When it came to the mood of a certain elderly individual, Dr. Fukurokov's could best be described as complicated. Yes, he was still shaken from the dressing down that His Majesty had given him last night regarding the loss of the Robo Kukkus and the Auto Arachnid, not to mention the fact that Miles Prower was there and now knew that they were, too. However, he'd been spared from severe punishment due to his haul from the abduction operation at the Chemical Plant Complex, as well as the leaps and bounds he'd made in other areas of production.
That latter point was precisely why he was feeling so grateful, if he were to be honest. Just as he had predicted, the effectiveness of his Conversion Therapy had been greatly amplified once he made use of the magenta Emerald. But, what no one else knew aside from himself was that he had created versions of the machine meant for non-avian subjects. After all, it would be such a waste for prospective bird soldiers to be reduced to gibbering messes or worse without having a chance to serve in the Empire. Better to test it on those land and sea dwellers they subjugated first, then work out any kinks from there.
And what a wonderful subject he'd obtained! A tall and somewhat burly, but also obese human with an egg-shaped torso and almost disproportionately long and thin arms and legs. He had peach-toned flesh with the exception of a lengthy, pointed pink nose, and was completely lacking in hair save for a bushy and unkempt mahogany mustache. He wore tinted and mirror pince-nez glasses that obscured his eyes, as well as a pair of green-lensed goggles atop his bald head. His clothing consisted of a simple pair of green overalls, a pink shirt, white cuffless gloves, and pink and green slippers.
Hardly the pinnacle of attractiveness, and his mind wasn't all there to begin with. Dr. Fukurokov had found him on Christmas Island, toiling away on designs for robots to occupy a theme park he wished to build. Though the purpose of these creations was something that the owl was no fan of, and their design was assuredly bizarre, there was something...elegant and simple about them. The technology and coding was so foreign to him, it was almost nonsensical, like the babbling of a toddler yet to formulate real words. But, the important thing was that it all worked, and the speed at which this fellow could produce these units, even without automation, was simply astonishing.
Naturally, the bumbling fool had been reticent about lending his work towards a cause such as the Empire's. The chief engineer would not abide him simply being crushed underfoot, though, and admittedly could not reliably replicate the human's craftsmanship without the fellow himself around. There was a method to that madness in his creative genius that only he had the means of accessing. And so, after having unsuccessfully attempted to convince and coerce his prisoner into working with him, the old bird had gone the route of making him the first test subject of his human-model CT machine. Even then, he'd been remarkably stubborn, never giving himself over to their influence completely and refusing to modify his robots for more destructive purposes.
That had changed last night, when a dose of the Emerald's power had been applied to a special "follow-up treatment". The first thing early that morning, Dr. Fukurokov had been pleased to find many robots that bore the typical likeness of the man's mark, only much fiercer than those he'd had in mind for his piddling amusement park, all ready for use. He'd been so eager to see them work, the old Animal had sent them out to be dropped in that marshland between those two cities in the west. The engineer had deduced one of the Chaos Emeralds being there based on what he'd learned of the local history, the ruins present, and the legends surrounding the gems in this part of the world. He'd been delighted when he was proven correct, one of the minerals his for the taking within the depths of that lake. It should have gone swimmingly, to pardon the pun.
But it didn't, which is why Dr. Fukurokov furiously swept aside his papers and instruments on his desk and slammed his fists down on the surface. The blue Chaos Emerald had been in his sights, in his grasp, and then he had come around. That loathsome fox that had made a fool of him time and again, and sabotaged his greatness at seemingly every turn! The upset at the Chemical Plant Complex was one thing, but to have one of the gems right there, only to have it snatched from underneath his beak, that was downright audacious!
"Oh, how I hope you drown in that stagnant swamp, you abomination!" the owl seethed.
That was just wishful thinking, though. He knew that the teen could swim, very well at that, and that even if he were rendered unable, he had that blasted robot with him. Not only that, but there was some hedgehog boy following him around now, and from what Dr. Fukurokov had seen...he could be just as much of a problem as Miles, at least physically. He had super Animalistic speed, reflexes, possibly durability, and spines that could make for one nasty Rolling Attack even without the aforementioned traits. To be able to contend with two deadly threats to the Empire's goals, he would need to up the ante himself, and he knew just what to do about that.
The doctor went over to the console tucked in the corner of his lab and entered a few commands. A panel in the center of his lab opened up, where a small lift with a simple control scheme rose up. Riding it down, the owl came into a room that brought back a rather bitter memory. It had once been a trap he'd laid for the fox, a chamber full of hazards from which there was no escape. Miles would have eventually given in and been done in by one of a few different methods, but the boy had been stubborn and resourceful. He'd figured out the ventilation connected to the owl's lab, then used his robot companion to knock the doctor out and release him from the death trap. It had been here that Dr. Fukurokov's first major personal defeat came at the hands of the fox, and it still left him feeling sore.
