-Chapter 223-

Eggman's Dozen?

Knothole

Shortly after the battle, the Freedom Fighters had returned home to rest and recover, but spirits were low from their defeat. They sat down to discuss just what was going on, and try to make sense of all they had experienced.

"Since when are Eggman's goons that good?" Amy demanded. "That was nuts!"

"I did a little research and found some… unsettling info," Hope said, setting Omochao down. "People all over Mobius are disappearing left and right, without a trace, and Egg Soldier sightings keep popping up. I also got in contact with GUN and the Chaotix, and it turns out that several of the missing persons were among the Egg Troopers that attacked Station Square."

This all pointed to one, horrifying conclusion.

"Eggman's running a recruitment drive," Porker realized.

"More like a conscription campaign," Johnny corrected. "You saw how those guys reacted to Kage's little 'rallying speech'."

"And then there's their cybernetics," Tekno added. "I ran some tests from the…" she choked slightly, "scraps left from the victims, and they're highly advanced and extremely durable."

"That's not anything new," Shorty pointed out. "Eggman tech's always been tough to crack."

He cringed as Hope flinched at his choice of words. "Oh, crap! I'm sorry, Hope!"

"It's alright, Shorty," Hope assured, not quite convincingly. "I'm fine."

Shorty went to say something else, but Sally just shook her head, stopping him. He sighed, and remained silent.

"A-Anyway, that's not all…" Tekno took a deep breath. "Some of the more intact materials were…odd."

"Odd how?" Antoine asked.

"It's clearly made of metal, but it's… softer, more malleable." She squinted, trying to find the right words. "I-... I swear, it almost feels…organic."

"Like, it's made of…fleshy stuff?" Bunnie asked.

"I don't know what it is. The point is, Eggman's upgrading his tech."

"His tech, his soldiers, and his weapons," Knuckles recalled. "He's stepping up his whole game! If Kage hadn't decided to be a dick, Akhlut would've killed Sonic!"

"Speaking of Sonic, how is he?"

Sally just looked away sadly.

-X-

Back in his room, Sonic was lying on the bed, deep in thought and still shaken up by what he'd gone through. Muttski's head was in his lap, the hedgehog idly petting the Mobini dog with a shaking hand. He thought back to everything Akhlut told him, dread rising.

"Let's just say that the game is changing, hedgehog. New rules, higher stakes, and dozens of new players."

He was brought out of his thoughts by a soft knock on the door, the sound nearly causing him to shoot up in fright.

"Sonic?" came Sally's voice. "Can I come in?"

Forcing himself to breathe, Sonic laid back down. "It's open!"

She entered at that, taking in his expression. "You okay?"

Sonic sat up, trying to play it cool with his usual swagger.

"Oh, yeah, fit as a fiddle. I'm just perfect."

Sally raised an eyebrow at that. "Sonic, c'mon. You practically lost your mind at the coast. You are not fine."

At that, Sonic's smirk faded, and he sighed. "It's that obvious, huh?"

Sally nodded, sitting down beside him as he sighed.

"I… I'm not sure I can do this," he confessed. "Akhlut's strength was… insane. Terrifying. If Kage hadn't pulled those stunts, I'd be dead."

Sally rested a gentle hand on his back.

"It's okay," she assured. "We lost the battle, but the war still marches on. If Eggman's forces are getting stronger, then so can we."

That managed to raise Sonic's spirits, if only slightly. He sighed again, looking at the ceiling.

"Eggatha and Bokkun filmed the whole beatdown. Eggman's probably watching it and laughing his ass off right now."

Robotropolis

Back in Citadel Robotnik, Robotnik was doing just that; laughing his ass off as he watched the same footage of Sonic getting beaten by Akhlut and trembling in fear over and over again. The entire time, he was laughing like mad, nearly doubled over. The 6-S all looked on nervously.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this." Decoe confessed.

"I'm not sure I want to know how I feel about this." Bocoe remarked.

"Yeah... " Grounder perked. "Uhhh, feel about what?"

"This!" Scratch replied, gesturing wildly. "This…everything!"

"What are you talkin' about?" Coconuts demanded. "We won! For once, we faced off against Sonic, and whipped him like a dog, not the other way around!"

"I know!" Scratch remarked, lowering his arms. "And it feels…weird!"

