Master… I think you may still be delusional."

He felt my neck again before I pushed his hand away, forcing myself to stand up despite my wobbly legs. "Master… please sit back down so you can rest." I shrugged him off and kept staring at the young Hedgehog with wires attached to him from my grandfather's dream machine. 'What have I done to you, Sonic? You were right all along, I was evil and you were good… I just couldn't see that for some reason due to my own selfish gain and craving for more power.' I continued combing my fingers through the hedgehog's quills and the electrodes on them before I heard a loud beep come from out in the warehouses main chamber.

"I think that's the DNA machine, Master… but please stay here and sit back down, allow me to check on it for you." I tore my eyes off the cyan hedgehog for a moment and could vaguely recall what our plan originally was, having been clouded by nonstop intrusive thoughts barraging my brain. "327… y-you can't do anything w-with that DNA machine, y-you have no clue h-how to use it… ughnn… oww…" He noticed my look of pain and became very worried when I grabbed the part of my shirt that was over my thumping heart. "Are you alright, Master!?"

I gave a small nod but felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing me in the heart with a butcher's knife. "Y-Yeah… I think so… ughhh… b-but you're not… ughnn… g-going to be able to use that D-DNA Machine…" My hand tightened around my shirt further and I sat back down, unable to stand up any longer. "I could figure it out fast, Master… after all, my CPU is better at learning than your brain." I shook my head then fumbled with my words, having trouble talking due to the debilitating pain. "J-Just… ughh… j-just br-bring it in here… s-so I c-can…ughh… oh God, I think I'm g-getting ready to throw up."

He cocked his head as I swiveled around to the garbage can behind me, hovering over it for in case I really do puke. "That's not good, Master… it may be from too much of your clopidogrel, I feared something like this but had no choice with your pulse as high as it is." My stomach kept churning but I wasn't sure if I was going to vomit or not. "H-How much have I had t-today?" He walked back over to me as I felt my stomach getting ready to heave. "1000 milligrams… the safe limit is 400 milligrams… symptoms of acute overdose on clopidogrel include upset stomach and stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, confusion, fever, collapse, and dizziness."

I held my hand up and said "W-Well I got all of those… now do you mind? P-People don't generally like to t-throw up while someone watches." He gave a quick nod then turned himself around. "Forgive me… but you need to drink fluids until I can get active charcoal and laxative from the nearest pharmacy." I accidently bit my tongue and cringed before saying "J-Just go get that f-fucking DNA machine!" He swiftly walked out of the room leaving me to deal with my nausea, spinning headache, and wavering personas.

"G-Goddammit… *sniffle*… I… I just can't u-understand why I'm f-feeling like this." My mind felt like it was alternating between two personas; Julian Robotnik, the man I used to be and then Dr. Eggman, the man I've been for eleven years. 'I want to get things done and proceed with my plan, and yet at the same time the person I used to be knows I've gone way too far in personally abducting and harming an innocent child.' My blood ran cold and I felt the acid in my stomach beginning to rise again. "I k-kidnapped my o-own son's son… m-my g-grandson… I kidnapped and h-hurt my own grandson."

My stability broke and my stomach immediately ejected everything inside of it, forcing me to puke into the garbage can; subsequently stressing my heart further with each heave. 'Goddammit… I kidnapped my own grandson and now my heart is getting ready to give out.' 327 came back in the room with the DNA machine as I thankfully finished vomiting for now. "Are you alright, Master?" I coughed then wiped my mouth with the back of my hand without a care. "No… maybe… I don't know."

He hurried and sat the DNA machine down on the office desk on the other side of the room before making his way over to me with genuine concern. "I don't really know how to respond to that, Master… are you okay or not?" I shrugged then pulled myself to my feet, watching him look in the garbage can before back at me. "Well… you need to at least drink the rest of that bottled water so you can replace what you threw up." I held my stomach and grabbed the bottle of water off the table with the cyan hedgehog before stumbling backwards onto the old office chair. "Master… here… let me help you."