The owl had made it far less deadly and more accommodating for his subject, not to mention the perfect space to keep non-avian CT machines. It was here that he saw the heavyset man sitting at a desk and scribbling away on yet another blueprint, making occasional use of a protractor and other instruments. Noticing the doctor, the human turned around in the swivel chair he'd been provided, a curious and somewhat cheerful expression on his face.
"Why hello, Dr. Fukurokov!" he hailed the old bird, earning a sigh in return.
The owl did appreciate him being one of the few that could get his name right consistently, but he really could do without the attempts to be friendly. After everything that had happened, he wasn't in the mood to be more cordial than necessary.
"Yes, greetings, Dr. Robotnik," he said politely enough, folding his hands behind his back, "It would appear that your efforts were not sufficient for His Majesty's liking."
The man chuckled deeply, his belly shaking as he did.
"Please, doctor, I'm Ovi the Tinkerer," he replied with an insistent, but still amicable tone, "and I don't believe I understand. Were my contributions to diversify the Reserve insufficient?"
Dr. Fukurokov furrowed his brow at that response. He would have wondered what the human was on about, but this was sounding exactly like something he would say prior to his treatment. It seemed that the control the Chaos Emerald had afforded him was not as long-lasting as he would have liked. While he had predicted a scenario like this, he hadn't expected his subject to regress this quickly. He'd certainly have to make some adjustments to the machine the next time he made use of it, which would be very soon. Thankfully, it appeared that Ovi lacked any memory of prior treatment.
"Unfortunately," the owl answered evenly, "so I have come to see if there are any...grander designs that we may be able to make use of."
Ovi's face fell a bit.
"W-well, they're still in the theoretical phase," he hesitated as he peered over at a handful of sheets on one corner of the desk, "and the amount of materials, not to mention the costs, are simply unfeasible at this time. I'm afraid they wouldn't be of much use."
Dr. Fukurokov snatched up the papers, ignoring the human's protests as he pored over them. He stopped after leafing through a few of them, reaching up to rub his glasses clean to make sure he was seeing things right. There was a blueprint of a robot in Ovi's likeness, but several meters tall and with significantly more bulk. From the mess of notes he could decipher, the doctor determined that it was meant to be some kind of welcoming attraction to his amusement park. However, with a few reallocations of resources, not to mention an obvious facelift, it could be converted into a mighty battle mech.
But that paled in comparison to the next project. An immense egg-shaped space station planned to have rides, resorts, restaurants, nature reserves, and residencies within. A veritable interstellar amusement park, if he was reading it correctly. Such a vessel could be repurposed into the greatest weapon the Empire could ever ask for, as well as the new seat of their power. His Majesty would be pleased with such a development. Their conquest would not be limited to the land, sky, and sea; it would be extended to the stars above, too!
"Don't you worry about details like that, my fellow tinkerer," Dr. Fukurokov assured him with a dark grin, "I am certain that we can find a way to make this dream of yours a reality. All I ask in return is that we work a little more... closely together."
Another session with his machine would surely get the man to begin actual work on these designs posthaste. There was also that huge industrial city close to where the Battle Fortress had landed, which he believed was called "Metropolis" or something simple like that. Perhaps they would be able to help alleviate their need for materials...
"I can't believe it's already evening," Miles grumbled as he and Sonic entered their next destination, "next time you want to 'take a shortcut' through the Wood Zone, how about letting me lead the way instead?"
Sonic smiled up at him and pointed out at the sight before them. "Eh, we got here at the best time. No one likes to come out here during the day."
The fox and hedgehog peered out at the sprawling city of lights that was Casino Night. The ground was a dark gold with neon red and blue layers lighting up the edges. Similarly decorated palm trees were spread out across the strip, along with eye-catching signs and billboards. Gambling houses, restaurants, and more establishments could be seen further along, as well as huge blue and yellow tables with red zig zag borders. The latter attractions had large white and green pinball flippers, and the pair of Animals could see that there were three slot reels that were placed before a holding area that appeared to be made especially for those who could use the Rolling Attack. That must have been how one activated the machines.
"Well," the fox said as he took it all in, his irritation subsiding somewhat, "it certainly is jaunty." He brought out the Miles Electric and opened the Emerald Radar, fiddling around with the sensitivity as he tried to narrow down the location of the next gem. They were definitely closer, but how much closer was still undetermined. "Hmm, it doesn't seem like the gem's been moved, but I'm still unable to get a more accurate reading on its position. Let's see if we can fix that."
The hedgehog began to move on ahead, coming to a wide U-shaped gap with an orange and white vertical flipper in the middle of it.
"So, what are those stones, anyway?" he asked the teen, hopping into the hole and over the flipper.
Miles joined him on the other side, then the two ran at the slope in front of them before they both curled into a Rolling Attack. They descended back down briefly before the flipper bumped them forward and sent the Animals flying through the air, coming down on top of a high, slanted ledge. They jogged forward, coming to another, much deeper gap that sported a giant pinball table that they could ride if they wished, or continue on with a good jump to another balcony. They went with the latter option, crossing over and hopping atop a bulky blue block that served to get them to even higher places.