"Maybe it's because we're just not used to it," Decoe mused, tapping his lower faceplate in contemplation. "I can't even remember the last time we had a clear victory over Sonic."

"I don't think we ever did," said Bocoe.

"Shhh!" Robotnik hissed. "Quiet, you nimcombots! We're about to get to the best part!"

He watched the monitor excitedly as it got to the part of Sonic throwing the rock and Akhlut effortlessly catching it. Orbot and Cubot were manning the remote and snacks, respectively.

"Here it comes!" he grinned eagerly. "Pause it! PAUSE IT!"

Orbot paused the video, Sonic's expression of sheer terror on full display. Robotnik immediately exploded into more laughter.

"Oh, that face! That FACE!" he cackled. "We…We gotta get that printed on a T-shirt! They'd sell like hotcakes!"

As he laughed, Orbot turned to Cubot. "He's been watching the same footage for six. Hours."

"Yeah, it's freakin' annoying!" Cubot added. "You think he'd at least stop long enough to use the bathroom with all the Chao Cola he's drinking."

That got them both a slap from the "good" doctor. "I said shut up! The other good part's coming up." Robotnik watched with sadistic glee as the video resumed, showing Kage getting fried by Akhlut. "Ha! I warned you what would happen, Kagey, but you didn't listen! And look where you are now!"

"The top of your favorites list?" Cubot offered, getting another slap.

"Shut up and get more popcorn, blockhead!" Robotnik ordered.

Cubot grumbled as he floated off. Grimer came in with some more drinks.

"Doctor, as satisfying as this is, wouldn't it be wise to use this opportunity to try and strike while the Freedom Fighters are beaten and demoralized?" he suggested.

"Ordinarily, I'd agree with you, but Kage's little temper tantrum means we're short a commander, and all the ones that could cover for him are either too far away or locked in storage."

Grimer nodded at that.

"Plus, I'd like to hold off until Agatha gets the battle data together for the next software update. Save us the trips, give us time to get things together."

"Excellent idea, sir. Very good," he held out the cans. "Grape or strawberry?"

Robotnik took the grape can, popping it open and sighing in satisfaction.

"This was a good week. The new cybernetics systems are a success, the Egg Army has more soldiers than ever before, and Sonic's probably crying in his room, hiding from the big bad orca!"

"Not to mention all the money you made from selling those pictures of Akhlut on the Internet." Grimer added.

"Oooh yes!" Robotnik grinned. "Who knew all those witless teenage girls were such goldmines!"

"He's going to be furious when he finds out."

"You mean if he finds out."

At that moment, an explosion sounded, followed by a bellow of outrage and embarrassment from Akhlut himself. A moment of silence passed before Grimer broke it.

"You were saying?"

Robotnik shrugged. "Eh, I'll send him a check. That'll shut him up."

-X-

Back in the kitchen, Eggatha was eating a bowl of cereal when Akhlut walked in, a look of barely contained fury on his face.

"Morning, Akhlut." Eggatha greeted without looking up from her bowl.

"Mornin', Aggie." Akhlut greeted, not looking her way.

He made his way to the fridge and rummaged through it until he found a cardboard six-pack of bottles labeled "Akhlut's Ale: Drink and Die!" in the corner. He took it out and took a seat at the table.

"Bit early for drinking, isn't it?" Eggatha asked.

"Not right now." He pulled one out of the box, cracking it open

"You do know your cybernetics keep you from getting drunk, right?"

"Don't remind me," Akhlut downed a whole bottle in one swig, grumbling under his breath. "Worst. Week. Of my life."

"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad."

Akhlut scowled, turning to glare at the young Robotnik. "I spent the last several months swimming all over the Central and Frozen North Seas, undergoing grueling, harrowing training while avoiding the authorities so that I could better serve your mad uncle and his mad schemes of world domination, as well as restore my lost honor by killing Sonic the Hedgehog. And when I return, I'm not only robbed of my rightful kill, but I suddenly find I've become the latest eye candy of every teenage girl in Mobius!"

"Would you rather them think you're ugly?"

"I'd rather they be terrified!"

"And completely breaking Sonic's body and spirit wasn't?"

"Oh it was terrifying…" Akhlut pulled out a life-sized body pillow with an image of him on the case. "For me."

Eggatha cracked up laughing, much to Akhlut's outrage.

"STOP LAUGHING!" he roared, throwing the pillow aside. "It's your fault I'm in this mess!"