I pushed his hand away while struggling to think coherently, the word grandson still circulating in my head like a broken record. "I… I don't need y-you to act like an n-nurse, 327… I know how to take c-care of stuff like this." He ignored me and took the bottled from me, unscrewing the cap before holding it up to my mouth. "I'm your son, Master… don't forget that." My heart abruptly skipped a beat and my whole body lurched in response, accidently forcing me to knock the bottle of water from his hands. "Are you okay, Master!?"

I shook my head then leaned forward to hold my stomach. "N-No… j-just… just move me o-over to the DNA machine s-so I can work." He gave a small nod and walked behind me, pushing the office chair along with me across the room towards the DNA machine that sat on the foreman's old desk. "Very well… but please don't stress yourself any more than you can take... I don't want to lose you." My heart once again felt like someone was stabbing me and I started thinking about the predicament I've gotten myself in. 'Jesus Christ… what have I done? I've been fighting my real son for ten years, then built a robotic son to help me kill my real son and kidnap my real grandson!'

Once I got to the DNA machine I leaned up enough to see the status before 327 suddenly used the lever to raise the chair up high enough. "T-Thanks." He smirked then felt my heartbeat through the veins in my neck. "No problem, Dad." I stopped and moving and noticed my breathing speed up as well. 'I hope you stop saying stuff like that for right now, 327… you wouldn't understand why but you're just making everything worse by saying that.' He cocked his head at my lack of movement before pulling his cold fingers away from my neck. "Your pulse is still too high, Master… I don't know what else to do but pray to your human God."

I coughed on the DNA machine but was glad the sterile chamber kept the DNA from getting contaminated. "I… I j-just need to get our plan moving, t-then I'll feel a whole lot better… I… I hope." He gave a nod but I could barely get my hands inside the built-in gloves because of how badly they were shaking. 'I'm going to end up dropping the DNA if I can't get my hands steady.' I tried my best to push the thoughts about kidnapping my grandson away while focusing on extracting the pure genetic material. "I… *Cough**Cough*… I need you to put a syringe in the little d-door over there, 327."

My stomach suddenly started feeling nauseous again but I held it back, attempting to keep going despite my body failing me. "Okay… is there anything else I can get you? Actually, I think you need water so I'll get you another one out of the truck in just a moment." His voice eventually got toned out as my mind began once again thinking about what I'd done, despite having just tried my best to not zone out. 'All the time I didn't get to spend with Sonic… I… I don't think it was because of a Mobian… I… I think it was because of me.' 327 walked over to the smaller sterile chamber then pulled open the outer door, simply placing the needle in the center before closing the door back.

'I didn't have to proceed with the life I had when Sonic revealed himself to still be alive… I only started that because Taylor forced me and then I continued it because I thought Sonic was dead, wanting revenge on the world.' Sluggishly, I managed to pull my right hand from the built-in glove then activate the decontamination process, watching as the machine sprayed the little chamber where the needle was with clear cleansing fluid. 'I should've stopped if I truly loved him… unfortunately at the time I think I loved the Chaos Emeralds more, making me unable to see the harm I was causing to my own son and later his family… my family…'

After struggling to get my hand into the glove I managed to pull the inner door open and retrieve the hypodermic needle, feeling myself sway back and forth between excitement from being so close to proceeding onwards to disappointment and disgust at what I'd become 'Just watching Sonic and his family live a normal happy life through the memory-dreams of his son, my grandson, makes me wonder how much different things could've been if I was there for him.' My heart pounded faster and I had to stop for a second, seeing 327 say something out of the corner of my eyes before coming to. "Are you alright, Master!? You look a little pale!"