"They're called the Chaos Emeralds," Miles informed him while they rode the simple elevator, "there's a number of different legends surrounding them, depending on which regional lore you're looking into."
He and Sonic bounced from a conveniently placed red spring up to another horizontal flipper, which flicked them to an outcropping high above. They had little time before they were directed towards a second flipper and flung upward once more, the amber and cobalt spheres hitting several red and blue bumpers with white stars. After ricocheting off of the cluster, they fell towards a few similarly colored triangular bounce plates, flipping their way over to another high ledge. Once they uncurled from their ball forms, the two took a moment to continue the conversation.
"Oh yeah, I've heard about them before!" Sonic claimed, his eyes lighting up in recognition, "the stories around here said that the ancients used them."
The teen nodded at him, using his tails to fly them across yet another gap and over more bumpers, riding up another blue cube elevator to a narrow hall.
"Yes, it's believed by many scholars that the Chaos Emeralds were what allowed the Last Great Civilization to enter their golden age," Miles went on, his face turning grim, "but it's also theorized that their abuse is what ultimately led to the people's downfall and ruin."
At the end of the path, there was a three-quarter pipe formation in front of them with a vertical flipper at the bottom. The pair's eyes trailed up to the ceiling, where they saw how it curled down towards the walls more like an arch, rather than sporting sharp angles. As with the first gap, they propelled themselves using the provided prop, their Rolling Attacks following the curvature until they dropped back down past the gap. There was a much wider space in front of them, small neon green platforms acting as stepping stones to a distant ledge.
"One of my old books said they can grant wishes," Sonic stated, alternating his feet as he hopped from block to block, looking back at Miles as he followed. "Is that true?"
The fox could just about step between the platforms with his longer legs, but chose to take after the hedgehog's example, his tails helping to keep him balanced.
"Kind of," he said to the younger boy, tilting one hand back and forth. He saw another pair of pinball boards beyond the outcropping they were headed for, both of them with slot reels. "It's more that they transform thoughts into power."
Miles let Sonic ride on his shoulders as he flew them over the distance, touched down on the other side for a moment, then leapt again. He boosted himself off of a long, hexagonal bumper, allowing him to reach an alcove above. The way ahead dead-ended, leaving only a gap between two green bumpers to offer a possible way forward. Seeing the colors of a board below, the two of them performed a Roll Jump and let themselves tumble down the pinball path. Sonic fell to the left while Miles went to the right, the spiny kid shooting down a slope and hopping over another bumper towards a lower floor. The teen ended up in one of the holding areas for the reels, spinning in place as the slots lined up. Three golden rings appeared in a row, then the fox was shuffled out of the machine towards the end of the board. He met back up with Sonic, who was standing next to a bowl at the bottom of the slope, a hundred poker chip-sized rings stacked up in it.
"Our thoughts are influenced by our emotions, our feelings," Miles resumed, "which can be chaotic themselves. The Chaos Emeralds brought both good and ill fortune to the ancients because of that. They respond to the strongest feelings and desires that the wielder or wielders have while making use of them.
"Much like these rings," he said as scooped his winnings into Remi with a pleased smirk, "the more Emeralds you have, the more energy you can use. With all seven together, it's believed that you would gain the power to do pretty much anything. So, in that sense, they do grant wishes or make miracles."
"Which is why the Kukkus are after them!" Sonic realized, "with the Emeralds, they could take over the world no problem!"
"Exactly."
Miles then led the two of them onto a narrow part of the strip that brought them to more attractions and places to eat. His cheeks flushed a little under his fur as his sharp ears picked up the sound of his stomach over the noises of the busy night life. It seemed that Sonic had also heard him, judging from the boyish giggle he let out.
"Why don't we stop for a bite, big guy?" the hedgehog suggested, rubbing at his own belly, "I'm starving, and it sounds like you are, too!"
Miles chuckled and kept his eyes out for any joint that caught his attention. They soon settled on a modest bar and grill that was minor-friendly, the fox disguising his two tails as one before heading inside. The establishment was filled with black booths with red cushions, a simple hardwood floor, and a bar in the center, with the kitchen behind a couple of doors in the back, as well as a vent shutter in the rear of the bar. The was another, separate passage on the opposite side of the kitchen entrance, likely the office of the establishment. The smell of fresh, sizzling meat was enough to make the fox's mouth start to water.
Manning the main area was a slim and athletic purple chameleon that stood roughly a head shorter than Miles. He possessed golden-yellow eyes that had subtle black accents along the rims, a yellow horn above his muzzle, a heart-shaped pattern on his chest that was fleshy like Sonic's belly, a peach-tone muzzle, and a ridge of three black spikes that went down his spine to the base of a long, coiled tail. He wore dark purple shoes with black accents, metallic arm bracers, and white gloves with dark purple pads on the back. Around his wrists and ankles, he also sported bandage-wrapped cuffs with gold studs on the lower bands.
