Disclaimer: Sonic and all related characters and settings are copyright Sega Corporation. None of it belongs to me, but all property is theft, man. Whatever that means.
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Chapter Two - Ranting and Raving (But Not in That Order)
The huge high school bully of an airship tore triumphantly through the skies, as if already spreading the news of its master's defeat over all things small, blue and spiky.
Then, a small, blue, spiky thing climbed up onto the top of the ship.
"Tails," it started, out of breath and almost completely drained, "I don't know what you did, but it was incredible! How did you know we'd be able to get close to this thing after we'd been hit?"
"I didn't, really…" Tails panted, hoisting himself up onto the upper side of the Eggs-Box. "I just thought we were going to get hit by the missiles anyway, better to try and get close enough as we could."
"Well it was great, dude! Pity about the Tornado though." Sonic glanced over the side just in time to see his biplane disappear into the clouds.
"Nah, the old thing needed remodelling. Now, how about we go find Dr. Robotnik? He might think we're dead-- imagine the distress he'd be in!" Tails grinned.
"Yeah, I know!" Sonic said, "we'd better go and show him that his two favourite people are doing just fine. After you!"
Sonic pointed to a door that presumably led into the interior of the ship. Tails flew over to it and grasped the handle in one paw, flicking the lock out of place with the other. As soon as the door had rolled open, Tails leapt inside, followed by Sonic. Together they began traipsing through the dark, clean corridors, deeper into the bowels of the magnificent vessel.
At the bridge, meanwhile, Dr. Robotnik was rather excited.
"Yes, yes, yes! Finally, I have DESTROYED him! This feels amazing! And the times I have dreamed about this… I never even then imagined my victory would be so WONDEFUL!" the lunatic danced around the bridge in delight. It had been a good 5 minutes after the supposed death of his archenemies, but he was still getting more worked up by the second. This was Robotnik's dream, his ultimate ambition, and experiencing it coming true… it felt every bit as unreal as his fantasies. He kept thinking that in a moment he would wake up and be right back where he started again, but it didn't happen. For once, something had actually gone right!
"Master…" Eggor interjected during his master's deranged screams.
"Those stupid creatures. Now they know why I AM THE BEST!"
"Master…"
"And if anyone -hahaha!- if anyone dares to call me MAD again, they shall be eggsterminated!" Robotnik spun around with his arms flailing out. He looked like a hyperactive child who had been drinking too much caffeine.
Eggor really didn't want to spoil the doctor's tremendous good mood, but he was quite sure Robotnik needed to know what was going on at the back of the ship. He gathered all his strength and tried again:
"Mas-"
"As for those Chaos Emeralds-" Robotnik started.
Well, Eggor thought, I didn't even manage to get one word in this time.
"-For all I care, they can be destroyed! I don't need emeralds or flagships anymore! Now I can rule the world as I please with NO RESISTANCE!"
The hedgehog and fox ran through the lonely halls of the flying machine, getting ever closer to the celebrating scientist. They were the resistance. The Double Threat. Both of them were wearing huge, beaming grins.
"Look at the map!" Sonic said, skidding to a halt in front of a huge transparent perspex sign with the layout of the ship displayed in a large diagram drawn in simple coloured lines. "Bridge, thataway! That's where a ship is controlled from, right?"
"Yeah, I think so." Tails replied.
"Then that's where the fat controller will be!" Sonic sang. They bolted in the direction of what the map promised to be the entrance to the bridge. They were greeted by a few forks and junctions in the sprawling corridors, but thankfully the route to the control centre was conveniently sign posted all the way. Eventually they met a pair of thick iron doors, held shut with a huge metal lock. Sonic attempted to unbolt the doors, but in the end it appeared the best way to get through would be to smash them open.
Eggor regarded the monitors on the bridge worriedly and reached out for his Master's arm. It was terribly rude of him to poke Dr. Robotnik like this, but he had tried everything else and it seemed like the only way he could get his attention.
"Master, please…" Eggor pleaded, prodding Robotnik's upper arm with a metal digit. The scientist finally stopped whooping and looked at Eggor with a puzzled expression on his face.
"What?"
"Look, I'm afraid there's-"
The robot was interrupted again, this time by a crash at the end of the room where two massive metal doors had just swung open and clanked against the frame. In the large doorway stood two very happy looking animals, posing triumphantly. Deep inside, Sonic felt he would get an odd kind of sadistic satisfaction from seeing Robotnik's response.
"Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha!" the deranged genius laughed, "you're just in time, wretched hedgehog, to witness my domination of this pathetic world! For I have just defeated--" He stopped abruptly as reality caught up to him and bashed him over the head with the horrible, horrible truth. Completely frozen, his mouth hung open and his quivering hand pointed at Sonic in sheer, unrestrained horror. Sonic smiled back brightly, gazing at Eggman with mock admiration.
"Are we invited to your victory party, then?" Sonic breezed, leaning backwards against the door frame. Tails snorted slightly; he was finding it hard to breathe in the thick air of smugness surrounding the hedgehog.
"How… how?" Robotnik managed to force out. His eyes briefly rolled across, allowing his gaze to meet Tails, and then returned to Sonic. After a few seconds, the colour began to return to Robotnik's face, and Tails spotted something occuring further down the corridor.
"I don't know how you managed it," Dr. Robotnik started, pointing his finger at the smirking hedgehog and lowering his voice to a barely controlled snarling whisper, "but you will not get away with this. Mark my words, I will--" He stopped as Tails grabbed Sonic's arm harshly, a frightened look on his face.
After Sonic had got a glance at what was frightening Tails, the pair took off down the corridor. Dr Robotnik, confused and extremely annoyed, threw himself around the doorframe and started hurling threats at them. Eggor, who had been in a stunned silence during all of this, reached out and harshly grabbed Robotnik's arm in desperation. The scientist turned around quickly, a furious expression on his face.
"What on Mobius is your problem, you stupid robot?! WHY do you keep interrupting me?!"
"Master, it's just that, look…" Eggor pointed down the corridor at the large fire that had gathered at the far side. Dr. Robotnik fell back into the bridge and leaned against the wall, gasping deeply.
"Well don't just stand there!" he wheezed, "Put it out!"
"I'm afraid I cannot, Master." Eggor in an irritatingly calm voice, "the heat sensor map shows that there are fires throughout the whole back end of the ship. We'll have to abandon it."
"The back end? So that's where it started-- where Sonic and Tails came in! That accursed hedgehog started the fire!" Robotnik's enormous stomach bounced revoltingly as he jumped up and down in a raging frenzy.
Eggor shook his head, "Several minutes ago I found out that the third cargo bay door was left open, and some debris from the hedgehog's airplane ignited the contents. Then an explosion occurred--"
"You found this out several minutes ago, did you?" Robotnik screamed.
"Yes, Master." Eggor replied flatly.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"