I held back more nausea then kept going, striving to complete my project despite everything I'd just thought. "I… I'm fine… I just need to k-keep going and get the C-Chaos Emeralds back…*Cough**Cough*... it's been too l-long since I heard the s-sound of raw Chaos Energy… I think the w-withdraw is changing me into someone I don't w-want to be or remember." He didn't really understand what I was saying but watched anyway as I slowly removed the caps from both ends of the needle. 'I'm turning back into Julian Robotnik who still sees Sonic as his son… and that means… I keep seeing that young innocent boy over there as my grandson…'

By the logic I was thinking Amy was technically my daughter-in-law and their daughter would be my granddaughter but that made everything worse, knowing I was doing this to my family is something only my Dr. Eggman persona brought about by the Chaos Emeralds could handle and not care about. 'But without the Chaos Emeralds my mind begins thinking like Julian Robotnik and starts reminding me that I've been fighting my own son.' I struggled to keep my hands focused and felt 327 tap me on the shoulder. "I'm going to get you that water, Master… I'll do the same as the last time and you can drink half but the other half is going to have to be poured on you to cool you down some… your temperature is still up way too high."

I ignored him and brought the needle to the vial that once held the young cyan hedgehog's blood. 'I took my grandson's blood and intend to use it to help kill my son… what is wrong with me? I can't possibly go through with this… how in the hell did I go through with attacking Sonic in the first place?' My hands moved automatically and shoved the needle into the vial that once held blood, now being nothing but raw genetic material. 'It's all because of those Chaos Emeralds… Taylor may have got me started looking for them, but it was the stone itself that made me so obsessed with them.'

I pulled the plunger back and watched as the genetic material was sucked up into the syringe. 'They hypnotized me and made me a madman who was willing to forsake his own son just to acquire power.' I stopped when 327 came back in the room, walking over to me with the bottle of water. "Alright, Master… here you go, I'm sorry to soak your clothes but your temperature is up too hi-…" He abruptly stopped and started looking around "W-What is that?" I barely managed to focus on what he was saying, still feeling ill. "Master… do you hear that!?"

I shook my head but then heard a faint noise from off in the distance, barely audible through the warehouses thick metal walls. "Is that a helicopter?" I shrugged but as the sound grew closer I could tell it was the whirr of spinning helicopter blades, unfortunately just too lost in thought and instability to act on anything. "Master, I think that is a helicopter... perhaps I should go start the truck in case it is the police." I coughed then sat the syringe down, removing my hands from the built-in gloves.

'This is my entire fault; everything that's happened here today is all my fault… Sonic was right, I am a very evil person and it's time I truly make up for the years of torment I caused my own family to go through.' I managed to weakly turn myself around and stand as 327 ran off to get the truck started. "GET THE DNA, MASTER, WHILE I START THE TRUCK!" I ignored him and shuffled over to the cyan hedgehog, smiling as all I saw was a young Sonic that I used to take care of. "I'm so sorry I've done this to you, Aayan… but I promise you it'll never happen again."

The whirr of helicopter blades got closer and I realized it was two different copters, confirming that it was very likely the police. "I wish you could hear me because I want you to tell your father that I'm sorry for everything I've done… *Sob*… even if the apology is thirteen years too late." The whirr grew louder before a bright light lit up the old dusty windows and sirens abruptly came into earshot. "THIS IS THE STATION SQUARE POLICE DEPARTMENT… COME OUT SLOWLY WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR."

The sirens grew closer and I knew they were going to swarm the building as soon as they got here. "MASTER!" 327 hurried back in the office with his pistol drawn before rushing over to me. "WE NEED TO GO NOW OR I FEAR IT MAY BE TOO LATE!" I took one last look at the young cyan hedgehog before spinning around to pull 327 into a hug. "I'm so sorry, 327…*Sobs*… I'm so sorry." He seemed shocked but knew he had to get me out of here somehow. "Master… please, we don't have time… we must go now or I'll be unable to get you out of here."

I shook my head and cried on his shoulder. "It's too late, 327… my time is done." He jerked his head over at the syringe full of genetic material still sitting in the sterile chamber. "Please… get the DNA from the machine and… and… I'll carry you to the truck if I have too, I won't let you get caught by these people." I shook my head again and just hugged him tighter. "327… you must understand that there are some things I didn't tell you… but I want you to know that of everyone I've came across in thirteen years… you were the only person I could truly trust and feel safe with."