He dutifully rubbed down one of the glasses set around him, nodding his head towards the two animals that walked in. It seemed they were his only prospective customers at the moment.
"Welcome," he greeted in a stoic, but polite baritone, "you're free to seat yourselves wherever you wish."
Miles waved at him in return and did just that, grabbing one of the stools at the bar while Sonic hopped up into one to the fox's left. The chameleon set his glass down and rang a bell under the counter, the slam of one of the kitchen doors following a few seconds later.
Buzzing filled the room as a bee that was about half a head taller than Sonic flew in. He had a black and yellow striped body with matching antennae, translucent sky-blue wings, and honey-brown eyes. In addition, the insect boy had a tiny black nose, peach skin on his arms and muzzle, and a silver stinger at the end of his abdomen. His duds consisted of an orange vest with a yellow zipper and a bee emblem on the left breast, with a white collar similar to that on a polo shirt. He also had white and orange shoes with black ring bands and yellow zippers, white gloves with the same sort of decals, a black pilot's helmet with pink and orange circuited trim, and orange and silver flight goggles with sky-blue lenses.
"Alright, customers!" he cheered in an optimistic tenor, weaving towards the pair, "it's been kind of slow tonight, huh, Espio? I've been so bor–"
The bee stopped when he laid eyes on Miles, who stared back at him in equal shock. The fox stood up from his seat, getting a curious look from both the hedgehog and the reptile near him. A short silence hung in the air before the vulpine's muzzle split into a grin, and the smile on the insect's face widened even more.
"Miles!" the bee cried out in joy, diving towards the larger animal, arms outstretched for a hug.
Miles was nearly knocked off his feet as he was effectively tackled by the smaller Animal. He managed to keep his footing, though, and firmly returned the embrace, his two tails revealing themselves and wagging excitedly. Sonic peered over at the chameleon, who glanced at, but made no comment about the scene or the fact that the fox had an extra rear appendage. Either he knew already, or this was hardly the most bizarre thing he'd seen.
"Long time no see, Charmy!" Miles exclaimed happily, letting the bee go after a couple of moments, "this is wild, I didn't expect to run into you of all people! What're you doing here?"
The smaller guy spread out his arms and pointed around the restaurant.
"I'm just helping run this place with Espio here," he explained as he pointed out the chameleon, who nodded curtly, "we're part of a detective agency!"
"One that's still getting off the ground, as it were," Espio clarified, "hence the need for additional income."
If that was true, then perhaps they would be willing to help him search for the next Chaos Emerald, or at least point him in the right direction. But before he could ask about that, he heard Sonic impatiently drumming his fingers on the counter behind him. Right, they'd come to sate their stomachs before their curiosity about the gem or anything else. Miles felt a little bad about suddenly ignoring his companion.
"Well, we did originally come here to eat," Miles replied, turning around to the hedgehog and clearing his throat before gesturing to Charmy. "Sonic, this is Charmy Bee, one of my oldest friends." He then did the same in the hedgehog's direction. "Charmy, this is Sonic the Hedgehog."
The spiny boy held out his hand and smiled at the bee. "Nice to meet you!"
"Right back at you!" Charmy chirped, shaking the offered glove and then hovering up to slap the fox on the shoulder, "I used to live on Cocoa Island with this guy here." He gave Miles a once over and folded his arms with a smirk. "He was a lot smaller, though, kinda like you!"
"And you used to be way more hyperactive and scatter-brained," the tallest Animal fired back, though his tone was purely a playful one, "it's nice to see you've chilled out a little. The younger you would've never been able to hold down a job."
The two shared a small bout of laughter, no feelings hurt at their jabs.
"I've missed you, buddy," Miles said as he bumped fists with his friend.
"I've missed you too, pal," Charmy agreed, returning the bump, "lemme get you guys some grub before we catch up. You know what you want?"
"You guys got chili dogs?" Sonic asked him.
Charmy stroked his chin for a moment, then nodded at the hedgehog. "Yeah, we could whip some up. How about you, Miles?"
"You know, that sounds nice," the fox mumbled, grinning at his friend knowingly, "I'll go for that, too. I could use a good, savory meal after what I've been through."
Though he couldn't see Sonic's face, Miles could sense an ever so slight feeling of resentment. Ah well, the kid would probably get over it once he had some food in him. It was a fact that folks tended to be less antsy on a full stomach.
Dr. Fukurokov was mesmerized by what he was witnessing.
After another session in the machine, Ovi was like an assembly line unto himself. The painstakingly careful tinkering he'd been engaging in before had become a blistering pace that sacrificed none of the finesse. The gleam in the human's glasses had changed from one of simple joy to a sinister shine, and he'd even swapped out his wardrobe. His clothing now consisted of an elegant, red coat sporting two square metal buttons on both sides of the chest in gold, which had white straps that ran across the coat's sides to identical buttons on the back. It also had silver, zipper-like linings down the back, arms, and front, yellow cuffs, and two extensions on the front that have large silver buttons. In addition, he wore white cuffless gloves on his hands and a pair of black pants with matching boots seemingly attached to them, bearing circular plates on the both sides of the ankles and three square ones riding up the shin.