Eggatha removed her glasses to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…it's just…oh Aurora, what have I done?!"

"I hate you so much right now…"

Eggatha took a moment to calm down, nodding as she did. "But… But seriously, I'm really sorry about this, Akhlut. And I swear, I'll make it up to you."

"How?" Akhlut questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Well…I've been working out some plans to upgrade the training room. Space expansions, better energy usage, more realism, new environments. Something to better emulate nature in all its savage glory. That way, you can train in peace and quiet."

"That's a start." Akhlut cracked open another bottle of ale as Eggatha looked at him hopefully.

"And you could spend more time in the Citadel and not have to disappear for weeks at a time when you wanna be alone."

"That'd be nice."

"Plus, I got some new updates for your combat software, I can cut you a new psystone, all kinds of stuff!"

Ahklut nodded slightly. "Yes, Wormtongue mentioned that."

Eggatha took a bit of a breath, as if bracing herself for something. "And then…when we're done with that maybe you could…" she trailed off. "Umm…"

"What?"

"Well… maybe you could… teach me… how… to fight?"

Akhlut stared at Eggatha, confused. "You want me to teach you how to fight?"

"S-Self-defense lessons!" Eggatha clarified. "I can't keep relying on Badniks and bodyguards to bail me out when I'm in trouble, especially if we're stepping up our game!"

She massaged her temples. "Inventing things and cleverness has got me far, but I need to be able to do more so we don't have to rely on lunatics like Kage."

"And you want me to do it?"

Eggatha shrugged. "You're the best warrior we have."

"Why don't you ask one of your echidnas, or your uncle? Didn't he fight in the Great War?"

"Uncle Ivo would never agree to that and you know it. That, and I don't trust Lien-Da or the other Legionnaires at all."

"So you ask the literal killer whale with a hell of a grudge against you."

"Oh get over yourself! They're just photos!" Eggatha snapped before composing herself. "But no, I'm asking the literal killer whale with the closest thing the Empire has to a sense of honor and who can keep a secret. Besides…you promised you'd protect me, remember?"

Akhlut thought for a moment, then sighed in resignation.

"Yes, I did."

"So, is that a yes?"

Akhlut sighed. "Alright, you win. I'll train you."

"Yes!" Eggatha grinned. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"But!" Akhlut proclaimed, slamming his hand on the table and giving Eggatha a deathly serious glare, "I'm not going to go easy on you just because of your age or your relation to the doctor. You will go through the same grueling, hellish gauntlet my own mother put me through when I was a calf, and like her, I expect you to give me nothing less than your absolute best. Are we clear?"

Eggatha nodded, getting a grin from the orca.

"Good," he prepared to get another ale, but stopped himself. "Actually, there's one last thing."

"What's that?"

Akhlut activated his jewel, causing the milk in Eggatha's cereal bowl to splash in her face. She cried out, spitting it out as Akhlut laughed happily. Eggatha wiped her face off with a napkin before scowling.

"Oh, real mature, Akhlut!"

"Oh get yourself, it's just milk." Akhlut quipped. "Besides, you're hardly the pinnacle of adult behavior yourself."

"I'm thirteen! What's your excuse?!"

"Well, let's see," Akhlut began counting on his fingers. "I'm almost fifty and have been enslaved by a fat, gangly-limbed, bald man with a ridiculous mustache and his pint-sized runt of a daughter-"

"Niece!"

"-Whatever, who spends her time dragging me into her schemes to keep her mad uncle's dreams of forming a global empire in check or turning me into said Empire's cover man!"

"Well maybe if you actually kept in touch, I wouldn't have to do stupid things like that to get your attention!"

"Well, maybe you'd get it if you weren't such a damned pest!"

The two paused for a moment before getting in closer.

"Sardine-sucking geezer!"

"Ankle-biting twerp!"

The two got even closer.

"Whale-fart!"

"Frizz-head!"

The two got right in each others' faces.

"Your mother was a porpoise!" Eggatha declared.

"Your uncle dates a chicken!" Akhlut showed at the same time.

The two growled at each other for a moment… then suddenly, Eggatha threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug, much to the orca's confusion. Eggatha tightened her grip around Akhlut's neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

"I missed you, you big lug."

Akhlut blushed as he processed what was going on for a moment, then sighed and returned the hugs.

"Yeah, I missed you too, you little snot," he confessed.

