Penny sat in between Sonic and Knuckles as she, Sonic, Knuckles, Sticks, and Amy watched a movie together. When the movie was finished, Amy turned it off.

"What did you think?" Penny asked Sonic.

"I like that movie," Sonic told her. "But the beginning was kind of slow."

"Sonic, you just don't understand how movies and TV shows work," Amy said. "They always have They always have a little filler material before someone bursts in to get the real story started."

Just as Amy said it, Tails burst into the room, hiding something behind his back, a grin on his face. "You guys!" He said. "Check out my new invention!"

"What is it, Tails?" Penny asked curiously.

"A super-Antenna!" Tails exclaimed, holding out his invention. "It's so strong that when you hook it to a TV, it picks up broadcasts from the past!"

"Cool!" Penny grinned.

Tails turned on the TV.

"This hour of radio is sure to get your toes a-tapping. Brought to you by lead-based paint, and asbestos. The perfect combination for your baby's nursery."

"Can it play music from our childhood?" Amy asked.

"It will in about 80 years!" Tails answered.

Knuckles, Sonic, and Sticks groaned.

"Great job, Tails," Sonic said sarcastically.

"I think it's a useful invention!" Knuckles said.

"Thanks, Knuckles!" Tails said happily.

Knuckles stood up and grabbed the Antenna from the TV and started scratching his back with it. "It makes a great backscratcher!"

"Not bad, Knuckles!" Sticks snickered.

"Looks like there's another inventor in town!" Sonic said flatly.

"Knuckles!" Penny snapped, snatching the Antenna from him and giving it to Tails.

"BUT MY BACK NEEDS THAT SCRATCHER!" Knuckles wailed.

...

"Hey, fellow inventor!" Knuckles smiled, walking up to Tails, hiding something behind his back.

Tails turned to him, hammer in hand. "Knuckles. I'm kind of busy right now..."

"See that light switch over there?" Knuckles asked, pointing to a light switch. "It sure is far away, huh?"

"Uh-huh?"

"There's got to be a better way." Knuckles said, pulling out his invention, which was really a rock tied to a stick. "Now, there is! With "Remote 2000"." He moved his invention over to the light switch and started flicking it on and off, on and off. Knuckles turned to Tails with a smile. "Pretty sweet, huh?"

"It sure is...something," Tails said awkwardly.

"Yeah, well, now that I'm a bonafide inventor, I figured we can collaborate!" Knuckles grinned at Tails. "You can learn from me, and uh, who knows, I might even learn something from you."

"I doubt it," Tails said. "Inventing takes dedication. Tenacity, stick-to-itiveness, perseverance, a good thesaurus, and..."

"What's that?" Knuckles asked, pointing to Tails' fly swatter.

"Oh, that's my Fly Swatter. It homes in on insects and..."

"Neat. Can I invent that?"

"What? No, I already invented it. You're looking right at it."

"Gotcha. Can I invent this?" Knuckles asked, pointing to a turkey sandwich. Tails frowned. "That's a turkey sandwich."

"Interesting... I know! I could invent a device that cuts things - The "Scissors 2000". Ooh, or how about a machine to brown bread - the "Toaster 2000"?"

"You sure you don't have someplace else you have to be?" Tails snapped, fed up with Knuckles.

"Nope. It's just you and me, all day. It's a little thing I invented called "Friendship 2000"." Knuckles said, wrapping an arm around Tails.

Tails groaned in annoyance.

...

When Tails told his friends the story, Penny burst into giggles. "He tried to invent a turkey sandwich?"

"That was one of his better ideas." Tails told the human girl. "How do I tell him he's not an inventor without hurting his feelings?" Tails asked.

Sonic smiled at him. "Don't worry. He'll get over this "inventor phase" before you know it."

However, Knuckles showed up, excitement on his face. "Tails, you've gotta see this!" He cried, holding a poster in his hand.

"What's up?" Penny asked. Knuckles turned to her. "Oh, sorry guys. Inventor stuff. You wouldn't understand."

"You were saying...?" Tails muttered to Sonic.

"Check it out: Robot Battle Royal. It's an anything-goes tournament for inventors to test their mettle with metal-on-metal action! You in?"

"Uhhh, I don't know, Knuckles. Not sure that's the best use of my time." Tails said.

"Oh, I get it. You're chicken!" Knuckles taunted.