The difference between the man he'd been with before and after the second treatment was like night and day. It reminded the owl of an old story he'd read that the humans had written, about a man that had used a potion to separate the good and evil aspects of his personality. It had worked at first, but the darker side had eventually won out despite the fellow's efforts to keep it at bay. Perhaps, with enough time and effort, he could permanently convert Ovi to this persona and their cause? It was certainly something to think about.
"Dmitri, I do believe you'll appreciate this," the man said in a much more menacing voice than he'd used earlier as he nodded over to a workbench.
Dr. Fukurokov waddled over to where his patient had been working and boosted himself up to see. The blueprint showed a modified version of the Mecha Golem line that the old bird had established. It still had the bulky dark purple body, the extendable right arm with its spherical joints, and the drill bit "nose" on its face, but that's where the similarities to older designs ended. It now had a left arm that could stretch as well, with a much larger drill at the end of it in place of a hand. In fact, the hand on the right arm had also been changed out for the same thing. Its short and stubby legs had been done away with entirely, replaced by a trio of thrusters on the bottom and the back of the machine to allow it to hover. The slit made for vision had been converted to a viewing port that would better protect the pilot, as well as provide more accurate visual data during battle. He really didn't care for the mustache pattern and the grinning face the doctor had added, though.
When it came to work, the owl had always loathed when others made adjustments or revisions. Even when they actually did manage to improve his designs, he wouldn't accept them, sooner throwing them into the brig. But the human was different. He was too efficient in what he did to sideline, and the fact that he could get things to work despite their bizarre construction was too valuable a skill to ignore. And, all in all, this new Mecha Golem did appear to be quite effective and intimidating.
"This should certainly serve us well, Ovi," he told the man.
The human growled in annoyance. "I've told you it's Ivo, you decrepit avian. Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and don't make me remind you again!"
"Remember that you're in my custody, Ivo," Dr. Fukurokov warned, lightly crumpling the paper in his hands, "don't cross me if you wish to keep playing with your toys. Also, rather than squabble, how about you allocate your remaining time towards resolving our fox problem?"
Ivo fixed him with a glare through those specs before he went back to assembling another unit.
"I still don't see how one Animal can give you so much trouble," he remarked, "it seems excessive to build all these."
The owl bristled.
"Much as I am loath to admit it," he said with utter contempt, "Miles Prower is a genius in his own right. Not only that, but he's far stronger and faster than any typical Animal. And to make matters worse, it isn't just him we have to contend with this time. If anything, supplementing our forces with these creations of yours is absolutely necessary."
Ivo chortled at that. "You won't have to worry once my newest Badniks are up and running. Why, I doubt you'll even need everything I'm willing to provide!"
"You can say that only because you've not matched wits with that troublesome teenager," Dr. Fukurokov commented, "so I say once again that you should spare no expense."
"Meh, if you say so," Dr. Robotnik hummed dismissively and waved the chief engineer away, putting all his focus into his task.
The owl huffed and went back to the lift, seeing the human assemble and finish another robot from scratch just before he left the chamber. That guy really did have an ego on him when he was like that, not at all humble or cautious like his other self. The old bird found it quite vexing that no matter whether he was working with "Ovi" or "Ivo", he was bound to develop a headache. If the chief engineer could just rein in that ego for a while, he'd be able to learn and replicate the secrets in the man's head, he was sure of it. After that, Ovi, or Ivo, or whatever, could serve as a living factory to help boost the output of the creations that would follow such revelations.
Little did he realize that another source of frustration was waiting for him the moment his ride returned, one in the form of a certain prince.
"L-Lord Speedy!" Dr. Fukurokov exclaimed, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest when he found the Kukku heir waiting for him right next to the lift. After a moment, he composed himself and changed his tune to a more aggravated one. "I do not appreciate your recently developed habit of barging into my laboratory unannounced. I'll have you know I've been quite busy ever since the previous night, and interruptions like these are hampering my progress!"
Speedy merely returned his bluster with a roll of the eyes.
"It isn't unannounced," he replied dryly, "Father attempted to contact you, but you didn't respond, so he sent me down to meet with you personally. Not a good look for you, and honestly, a waste of my time."
The owl bit back a snide remark, but only because this was apparently important. He was honestly growing tired of these intrusions, even if it was the prince. That attitude was really getting on his nerves, too.
"What does His Majesty need of me?" he inquired calmly.
"More of those new robots," Speedy answered promptly, already turning and leaving as he spoke, "given how fast you make them, he's expecting a company of them for tomorrow's invasion of Metropolis. Also, he wants you to hurry up with the CT modifications, since he's yet to see results from that."