He rapidly evaluated the situation while listening to the police sirens growing closer by the second. "What are you saying, Master! We have to go now!" I pulled away from him for a second before saying "I love you as my son, 327… and you're the second person in the world that I ever cared for." He momentarily smiled before quickly contemplating who the first person was. "I'm so sorry, 327… that's why you must understand that because I feel so close to you, this hurts me a lot." He narrowed his eyes before I hugged him again. "I don't understand, Master… do you want to get caught!?" I didn't answer and just kept hugging him. "You don't have to understand, 327… just hug me."

He did as I told him to and dropped his pistol, gently wrapping his arms around me like I did to him. "Please… Master, I don't want to let them capture you!" My eyes released the flow of tears as I heard a sudden bang on the heavy double doors to the warehouse, then a familiar voice. "EGGMAN, I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU; GIVE ME BACK MY SON!" 327 let go of me and turned around as a few bullets flew through the doors, going into the cement by the truck. "LET ME IN SO I CAN RIP OUT YOUR THROAT!" Sonic banged on the door harder as police sirens came to a halt, having arrived to circle the building.

"GIVE UP! WE HAVE THE BUILDING SURROUNDED!" The people from the helicopter shouted, making 327 try and pull away from my hug. "Let go of me, Master… I intend to take out as many of these pathetic weaklings as I can! I will not and shall not let them get to you, even if I do not survive the process because you're my creator… you… you're my father, Master." I smiled and hugged him tighter, letting him feel my heartbeat through my chest. "Master, you must sit down… your heartbeat is too high again."

I shook my head and let go of him, taking a few steps back before saying "You're a good boy, 327… any father in the world would also be the luckiest person in the world to have you as their son." I held one hand on his shoulder and squeezed as the police on the outside yelled. "We need a door breach! Get the battering ram!" Immediately Tails voice came through a speaker as the sound of his VTOL came into range. "GOT IT… I'll HANDLE THIS, STEP BACK EVERYONE!"

I knew my time was out so I did the only thing Julian Robotnik would do, something Dr. Eggman would never do. "I want to promise you something, 327." He stared at me while trying to break free and grab his gun. "If I could redo everything… I would make things so much better for you and me." He broke free and grabbed his gun, yanking mine from my waistband before running to the door. "Forgive me, 327… initiate combat inhibitor override, emergency shutdown access code 836p7-67.2D79-748.8GS3-69v6." He abruptly dropped both guns then jerkily turned himself around. "NOOOOOOOO! M-mas-sTer…. N-NO-o…P-p-Pl-lease….. I… *BZZT* …. I…i… D-dad… D-d-Dad… D-DaD… love y-you… Er-rror… Erro-… *BZZT*….. D-Da… Da…"

I fell to my knees and said "I… I love you too, 327… *intense sobbing*… I'm so sorry for everything I've done." The warehouse suddenly shook as something exploded, knocking the double doors right off their hinges to where it fell on top of the running truck me and 327 might've been able to get away in. "I'm so sorry, 327… I'm so sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry… *intense sobbing*… I'm sorry I've been a terrible father to everyone." Sonic roared in anger and I could hear him tear straight through the warehouses main chamber into the back office where I was with a forcefully deactivated 327. "I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, EGGMAN! YOU'RE DEAD!"

Richard Bradshaw's voice rang through the warehouse telling Sonic to stop but he appeared in the doorway regardless. "SONIC, STOP! IF YOU KILL HIM YOU'RE OUT OF A JOB!" He took one look at 327 then me before finally noticing his son on top of the table, appearing lifeless at first with a bunch of cords hooked up to him "YOU MOTHER FUCKER!" My heart suddenly skipped a beat and I fell over, barely having the time to see him lunge at me before losing consciousness.