Their sweet moment was interrupted when Cubot walked in to get more popcorn. They immediately pulled away from one another, playing it off casually. Thankfully, they were spared having to come up with an excuse when the intercom flickered on, Robotnik's voice over it.

"Attention, all units! All main personnel report to the meeting room immediately!"

-X-

Back in the meeting room, various Egg Troopers and robots were forced to make way for two figures: Mordred Hood and the Grand Battle Kukku. The two Sub-Bosses soon found themselves arguing as they went.

"To think I had to fly all the way out to Robotropolis from Eurish on a flight totally ensuite for me!" Mordred griped. "Someone like me, flying coach? I deserved at least first-class!"

"Do you ever stop whining?" Kukku asked. "Seriously, every time you open your mouth, it's nothing but bitching and moaning about how the world should worship you just for being born. It's really quite irritating."

Mordred hissed, turning on him. Before they could come to blows, the intercom flickered back on.

"Here's an idea," came Robotnik's voice. "Stop bickering and get moving! We have important business to discuss!"

The two arrived in the meeting room, finding it quite impressive.

"It's so… big," Mordred mused.

"And dark," Kukku tacked on.

They looked to see Robotnik already there, Eggatha by his side and Akhlut next to her.

"Gentlemen, it's good to see you," Robotnik greeted. "Take a seat, if you please."

"Akhlut?" Mordred remarked. "When did you get back?"

"This is a surprise," Kukku mused.

The minute they took a seat, Mordred got to business.

"So, what is this all about, Doctor?" he asked. "I'll have you know I had to cancel a very important meeting to be here."

"Yes, if you consider trying to get under a noblewoman's cape a 'very important meeting'," Kukku deadpanned, much to Mordred's embarrassment.

"Oh, don't worry, Hood," Akhlut remarked with a smirk. "Only an intelligent woman would turn you down."

Mordred scowled. "Well, at least I'm not the fantasy of every hormone-driven teenage girl on Mobius thanks to a social media campaign!"

He immediately had to duck under a flying chair.

"Ooh, looks like we missed a Boom," Akhlut remarked, his gem glow fading. "Better be careful. we might get possessed."

"Yooooou over-puffed pool dolphin!" Mordred roared. "Do you have any idea who I am!? I'm…"

"Going back into the closet with the rest of the snakeskin if you don't shut your oversized mouth, Hood!" Robotnik cut in.

"Yes sir!" Mordred immediately declared, shutting up.

"Good," Robotnik nodded. "Now where were we?"

"Where are the others, doctor?" Kukku asked.

"I'm afraid this is everyone who could make it, Kukku. Soumerca is in the middle of important work and Atrika is incommunicado..again."

"What about Yurashia?" Kukku asked.

"Currently in surgery."

"Still!?" Mordred asked. "It's been over a year!"

"His modifications are extremely precise and complicated!" Robotnik pointed out. "Not to mention, he's freaking huge! But that's beside the point. The point, my friends…Comrades? Allies? Loyal, top subordinates... Yes, that's it. That is why I have gathered you three here, to talk about some…changes, going on in the Empire's power structure."

"Changes?" Akhlut questioned. "What kind of changes?"

"BIG changes."

Robotnik snapped his fingers, causing the lights to come on, one by one, allowing everyone to get a better look at the table they were re sitting at. The table was massive, with twelve seats, not including Eggman and Eggatha's. Akhlut, Mordred, and Kukku could only look on in shock.

"No…" Akhlut let out in disbelief. "it can't be."

"Doctor, is this what I think it is?" Mordred asked.

"Oh yes, my dear Mordred," Robotnik grinned. "It's EXACTLY what you think it is."

Mordred hissed nervously.

"By the Rukh…" Kukku gasped. "The Project. You've actually completed it?"

"Ehhh…not quite. We're missing a few key players and we still have some prep work to take care of, but after months of planning, researching, and prodding from my niece…we're finally ready to get things off the ground."

Akhlut, Mordred, and Kukku all grinned in malicious satisfaction.

"Gentlemen, you've been waiting," Robotnik declared. "You've been patient. You have been wanting this for a long, long time. And now, your wait is over. Project: Eggman's Dozen is a GO!"

Author's Note:

The Egg Army is adding powerful customers to its ranks. Can the Freedom Fighters step up their game, or will they be stepped on?

Please R&R. Until next time.