The ace didn't even wait for an acknowledgement from Dr. Fukurokov before he was already out the door. It really did aggravate the elder with how that boy treated him, but that was the least of his worries now. He'd been so wrapped up with trying to get the human model of his Chaos-powered machine to work properly that he hadn't started with the ones meant for birds. He was still hesitant about applying the new changes as well, given that he hadn't gotten consistent results with the doctor. There was still a high possibility that things could go wrong, and he would hate to have prospective soldiers wasted.
However, if the GBK wanted Dr. Fukurokov to pick up the pace, there was little choice but to comply. He'd gotten lucky before with the news about Miles, and he had a feeling his leader wouldn't be so generous a second time if he dragged his talons. But when it came to the additional forces, he could comply with that request easily enough. He just hoped that Dr. Robotnik didn't get any ideas above his station; he wasn't sure he'd be able to rein him in if he decided to turn his Badniks against the Empire.
"Okie-dokie, here's your food, dudes!" Charmy announced as he set down plates in front of Miles and Sonic.
They each had two jumbo franks in a bun, topped with a meaty sauce, cheese, and spicy chili. On the side, they also had a good pile of potato wedges that were smothered in the same substance. As the scent wafted into the boys' noses, they had to wipe a bit of drool from their mouths. Not only did it all smell good, but they hadn't had anything substantial since the morning.
"Thanks, Charmy, this looks great!" Miles said gratefully, wasting no time in picking up a frank and taking a big bite. He let out a satisfied grunt as he chewed it all up and quickly swallowed. "Mmm, my compliments to the chef!"
The bee thumbed his nose. "He's got the right attitude, but he's a little bossy, and sometimes he's just asking for a fight. Can't blame him too much, though, he's still just a kid. Good thing Espio's here to help with that."
"Watching you two is a full-time job in and of itself," the chameleon remarked in a forthright tone.
Charmy chuckled and grinned sheepishly at Espio. The insect boy took a seat to the fox's right and politely waited on him to have a few more bites. Sonic was already through one of his own chili dogs and a number of fries when he decided to speak up.
"So, you and the big guy grew up together?" he inquired of the other small Animal.
The bee gave the fox a playful punch in the shoulder. "Yep, we've known each other ever since we were five! Then there's Gad and Giselle, who're about five years older than us, but they've been friends with Miles for just as long. The four of us made a pretty good group!"
"We even formed and had a band for a while," Miles added after taking a sip of water.
Sonic's eyes lit up when he heard that. "Really? I'm a bit of a music guy myself. I can sing and play the violin!"
"Cool, I'd like to hear sometime!" Charmy said encouragingly as he leaned forward onto the bar, "but yeah, we had a band going back home! Miles played lead guitar, Giselle handled bass or rhythm depending on the song, Gad worked the synth and keys, and I was on the drums!"
The vulpine sighed nostalgically, his expression turning a bit more somber after a moment.
"Then Charmy left a little over four years ago," he said, wolfing down the last bit of his second chili dog before turning to the bee, "and honestly, you got out at a good time. The Battle Kukku Empire attacked not long after that."
Charmy's hands flew up to his muzzle to suppress a gasp, while Espio stopped polishing his glass almost immediately.
"The Kukkus attacked Cocoa Island!?" the insect shouted, making Miles wince due to the proximity to his sensitive ears, "is everyone else okay? What happened, Miles!?"
The fox hummed and picked at his food for a few moments, then looked between the other three Animals, letting out another, more tired huff. Sonic tilted his head quizzically, an excited gleam in his eyes. It seemed like he was finally going to learn more about the villains the heroic fox fought against!
"The Empire came looking for the Chaos Emeralds in order to take over the world," Miles told them, a flash of sadness showing in his features, "some civilians and Flickies were killed during the invasion, many more were captured, and most of Poroi Forest and Puru Puru Village were burned to the ground."
Espio bowed his head sympathetically. "I am sorry to hear. The Battle Kukku Empire has taken so much from so many; humans, Animals, and Critters alike."
"Yeah, they have," the amber teen affirmed, his expression hardening as one of his hands balled into a fist, "but unlike all those other instances, they didn't get away scot free with Cocoa Island. I made sure of that."
Charmy fully turned around in his seat and stared at him, gobsmacked. "You mean you beat the whole Kukku army by yourself?"
"Nah, I had Remi helping me," Miles claimed, patting at his backpack, "and Gad and Giselle did what they could to keep the survivors safe. But, as far as the actual fighting, yeah, I did most of it on my own."
"And then you used the Chaos Emeralds to make the island good as new, right?" Sonic butted in with his assumption.
The fox nodded softly. "I kept the cyan gem hidden, since the Empire seemed to believe that there were six Emeralds rather than seven. To be fair, some legends, like those back home and on South Island, do claim that, so that's probably where they got their info." His frown turned up into a smile. "But even with mine left behind, six was enough to grant my wish to restore Cocoa Island. Aside from the lives lost, it's back to how it was before the Kukkus attacked."