"OOOH!" Penny, Sonic, Sticks, and Amy teased.

"Oh, no he didn't." Amy chuckled.

"I'm not chicken." Tails said. "I just don't have anything to prove."

"Oh, that's all right, Tails. It's gotta be tough knowing there's a new hotshot inventor in town and, you're just yesterday's news."

"OOOH!" Sticks, Penny, Sonic, and Amy teased once again.

"Knuckles, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I'm really not interested."

"Not interested in losing... to me!"

"Boom!" Sonic snickered.

"Shot fired!" Amy grinned.

"Dang, son!" Sticks squealed.

"He gotcha there!" Penny smirked. She and Sonic shared a high five.

"That's IT!" Tails snapped angrily. He turned to Knuckles. "That's it. Knuckles, you're not an inventor. You just add the number 2000 to the end of things that already exist. If you want to be embarrassing in front of everybody in this competition, then fine, I accept your challenge."

"YEAH!" Penny, Sonic, Amy, and Sticks cheered.

"Let me ask you guys a question." Knuckles said. "Are you tired of beating turkey and bread in separate bites?"

...

Penny sat down next to Sonic as she watched the Robot Battle Royal. The mayor stood on the stage. "Tonight, you'll see the finest, most technically advanced, modern marvel ever to grate our fair town."

Silence.

"And they're going to smash each other to bits!"

The audience cheered.

"That's more like it!" Penny grinned.

"Now, without any further ado, let's get ready to watch what's going to happen!"

Tails and Dave

Dave glared at Tails. "Prepare to get fries with that!" He threatened and started firing his machine. Luckily Tails' machine dodged the coming fries and destroyed Dave's robot with a single fire.

"YOU GO TAILS!" Penny and Amy screamed excitedly together.

"Meh.." Sonic sighed. His smile brightened when he saw a Chilidog seller walking up. "YEAH!" He smiled, taking a chili dog. "Can I get fries with that?"

Stratford Vs. Eggman

Eggman let out a chuckle as his huge robot loomed over Stratford's smaller robot. The tiny robot fires balls at Eggman's bot, but to no avail.

Stratford's robot was destroyed in a single laser-eyed explosion.

Eggman laughed victoriously.

The crowd booed Eggman.

Comedy Chip Vs. Lady Goat

Comedy Chip's monkey robot faced Lady Goat's adorable puppy robot. Penny cooed at the puppy. "Aww! It's so cute!" The human girl squealed.

The puppy bot destroyed Comedy Chip's monkey robot and eliminates it.

Comedy Chip sighed.

Knuckles Vs. Child Monkey

Knuckles fired up his machine. "Come on, Vacuu-Fan 2000. Show 'em what you're made of!"

The robot drives towards Child Monkey's robot, destroying itself by accidentally tripping over Child Monkey's robot.

"That's not what I meant!" Knuckles hissed.

Eggman Vs. Lady Goat

Penny let out a happy squeal as the puppy faced Eggman's robot. Sadly, Eggman's bot tossed the puppy out of the tent.

"Aww..." Penny sighed sadly, and Sonic patted her back comfortingly.

Child Monkey Vs. Tails

Tails' robot destroyed Child Monkey's robot with a single laser. Child Monkey's bot topples to the ground.

"This is it!" The Mayor said. "The final battle!"

Tails Vs. Eggman

Eggman's robot made one move, and a second later, Tails' robot powered down. The fox panicked and ran onto the stage, trying to figure out what was wrong with his robot. "Come on! No! No! Not now!"

Eggman laughed, standing beside his robot. "You built that robot to take control of other robots. But now your robot-controlling robot is being controlled."

"How did you get the override code?" Tails snapped.

Eggman held up a safe. "Made by Eggman Industries."

Eggman's robot launched itself into the air and with one flick of his finger, Tails' robot toppled to the ground.

"BOOO!" The audience roared.

The Mayor turned to the audience. "Well, that was underwhelming. But in the grand scheme of evil Eggman plan, I think we got out of this one pretty unscathed."

The crowd nodded in agreement.

Eggman turned to Tails. "Oh, by the way, Tails. Now that I've taken control of your robot-controlling robot, I'm going to your workshop to take control of all your other robots!"

"I don't really have robots," Tails pointed out. "I have inventions."