Charmy would've sat down if he wasn't already doing so, thus he sunk further into his seat instead. Sonic rubbed the underside of his nose, proud that he managed to guess the rest of the short tale correctly. A ghost of a smile graced the chameleon's lips, both at seeing the bee speechless, and that he sensed no deception in Miles' words.
"That would explain why their activity has significantly decreased over the past few years," the reptile commented, setting down the mug he'd been cleaning, "and here, many had thought that they'd grown complacent."
Miles allowed himself a slightly bitter chuckle, then finished off the last of his meal. Charmy reached over the counter and grabbed a glass, holding it out to Espio. The reptile regarded him for a couple of seconds, then let out a quiet huff and brought up the water nozzle, filling the mug up most of the way.
"So, what brings you here, Miles?" the bee asked him, taking a big swig as he listened intently.
The fox opened his mouth to speak, but Sonic beat him to the punch. Not only that, but the energetic hedgehog also plucked the blue Emerald out of Miles' tails, making the teen do a double take.
"He told me he was looking for the Chaos Emeralds!" the cobalt boy answered for the fox, holding up the azure mineral for all to see, "and then the Kukkus showed up, so we're gonna stop them, too!"
Both Charmy and Espio fixed their gaze on the teen, one worried and the other stern. Miles groaned and face-palmed, snatching the gem from Sonic's hand.
"First, don't touch my tails without asking," he growled, briefly eyeing the other Animals before looking back at the youngest one, "and second, I can speak for myself, thank you very much."
He glanced over to his friend and saw that worried look in his eyes. Miles had been hoping not to involve them in this beyond inquiring about the location of the next Emerald. But no, Sonic had to go and open his big mouth about the Empire. Well, not much he could do now that the others knew the situation.
"Sonic's right, though," he admitted, nudging his plate away from his space, "the Kukkus are here on West Side Island, but it doesn't seem like they've been here for long." His brow furrowed a bit. "I only discovered them last night, and we've encountered a surprisingly small number of units, all of which have been robotic. I'm not sure if it's because this place is much bigger than Cocoa Island, if they're employing a stealthier approach, or some combination of the two, but it feels strange, like the calm before the storm. I hope that's not what it is..."
Espio shut his eyes in contemplation, humming as though reciting a sort of mantra. After a moment, he pushed open the small door on the side of the bar and made his way into the office, Charmy and the rest following him curiously. The sounds of rummaging through shelves and drawers met the fox's ears, followed by a grunt of affirmation. The chameleon returned from the back, clutching something that he kept hidden with both hands until he got to the counter. Once there, he stopped in front of Miles and glanced down at his gloves before he brought them forward and opened them up.
The fox's eyes widened when he discovered yet another Emerald in Espio's grasp, this one red like a ruby. He knew that the gem was this close, but he hadn't expected his old friend and associate to be the ones to have it. That said, he figured that since Charmy and Espio were trying to run one business and get another off the ground, that the reptile, at least, might want something for it. He didn't mind helping out a friend though, and so, the teen reached into Remi's storage, prepared to take out as many rings as he needed.
"How much do you want for it?" he offered.
It was the chameleon's turn to be shocked, though he only let it show for the briefest instant. He shook his head humbly and extended his arms a little more.
"If things are as you say, you will need this more than we do," Espio countered, looking over to the bee, "that, and I do not wish to attract unwanted attention to us. I work best out of sight of those that would do us harm."
Charmy pouted at this decision, floating up off of his seat and hovering over to the reptile's side with a pleading look.
"Aww, come on, Espio," he begged, "he's offering to pay us for it even though you're willing to give it away for free!"
Espio narrowed his eyes at the insect. "Money will be the least of our problems if the Battle Kukku Empire arrives on our doorstep." He just about shoved the red Emerald the teen's way, causing the fox to lean back and keep the blue Emerald from getting too close. "And as brash as he is, I do think Vector would agree with me that helping others comes first."
While Miles may have been hesitant to take the stone without properly compensating the chameleon, Sonic did not possess such reluctance. Seeing as Espio was so willing to give it away, he stood up in his seat and graciously took the offered item.
"Thanks, Espio, we'll use it to stop those Kukkus!" the blue blur promised him, beaming as he practically pushed the red Emerald into the fox's face. The proximity prompted a dull glow to form in the cores of the rocks, one that quickly grew brighter. "Isn't this cool, big guy? We already have more than half of them!"
"Sonic, stop! Don't let them get–"
All four Animals cried out as the restaurant was filled with a blinding light from the two stones reacting to one another's close presence. Not only that, but the fox felt power surging across his back, no doubt from the other two Emeralds also getting in on the action. Rather than the cool, minty sensation he was used to, it was like desert heat was flowing through his veins, setting his nerves on fire, but without any pain. He'd never tried having this many Emeralds resonate with one another before, and now he could feel why it was a bad idea.
The sound of crumbling brick followed their yelling, Miles' ears folding back as he imagined the damage that had been wrought. On the plus side, the injuries he and Sonic had accrued earlier had healed up, not that they were that serious. Once the light cleared and everyone could see again, Miles let his eyes wander up to the ceiling. The damage wasn't quite as bad as he'd imagined, but there was still a rather sizable hole in the roof, one big enough for him to fly through. The fox grimaced and plucked the red Emerald from a still-stunned Sonic.
"Sorry, I tried to tell you," he explained, placing both gems into Remi, now that all four were in tune, "if the Emeralds haven't been around one another for a while, they need to 'resync' when brought back together. And as you can see, the results can be a bit violent."
Miles hummed nervously and reached into his storage for a huge sack of rings. He dropped it on the counter, unloaded a good amount of its contents, then pushed himself away and got to his feet.
"There's rings for the food, Emerald, and hopefully, enough to cover the damages," he said as he turned to Epsio and bowed his head apologetically, "sorry about that." He nodded at his insect friend with a small smile. "It was nice to see you again, Charmy." He grunted and started to walk away, letting Sonic follow his lead. "Come on, kid, let's go before we cause any more trouble."
As the two made their way out of the restaurant, Charmy went to chase after them, but Espio held him back by grabbing his shoulder and shaking his head. When they got outside, Miles didn't even wait to see if Sonic was ready before moving on, his expression sour.
"Your friend's pretty cool," the hedgehog commented, "it was nice meeting him and that Espio guy!"
"Yeah," the fox replied in monotone frustration.
Miles went forward to a dip in the ground with a large red spring aimed towards a ramp, curling himself into a Rolling Attack so he could bounce off of it. He put his two tails to work a couple of seconds later, clearing the top of a small building attached to a ritzy loop. The teen flew from there to an even higher roof that overlooked a pinball board with slots, noticing Sonic below. With a "tch", he moved on, passing up the game and coming to another table just beyond it, though this one lacked reels. The fox ignored this distraction as well, slipping into a small passage where he had to Roll in order to get through.
He leapt up to a ledge, where he found a circular blue elevator with green details. Sonic had just about caught up to him, and though he considered waiting, as there was room for two, Miles stepped onto the platform and let it carry him up. He was angry with the younger Animal, what with everything that had happened up to now. There were times before he felt like he was going to lose his patience with Sonic, but it was dangerously close at this point. One more incident like what had happened at the bar, and Miles wasn't sure he'd be able to keep his cool.
With a grunt, he continued his trek past some neon flora, then crossed over a gap using a handful of star bumpers. When given the choice between going below to another hall, or higher to another awning, Miles went with the latter, utilizing more of those small green platforms to get to it. He went on until he couldn't go any higher, slipping past one of those large blue cubes from earlier and jumping down a funnel-shaped opening when left with no other path. He followed the only logical route and ended up at yet another slots game, ignoring it and dropping down past the flippers at the bottom. A Rolling Attack guided him along the curve of one dip, flinging him into the air and down another. He landed in a more open tunnel with a second elevator in the back, and he was ready to forge on before the sound of other shoes clattering on the gilded ground met his ears.
"Whew, I thought I lost you for a second, big guy!" Sonic remarked from behind him, catching up to the teen and joining him on the platform. "That's okay, though, it wasn't too hard to catch up."
Miles merely hummed in response, showing that he'd at least heard the hedgehog. The two of them rode the lift to the top of the shaft, then proceeded to the edge of a balcony that overlooked one final game. The fox was prepared to walk on, but he stopped when the younger boy tapped him on the lower back. He sighed and slowly moved to face the kid, arms folded.
"What?" Miles asked grumpily.
"Can we at least play this one, big guy?" Sonic pleaded, "you said we could have fun earlier."
The teen bit back a snarl, but only barely. Did this guy really not get what he did before, or was he just trying to ease the tension? Well, whatever the case, Miles wasn't interested in joining him.
"You can, if you want," he answered tersely, dropping a ring into Sonic's hands, "I'm not in the mood anymore."
Miles curled into a Rolling Attack and directed himself towards the path of least resistance. He passed the flippers at the bottom and stood there, tapping one foot as he waited on the hedgehog. Sonic made his own way down the table, bouncing off bumpers and soaring through the air into the holding space beneath the slots. For several seconds, the reels spun nearly too fast for anyone to see, only for one of them to suddenly stop with a loud click. The second one stopped soon after, and finally the third, which was succeeded by a loud blaring siren that couldn't have meant anything good.
The fox peered up and he felt his face pale under his fur when he saw the results: three double-zeroes. He reached into his pack with trepidation and brought out his bag of rings. It was far lighter than before, even after taking into account what he'd given Espio and Charmy. He nervously opened the top and peered down inside, and after he got a good look, he let out a distressed whine and fell to his knees. Nearly all of his rings were gone after that big loss on Sonic's part.
"I'd like today to be over now," he moaned mournfully.