"I know that, but it sounds better my way." Eggman ran off the stage with Tails' robot under his arms, followed by his own robot.

"We gotta go after him. Has anyone seen the key to the Mayor-cycle?" The mayor asked.

...

Penny, Sonic, Tails, Sticks, Knuckles, and Amy hid behind boxes as they watched Eggman have Tails' robot take complete control of all the other robots.

"We gotta get that Hypnobot away from Eggman," Sonic said. "Tails... I-I don't know... invent something!"

"Don't worry, I'll help you." Knuckles said. "Inventors stick together. Ooh. Note to self: "Inventors' Glue 2000"."

Penny stayed behind the crates next to Tails and Knuckles as Sonic, Amy, and Sticks got into battle stances. That got all of the hypnotized robots to turn to them.

"Maybe we should make a..." Knuckles tried.

"No." Tails interrupted.

"..or try to build a..."

"No! Please let me think. I'm the inventor here!"

"Maybe you are. But at least I didn't program any override codes into my Vacuu-Fan 2000. And believe you me, I was tempted. Eh, but I didn't know how."

Tails turned to Knuckles excitedly. "That's it! Knuckles, you're a genius!"

"Yes, I are!" Knuckles grinned.

"Don't you see?" Tails sighed in annoyance.

"I'm a genius, not a visionary." Knuckles pointed out, and Penny let out a giggle.

"Your invention doesn't have robot AI. It's too stupid to be affected by Hypnobot!" Tails explained.

"GENIUS!" Penny said.

"Stupid? Or... murder?" Knuckles said darkly.

"Oof." Penny gulped. "That got dark all of the sudden..."

"Uh..." Tails frowned, and then smiled. "Go get your robot! We've work to do!"

"You guys better hurry before Eggman finds out you're up to something," Penny whispered. Knuckles and Tails nodded at her, and they ran off.

"Not that I understand, but can you explain the plan one more time? Because I don't understand." Knuckles said.

Tails glared at him from inside the invention. "Since Vacuu-Fan 2000 can't be controlled remotely, it's the only robot that can get me close enough to regain control of Hypnobot." He turned around and began walking the bot towards the fight.

Knuckles sniffed, shedding a tear. "My baby's all grown up!"

"What's this?" Eggman asked, noticing Vacuu-Fan 2000 waddling up. "Nurbles' robot is joining my army! Welcome, Welcome!"

Amy was about to smash Tails and Knuckles' invention with her hammer when Knuckles tackled her to the ground, yelling, "NOOO!"

Amy turned to him suspiciously.

Knuckles chuckled sheepishly. "It's...er...my first robot!"

Eggman smiled. "I remember my first robot. His name was Zippie and... I don't have time for this. I'm finally defeating Sonic and nothing is gonna stop me!"

When Tails got close enough to his robot, he walked out of Knuckles' robot and up to his own.

Eggman scowled. "Hey! You can't do that! I already declared victory!"

After pressing a few buttons, Tails' robot freed all of the robots from the mind control. Tails smirked. "Hypnobot! Make them dance!"

And right then and there, all of the robots started dancing along to a tune of Wannabe.

"I can't watch this anymore!" Eggman wailed, running into his mobile and flying away.

"You did it, Tails!" Penny grinned, walking up and high fiving the fox.

"We couldn't have done it without you!" Sonic added, walking up.

"Thanks, you two," Tails smiled. "But I couldn't have done it without Knuckles!" He turned to Knuckles with a smile. "Good work, fellow inventor! So, what are you going to invent next?"

"Oh, I'm giving up inventing," Knuckles said. "It's time for a new hobby! Perhaps extreme couponing. Oh, or claw-dancing. Or maybe, inventing."

Penny snickered. Hearing barking, the human girl turned around and grinned with excitement as the robot puppy from the battle walked up to her.

"Look who came back!" Penny cooed. "Ooh, puppy wuppy!"

Sonic smiled at her, then turned to Tails. "You know, Tails. With this Hypnobot of yours, Eggman's robots will never be a problem again."

However, with that said, the adorable little puppy robot hopped into the air and landed on Hypnobot, causing it to explode.

Penny sighed sadly. "Bad puppy..." She whimpered, and Sonic patted her comfortingly on the back.

Next Chapter: It Wasn't Me, It Was The One-Armed Hedgehog